banks of the deep trench into its middle so as to make a great
broad bridge, as broad as the throw of a spear when a man is
trying his strength. The Trojan battalions poured over the
bridge, and Apollo with his redoubtable aegis led the way. He
kicked down the wall of the Achaeans as easily as a child who
playing on the sea-shore has built a house of sand and then kicks
it down again and destroys it--even so did you, O Apollo, shed
toil and trouble upon the Argives, filling them with panic and
confusion.

Thus then were the Achaeans hemmed in at their ships, calling out
to one another and raising their hands with loud cries every man
to heaven. Nestor of Gerene, tower of strength to the Achaeans,
lifted up his hands to the starry firmament of heaven, and prayed
more fervently than any of them. "Father Jove," said he, "if ever
any one in wheat-growing Argos burned you fat thigh-bones of
sheep or heifer and prayed that he might return safely home,
whereon you bowed your head to him in assent, bear it in mind
now, and suffer not the Trojans to triumph thus over the
Achaeans."

All-counselling Jove thundered loudly in answer to the prayer of
the aged son of Neleus. When they heard Jove thunder they flung
themselves yet more fiercely on the Achaeans. As a wave breaking
over the bulwarks of a ship when the sea runs high before a
gale--for it is the force of the wind that makes the waves so
great--even so did the Trojans spring over the wall with a
shout, and drive their chariots onwards. The two sides fought
with their double-pointed spears in hand-to-hand encounter-the
Trojans from their chariots, and the Achaeans climbing up into
their ships and wielding the long pikes that were lying on the
decks ready for use in a sea-fight, jointed and shod with bronze.

Now Patroclus, so long as the Achaeans and Trojans were fighting
about the wall, but were not yet within it and at the ships,
remained sitting in the tent of good Eurypylus, entertaining him
with his conversation and spreading herbs over his wound to ease
his pain. When, however, he saw the Trojans swarming through the
breach in the wall, while the Achaeans were clamouring and struck
with panic, he cried aloud, and smote his two thighs with the
flat of his hands. "Eurypylus," said he in his dismay, "I know
you want me badly, but I cannot stay with you any longer, for
there is hard fighting going on; a servant shall take care of you
now, for I must make all speed to Achilles, and induce him to
fight if I can; who knows but with heaven's help I may persuade
him. A man does well to listen to the advice of a friend."

When he had thus spoken he went his way. The Achaeans stood firm
and resisted the attack of the Trojans, yet though these were
fewer in number, they could not drive them back from the ships,
neither could the Trojans break the Achaean ranks and make their
way in among the tents and ships. As a carpenter's line gives a
true edge to a piece of ship's timber, in the hand of some
skilled workman whom Minerva has instructed in all kinds of
useful arts--even so level was the issue of the fight between the
two sides, as they fought some round one and some round another.

Hector made straight for Ajax, and the two fought fiercely about
the same ship. Hector could not force Ajax back and fire the
ship, nor yet could Ajax drive Hector from the spot to which
heaven had brought him.

Then Ajax struck Caletor son of Clytius in the chest with a spear
as he was bringing fire towards the ship. He fell heavily to the
ground and the torch dropped from his hand. When Hector saw his
cousin fallen in front of the ship he shouted to the Trojans and
Lycians saying, "Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians good in close
fight, bate not a jot, but rescue the son of Clytius lest the
Achaeans strip him of his armour now that he has fallen."

He then aimed a spear at Ajax, and missed him, but he hit
Lycophron a follower of Ajax, who came from Cythera, but was
living with Ajax inasmuch as he had killed a man among the
Cythereans. Hector's spear struck him on the head below the ear,
and he fell headlong from the ship's prow on to the ground with
no life left in him. Ajax shook with rage and said to his
brother, "Teucer, my good fellow, our trusty comrade the son of
Mastor has fallen, he came to live with us from Cythera and whom
we honoured as much as our own parents. Hector has just killed
him; fetch your deadly arrows at once and the bow which Phoebus
Apollo gave you."

Teucer heard him and hastened towards him with his bow and quiver
in his hands. Forthwith he showered his arrows on the Trojans,
and hit Cleitus the son of Pisenor, comrade of Polydamas the
noble son of Panthous, with the reins in his hands as he was
attending to his horses; he was in the middle of the very
thickest part of the fight, doing good service to Hector and the
Trojans, but evil had now come upon him, and not one of those who
were fain to do so could avert it, for the arrow struck him on
the back of the neck. He fell from his chariot and his horses
shook the empty car as they swerved aside. King Polydamas saw
what had happened, and was the first to come up to the horses; he
gave them in charge to Astynous son of Protiaon, and ordered him
to look on, and to keep the horses near at hand. He then went
back and took his place in the front ranks.

Teucer then aimed another arrow at Hector, and there would have
been no more fighting at the ships if he had hit him and killed
him then and there: Jove, however, who kept watch over Hector,


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