With ftricteft order fets his train in arms, The chiefs advises, and the foldiers warms. 340 Alafter, Chromius, Hamon round him wait, Bias the good, and Pelagon the great. The horse and chariots to the front affign'd, The foot (the ftrength of war) he rang'd behind; 345 Inclos'd by both, nor left the pow'r to fly; He account. The difpofition of his troops in this place (together with what he is made to fay, that their forefathers used the fame method) may be a proof that the art of war was well known in Greece before the time of Homer. Nor indeed can it be imagined otherwife, in an age when all the world made their acquifitions by force of arms only. What is moft to be wonder'd at is, that they had not the use of cavalry, all men engaging either on foot, or from chariots (a particular neceffary to be known by every reader of Homer's battels.) In these chariots there were always two perfons, one of whom only fought, the other was wholly employ'd in managing the Horfes. Madam Dacier, in her excellent preface to Homer is of opinion, that there were no horsemen till near the time of Saul, threefcore years after the fiege of Troy; fo that altho Cavalry were in ufe in Homer's days, yet he thought himself obliged to regard the cuftoms of the age of which he writ, rather than thofe of his own. . 344. The middle space (ufpected troops fupply.] This artifice, of placing thofe men whose behaviour was moft to be doubted, in the middle, (fo as to put them under a neceffity of engaging even against their inclinations) was followed by Hannibal in the battel of Zama; as is obferved and praised by Polybius, who quotes this verfe on that occafion, in acknowledgment of Homer's skill in military discipline. That our Author was the first master of that art in Greece, is the opinion of Elian, Tactic. c. 1. Frontinus gives us another example of Pyrrhus King of Epirus's following this Inftruction of Homer. Vide Stratag. P He gives command to curb the fiery steed, Nor caufe confufion, nor the ranks exceed; No ftrength nor fkill, but juft in time, be try'd: 350 The charge once made, no warrior turn the rein, But fight, or fall; a firm, embody'd train. He whom the fortune of the field fhall caft From forth his chariot, mount the next in haste; Nor lib. 2. c. 3. So Ammianus Marcellinus, l. 14. Imperator catervis peditum infirmis, medium inter acies spacium, fecundùm Homericam difpofitionem præftituit. .352. He whom the fortune of the field fball caft From forth his chariot, mount the next-&c. The words in the original are capable of four different fignifications, as Euftathius obferves. This firft is, that whoever in fighting upon his chariot fhall win a chariot from his enemy, he fhall continue to fight, and not retire from the engagement to fecure his prize. The fecond, that if any one be thrown out of his chariot, he who happens to be nearest shall hold forth his javelin to help him up into his own. The third is directly the contrary to the laft, that if any one be caft from his chariot, and would mount up into another man's, that other fhall pufh him back with his javelin, and not admit him, for fear of interrupting the combate. The fourth is the fenfe which is followed in the tranflation, as seeming much the most natural, that every one fhould be left to govern his own chariot, and the other who is admitted, fight only with the javelin. The reafon of this advice appears by the fpeech of Pandarus to Æneas in the next book: Aneas having taken him up in his chariot to go against Diomed, complements him with the choice either to fight, or to manage the reins, which was efteem'd an office of honour. To this Pandarus anfwers, that it is more proper for Aneas to guide his own horfes; left they not feeling their accuftomed mafter, Ahould be ungovernable, and bring them into danger. Урод W Nor feek unpractis'd to direct the car, Content with jav'lins to provoke the war. Our great forefathers held this prudent course, Upon occafion of the various and contrary fignifications of which thefe words are faid to be capable, and which Euftathius and Dacier profess to admire as an excellence; Monf. de la Motte, in his late difcourfe upon Homer, very justly animadverts, that if this be true, it is a grievous fault in Homer. For what can be more abfurd than to imagine, that the orders given in a battel, should be deliver'd in fuch ambiguous terms, as to be capable of many meanings? These double interpretations must proceed not from any defign in the Author, but purely from the ignorance of the moderns in the Greek tongue: It being impoffible for any one to poffefs the dead languages to fuch a degree, as to be certain of all the graces and negligences; or to know precifely how far the licences and boldneffes of expreffion were happy, or forced, But Criticks, to be thought learned, attribute to the Poet all the random fenfes that amufe them, and imagine they fee in a single word a whole heap of things, which no modern language can exprefs; fo are oftentimes charmed with nothing but confufion of their own ideas. What once thou wert, oh ever might'ft thou be! Thus to th' experienc'd Prince Atrides cry'd; Beneath this arm fell proftrate on the plain. But heav'n its gifts not all at once beftows, 375 Thefe years with wifdom crowns, with action those: Let fage advice, the palm of age, be mine. 380 He faid. With joy the monarch march'd before, And found Meneftheus on the dusty shore, With whom the firm Athenian Phalanx stands; Remote their forces lay, nor knew so far 385 The peace infring'd, nor heard the founds of war; The .384. Remote their forces lay.] This is a reason why the troops of Vlyffes and Meneftheus were not yet in motion. Tho' another may be added in refpect to the former, that it did not confift with the wisdom of Vlyffes to fall on with his forces The tumult late begun, they ftood intent To watch the motion, dubious of th' event. With hafty ardour thus the chiefs reprov'd. 390 Can Peteus' fon forget a warrior's part, And fears Ulyffes, fkill'd in ev'ry art? Why ftand you distant, and the rest expect Ulyffes heard: The hero's warmth o'erfpread His cheek with blushes; and fevere, he said: Take back th' unjust reproach! Behold we stand 405 Sheath'd in bright arms, and but expect command. 'till he was well affur'd. Tho' courage be no inconfiderable part of his character, yet it is always join'd with great caution. Thus we fee him foon after in the very heat of battel, when his friend was juft flain before his eyes, firft looking carefully about him, before he would throw his fpear to revenge him. |