shall be[683] his tomb, nor
shall there be any want to him of entombing, when the Greeks perform his
obsequies."

[Footnote 683: Observe the force of [Greek: teteyxetai].]

He spoke, and raging aloft, turbid, he rushed upon Achilles, murmuring
with foam, with blood, and with dead bodies. Immediately the purple
water of the Jove-descended river being raised up, stood, and seized the
son of Peleus. But Juno cried aloud, fearing for Achilles, lest the
mighty deep-eddying river should sweep him away; and immediately
addressed Vulcan, her beloved son:

"Arise, Vulcan, my son; for we supposed that eddying Xanthus was equally
matched in battle against thee; but give aid with all haste, and exhibit
thy abundant flame. But I will go to excite a severe storm of Zephyrus,
and rapid Notus from the sea, which bearing a destructive conflagration,
may consume the heads and armour of the Trojans. Do thou, therefore,
burn the trees upon the banks of Xanthus, and hurl at himself with fire,
nor let him at all avert thee by kind words or threats: neither do thou
previously restrain thy might; but when I, shouting, shall give the
signal, then restrain thy indefatigable fire."

Thus she spoke; but Vulcan darted forth his fierce-burning fire. First,
indeed, he kindled a fire in the plain, and burned many dead bodies,
which were in abundance, over it, whom Achilles had slain; so that the
whole plain was dried up, and the clear water restrained. And as when an
autumnal north wind immediately dries a newly-watered garden, and
gratifies him whoever cultivates it, so was the whole plain dried, and
it consumed the dead; whereupon he turned his all-resplendent flame
against the river. The elms were burned up, and the willows and
tamarisks; the lotus was consumed, and the rushes and reeds, which grew
in great abundance round the beautiful streams of the river. Harassed
were the eels and the fishes, which through the whirlpools, [and] which
through the fair streams dived here and there, exhausted by the breath
of the various artificer Vulcan. The might of the river was burnt up,
and he spake, and addressed him:

"None of the gods, O Vulcan, can oppose thee on equal terms, nor can I
contend with thee, thus burning with fire. Cease from combat, and let
noble Achilles instantly expel the Trojans from their city; what have I
to do with contest and assistance?"

He spoke, scorched; and his fair streams boiled up. As a caldron pressed
by much fire