man to his own ship.
But Achilles would not let the Myrmidons go, and spoke to his brave
comrades saying, "Myrmidons, famed horsemen and my own trusted friends,
not yet, forsooth, let us unyoke, but with horse and chariot draw near
to the body and mourn Patroclus, in due honour to the dead. When we
have had full comfort of lamentation we will unyoke our horses and take
supper all of us here."

On this they all joined in a cry of wailing and Achilles led them in
their lament. Thrice did they drive their chariots all sorrowing round
the body, and Thetis stirred within them a still deeper yearning. The
sands of the seashore and the men's armour were wet with their weeping,
so great a minister of fear was he whom they had lost. Chief in all
their mourning was the son of Peleus: he laid his bloodstained hand on
the breast of his friend. "Fare well," he cried, "Patroclus, even in
the house of Hades. I will now do all that I erewhile promised you; I
will drag Hector hither and let dogs devour him raw; twelve noble sons
of Trojans will I also slay before your pyre to avenge you."

As he spoke he treated the body of noble Hector with contumely, laying
it at full length in the dust beside the bier of Patroclus. The others
then put off every man his armour, took the horses from their chariots,
and seated themselves in great multitude by the ship of the fleet
descendant of Aeacus, who thereon feasted them with an abundant funeral
banquet. Many a goodly ox, with many a sheep and bleating goat did they
butcher and cut up; many a tusked boar moreover, fat and well-fed, did
they singe and set to roast in the flames of Vulcan; and rivulets of
blood flowed all round the place where the body was lying.

Then the princes of the Achaeans took the son of Peleus to Agamemnon,
but hardly could they persuade him to come with them, so wroth was he
for the death of his comrade. As soon as they reached Agamemnon's tent
they told the serving-men to set a large tripod over the fire in case
they might persuade the son of Peleus to wash the clotted gore from
this body, but he denied them sternly, and swore it with a solemn oath,
saying, "Nay, by King Jove, first and mightiest of all gods, it is not
meet that water should touch my body, till I have laid Patroclus on the
flames, have built him a barrow, and shaved my head--for so long as I
live no such second sorrow shall ever draw nigh me. Now, therefore, let
us do all that this sad festival demands,