§18.479πάντοσε δαιδάλλων, περὶ δʼ ἄντυγα βάλλε φαεινὴν §18.480τρίπλακα μαρμαρέην, ἐκ δʼ ἀργύρεον τελαμῶνα.
Fashioning it with cunning work all over, and around it he set a gleaming rim, triple and glittering, and from it a silver baldric.
§18.481πέντε δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτοῦ ἔσαν σάκεος πτύχες· αὐτὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ §18.482ποίει δαίδαλα πολλὰ ἰδυίῃσι πραπίδεσσιν.
Five were the folds of the shield itself; and upon it he fashioned many cunning designs with his wise mind.
§18.483ἐν μὲν γαῖαν ἔτευξʼ, ἐν δʼ οὐρανόν, ἐν δὲ θάλασσαν, §18.484ἠέλιόν τʼ ἀκάμαντα σελήνην τε πλήθουσαν, §18.485ἐν δὲ τὰ τείρεα πάντα, τά τʼ οὐρανὸς ἐστεφάνωται, §18.486Πληϊάδας θʼ Ὑάδας τε τό τε σθένος Ὠρίωνος §18.487Ἄρκτόν θʼ, ἣν καὶ Ἄμαξαν ἐπίκλησιν καλέουσιν, §18.488ἥ τʼ αὐτοῦ στρέφεται καί τʼ Ὠρίωνα δοκεύει, §18.489οἴη δʼ ἄμμορός ἐστι λοετρῶν Ὠκεανοῖο.
Therein he fashioned the earth, therein the heaven, therein the sea, and the unwearied sun and the moon at her full, and all the constellations with which heaven is crowned, the Pleiades and the Hyades and the strength of Orion and the Bear, which men also call by the name of the Wain, which turns in its place and watches Orion, and alone has no share in the baths of Oceanus.
And therein he fashioned two cities of mortal men, beautiful ones.
ἐν τῇ μέν ῥα γάμοι τʼ ἔσαν εἰλαπίναι τε, §18.492νύμφας δʼ ἐκ θαλάμων δαΐδων ὕπο λαμπομενάων §18.493ἠγίνεον ἀνὰ ἄστυ, πολὺς δʼ ὑμέναιος ὀρώρει·
In the one there were weddings and feastings, and they were leading the brides from their chambers under the light of blazing torches through the city, and loud rose the bridal song.
§18.494κοῦροι δʼ ὀρχηστῆρες ἐδίνεον, ἐν δʼ ἄρα τοῖσιν §18.495αὐλοὶ φόρμιγγές τε βοὴν ἔχον· αἳ δὲ γυναῖκες §18.496ἱστάμεναι θαύμαζον ἐπὶ προθύροισιν ἑκάστη.
Young men were whirling in the dance, and among them flutes and lyres kept up their din; and the women stood each at her door and marveled.
§18.497λαοὶ δʼ εἰν ἀγορῇ ἔσαν ἀθρόοι· ἔνθα δὲ νεῖκος §18.498ὠρώρει, δύο δʼ ἄνδρες ἐνείκεον εἵνεκα ποινῆς §18.499ἀνδρὸς ἀποφθιμένου· ὃ μὲν εὔχετο πάντʼ ἀποδοῦναι §18.500δήμῳ πιφαύσκων, ὃ δʼ ἀναίνετο μηδὲν ἑλέσθαι· §18.501ἄμφω δʼ ἱέσθην ἐπὶ ἴστορι πεῖραρ ἑλέσθαι.
But the people were gathered in the assembly place; and there a strife had arisen, and two men were disputing about the blood-price of a man who had died; the one declared he had paid all, declaring it to the people, but the other refused to accept anything; and both were eager to take the issue to an arbitrator.
§18.502λαοὶ δʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἐπήπυον ἀμφὶς ἀρωγοί· §18.503κήρυκες δʼ ἄρα λαὸν ἐρήτυον· οἳ δὲ γέροντες §18.504εἵατʼ ἐπὶ ξεστοῖσι λίθοις ἱερῷ ἐνὶ κύκλῳ, §18.505σκῆπτρα δὲ κηρύκων ἐν χέρσʼ ἔχον ἠεροφώνων· §18.506τοῖσιν ἔπειτʼ ἤϊσσον, ἀμοιβηδὶς δὲ δίκαζον.
And the people were cheering both sides, helpers on either part; and heralds were keeping the people back; and the elders sat on polished stones in a sacred circle, and held in their hands the staves of the loud-voiced heralds; with these they then sprang up, and gave judgment in turn.
§18.507κεῖτο δʼ ἄρʼ ἐν μέσσοισι δύω χρυσοῖο τάλαντα, §18.508τῷ δόμεν ὃς μετὰ τοῖσι δίκην ἰθύντατα εἴποι.
And in their midst lay two talents of gold, to be given to him who among them should speak the most upright judgment.
§18.509τὴν δʼ ἑτέρην πόλιν ἀμφὶ δύω στρατοὶ ἥατο λαῶν §18.510τεύχεσι λαμπόμενοι· δίχα δέ σφισιν ἥνδανε βουλή, §18.511ἠὲ διαπραθέειν ἢ ἄνδιχα πάντα δάσασθαι §18.512κτῆσιν ὅσην πτολίεθρον ἐπήρατον ἐντὸς ἔεργεν·
But around the other city sat two armies of besieging hosts, gleaming in their armor; and counsel found favor with them in two ways, either to sack the city utterly or to divide in two portions all the wealth that the lovely city held within.
§18.513οἳ δʼ οὔ πω πείθοντο, λόχῳ δʼ ὑπεθωρήσσοντο.
But the citizens would not yet yield, but were secretly arming for an ambush.
§18.514τεῖχος μέν ῥʼ ἄλοχοί τε φίλαι καὶ νήπια τέκνα §18.515ῥύατʼ ἐφεσταότες, μετὰ δʼ ἀνέρες οὓς ἔχε γῆρας· §18.516οἳ δʼ ἴσαν· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρά σφιν Ἄρης καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη §18.517ἄμφω χρυσείω, χρύσεια δὲ εἵματα ἕσθην, §18.518καλὼ καὶ μεγάλω σὺν τεύχεσιν, ὥς τε θεώ περ §18.519ἀμφὶς ἀριζήλω· λαοὶ δʼ ὑπολίζονες ἦσαν.
Their wall indeed their dear wives and infant children guarded, standing thereon, and with them the men whom old age held; but the rest went forth, and Ares led them and Pallas Athena, both of gold, and in golden raiment were they clad, fair and tall in their armor, even as gods, conspicuous on every side; but the people were smaller.
§18.520οἳ δʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵκανον ὅθι σφίσιν εἶκε λοχῆσαι §18.521ἐν ποταμῷ, ὅθι τʼ ἀρδμὸς ἔην πάντεσσι βοτοῖσιν, §18.522ἔνθʼ ἄρα τοί γʼ ἵζοντʼ εἰλυμένοι αἴθοπι χαλκῷ.
And when they had come to a place that seemed good for an ambush, in the river, where was a watering-place for all herds, there they sat down, wrapped in gleaming bronze.
§18.523τοῖσι δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπάνευθε δύω σκοποὶ εἵατο λαῶν §18.524δέγμενοι ὁππότε μῆλα ἰδοίατο καὶ ἕλικας βοῦς.
Then apart from the host sat two scouts, waiting till they should catch sight of the sheep and shambling cattle.
§18.525οἳ δὲ τάχα προγένοντο, δύω δʼ ἅμʼ ἕποντο νομῆες §18.526τερπόμενοι σύριγξι· δόλον δʼ οὔ τι προνόησαν.
And these came quickly, and two herdsmen followed with them, playing on pipes; and of the guile they had no forethought.
§18.527οἳ μὲν τὰ προϊδόντες ἐπέδραμον, ὦκα δʼ ἔπειτα §18.528τάμνοντʼ ἀμφὶ βοῶν ἀγέλας καὶ πώεα καλὰ §18.529ἀργεννέων οἰῶν, κτεῖνον δʼ ἐπὶ μηλοβοτῆρας.
But the others, seeing them beforehand, rushed upon them, and quickly cut off the herds of cattle and the fair flocks of white-fleeced sheep, and slew the herdsmen besides.
§18.530οἳ δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐπύθοντο πολὺν κέλαδον παρὰ βουσὶν §18.531εἰράων προπάροιθε καθήμενοι, αὐτίκʼ ἐφʼ ἵππων §18.532βάντες ἀερσιπόδων μετεκίαθον, αἶψα δʼ ἵκοντο.
But the besiegers, when they heard the great din among the cattle, as they sat in council, straightway mounted behind their high-stepping horses and pursued, and quickly they came up with them.
§18.533στησάμενοι δʼ ἐμάχοντο μάχην ποταμοῖο παρʼ ὄχθας, §18.534βάλλον δʼ ἀλλήλους χαλκήρεσιν ἐγχείῃσιν.
And they set their battle in array and fought by the banks of the river, and smote one another with bronze-tipped spears.
§18.535ἐν δʼ Ἔρις ἐν δὲ Κυδοιμὸς ὁμίλεον, ἐν δʼ ὀλοὴ Κήρ, §18.536ἄλλον ζωὸν ἔχουσα νεούτατον, ἄλλον ἄουτον, §18.537ἄλλον τεθνηῶτα κατὰ μόθον ἕλκε ποδοῖιν· §18.538εἷμα δʼ ἔχʼ ἀμφʼ ὤμοισι δαφοινεὸν αἵματι φωτῶν.
And among them mingled Strife and Tumult, and deadly Fate, holding one man newly wounded but still alive, and another unwounded, and another that was dead she dragged by the feet through the battle; and the garment on her shoulders was red with the blood of men.
Like living mortals they mingled and fought, and dragged away the bodies of each other's dead.
§18.541ἐν δʼ ἐτίθει νειὸν μαλακὴν πίειραν ἄρουραν §18.542εὐρεῖαν τρίπολον· πολλοὶ δʼ ἀροτῆρες ἐν αὐτῇ §18.543ζεύγεα δινεύοντες ἐλάστρεον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα.
And therein he set a soft, rich fallow field, broad and thrice-plowed; and many plowmen in it were wheeling their teams and driving them to and fro.
§18.544οἳ δʼ ὁπότε στρέψαντες ἱκοίατο τέλσον ἀρούρης,
And whenever they turned and reached the boundary of the field,