Iliad 18. 315-355

主題: 洗滌屍體

Iliad 18: 315-355

Achilles的悲愴，哭泣，在希臘陣營中迴盪，誓言報仇，即或自己將死也不足惜! 哭泣之餘，該有的禮數不可少:
1. Achilles吩咐同伴們火堆上架起巨大的三角銅鼎 (τρίποδα)。
2. 把Patroclus身上的污血洗乾淨 (應該是用冷水)。
3. 鼎下加足夠的薪柴，把冷水煮熱。
4. 熱水洗淨屍體。
5. 抹橄欖油。
6. 各處傷口填上九年的陳膏。
7. 把屍體抬上殯床，從頭到腳蓋上麻布。再蓋上光潔的罩單。

這應該是古希臘處理戰士屍體的SOP。洗乾淨後，還要用九年的陳膏(就是上等的藥膏)抹傷口，除了一層麻布，還加上光潔的罩單。

ἄλειφαρ unguent, anointing-oil, oil, fat

ἐννέωρος in the ninth season

φᾶρος: a large piece of cloth, web

   

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0133%3Abook%3D18%3Acard%3D324 ὣς εἰπὼν ἑτάροισιν ἐκέκλετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς ἀμφὶ πυρὶ στῆσαι τρίποδα μέγαν, ὄφρα τάχιστα Πάτροκλον λούσειαν ἄπο βρότον αἱματόεντα. οἳ δὲ λοετροχόον τρίποδ᾽ ἵστασαν ἐν πυρὶ κηλέῳ, ἐν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὕδωρ ἔχεαν, ὑπὸ δὲ ξύλα δαῖον ἑλόντες. γάστρην μὲν τρίποδος πῦρ ἄμφεπε, θέρμετο δ᾽ ὕδωρ: αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ ζέσσεν ὕδωρ ἐνὶ ἤνοπι χαλκῷ, καὶ τότε δὴ λοῦσάν τε καὶ ἤλειψαν λίπ᾽ ἐλαίῳ, ἐν δ᾽ ὠτειλὰς πλῆσαν ἀλείφατος ἐννεώροιο: ἐν λεχέεσσι δὲ θέντες ἑανῷ λιτὶ κάλυψαν ἐς πόδας ἐκ κεφαλῆς, καθύπερθε δὲ φάρεϊ λευκῷ. παννύχιοι μὲν ἔπειτα πόδας ταχὺν ἀμφ᾽ Ἀχιλῆα Μυρμιδόνες Πάτροκλον ἀνεστενάχοντο γοῶντες: (Iliad 18. 343-355) http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/homer/iliad18.htm After these words, godlike Achilles told his comrades to place a large tripod on the fire, so they could wash   the blood clots from his comrade’s corpse. On the blazing fire, they set a cauldron with three legs, poured water in it, then brought split wood to burn below the water. Fire licked the cauldron’s belly and made the water hot. Once it had boiled inside the shining bronze, they washed him, rubbed oil thickly over him, and filled his wounds with ointment nine years old. Then they placed Patroclus on a bed, covering him with a fine woollen cloth from head to foot and a white cloak on the cloth. Then all night long,  the Myrmidons around swift-footed Achilles mourned Patroclus with their lamentations.

以下圖片與資料出處: http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/lee/2.html

The middle panel depicts the scene in The Iliad in which Achilles mourns the death of his dear friend Patroclus, killed after he borrowed the hero's armor when he refused to fight. Achilles thereupon returns battle in order to avenge him, thereby exchanging a promised long fruitful life for glory and an early death.