80 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



stance of a man whose white bones now are rotting in the rain, if lying 

 on the land, or in the sea the waters roll them round." 

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But yet success sways with the breath of heaven. 



Compare //. 6 : 339 : " For victory shifteth from man to man." 



He spoke, and Rustum answer'd not, but hurl'd 

 His spear; .... 



.... Sohrab saw it come 

 And sprang aside, quick as a flash; the spear 

 Hiss'd, and went quivering down into the sand, 

 Which it sent flying wide; — then Sohrab threw 

 In turn, and full struck Rustum's shield; sharp rang, 

 The iron plates rang sharp, but tum'd the spear. 

 And Rustum seized his club, which none but he 

 Could wield; an unlopp'd trunk it was, and huge, 

 Still rough, — like those which men in treeless plains 

 To build them boats fish from the flooded rivers, 



So huge 

 The club which Rustum lifted now, and struck 

 One stroke; and again Sohrab sprang aside, 

 Lithe as the glancing snake and the club came 

 Thundering to earth, and leapt from Rustum's hand. 



The above passage shows a skilful independent combination of various 

 Homeric elements with much that is original. Compare II. 22:273 ff.: 

 "He said, and poised his far shadowing spear and hurled. And noble 

 Hector watched the coming thereof and avoided it; for with his eye on 

 it he crouched, and the bronze spear flew over him, and fixed itself in 

 the earth." (Compare II. 13:402 ff; 17:5252.) Compare also //. 

 7:258 ff. : "Then Priam's son smote the shield's midst with his dart, 

 but the bronze brake not through, for the point turned back: but Aias 

 leapt on him and pierced his buckler, and straight through went the spear. 

 .... Yet even then did not Hector of the glancing helm cease from 

 fight, but yielded ground and with stout hand seized a stone lying upon 

 the plain, black and rugged and great; therewith hurled he and smote 

 Aias' dread shield of sevenfold oxhide in the midst upon the boss, and 

 the bronze resounded. Next Aias lifted a far greater stone, and swung 



