LP0068 - The Shield of Eurypylus - Herculean armor, from Quintus Smyrnaeus' The Fall of Troy

Legendary Passages #0068 - The Shield of Eurypylus -
Herculean armor, from Quintus Smyrnaeus' The Fall of Troy.

Last time we heard about the imprint Hercules and his family had on Theban lands. This time we revisit his mighty deeds and labors, etched upon the armor of his son Eurypylus.

During the long years of the Trojan War, many allies came to the defense of Troy, after Paris made off with Helen, and the Achaeans launched a war to get her back. One of these allies was Eurypulus, son of Hercules, who bore a shield depicting his father's legendary labors.

First were the serpents he slew in the crib, then the Nemean Lion, Learnean Hydra, the Erymanthian Boar, the Golden Hind, the Stymphalian Birds, the Augean Stables, the Cretan Bull, the Amazonian Girdle, the Mares of Diomedes, the Cattle of Geryon, the Apples of the Hesperides, and the three-headed Cerberus, Guardian of Hades.

Also engraved was the Liberation of Prometheus, the Centauromachy, the centaur Nessus, the giant Antaeus, and rescuing Princess Hesione from the Trojan sea-monster.

Eurypulus matched his father's godly prowess as he made war upon the Achaeans, and vowed to to the Trojans that he would keep on fighting until they achieved victory, or death.

http://www.theoi.com/Text/QuintusSmyrnaeus6.html

The Shield of Eurypylus,
a Legendary Passage,
from Quintus Smyrnaeus' The Fall of Troy,
translated by A. S. Way.

[201] - [352]

Up sprang with dawn the son of Telephus, and passed to the host with all those other kings in Troy abiding. Straightway did the folk all battle-eager don their warrior-gear, burning to strike in forefront of the fight. And now Eurypylus clad his mighty limbs in armour that like levin-flashes gleamed; upon his shield by cunning hands were wrought all the great labours of strong Hercules.

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Thereon were seen two serpents flickering black tongues from grimly jaws: they seemed in act to dart; but Hercules' hands to right and left -- albeit a babe's hands -- now were throttling them; for aweless was his spirit. As Zeus' strength from the beginning was his strength. The seed of Heaven-abiders never deedless is nor helpless, but hath boundless prowess, yea, even when in the womb unborn it lies.

Nemea's mighty lion there was seen strangled in the strong arms of Hercules, his grim jaws dashed about with bloody foam: he seemed in verity gasping out his life.

Thereby was wrought the Hydra many-necked flickering its dread tongues. Of its fearful heads some severed lay on earth, but many more were budding from its necks, while Hercules and Iolaus, dauntless-hearted twain, toiled hard; the one with lightning sickle-sweeps lopped the fierce heads, his fellow seared each neck with glowing iron; the monster so was slain.

Thereby was wrought the mighty tameless Boar with foaming jaws; real seemed the pictured thing, as by Aleides' giant strength the brute was to Eurystheus living borne on high.

There fashioned was the fleetfoot stag which laid the vineyards waste of hapless husbandmen. The Hero's hands held fast its golden horns, the while it snorted breath of ravening fire.

Thereon were seen the fierce Stymphalian Birds, some arrow-smitten dying in the dust, some through the grey air darting in swift flight. At this, at that one -- hot in haste he seemed -- Hercules sped the arrows of his wrath.

Augeias' monstrous stable there was wrought with cunning craft on that invincible targe; and Hercules was turning through the same the deep flow of Alpheius' stream divine, while wondering Nymphs looked down on every hand upon that mighty work.

Elsewhere portrayed was the Fire-breathing Bull: the Hero's grip on his strong horns wrenched round the massive neck: the straining muscles on his arm stood out: the huge beast seemed to bellow.

Next thereto wrought on the shield was one in beauty arrayed as of a Goddess, even Hippolyta. The hero by the hair was dragging her from her swift steed, with fierce resolve to wrest with his strong hands the Girdle Marvellous from the Amazon Queen, while quailing shrank away the Maids of War.

There in the Thracian land were Diomedes' grim man-eating steeds: these at their gruesome mangers had he slain, and dead they lay with their fiend-hearted lord.

There lay the bulk of giant Geryon dead mid his kine. His gory heads were cast in dust, dashed down by that resistless club. Before him slain lay that most murderous hound Orthros, in furious might like Cerberus his brother-hound: a herdman lay thereby, Eurytion, all bedabbled with his blood.

There were the Golden Apples wrought, that gleamed in the Hesperides' garden undefiled: all round the fearful Serpent's dead coils lay, and shrank the Maids aghast from Zeus' bold son.

And there, a dread sight even for Gods to see, was Cerberus, whom the Loathly Worm had borne to Typho in a craggy cavern's gloom close on the borders of Eternal Night, a hideous monster, warder of the Gate of Hades, Home of Wailing, jailer-hound of dead folk in the shadowy Gulf of Doom. But lightly Zeus' son with his crashing blows tamed him, and haled him from the cataract flood of Styx, with heavy-drooping head, and dragged the Dog sore loth to the strange upper air all dauntlessly.

-

And there, at the world's end, were Caucasus' long glens, where Hercules, rending Prometheus' chains, and hurling them this way and that with fragments of the rock whereinto they were riveted, set free the mighty Titan. Arrow-smitten lay the Eagle of the Torment therebeside.

There stormed the wild rout of the Centaurs round the hall of Pholus: goaded on by Strife and wine, with Hercules the monsters fought. Amidst the pine-trunks stricken to death they lay still grasping those strange weapons in dead hands, while some with stems long-shafted still fought on in fury, and refrained not from the strife; and all their heads, gashed in the pitiless fight, were drenched with gore -- the whole scene seemed to live -- with blood the wine was mingled: meats and bowls and tables in one ruin shattered lay.

There by Evenus' torrent, in fierce wrath for his sweet bride, he laid with the arrow low Nessus in mid-flight.

There withal was wrought Antaeus' brawny strength, who challenged him to wrestling-strife; he in those sinewy arms raised high above the earth, was crushed to death.

There where swift Hellespont meets the outer sea, lay the sea-monster slain by his ruthless shafts, while from Hesione he rent her chains.

-

Of bold Alcides many a deed beside shone on the broad shield of Eurypylus. He seemed the War-god, as from rank to rank he sped; rejoiced the Trojans following him, seeing his arms, and him clothed with the might of Gods; and Paris hailed him to the fray: "Glad am I for thy coming, for mine heart trusts that the Argives all shall wretchedly be with their ships destroyed; for such a man mid Greeks or Trojans never have I seen. Now, by the strength and fury of Hercules -- to whom in stature, might, and goodlihead most like thou art I pray thee, have in mind him, and resolve to match his deeds with thine. Be the strong shield of Trojans hard-bestead: win us a breathing-space. Thou only, I trow, from perishing Troy canst thrust the dark doom back."

With kindling words he spake. That hero cried: "Great-hearted Paris, like the Blessed Ones in goodlihead, this lieth foreordained on the Gods' knees, who in the fight shall fall, and who outlive it. I, as honour bids, and as my strength sufficeth, will not flinch from Troy's defence. I swear to turn from fight never, except in victory or death."

Gallantly spake he: with exceeding joy rejoiced the Trojans.