For The Batrachomoumachia Bartpacomoumacia Introduction The Beginning Lines 56 - 102 Lines 103 - 159 Lines 160 - 209 Lines 210 - 267 Lines 268 - 303 Go Home |
As he said this there was not one of them he did not persuade. They immediately began to work;first making their greves with soft leaves; then fashioning a breast plate from the fine flax of beets; they molded leaves from a cabbage into a shield; fitted each spear to a sharp point; and finally for a helmet they covered their heads with a thin snail shell. After this they stood pointing outwards from a raised hill each soul was filled with courage awaiting the mice. Zues called the gods in the glistening sky to be ready war. They promptly came the many and great, all carrying long spears in preparation for either the armies of the Centaurs or the Giants. Seeing this with sweet laughter he asked them. "Which of you immortals will assist the frogs or mice?" He then said this To Athena;" "Oh daughter will you furnish aid to the mice? Because it is for you that they bound around the temple and delight in the smell of the burning sacrifice." As Zues said this Athena immediately replied; "Oh father I myself "will" not go and aid the suffering of the Mice. They do more harm than worship damaging my garlands and eating olive oil from the lamps. The things they do to my temple anger me to such a degree. They eat up the robe which I had just finished weaving from fine cloth. Even worse they stand on my cobbler and make their children and more horribly that is the same place they go to die! This anger is growing since I have not been repaid for their damages But I do not desire to help the frogs either for they are not perfect either. Lately they have been exceedingly troublesome to me. Their loud croaking and splashing in the lake has not permitted me to get any sleep. I haven't slept since I returned from war. I have a headache! They're croaking is like a rooster's call. But may the rest of us also not go to aid either of them either. What if one of us get injured by their sharp javelins? For they are fighting in close combat and if the gods go we will be set opposite each other. So let all of us in the sky just watch and enjoy the battle. As Athena said this the other gods agreed, and went back into the land to finish what they were doing before Zues called them back to Olympus. After this the great sounds of the war trumpet were heard. Zues came from the sky to earth to watch this terrible war. As the war began Hades wasted no time. First Loud Shouter wounded Lickman with his spear in the foot and then again in the middle of his stomach, and Lickman was the first to fall. He Fell with a heavy sound and his armor clashing around him. Then Cave-dweller hurled a javelin at Pelus, and the spear struck him sturdily in the chest Pelus fell rolled up in black death breathing out his last 7 breaths. Beet firmly stabbed Pot-Visitor in the heart. Lines 210 to 267 |