Homer

c.800 BC

THE ILIAD

translated by Samuel Butler

BOOK XVII

BRAVE Menelaus son of Atreus now came to know that
Patroclus had fallen, and made his way through the front ranks clad in full
armour to bestride him. As a cow stands lowing over her first calf, even so did
yellow-haired Menelaus bestride Patroclus. He held his round shield and his
spear in front of him, resolute to kill any who should dare face him. But the
son of Panthous had also noted the body, and came up to Menelaus saying,
“Menelaus, son of Atreus, draw back, leave the body, and let the bloodstained
spoils be. I was first of the Trojans and their brave allies to drive my spear
into Patroclus, let me, therefore, have my full glory among the Trojans, or I
will take aim and kill you.”

To this Menelaus answered in great anger “By father Jove,
boasting is an ill thing. The pard is not more bold, nor the lion nor savage
wild-boar, which is fiercest and most dauntless of all creatures, than are the
proud sons of Panthous. Yet Hyperenor did not see out the days of his youth when
he made light of me and withstood me, deeming me the meanest soldier among the
Danaans. His own feet never bore him back to gladden his wife and parents. Even
so shall I make an end of you too, if you withstand me; get you back into the
crowd and do not face me, or it shall be worse for you. Even a fool may be wise
after the event.”

Euphorbus would not listen, and said, “Now indeed,
Menelaus, shall you pay for the death of my brother over whom you vaunted, and
whose wife you widowed in her bridal chamber, while you brought grief
unspeakable on his parents. I shall comfort these poor people if I bring your
head and armour and place them in the hands of Panthous and noble Phrontis. The
time is come when this matter shall be fought out and settled, for me or against
me.”

As he spoke he struck Menelaus full on the shield, but the
spear did not go through, for the shield turned its point. Menelaus then took
aim, praying to father Jove as he did so; Euphorbus was drawing back, and
Menelaus struck him about the roots of his throat, leaning his whole weight on
the spear, so as to drive it home. The point went clean through his neck, and
his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground. His hair
which was like that of the Graces, and his locks so deftly bound in bands of
silver and gold, were all bedrabbled with blood. As one who has grown a fine
young olive tree in a clear space where there is abundance of water–the plant
is full of promise, and though the winds beat upon it from every quarter it puts
forth its white blossoms till the blasts of some fierce hurricane sweep down
upon it and level it with the ground–even so did Menelaus strip the fair youth
Euphorbus of his armour after he had slain him. Or as some fierce lion upon the
mountains in the pride of his strength fastens on the finest heifer in a herd as
it is feeding–first he breaks her neck with his strong jaws, and then gorges on
her blood and entrails; dogs and shepherds raise a hue and cry against him, but
they stand aloof and will not come close to him, for they are pale with
fear–even so no one had the courage to face valiant Menelaus. The son of Atreus
would have then carried off the armour of the son of Panthous with ease, had not
Phoebus Apollo been angry, and in the guise of Mentes chief of the Cicons
incited Hector to attack him. “Hector,” said he, “you are now going after the
horses of the noble son of Aeacus, but you will not take them; they cannot be
kept in hand and driven by mortal man, save only by Achilles, who is son to an
immortal mother. Meanwhile Menelaus son of Atreus has bestridden the body of
Patroclus and killed the noblest of the Trojans, Euphorbus son of Panthous, so
that he can fight no more.”

The god then went back into the toil and turmoil, but the
soul of Hector was darkened with a cloud of grief; he looked along the ranks and
saw Euphorbus lying on the ground with the blood still flowing from his wound,
and Menelaus stripping him of his armour. On this he made his way to the front
like a flame of fire, clad in his gleaming armour, and crying with a loud voice.
When the son of Atreus heard him, he said to himself in his dismay, “Alas! what
shall I do? I may not let the Trojans take the armour of Patroclus who has
fallen fighting on my behalf, lest some Danaan who sees me should cry shame upon
me. Still if for my honour’s sake I fight Hector and the Trojans single-handed,
they will prove too many for me, for Hector is bringing them up in force. Why,
however, should I thus hesitate? When a man fights in despite of heaven with one
whom a god befriends, he will soon rue it. Let no Danaan think ill of me if I
give place to Hector, for the hand of heaven is with him. Yet, if I could find
Ajax, the two of us would fight Hector and heaven too, if we might only save the
body of Patroclus for Achilles son of Peleus. This, of many evils would be the
least.”

While he was thus in two minds, the Trojans came up to him
with Hector at their head; he therefore drew back and left the body, turning
about like some bearded lion who is being chased by dogs and men from a
stockyard with spears and hue and cry, whereon he is daunted and slinks sulkily
off–even so did Menelaus son of Atreus turn and leave the body of Patroclus.
When among the body of his men, he looked around for mighty Ajax son of Telamon,
and presently saw him on the extreme left of the fight, cheering on his men and
exhorting them to keep on fighting, for Phoebus Apollo had spread a great panic
among them. He ran up to him and said, “Ajax, my good friend, come with me at
once to dead Patroclus, if so be that we may take the body to Achilles–as for
his armour, Hector already has it.”

These words stirred the heart of Ajax, and he made his way
among the front ranks, Menelaus going with him. Hector had stripped Patroclus of
his armour, and was dragging him away to cut off his head and take the body to
fling before the dogs of Troy. But Ajax came up with his shield like wall before
him, on which Hector withdrew under shelter of his men, and sprang on to his
chariot, giving the armour over to the Trojans to take to the city, as a great
trophy for himself; Ajax, therefore, covered the body of Patroclus with his
broad shield and bestrode him; as a lion stands over his whelps if hunters have
come upon him in a forest when he is with his little ones–in the pride and
fierceness of his strength he draws his knit brows down till they cover his
eyes–even so did Ajax bestride the body of Patroclus, and by his side stood
Menelaus son of Atreus, nursing great sorrow in his heart.

Then Glaucus son of Hippolochus looked fiercely at Hector
and rebuked him sternly. “Hector,” said he, “you make a brave show, but in fight
you are sadly wanting. A runaway like yourself has no claim to so great a
reputation. Think how you may now save your town and citadel by the hands of
your own people born in Ilius; for you will get no Lycians to fight for you,
seeing what thanks they have had for their incessant hardships. Are you likely,
sir, to do anything to help a man of less note, after leaving Sarpedon, who was
at once your guest and comrade in arms, to be the spoil and prey of the Danaans?
So long as he lived he did good service both to your city and yourself; yet you
had no stomach to save his body from the dogs. If the Lycians will listen to me,
they will go home and leave Troy to its fate. If the Trojans had any of that
daring fearless spirit which lays hold of men who are fighting for their country
and harassing those who would attack it, we should soon bear off Patroclus into
Ilius. Could we get this dead man away and bring him into the city of Priam, the
Argives would readily give up the armour of Sarpedon, and we should get his body
to boot. For he whose squire has been now killed is the foremost man at the
ships of the Achaeans–he and his close-fighting followers. Nevertheless you
dared not make a stand against Ajax, nor face him, eye to eye, with battle all
round you, for he is a braver man than you are.”

Hector scowled at him and answered, “Glaucus, you should
know better. I have held you so far as a man of more understanding than any in
all Lycia, but now I despise you for saying that I am afraid of Ajax. I fear
neither battle nor the din of chariots, but Jove’s will is stronger than ours;
Jove at one time makes even a strong man draw back and snatches victory from his
grasp, while at another he will set him on to fight. Come hither then, my
friend, stand by me and see indeed whether I shall play the coward the whole day
through as you say, or whether I shall not stay some even of the boldest Danaans
from fighting round the body of Patroclus.”

As he spoke he called loudly on the Trojans saying,
“Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians, fighters in close combat, be men, my friends,
and fight might and main, while I put on the goodly armour of Achilles, which I
took when I killed Patroclus.”

With this Hector left the fight, and ran full speed after
his men who were taking the armour of Achilles to Troy, but had not yet got far.
Standing for a while apart from the woeful fight, he changed his armour. His own
he sent to the strong city of Ilius and to the Trojans, while he put on the
immortal armour of the son of Peleus, which the gods had given to Peleus, who in
his age gave it to his son; but the son did not grow old in his father’s armour.

When Jove, lord of the storm-cloud, saw Hector standing
aloof and arming himself in the armour of the son of Peleus, he wagged his head
and muttered to himself saying, “A! poor wretch, you arm in the armour of a
hero, before whom many another trembles, and you reck nothing of the doom that
is already close upon you. You have killed his comrade so brave and strong, but
it was not well that you should strip the armour from his head and shoulders. I
do indeed endow you with great might now, but as against this you shall not
return from battle to lay the armour of the son of Peleus before Andromache.”

The son of Saturn bowed his portentous brows, and Hector
fitted the armour to his body, while terrible Mars entered into him, and filled
his whole body with might and valour. With a shout he strode in among the
allies, and his armour flashed about him so that he seemed to all of them like
the great son of Peleus himself. He went about among them and cheered them on–Mesthles,
Glaucus, Medon, Thersilochus, Asteropaeus, Deisenor and Hippothous, Phorcys,
Chromius and Ennomus the augur. All these did he exhort saying, “Hear me, allies
from other cities who are here in your thousands, it was not in order to have a
crowd about me that I called you hither each from his several city, but that
with heart and soul you might defend the wives and little ones of the Trojans
from the fierce Achaeans. For this do I oppress my people with your food and the
presents that make you rich. Therefore turn, and charge at the foe, to stand or
fall as is the game of war; whoever shall bring Patroclus, dead though he be,
into the hands of the Trojans, and shall make Ajax give way before him, I will
give him one half of the spoils while I keep the other. He will thus share like
honour with myself.”

When he had thus spoken they charged full weight upon the
Danaans with their spears held out before them, and the hopes of each ran high
that he should force Ajax son of Telamon to yield up the body–fools that they
were, for he was about to take the lives of many. Then Ajax said to Menelaus,
“My good friend Menelaus, you and I shall hardly come out of this fight alive. I
am less concerned for the body of Patroclus, who will shortly become meat for
the dogs and vultures of Troy, than for the safety of my own head and yours.
Hector has wrapped us round in a storm of battle from every quarter, and our
destruction seems now certain. Call then upon the princes of the Danaans if
there is any who can hear us.”

Menelaus did as he said, and shouted to the Danaans for
help at the top of his voice. “My friends,” he cried, “princes and counsellors
of the Argives, all you who with Agamemnon and Menelaus drink at the public
cost, and give orders each to his own people as Jove vouchsafes him power and
glory, the fight is so thick about me that I cannot distinguish you severally;
come on, therefore, every man unbidden, and think it shame that Patroclus should
become meat and morsel for Trojan hounds.”

Fleet Ajax son of Oileus heard him and was first to force
his way through the fight and run to help him. Next came Idomeneus and Meriones
his esquire, peer of murderous Mars. As for the others that came into the fight
after these, who of his own self could name them?

The Trojans with Hector at their head charged in a body. As
a great wave that comes thundering in at the mouth of some heaven-born river,
and the rocks that jut into the sea ring with the roar of the breakers that beat
and buffet them–even with such a roar did the Trojans come on; but the Achaeans
in singleness of heart stood firm about the son of Menoetius, and fenced him
with their bronze shields. Jove, moreover, hid the brightness of their helmets
in a thick cloud, for he had borne no grudge against the son of Menoetius while
he was still alive and squire to the descendant of Aeacus; therefore he was loth
to let him fall a prey to the dogs of his foes the Trojans, and urged his
comrades on to defend him.

At first the Trojans drove the Achaeans back, and they
withdrew from the dead man daunted. The Trojans did not succeed in killing any
one, nevertheless they drew the body away. But the Achaeans did not lose it
long, for Ajax, foremost of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus alike in
stature and prowess, quickly rallied them and made towards the front like a wild
boar upon the mountains when he stands at bay in the forest glades and routs the
hounds and lusty youths that have attacked him–even so did Ajax son of Telamon
passing easily in among the phalanxes of the Trojans, disperse those who had
bestridden Patroclus and were most bent on winning glory by dragging him off to
their city. At this moment Hippothous brave son of the Pelasgian Lethus, in his
zeal for Hector and the Trojans, was dragging the body off by the foot through
the press of the fight, having bound a strap round the sinews near the ancle;
but a mischief soon befell him from which none of those could save him who would
have gladly done so, for the son of Telamon sprang forward and smote him on his
bronze-cheeked helmet. The plumed headpiece broke about the point of the weapon,
struck at once by the spear and by the strong hand of Ajax, so that the bloody
brain came oozing out through the crest-socket. His strength then failed him and
he let Patroclus’ foot drop from his hand, as he fell full length dead upon the
body; thus he died far from the fertile land of Larissa, and never repaid his
parents the cost of bringing him up, for his life was cut short early by the
spear of mighty Ajax. Hector then took aim at Ajax with a spear, but he saw it
coming and just managed to avoid it; the spear passed on and struck Schedius son
of noble Iphitus, captain of the Phoceans, who dwelt in famed Panopeus and
reigned over much people; it struck him under the middle of the collar-bone the
bronze point went right through him, coming out at the bottom of his
shoulder-blade, and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the
ground. Ajax in his turn struck noble Phorcys son of Phaenops in the middle of
the belly as he was bestriding Hippothous, and broke the plate of his cuirass;
whereon the spear tore out his entrails and he clutched the ground in his palm
as he fell to earth. Hector and those who were in the front rank then gave
ground, while the Argives raised a loud cry of triumph, and drew off the bodies
of Phorcys and Hippothous which they stripped presently of their armour.

The Trojans would now have been worsted by the brave
Achaeans and driven back to Ilius through their own cowardice, while the Argives,
so great was their courage and endurance, would have achieved a triumph even
against the will of Jove, if Apollo had not roused Aeneas, in the likeness of
Periphas son of Epytus, an attendant who had grown old in the service of Aeneas’
aged father, and was at all times devoted to him. In his likeness, then, Apollo
said, “Aeneas, can you not manage, even though heaven be against us, to save
high Ilius? I have known men, whose numbers, courage, and self-reliance have
saved their people in spite of Jove, whereas in this case he would much rather
give victory to us than to the Danaans, if you would only fight instead of being
so terribly afraid.”

Aeneas knew Apollo when he looked straight at him, and
shouted to Hector saying, “Hector and all other Trojans and allies, shame on us
if we are beaten by the Achaeans and driven back to Ilius through our own
cowardice. A god has just come up to me and told me that Jove the supreme
disposer will be with us. Therefore let us make for the Danaans, that it may go
hard with them ere they bear away dead Patroclus to the ships.”

As he spoke he sprang out far in front of the others, who
then rallied and again faced the Achaeans. Aeneas speared Leiocritus son of
Arisbas, a valiant follower of Lycomedes, and Lycomedes was moved with pity as
he saw him fall; he therefore went close up, and speared Apisaon son of Hippasus
shepherd of his people in the liver under the midriff, so that he died; he had
come from fertile Paeonia and was the best man of them all after Asteropaeus.
Asteropaeus flew forward to avenge him and attack the Danaans, but this might no
longer be, inasmuch as those about Patroclus were well covered by their shields,
and held their spears in front of them, for Ajax had given them strict orders
that no man was either to give ground, or to stand out before the others, but
all were to hold well together about the body and fight hand to hand. Thus did
huge Ajax bid them, and the earth ran red with blood as the corpses fell thick
on one another alike on the side of the Trojans and allies, and on that of the
Danaans; for these last, too, fought no bloodless fight though many fewer of
them perished, through the care they took to defend and stand by one another.

Thus did they fight as it were a flaming fire; it seemed as
though it had gone hard even with the sun and moon, for they were hidden over
all that part where the bravest heroes were fighting about the dead son of
Menoetius, whereas the other Danaans and Achaeans fought at their ease in full
daylight with brilliant sunshine all round them, and there was not a cloud to be
seen neither on plain nor mountain. These last moreover would rest for a while
and leave off fighting, for they were some distance apart and beyond the range
of one another’s weapons, whereas those who were in the thick of the fray
suffered both from battle and darkness. All the best of them were being worn out
by the great weight of their armour, but the two valiant heroes, Thrasymedes and
Antilochus, had not yet heard of the death of Patroclus, and believed him to be
still alive and leading the van against the Trojans; they were keeping
themselves in reserve against the death or rout of their own comrades, for so
Nestor had ordered when he sent them from the ships into battle.

Thus through the livelong day did they wage fierce war, and
the sweat of their toil rained ever on their legs under them, and on their hands
and eyes, as they fought over the squire of the fleet son of Peleus. It was as
when a man gives a great ox-hide all drenched in fat to his men, and bids them
stretch it; whereon they stand round it in a ring and tug till the moisture
leaves it, and the fat soaks in for the many that pull at it, and it is well
stretched–even so did the two sides tug the dead body hither and thither within
the compass of but a little space–the Trojans steadfastly set on dragging it
into Ilius, while the Achaeans were no less so on taking it to their ships; and
fierce was the fight between them. Not Mars himself the lord of hosts, nor yet
Minerva, even in their fullest fury could make light of such a battle.

Such fearful turmoil of men and horses did Jove on that day
ordain round the body of Patroclus. Meanwhile Achilles did not know that he had
fallen, for the fight was under the wall of Troy a long way off the ships. He
had no idea, therefore, that Patroclus was dead, and deemed that he would return
alive as soon as he had gone close up to the gates. He knew that he was not to
sack the city neither with nor without himself, for his mother had often told
him this when he had sat alone with her, and she had informed him of the
counsels of great Jove. Now, however, she had not told him how great a disaster
had befallen him in the death of the one who was far dearest to him of all his
comrades.

The others still kept on charging one another round the
body with their pointed spears and killing each other. Then would one say, “My
friends, we can never again show our faces at the ships– better, and greatly
better, that earth should open and swallow us here in this place, than that we
should let the Trojans have the triumph of bearing off Patroclus to their city.”

The Trojans also on their part spoke to one another saying,
“Friends, though we fall to a man beside this body, let none shrink from
fighting.” With such words did they exhort each other. They fought and fought,
and an iron clank rose through the void air to the brazen vault of heaven. The
horses of the descendant of Aeacus stood out of the fight and wept when they
heard that their driver had been laid low by the hand of murderous Hector.
Automedon, valiant son of Diores, lashed them again and again; many a time did
he speak kindly to them, and many a time did he upbraid them, but they would
neither go back to the ships by the waters of the broad Hellespont, nor yet into
battle among the Achaeans; they stood with their chariot stock still, as a
pillar set over the tomb of some dead man or woman, and bowed their heads to the
ground. Hot tears fell from their eyes as they mourned the loss of their
charioteer, and their noble manes drooped all wet from under the yokestraps on
either side the yoke.

The son of Saturn saw them and took pity upon their sorrow.
He wagged his head, and muttered to himself, saying, “Poor things, why did we
give you to King Peleus who is a mortal, while you are yourselves ageless and
immortal? Was it that you might share the sorrows that befall mankind? for of
all creatures that live and move upon the earth there is none so pitiable as he
is–still, Hector son of Priam shall drive neither you nor your chariot. I will
not have it. It is enough that he should have the armour over which he vaunts so
vainly. Furthermore I will give you strength of heart and limb to bear Automedon
safely to the ships from battle, for I shall let the Trojans triumph still
further, and go on killing till they reach the ships; whereon night shall fall
and darkness overshadow the land.”

As he spoke he breathed heart and strength into the horses
so that they shook the dust from out of their manes, and bore their chariot
swiftly into the fight that raged between Trojans and Achaeans. Behind them
fought Automedon full of sorrow for his comrade, as a vulture amid a flock of
geese. In and out, and here and there, full speed he dashed amid the throng of
the Trojans, but for all the fury of his pursuit he killed no man, for he could
not wield his spear and keep his horses in hand when alone in the chariot; at
last, however, a comrade, Alcimedon, son of Laerces son of Haemon caught sight
of him and came up behind his chariot. “Automedon,” said he, “what god has put
this folly into your heart and robbed you of your right mind, that you fight the
Trojans in the front rank single-handed? He who was your comrade is slain, and
Hector plumes himself on being armed in the armour of the descendant of Aeacus.”

Automedon son of Diores answered, “Alcimedon, there is no
one else who can control and guide the immortal steeds so well as you can, save
only Patroclus–while he was alive–peer of gods in counsel. Take then the whip
and reins, while I go down from the car and fight.”

Alcimedon sprang on to the chariot, and caught up the whip
and reins, while Automedon leaped from off the car. When Hector saw him he said
to Aeneas who was near him, “Aeneas, counsellor of the mail-clad Trojans, I see
the steeds of the fleet son of Aeacus come into battle with weak hands to drive
them. I am sure, if you think well, that we might take them; they will not dare
face us if we both attack them.”

The valiant son of Anchises was of the same mind, and the
pair went right on, with their shoulders covered under shields of tough dry
ox-hide, overlaid with much bronze. Chromius and Aretus went also with them, and
their hearts beat high with hope that they might kill the men and capture the
horses–fools that they were, for they were not to return scatheless from their
meeting with Automedon, who prayed to father Jove and was forthwith filled with
courage and strength abounding. He turned to his trusty comrade Alcimedon and
said, “Alcimedon, keep your horses so close up that I may feel their breath upon
my back; I doubt that we shall not stay Hector son of Priam till he has killed
us and mounted behind the horses; he will then either spread panic among the
ranks of the Achaeans, or himself be killed among the foremost.”

On this he cried out to the two Ajaxes and Menelaus, “Ajaxes
captains of the Argives, and Menelaus, give the dead body over to them that are
best able to defend it, and come to the rescue of us living; for Hector and
Aeneas who are the two best men among the Trojans, are pressing us hard in the
full tide of war. Nevertheless the issue lies on the lap of heaven, I will
therefore hurl my spear and leave the rest to Jove.”

He poised and hurled as he spoke, whereon the spear struck
the round shield of Aretus, and went right through it for the shield stayed it
not, so that it was driven through his belt into the lower part of his belly. As
when some sturdy youth, axe in hand, deals his blow behind the horns of an ox
and severs the tendons at the back of its neck so that it springs forward and
then drops, even so did Aretus give one bound and then fall on his back the
spear quivering in his body till it made an end of him. Hector then aimed a
spear at Automedon but he saw it coming and stooped forward to avoid it, so that
it flew past him and the point stuck in the ground, while the butt-end went on
quivering till Mars robbed it of its force. They would then have fought hand to
hand with swords had not the two Ajaxes forced their way through the crowd when
they heard their comrade calling, and parted them for all their fury–for
Hector, Aeneas, and Chromius were afraid and drew back, leaving Aretus to lie
there struck to the heart. Automedon, peer of fleet Mars, then stripped him of
his armour and vaunted over him saying, “I have done little to assuage my sorrow
for the son of Menoetius, for the man I have killed is not so good as he was.”

As he spoke he took the blood-stained spoils and laid them
upon his chariot; then he mounted the car with his hands and feet all steeped in
gore as a lion that has been gorging upon a bull.

And now the fierce groanful fight again raged about
Patroclus, for Minerva came down from heaven and roused its fury by the command
of far-seeing Jove, who had changed his mind and sent her to encourage the
Danaans. As when Jove bends his bright bow in heaven in token to mankind either
of war or of the chill storms that stay men from their labour and plague the
flocks–even so, wrapped in such radiant raiment, did Minerva go in among the
host and speak man by man to each. First she took the form and voice of Phoenix
and spoke to Menelaus son of Atreus, who was standing near her. “Menelaus,” said
she, “it will be shame and dishonour to you, if dogs tear the noble comrade of
Achilles under the walls of Troy. Therefore be staunch, and urge your men to be
so also.”

Menelaus answered, “Phoenix, my good old friend, may
Minerva vouchsafe me strength and keep the darts from off me, for so shall I
stand by Patroclus and defend him; his death has gone to my heart, but Hector is
as a raging fire and deals his blows without ceasing, for Jove is now granting
him a time of triumph.”

Minerva was pleased at his having named herself before any
of the other gods. Therefore she put strength into his knees and shoulders, and
made him as bold as a fly, which, though driven off will yet come again and bite
if it can, so dearly does it love man’s blood–even so bold as this did she make
him as he stood over Patroclus and threw his spear. Now there was among the
Trojans a man named Podes, son of Eetion, who was both rich and valiant. Hector
held him in the highest honour for he was his comrade and boon companion; the
spear of Menelaus struck this man in the girdle just as he had turned in flight,
and went right through him. Whereon he fell heavily forward, and Menelaus son of
Atreus drew off his body from the Trojans into the ranks of his own people.

Apollo then went up to Hector and spurred him on to fight,
in the likeness of Phaenops son of Asius who lived in Abydos and was the most
favoured of all Hector’s guests. In his likeness Apollo said, “Hector, who of
the Achaeans will fear you henceforward now that you have quailed before
Menelaus who has ever been rated poorly as a soldier? Yet he has now got a
corpse away from the Trojans single-handed, and has slain your own true comrade,
a man brave among the foremost, Podes son of Eetion.”

A dark cloud of grief fell upon Hector as he heard, and he
made his way to the front clad in full armour. Thereon the son of Saturn seized
his bright tasselled aegis, and veiled Ida in cloud: he sent forth his
lightnings and his thunders, and as he shook his aegis he gave victory to the
Trojans and routed the Achaeans.

The panic was begun by Peneleos the Boeotian, for while
keeping his face turned ever towards the foe he had been hit with a spear on the
upper part of the shoulder; a spear thrown by Polydamas had grazed the top of
the bone, for Polydamas had come up to him and struck him from close at hand.
Then Hector in close combat struck Leitus son of noble Alectryon in the hand by
the wrist, and disabled him from fighting further. He looked about him in
dismay, knowing that never again should he wield spear in battle with the
Trojans. While Hector was in pursuit of Leitus, Idomeneus struck him on the
breastplate over his chest near the nipple; but the spear broke in the shaft,
and the Trojans cheered aloud. Hector then aimed at Idomeneus son of Deucalion
as he was standing on his chariot, and very narrowly missed him, but the spear
hit Coiranus, a follower and charioteer of Meriones who had come with him from
Lyctus. Idomeneus had left the ships on foot and would have afforded a great
triumph to the Trojans if Coiranus had not driven quickly up to him, he
therefore brought life and rescue to Idomeneus, but himself fell by the hand of
murderous Hector. For Hector hit him on the jaw under the ear; the end of the
spear drove out his teeth and cut his tongue in two pieces, so that he fell from
his chariot and let the reins fall to the ground. Meriones gathered them up from
the ground and took them into his own hands, then he said to Idomeneus, “Lay on,
till you get back to the ships, for you must see that the day is no longer
ours.”

On this Idomeneus lashed the horses to the ships, for fear
had taken hold upon him.

Ajax and Menelaus noted how Jove had turned the scale in
favour of the Trojans, and Ajax was first to speak. “Alas,” said he, “even a
fool may see that father Jove is helping the Trojans. All their weapons strike
home; no matter whether it be a brave man or a coward that hurls them, Jove
speeds all alike, whereas ours fall each one of them without effect. What, then,
will be best both as regards rescuing the body, and our return to the joy of our
friends who will be grieving as they look hitherwards; for they will make sure
that nothing can now check the terrible hands of Hector, and that he will fling
himself upon our ships. I wish that some one would go and tell the son of Peleus
at once, for I do not think he can have yet heard the sad news that the dearest
of his friends has fallen. But I can see not a man among the Achaeans to send,
for they and their chariots are alike hidden in darkness. O father Jove, lift
this cloud from over the sons of the Achaeans; make heaven serene, and let us
see; if you will that we perish, let us fall at any rate by daylight.”

Father Jove heard him and had compassion upon his tears.
Forthwith he chased away the cloud of darkness, so that the sun shone out and
all the fighting was revealed. Ajax then said to Menelaus, “Look, Menelaus, and
if Antilochus son of Nestor be still living, send him at once to tell Achilles
that by far the dearest to him of all his comrades has fallen.”

Menelaus heeded his words and went his way as a lion from a
stockyard–the lion is tired of attacking the men and hounds, who keep watch the
whole night through and will not let him feast on the fat of their herd. In his
lust of meat he makes straight at them but in vain, for darts from strong hands
assail him, and burning brands which daunt him for all his hunger, so in the
morning he slinks sulkily away–even so did Menelaus sorely against his will
leave Patroclus, in great fear lest the Achaeans should be driven back in rout
and let him fall into the hands of the foe. He charged Meriones and the two
Ajaxes straitly saying, “Ajaxes and Meriones, leaders of the Argives, now indeed
remember how good Patroclus was; he was ever courteous while alive, bear it in
mind now that he is dead.”

With this Menelaus left them, looking round him as keenly
as an eagle, whose sight they say is keener than that of any other bird–however
high he may be in the heavens, not a hare that runs can escape him by crouching
under bush or thicket, for he will swoop down upon it and make an end of
it–even so, O Menelaus, did your keen eyes range round the mighty host of your
followers to see if you could find the son of Nestor still alive. Presently
Menelaus saw him on the extreme left of the battle cheering on his men and
exhorting them to fight boldly. Menelaus went up to him and said, “Antilochus,
come here and listen to sad news, which I would indeed were untrue. You must see
with your own eyes that heaven is heaping calamity upon the Danaans, and giving
victory to the Trojans. Patroclus has fallen, who was the bravest of the
Achaeans, and sorely will the Danaans miss him. Run instantly to the ships and
tell Achilles, that he may come to rescue the body and bear it to the ships. As
for the armour, Hector already has it.”

Antilochus was struck with horror. For a long time he was
speechless; his eyes filled with tears and he could find no utterance, but he
did as Menelaus had said, and set off running as soon as he had given his armour
to a comrade, Laodocus, who was wheeling his horses round, close beside him.

Thus, then, did he run weeping from the field, to carry the
bad news to Achilles son of Peleus. Nor were you, O Menelaus, minded to succour
his harassed comrades, when Antilochus had left the Pylians–and greatly did
they miss him–but he sent them noble Thrasymedes, and himself went back to
Patroclus. He came running up to the two Ajaxes and said, “I have sent
Antilochus to the ships to tell Achilles, but rage against Hector as he may, he
cannot come, for he cannot fight without armour. What then will be our best plan
both as regards rescuing the dead, and our own escape from death amid the
battle-cries of the Trojans?”

Ajax answered, “Menelaus, you have said well: do you, then,
and Meriones stoop down, raise the body, and bear it out of the fray, while we
two behind you keep off Hector and the Trojans, one in heart as in name, and
long used to fighting side by side with one another.”

On this Menelaus and Meriones took the dead man in their
arms and lifted him high aloft with a great effort. The Trojan host raised a hue
and cry behind them when they saw the Achaeans bearing the body away, and flew
after them like hounds attacking a wounded boar at the loo of a band of young
huntsmen. For a while the hounds fly at him as though they would tear him in
pieces, but now and again he turns on them in a fury, scaring and scattering
them in all directions–even so did the Trojans for a while charge in a body,
striking with sword and with spears pointed ai both the ends, but when the two
Ajaxes faced them and stood at bay, they would turn pale and no man dared press
on to fight further about the dead.

In this wise did the two heroes strain every nerve to bear
the body to the ships out of the fight. The battle raged round them like fierce
flames that when once kindled spread like wildfire over a city, and the houses
fall in the glare of its burning– even such was the roar and tramp of men and
horses that pursued them as they bore Patroclus from the field. Or as mules that
put forth all their strength to draw some beam or great piece of ship’s timber
down a rough mountain-track, and they pant and sweat as they, go even so did
Menelaus and pant and sweat as they bore the body of Patroclus. Behind them the
two Ajaxes held stoutly out. As some wooded mountain-spur that stretches across
a plain will turn water and check the flow even of a great river, nor is there
any stream strong enough to break through it–even so did the two Ajaxes face
the Trojans and stem the tide of their fighting though they kept pouring on
towards them and foremost among them all was Aeneas son of Anchises with valiant
Hector. As a flock of daws or starlings fall to screaming and chattering when
they see a falcon, foe to all small birds, come soaring near them, even so did
the Achaean youth raise a babel of cries as they fled before Aeneas and Hector,
unmindful of their former prowess. In the rout of the Danaans much goodly armour
fell round about the trench, and of fighting there was no end.