Neptune helps the Achaeans—The feats of Idomeneus—Hector at the

      ships.



      Now when Jove had thus brought Hector and the Trojans to the

      ships, he left them to their never-ending toil, and turned his

      keen eyes away, looking elsewhither towards the horse-breeders of

      Thrace, the Mysians, fighters at close quarters, the noble

      Hippemolgi, who live on milk, and the Abians, justest of mankind.

      He no longer turned so much as a glance towards Troy, for he did

      not think that any of the immortals would go and help either

      Trojans or Danaans.



      But King Neptune had kept no blind look-out; he had been looking

      admiringly on the battle from his seat on the topmost crests of

      wooded Samothrace, whence he could see all Ida, with the city of

      Priam and the ships of the Achaeans. He had come from under the

      sea and taken his place here, for he pitied the Achaeans who were

      being overcome by the Trojans; and he was furiously angry with

      Jove.



      Presently he came down from his post on the mountain top, and as

      he strode swiftly onwards the high hills and the forest quaked

      beneath the tread of his immortal feet. Three strides he took,

      and with the fourth he reached his goal—Aegae, where is his

      glittering golden palace, imperishable, in the depths of the sea.

      When he got there, he yoked his fleet brazen-footed steeds with

      their manes of gold all flying in the wind; he clothed himself in

      raiment of gold, grasped his gold whip, and took his stand upon

      his chariot. As he went his way over the waves the sea-monsters

      left their lairs, for they knew their lord, and came gambolling

      round him from every quarter of the deep, while the sea in her

      gladness opened a path before his chariot. So lightly did the

      horses fly that the bronze axle of the car was not even wet

      beneath it; and thus his bounding steeds took him to the ships of

      the Achaeans.



      Now there is a certain huge cavern in the depths of the sea

      midway between Tenedos and rocky Imbrus; here Neptune lord of the

      earthquake stayed his horses, unyoked them, and set before them

      their ambrosial forage. He hobbled their feet with hobbles of

      gold which none could either unloose or break, so that they might

      stay there in that place until their lord should return. This

      done he went his way to the host of the Achaeans.



      Now the Trojans followed Hector son of Priam in close array like

      a storm-cloud or flame of fire, fighting with might and main and

      raising the cry battle; for they deemed that they should take the

      ships of the Achaeans and kill all their chiefest heroes then and

      there. Meanwhile earth-encircling Neptune lord of the earthquake

      cheered on the Argives, for he had come up out of the sea and had

      assumed the form and voice of Calchas.



      First he spoke to the two Ajaxes, who were doing their best

      already, and said, “Ajaxes, you two can be the saving of the

      Achaeans if you will put out all your strength and not let

      yourselves be daunted. I am not afraid that the Trojans, who have

      got over the wall in force, will be victorious in any other part,

      for the Achaeans can hold all of them in check, but I much fear

      that some evil will befall us here where furious Hector, who

      boasts himself the son of great Jove himself, is leading them on

      like a pillar of flame. May some god, then, put it into your

      hearts to make a firm stand here, and to incite others to do the

      like. In this case you will drive him from the ships even though

      he be inspired by Jove himself.”



      As he spoke the earth-encircling lord of the earthquake struck

      both of them with his sceptre and filled their hearts with

      daring. He made their legs light and active, as also their hands

      and their feet. Then, as the soaring falcon poises on the wing

      high above some sheer rock, and presently swoops down to chase

      some bird over the plain, even so did Neptune lord of the

      earthquake wing his flight into the air and leave them. Of the

      two, swift Ajax son of Oileus was the first to know who it was

      that had been speaking with them, and said to Ajax son of

      Telamon, “Ajax, this is one of the gods that dwell on Olympus,

      who in the likeness of the prophet is bidding us fight hard by

      our ships. It was not Calchas the seer and diviner of omens; I

      knew him at once by his feet and knees as he turned away, for the

      gods are soon recognised. Moreover I feel the lust of battle burn

      more fiercely within me, while my hands and my feet under me are

      more eager for the fray.”



      And Ajax son of Telamon answered, “I too feel my hands grasp my

      spear more firmly; my strength is greater, and my feet more

      nimble; I long, moreover, to meet furious Hector son of Priam,

      even in single combat.”



      Thus did they converse, exulting in the hunger after battle with

      which the god had filled them. Meanwhile the earth-encircler

      roused the Achaeans, who were resting in the rear by the ships

      overcome at once by hard fighting and by grief at seeing that the

      Trojans had got over the wall in force. Tears began falling from

      their eyes as they beheld them, for they made sure that they

      should not escape destruction; but the lord of the earthquake

      passed lightly about among them and urged their battalions to the

      front.



      First he went up to Teucer and Leitus, the hero Peneleos, and

      Thoas and Deipyrus; Meriones also and Antilochus, valiant

      warriors; all did he exhort. “Shame on you young Argives,” he

      cried, “it was on your prowess I relied for the saving of our

      ships; if you fight not with might and main, this very day will

      see us overcome by the Trojans. Of a truth my eyes behold a great

      and terrible portent which I had never thought to see—the Trojans

      at our ships—they, who were heretofore like panic-stricken hinds,

      the prey of jackals and wolves in a forest, with no strength but

      in flight for they cannot defend themselves. Hitherto the Trojans

      dared not for one moment face the attack of the Achaeans, but now

      they have sallied far from their city and are fighting at our

      very ships through the cowardice of our leader and the

      disaffection of the people themselves, who in their discontent

      care not to fight in defence of the ships but are being

      slaughtered near them. True, King Agamemnon son of Atreus is the

      cause of our disaster by having insulted the son of Peleus, still

      this is no reason why we should leave off fighting. Let us be

      quick to heal, for the hearts of the brave heal quickly. You do

      ill to be thus remiss, you, who are the finest soldiers in our

      whole army. I blame no man for keeping out of battle if he is a

      weakling, but I am indignant with such men as you are. My good

      friends, matters will soon become even worse through this

      slackness; think, each one of you, of his own honour and credit,

      for the hazard of the fight is extreme. Great Hector is now

      fighting at our ships; he has broken through the gates and the

      strong bolt that held them.”



      Thus did the earth-encircler address the Achaeans and urge them

      on. Thereon round the two Ajaxes there gathered strong bands of

      men, of whom not even Mars nor Minerva, marshaller of hosts could

      make light if they went among them, for they were the picked men

      of all those who were now awaiting the onset of Hector and the

      Trojans. They made a living fence, spear to spear, shield to

      shield, buckler to buckler, helmet to helmet, and man to man. The

      horse-hair crests on their gleaming helmets touched one another

      as they nodded forward, so closely serried were they; the spears

      they brandished in their strong hands were interlaced, and their

      hearts were set on battle.



      The Trojans advanced in a dense body, with Hector at their head

      pressing right on as a rock that comes thundering down the side

      of some mountain from whose brow the winter torrents have torn

      it; the foundations of the dull thing have been loosened by

      floods of rain, and as it bounds headlong on its way it sets the

      whole forest in an uproar; it swerves neither to right nor left

      till it reaches level ground, but then for all its fury it can go

      no further—even so easily did Hector for a while seem as though

      he would career through the tents and ships of the Achaeans till

      he had reached the sea in his murderous course; but the closely

      serried battalions stayed him when he reached them, for the sons

      of the Achaeans thrust at him with swords and spears pointed at

      both ends, and drove him from them so that he staggered and gave

      ground; thereon he shouted to the Trojans, “Trojans, Lycians, and

      Dardanians, fighters in close combat, stand firm: the Achaeans

      have set themselves as a wall against me, but they will not check

      me for long; they will give ground before me if the mightiest of

      the gods, the thundering spouse of Juno, has indeed inspired my

      onset.”



      With these words he put heart and soul into them all. Deiphobus

      son of Priam went about among them intent on deeds of daring with

      his round shield before him, under cover of which he strode

      quickly forward. Meriones took aim at him with a spear, nor did

      he fail to hit the broad orb of ox-hide; but he was far from

      piercing it for the spear broke in two pieces long ere he could

      do so; moreover Deiphobus had seen it coming and had held his

      shield well away from him. Meriones drew back under cover of his

      comrades, angry alike at having failed to vanquish Deiphobus, and

      having broken his spear. He turned therefore towards the ships

      and tents to fetch a spear which he had left behind in his tent.



      The others continued fighting, and the cry of battle rose up into

      the heavens. Teucer son of Telamon was the first to kill his man,

      to wit, the warrior Imbrius, son of Mentor, rich in horses. Until

      the Achaeans came he had lived in Pedaeum, and had married

      Medesicaste, a bastard daughter of Priam; but on the arrival of

      the Danaan fleet he had gone back to Ilius, and was a great man

      among the Trojans, dwelling near Priam himself, who gave him like

      honour with his own sons. The son of Telamon now struck him under

      the ear with a spear which he then drew back again, and Imbrius

      fell headlong as an ash-tree when it is felled on the crest of

      some high mountain beacon, and its delicate green foliage comes

      toppling down to the ground. Thus did he fall with his

      bronze-dight armour ringing harshly round him, and Teucer sprang

      forward with intent to strip him of his armour; but as he was

      doing so, Hector took aim at him with a spear. Teucer saw the

      spear coming and swerved aside, whereon it hit Amphimachus, son

      of Cteatus son of Actor, in the chest as he was coming into

      battle, and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily

      to the ground. Hector sprang forward to take Amphimachus’s helmet

      from off his temples, and in a moment Ajax threw a spear at him,

      but did not wound him, for he was encased all over in his

      terrible armour; nevertheless the spear struck the boss of his

      shield with such force as to drive him back from the two corpses,

      which the Achaeans then drew off. Stichius and Menestheus,

      captains of the Athenians, bore away Amphimachus to the host of

      the Achaeans, while the two brave and impetuous Ajaxes did the

      like by Imbrius. As two lions snatch a goat from the hounds that

      have it in their fangs, and bear it through thick brushwood high

      above the ground in their jaws, thus did the Ajaxes bear aloft

      the body of Imbrius, and strip it of its armour. Then the son of

      Oileus severed the head from the neck in revenge for the death of

      Amphimachus, and sent it whirling over the crowd as though it had

      been a ball, till it fell in the dust at Hector’s feet.



      Neptune was exceedingly angry that his grandson Amphimachus

      should have fallen; he therefore went to the tents and ships of

      the Achaeans to urge the Danaans still further, and to devise

      evil for the Trojans. Idomeneus met him, as he was taking leave

      of a comrade, who had just come to him from the fight, wounded in

      the knee. His fellow-soldiers bore him off the field, and

      Idomeneus having given orders to the physicians went on to his

      tent, for he was still thirsting for battle. Neptune spoke in the

      likeness and with the voice of Thoas son of Andraemon who ruled

      the Aetolians of all Pleuron and high Calydon, and was honoured

      among his people as though he were a god. “Idomeneus,” said he,

      “lawgiver to the Cretans, what has now become of the threats with

      which the sons of the Achaeans used to threaten the Trojans?”



      And Idomeneus chief among the Cretans answered, “Thoas, no one,

      so far as I know, is in fault, for we can all fight. None are

      held back neither by fear nor slackness, but it seems to be the

      will of almighty Jove that the Achaeans should perish

      ingloriously here far from Argos: you, Thoas, have been always

      staunch, and you keep others in heart if you see any fail in

      duty; be not then remiss now, but exhort all to do their utmost.”



      To this Neptune lord of the earthquake made answer, “Idomeneus,

      may he never return from Troy, but remain here for dogs to batten

      upon, who is this day wilfully slack in fighting. Get your armour

      and go, we must make all haste together if we may be of any use,

      though we are only two. Even cowards gain courage from

      companionship, and we two can hold our own with the bravest.”



      Therewith the god went back into the thick of the fight, and

      Idomeneus when he had reached his tent donned his armour, grasped

      his two spears, and sallied forth. As the lightning which the son

      of Saturn brandishes from bright Olympus when he would show a

      sign to mortals, and its gleam flashes far and wide—even so did

      his armour gleam about him as he ran. Meriones his sturdy squire

      met him while he was still near his tent (for he was going to

      fetch his spear) and Idomeneus said:



      “Meriones, fleet son of Molus, best of comrades, why have you

      left the field? Are you wounded, and is the point of the weapon

      hurting you? or have you been sent to fetch me? I want no

      fetching; I had far rather fight than stay in my tent.”



      “Idomeneus,” answered Meriones, “I come for a spear, if I can

      find one in my tent; I have broken the one I had, in throwing it

      at the shield of Deiphobus.”



      And Idomeneus captain of the Cretans answered, “You will find one

      spear, or twenty if you so please, standing up against the end

      wall of my tent. I have taken them from Trojans whom I have

      killed, for I am not one to keep my enemy at arm’s length;

      therefore I have spears, bossed shields, helmets, and burnished

      corslets.”



      Then Meriones said, “I too in my tent and at my ship have spoils

      taken from the Trojans, but they are not at hand. I have been at

      all times valorous, and wherever there has been hard fighting

      have held my own among the foremost. There may be those among the

      Achaeans who do not know how I fight, but you know it well enough

      yourself.”



      Idomeneus answered, “I know you for a brave man: you need not

      tell me. If the best men at the ships were being chosen to go on

      an ambush—and there is nothing like this for showing what a man

      is made of; it comes out then who is cowardly and who brave; the

      coward will change colour at every touch and turn; he is full of

      fears, and keeps shifting his weight first on one knee and then

      on the other; his heart beats fast as he thinks of death, and one

      can hear the chattering of his teeth; whereas the brave man will

      not change colour nor be frightened on finding himself in ambush,

      but is all the time longing to go into action—if the best men

      were being chosen for such a service, no one could make light of

      your courage nor feats of arms. If you were struck by a dart or

      smitten in close combat, it would not be from behind, in your

      neck nor back, but the weapon would hit you in the chest or belly

      as you were pressing forward to a place in the front ranks. But

      let us no longer stay here talking like children, lest we be ill

      spoken of; go, fetch your spear from the tent at once.”



      On this Meriones, peer of Mars, went to the tent and got himself

      a spear of bronze. He then followed after Idomeneus, big with

      great deeds of valour. As when baneful Mars sallies forth to

      battle, and his son Panic so strong and dauntless goes with him,

      to strike terror even into the heart of a hero—the pair have gone

      from Thrace to arm themselves among the Ephyri or the brave

      Phlegyans, but they will not listen to both the contending hosts,

      and will give victory to one side or to the other—even so did

      Meriones and Idomeneus, captains of men, go out to battle clad in

      their bronze armour. Meriones was first to speak. “Son of

      Deucalion,” said he, “where would you have us begin fighting? On

      the right wing of the host, in the centre, or on the left wing,

      where I take it the Achaeans will be weakest?”



      Idomeneus answered, “There are others to defend the centre—the

      two Ajaxes and Teucer, who is the finest archer of all the

      Achaeans, and is good also in a hand-to-hand fight. These will

      give Hector son of Priam enough to do; fight as he may, he will

      find it hard to vanquish their indomitable fury, and fire the

      ships, unless the son of Saturn fling a firebrand upon them with

      his own hand. Great Ajax son of Telamon will yield to no man who

      is in mortal mould and eats the grain of Ceres, if bronze and

      great stones can overthrow him. He would not yield even to

      Achilles in hand-to-hand fight, and in fleetness of foot there is

      none to beat him; let us turn therefore towards the left wing,

      that we may know forthwith whether we are to give glory to some

      other, or he to us.”



      Meriones, peer of fleet Mars, then led the way till they came to

      the part of the host which Idomeneus had named.



      Now when the Trojans saw Idomeneus coming on like a flame of

      fire, him and his squire clad in their richly wrought armour,

      they shouted and made towards him all in a body, and a furious

      hand-to-hand fight raged under the ships’ sterns. Fierce as the

      shrill winds that whistle upon a day when dust lies deep on the

      roads, and the gusts raise it into a thick cloud—even such was

      the fury of the combat, and might and main did they hack at each

      other with spear and sword throughout the host. The field

      bristled with the long and deadly spears which they bore.

      Dazzling was the sheen of their gleaming helmets, their

      fresh-burnished breastplates, and glittering shields as they

      joined battle with one another. Iron indeed must be his courage

      who could take pleasure in the sight of such a turmoil, and look

      on it without being dismayed.



      Thus did the two mighty sons of Saturn devise evil for mortal

      heroes. Jove was minded to give victory to the Trojans and to

      Hector, so as to do honour to fleet Achilles, nevertheless he did

      not mean to utterly overthrow the Achaean host before Ilius, and

      only wanted to glorify Thetis and her valiant son. Neptune on the

      other hand went about among the Argives to incite them, having

      come up from the grey sea in secret, for he was grieved at seeing

      them vanquished by the Trojans, and was furiously angry with

      Jove. Both were of the same race and country, but Jove was elder

      born and knew more, therefore Neptune feared to defend the

      Argives openly, but in the likeness of man, he kept on

      encouraging them throughout their host. Thus, then, did these two

      devise a knot of war and battle, that none could unloose or

      break, and set both sides tugging at it, to the failing of men’s

      knees beneath them.



      And now Idomeneus, though his hair was already flecked with grey,

      called loud on the Danaans and spread panic among the Trojans as

      he leaped in among them. He slew Othryoneus from Cabesus, a

      sojourner, who had but lately come to take part in the war. He

      sought Cassandra, the fairest of Priam’s daughters, in marriage,

      but offered no gifts of wooing, for he promised a great thing, to

      wit, that he would drive the sons of the Achaeans willy nilly

      from Troy; old King Priam had given his consent and promised her

      to him, whereon he fought on the strength of the promises thus

      made to him. Idomeneus aimed a spear, and hit him as he came

      striding on. His cuirass of bronze did not protect him, and the

      spear stuck in his belly, so that he fell heavily to the ground.

      Then Idomeneus vaunted over him saying, “Othryoneus, there is no

      one in the world whom I shall admire more than I do you, if you

      indeed perform what you have promised Priam son of Dardanus in

      return for his daughter. We too will make you an offer; we will

      give you the loveliest daughter of the son of Atreus, and will

      bring her from Argos for you to marry, if you will sack the

      goodly city of Ilius in company with ourselves; so come along

      with me, that we may make a covenant at the ships about the

      marriage, and we will not be hard upon you about gifts of

      wooing.”



      With this Idomeneus began dragging him by the foot through the

      thick of the fight, but Asius came up to protect the body, on

      foot, in front of his horses which his esquire drove so close

      behind him that he could feel their breath upon his shoulder. He

      was longing to strike down Idomeneus, but ere he could do so

      Idomeneus smote him with his spear in the throat under the chin,

      and the bronze point went clean through it. He fell as an oak, or

      poplar, or pine which shipwrights have felled for ship’s timber

      upon the mountains with whetted axes—even thus did he lie full

      length in front of his chariot and horses, grinding his teeth and

      clutching at the blood-stained dust. His charioteer was struck

      with panic and did not dare turn his horses round and escape:

      thereupon Antilochus hit him in the middle of his body with a

      spear; his cuirass of bronze did not protect him, and the spear

      stuck in his belly. He fell gasping from his chariot and

      Antilochus, great Nestor’s son, drove his horses from the Trojans

      to the Achaeans.



      Deiphobus then came close up to Idomeneus to avenge Asius, and

      took aim at him with a spear, but Idomeneus was on the look-out

      and avoided it, for he was covered by the round shield he always

      bore—a shield of ox-hide and bronze with two arm-rods on the

      inside. He crouched under cover of this, and the spear flew over

      him, but the shield rang out as the spear grazed it, and the

      weapon sped not in vain from the strong hand of Deiphobus, for it

      struck Hypsenor son of Hippasus, shepherd of his people, in the

      liver under the midriff, and his limbs failed beneath him.

      Deiphobus vaunted over him and cried with a loud voice saying,

      “Of a truth Asius has not fallen unavenged; he will be glad even

      while passing into the house of Hades, strong warden of the gate,

      that I have sent some one to escort him.”



      Thus did he vaunt, and the Argives were stung by his saying.

      Noble Antilochus was more angry than any one, but grief did not

      make him forget his friend and comrade. He ran up to him,

      bestrode him, and covered him with his shield; then two of his

      staunch comrades, Mecisteus son of Echius, and Alastor, stooped

      down, and bore him away groaning heavily to the ships. But

      Idomeneus ceased not his fury. He kept on striving continually

      either to enshroud some Trojan in the darkness of death, or

      himself to fall while warding off the evil day from the Achaeans.

      Then fell Alcathous son of noble Aesyetes; he was son-in-law to

      Anchises, having married his eldest daughter Hippodameia, who was

      the darling of her father and mother, and excelled all her

      generation in beauty, accomplishments, and understanding,

      wherefore the bravest man in all Troy had taken her to wife—him

      did Neptune lay low by the hand of Idomeneus, blinding his bright

      eyes and binding his strong limbs in fetters so that he could

      neither go back nor to one side, but stood stock still like

      pillar or lofty tree when Idomeneus struck him with a spear in

      the middle of his chest. The coat of mail that had hitherto

      protected his body was now broken, and rang harshly as the spear

      tore through it. He fell heavily to the ground, and the spear

      stuck in his heart, which still beat, and made the butt-end of

      the spear quiver till dread Mars put an end to his life.

      Idomeneus vaunted over him and cried with a loud voice saying,

      “Deiphobus, since you are in a mood to vaunt, shall we cry quits

      now that we have killed three men to your one? Nay, sir, stand in

      fight with me yourself, that you may learn what manner of

      Jove-begotten man am I that have come hither. Jove first begot

      Minos, chief ruler in Crete, and Minos in his turn begot a son,

      noble Deucalion. Deucalion begot me to be a ruler over many men

      in Crete, and my ships have now brought me hither, to be the bane

      of yourself, your father, and the Trojans.”



      Thus did he speak, and Deiphobus was in two minds, whether to go

      back and fetch some other Trojan to help him, or to take up the

      challenge single-handed. In the end, he deemed it best to go and

      fetch Aeneas, whom he found standing in the rear, for he had long

      been aggrieved with Priam because in spite of his brave deeds he

      did not give him his due share of honour. Deiphobus went up to

      him and said, “Aeneas, prince among the Trojans, if you know any

      ties of kinship, help me now to defend the body of your sister’s

      husband; come with me to the rescue of Alcathous, who being

      husband to your sister brought you up when you were a child in

      his house, and now Idomeneus has slain him.”



      With these words he moved the heart of Aeneas, and he went in

      pursuit of Idomeneus, big with great deeds of valour; but

      Idomeneus was not to be thus daunted as though he were a mere

      child; he held his ground as a wild boar at bay upon the

      mountains, who abides the coming of a great crowd of men in some

      lonely place—the bristles stand upright on his back, his eyes

      flash fire, and he whets his tusks in his eagerness to defend

      himself against hounds and men—even so did famed Idomeneus hold

      his ground and budge not at the coming of Aeneas. He cried aloud

      to his comrades looking towards Ascalaphus, Aphareus, Deipyrus,

      Meriones, and Antilochus, all of them brave soldiers—“Hither my

      friends,” he cried, “and leave me not single-handed—I go in great

      fear by fleet Aeneas, who is coming against me, and is a

      redoubtable dispenser of death battle. Moreover he is in the

      flower of youth when a man’s strength is greatest; if I was of

      the same age as he is and in my present mind, either he or I

      should soon bear away the prize of victory.”



      On this, all of them as one man stood near him, shield on

      shoulder. Aeneas on the other side called to his comrades,

      looking towards Deiphobus, Paris, and Agenor, who were leaders of

      the Trojans along with himself, and the people followed them as

      sheep follow the ram when they go down to drink after they have

      been feeding, and the heart of the shepherd is glad—even so was

      the heart of Aeneas gladdened when he saw his people follow him.



      Then they fought furiously in close combat about the body of

      Alcathous, wielding their long spears; and the bronze armour

      about their bodies rang fearfully as they took aim at one another

      in the press of the fight, while the two heroes Aeneas and

      Idomeneus, peers of Mars, outvied everyone in their desire to

      hack at each other with sword and spear. Aeneas took aim first,

      but Idomeneus was on the look-out and avoided the spear, so that

      it sped from Aeneas’ strong hand in vain, and fell quivering in

      the ground. Idomeneus meanwhile smote Oenomaus in the middle of

      his belly, and broke the plate of his corslet, whereon his bowels

      came gushing out and he clutched the earth in the palms of his

      hands as he fell sprawling in the dust. Idomeneus drew his spear

      out of the body, but could not strip him of the rest of his

      armour for the rain of darts that were showered upon him:

      moreover his strength was now beginning to fail him so that he

      could no longer charge, and could neither spring forward to

      recover his own weapon nor swerve aside to avoid one that was

      aimed at him; therefore, though he still defended himself in

      hand-to-hand fight, his heavy feet could not bear him swiftly out

      of the battle. Deiphobus aimed a spear at him as he was

      retreating slowly from the field, for his bitterness against him

      was as fierce as ever, but again he missed him, and hit

      Ascalaphus, the son of Mars; the spear went through his shoulder,

      and he clutched the earth in the palms of his hands as he fell

      sprawling in the dust.



      Grim Mars of awful voice did not yet know that his son had

      fallen, for he was sitting on the summits of Olympus under the

      golden clouds, by command of Jove, where the other gods were also

      sitting, forbidden to take part in the battle. Meanwhile men

      fought furiously about the body. Deiphobus tore the helmet from

      off his head, but Meriones sprang upon him, and struck him on the

      arm with a spear so that the visored helmet fell from his hand

      and came ringing down upon the ground. Thereon Meriones sprang

      upon him like a vulture, drew the spear from his shoulder, and

      fell back under cover of his men. Then Polites, own brother of

      Deiphobus passed his arms around his waist, and bore him away

      from the battle till he got to his horses that were standing in

      the rear of the fight with the chariot and their driver. These

      took him towards the city groaning and in great pain, with the

      blood flowing from his arm.



      The others still fought on, and the battle-cry rose to heaven

      without ceasing. Aeneas sprang on Aphareus son of Caletor, and

      struck him with a spear in his throat which was turned towards

      him; his head fell on one side, his helmet and shield came down

      along with him, and death, life’s foe, was shed around him.

      Antilochus spied his chance, flew forward towards Thoon, and

      wounded him as he was turning round. He laid open the vein that

      runs all the way up the back to the neck; he cut this vein clean

      away throughout its whole course, and Thoon fell in the dust face

      upwards, stretching out his hands imploringly towards his

      comrades. Antilochus sprang upon him and stripped the armour from

      his shoulders, glaring round him fearfully as he did so. The

      Trojans came about him on every side and struck his broad and

      gleaming shield, but could not wound his body, for Neptune stood

      guard over the son of Nestor, though the darts fell thickly round

      him. He was never clear of the foe, but was always in the thick

      of the fight; his spear was never idle; he poised and aimed it in

      every direction, so eager was he to hit someone from a distance

      or to fight him hand to hand.



      As he was thus aiming among the crowd, he was seen by Adamas, son

      of Asius, who rushed towards him and struck him with a spear in

      the middle of his shield, but Neptune made its point without

      effect, for he grudged him the life of Antilochus. One half,

      therefore, of the spear stuck fast like a charred stake in

      Antilochus’s shield, while the other lay on the ground. Adamas

      then sought shelter under cover of his men, but Meriones followed

      after and hit him with a spear midway between the private parts

      and the navel, where a wound is particularly painful to wretched

      mortals. There did Meriones transfix him, and he writhed

      convulsively about the spear as some bull whom mountain herdsmen

      have bound with ropes of withes and are taking away perforce.

      Even so did he move convulsively for a while, but not for very

      long, till Meriones came up and drew the spear out of his body,

      and his eyes were veiled in darkness.



      Helenus then struck Deipyrus with a great Thracian sword, hitting

      him on the temple in close combat and tearing the helmet from his

      head; the helmet fell to the ground, and one of those who were

      fighting on the Achaean side took charge of it as it rolled at

      his feet, but the eyes of Deipyrus were closed in the darkness of

      death.



      On this Menelaus was grieved, and made menacingly towards

      Helenus, brandishing his spear; but Helenus drew his bow, and the

      two attacked one another at one and the same moment, the one with

      his spear, and the other with his bow and arrow. The son of Priam

      hit the breastplate of Menelaus’s corslet, but the arrow glanced

      from off it. As black beans or pulse come pattering down on to a

      threshing-floor from the broad winnowing-shovel, blown by shrill

      winds and shaken by the shovel—even so did the arrow glance off

      and recoil from the shield of Menelaus, who in his turn wounded

      the hand with which Helenus carried his bow; the spear went right

      through his hand and stuck in the bow itself, so that to his life

      he retreated under cover of his men, with his hand dragging by

      his side—for the spear weighed it down till Agenor drew it out

      and bound the hand carefully up in a woollen sling which his

      esquire had with him.



      Pisander then made straight at Menelaus—his evil destiny luring

      him on to his doom, for he was to fall in fight with you, O

      Menelaus. When the two were hard by one another the spear of the

      son of Atreus turned aside and he missed his aim; Pisander then

      struck the shield of brave Menelaus but could not pierce it, for

      the shield stayed the spear and broke the shaft; nevertheless he

      was glad and made sure of victory; forthwith, however, the son of

      Atreus drew his sword and sprang upon him. Pisander then seized

      the bronze battle-axe, with its long and polished handle of olive

      wood that hung by his side under his shield, and the two made at

      one another. Pisander struck the peak of Menelaus’s crested

      helmet just under the crest itself, and Menelaus hit Pisander as

      he was coming towards him, on the forehead, just at the rise of

      his nose; the bones cracked and his two gore-bedrabbled eyes fell

      by his feet in the dust. He fell backwards to the ground, and

      Menelaus set his heel upon him, stripped him of his armour, and

      vaunted over him saying, “Even thus shall you Trojans leave the

      ships of the Achaeans, proud and insatiate of battle though you

      be, nor shall you lack any of the disgrace and shame which you

      have heaped upon myself. Cowardly she-wolves that you are, you

      feared not the anger of dread Jove, avenger of violated

      hospitality, who will one day destroy your city; you stole my

      wedded wife and wickedly carried off much treasure when you were

      her guest, and now you would fling fire upon our ships, and kill

      our heroes. A day will come when, rage as you may, you shall be

      stayed. O father Jove, you, who they say art above all, both gods

      and men, in wisdom, and from whom all things that befall us do

      proceed, how can you thus favour the Trojans—men so proud and

      overweening, that they are never tired of fighting? All things

      pall after a while—sleep, love, sweet song, and stately

      dance—still these are things of which a man would surely have his

      fill rather than of battle, whereas it is of battle that the

      Trojans are insatiate.”



      So saying Menelaus stripped the blood-stained armour from the

      body of Pisander, and handed it over to his men; then he again

      ranged himself among those who were in the front of the fight.



      Harpalion son of King Pylaemenes then sprang upon him; he had

      come to fight at Troy along with his father, but he did not go

      home again. He struck the middle of Menelaus’s shield with his

      spear but could not pierce it, and to save his life drew back

      under cover of his men, looking round him on every side lest he

      should be wounded. But Meriones aimed a bronze-tipped arrow at

      him as he was leaving the field, and hit him on the right

      buttock; the arrow pierced the bone through and through, and

      penetrated the bladder, so he sat down where he was and breathed

      his last in the arms of his comrades, stretched like a worm upon

      the ground and watering the earth with the blood that flowed from

      his wound. The brave Paphlagonians tended him with all due care;

      they raised him into his chariot, and bore him sadly off to the

      city of Troy; his father went also with him weeping bitterly, but

      there was no ransom that could bring his dead son to life again.



      Paris was deeply grieved by the death of Harpalion, who was his

      host when he went among the Paphlagonians; he aimed an arrow,

      therefore, in order to avenge him. Now there was a certain man

      named Euchenor, son of Polyidus the prophet, a brave man and

      wealthy, whose home was in Corinth. This Euchenor had set sail

      for Troy well knowing that it would be the death of him, for his

      good old father Polyidus had often told him that he must either

      stay at home and die of a terrible disease, or go with the

      Achaeans and perish at the hands of the Trojans; he chose,

      therefore, to avoid incurring the heavy fine the Achaeans would

      have laid upon him, and at the same time to escape the pain and

      suffering of disease. Paris now smote him on the jaw under his

      ear, whereon the life went out of him and he was enshrouded in

      the darkness of death.



      Thus then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. But Hector

      had not yet heard, and did not know that the Argives were making

      havoc of his men on the left wing of the battle, where the

      Achaeans ere long would have triumphed over them, so vigorously

      did Neptune cheer them on and help them. He therefore held on at

      the point where he had first forced his way through the gates and

      the wall, after breaking through the serried ranks of Danaan

      warriors. It was here that the ships of Ajax and Protesilaus were

      drawn up by the sea-shore; here the wall was at its lowest, and

      the fight both of man and horse raged most fiercely. The

      Boeotians and the Ionians with their long tunics, the Locrians,

      the men of Phthia, and the famous force of the Epeans could

      hardly stay Hector as he rushed on towards the ships, nor could

      they drive him from them, for he was as a wall of fire. The

      chosen men of the Athenians were in the van, led by Menestheus

      son of Peteos, with whom were also Pheidas, Stichius, and

      stalwart Bias; Meges son of Phyleus, Amphion, and Dracius

      commanded the Epeans, while Medon and staunch Podarces led the

      men of Phthia. Of these, Medon was bastard son to Oileus and

      brother of Ajax, but he lived in Phylace away from his own

      country, for he had killed the brother of his stepmother Eriopis,

      the wife of Oileus; the other, Podarces, was the son of Iphiclus,

      son of Phylacus. These two stood in the van of the Phthians, and

      defended the ships along with the Boeotians.



      Ajax son of Oileus, never for a moment left the side of Ajax, son

      of Telamon, but as two swart oxen both strain their utmost at the

      plough which they are drawing in a fallow field, and the sweat

      steams upwards from about the roots of their horns—nothing but

      the yoke divides them as they break up the ground till they reach

      the end of the field—even so did the two Ajaxes stand shoulder to

      shoulder by one another. Many and brave comrades followed the son

      of Telamon, to relieve him of his shield when he was overcome

      with sweat and toil, but the Locrians did not follow so close

      after the son of Oileus, for they could not hold their own in a

      hand-to-hand fight. They had no bronze helmets with plumes of

      horse-hair, neither had they shields nor ashen spears, but they

      had come to Troy armed with bows, and with slings of twisted wool

      from which they showered their missiles to break the ranks of the

      Trojans. The others, therefore, with their heavy armour bore the

      brunt of the fight with the Trojans and with Hector, while the

      Locrians shot from behind, under their cover; and thus the

      Trojans began to lose heart, for the arrows threw them into

      confusion.



      The Trojans would now have been driven in sorry plight from the

      ships and tents back to windy Ilius, had not Polydamas presently

      said to Hector, “Hector, there is no persuading you to take

      advice. Because heaven has so richly endowed you with the arts of

      war, you think that you must therefore excel others in counsel;

      but you cannot thus claim preeminence in all things. Heaven has

      made one man an excellent soldier; of another it has made a

      dancer or a singer and player on the lyre; while yet in another

      Jove has implanted a wise understanding of which men reap fruit

      to the saving of many, and he himself knows more about it than

      any one; therefore I will say what I think will be best. The

      fight has hemmed you in as with a circle of fire, and even now

      that the Trojans are within the wall some of them stand aloof in

      full armour, while others are fighting scattered and outnumbered

      near the ships. Draw back, therefore, and call your chieftains

      round you, that we may advise together whether to fall now upon

      the ships in the hope that heaven may vouchsafe us victory, or to

      beat a retreat while we can yet safely do so. I greatly fear that

      the Achaeans will pay us their debt of yesterday in full, for

      there is one abiding at their ships who is never weary of battle,

      and who will not hold aloof much longer.”



      Thus spoke Polydamas, and his words pleased Hector well. He

      sprang in full armour from his chariot and said, “Polydamas,

      gather the chieftains here; I will go yonder into the fight, but

      will return at once when I have given them their orders.”



      He then sped onward, towering like a snowy mountain, and with a

      loud cry flew through the ranks of the Trojans and their allies.

      When they heard his voice they all hastened to gather round

      Polydamas, the excellent son of Panthous, but Hector kept on

      among the foremost, looking everywhere to find Deiphobus and

      prince Helenus, Adamas son of Asius, and Asius son of Hyrtacus;

      living, indeed, and scatheless he could no longer find them, for

      the two last were lying by the sterns of the Achaean ships, slain

      by the Argives, while the others had been also stricken and

      wounded by them; but upon the left wing of the dread battle he

      found Alexandrus, husband of lovely Helen, cheering his men and

      urging them on to fight. He went up to him and upbraided him.

      “Paris,” said he, “evil-hearted Paris, fair to see but woman-mad

      and false of tongue, where are Deiphobus and King Helenus? Where

      are Adamas son of Asius, and Asius son of Hyrtacus? Where too is

      Othryoneus? Ilius is undone and will now surely fall!”



      Alexandrus answered, “Hector, why find fault when there is no one

      to find fault with? I should hold aloof from battle on any day

      rather than this, for my mother bore me with nothing of the

      coward about me. From the moment when you set our men fighting

      about the ships we have been staying here and doing battle with

      the Danaans. Our comrades about whom you ask me are dead;

      Deiphobus and King Helenus alone have left the field, wounded

      both of them in the hand, but the son of Saturn saved them alive.

      Now, therefore, lead on where you would have us go, and we will

      follow with right goodwill; you shall not find us fail you in so

      far as our strength holds out, but no man can do more than in him

      lies, no matter how willing he may be.”



      With these words he satisfied his brother, and the two went

      towards the part of the battle where the fight was thickest,

      about Cebriones, brave Polydamas, Phalces, Orthaeus, godlike

      Polyphetes, Palmys, Ascanius, and Morys son of Hippotion, who had

      come from fertile Ascania on the preceding day to relieve other

      troops. Then Jove urged them on to fight. They flew forth like

      the blasts of some fierce wind that strike earth in the van of a

      thunderstorm—they buffet the salt sea into an uproar; many and

      mighty are the great waves that come crashing in one after the

      other upon the shore with their arching heads all crested with

      foam—even so did rank behind rank of Trojans arrayed in gleaming

      armour follow their leaders onward. The way was led by Hector son

      of Priam, peer of murderous Mars, with his round shield before

      him—his shield of ox-hides covered with plates of bronze—and his

      gleaming helmet upon his temples. He kept stepping forward under

      cover of his shield in every direction, making trial of the ranks

      to see if they would give way before him, but he could not daunt

      the courage of the Achaeans. Ajax was the first to stride out and

      challenge him. “Sir,” he cried, “draw near; why do you think thus

      vainly to dismay the Argives? We Achaeans are excellent soldiers,

      but the scourge of Jove has fallen heavily upon us. Your heart,

      forsooth, is set on destroying our ships, but we too have hands

      that can keep you at bay, and your own fair town shall be sooner

      taken and sacked by ourselves. The time is near when you shall

      pray Jove and all the gods in your flight, that your steeds may

      be swifter than hawks as they raise the dust on the plain and

      bear you back to your city.”



      As he was thus speaking a bird flew by upon his right hand, and

      the host of the Achaeans shouted, for they took heart at the

      omen. But Hector answered, “Ajax, braggart and false of tongue,

      would that I were as sure of being son for evermore to

      aegis-bearing Jove, with Queen Juno for my mother, and of being

      held in like honour with Minerva and Apollo, as I am that this

      day is big with the destruction of the Achaeans; and you shall

      fall among them if you dare abide my spear; it shall rend your

      fair body and bid you glut our hounds and birds of prey with your

      fat and your flesh, as you fall by the ships of the Achaeans.”



      With these words he led the way and the others followed after

      with a cry that rent the air, while the host shouted behind them.

      The Argives on their part raised a shout likewise, nor did they

      forget their prowess, but stood firm against the onslaught of the

      Trojan chieftains, and the cry from both the hosts rose up to

      heaven and to the brightness of Jove’s presence.