feats of horsemanship couples four horses together and comes
tearing full speed along the public way from the country into
some large town--many both men and women marvel as they see him
for he keeps all the time changing his horse, springing from one
to another without ever missing his feet while the horses are at
a gallop--even so did Ajax go striding from one ship's deck to
another, and his voice went up into the heavens. He kept on
shouting his orders to the Danaans and exhorting them to defend
their ships and tents; neither did Hector remain within the main
body of the Trojan warriors, but as a dun eagle swoops down upon
a flock of wild-fowl feeding near a river-geese, it may be, or
cranes, or long-necked swans--even so did Hector make straight
for a dark-prowed ship, rushing right towards it; for Jove with
his mighty hand impelled him forward, and roused his people to
follow him.

And now the battle again raged furiously at the ships. You would
have thought the men were coming on fresh and unwearied, so
fiercely did they fight; and this was the mind in which they
were--the Achaeans did not believe they should escape destruction
but thought themselves doomed, while there was not a Trojan but
his heart beat high with the hope of firing the ships and putting
the Achaean heroes to the sword.

Thus were the two sides minded. Then Hector seized the stern of
the good ship that had brought Protesilaus to Troy, but never
bore him back to his native land. Round this ship there raged a
close hand-to-hand fight between Danaans and Trojans. They did
not fight at a distance with bows and javelins, but with one mind
hacked at one another in close combat with their mighty swords
and spears pointed at both ends; they fought moreover with keen
battle-axes and with hatchets. Many a good stout blade hilted and
scabbarded with iron, fell from hand or shoulder as they fought,
and the earth ran red with blood. Hector, when he had seized the
ship, would not loose his hold but held on to its curved stern
and shouted to the Trojans, "Bring fire, and raise the battle-cry
all of you with a single voice. Now has Jove vouchsafed us a day
that will pay us for all the rest; this day we shall take the
ships which came hither against heaven's will, and which have
caused us such infinite suffering through the cowardice of our
councillors, who when I would have done battle at the ships held
me back and forbade the host to follow me; if Jove did then
indeed warp our judgements, himself now commands me and cheers me
on."

As he spoke thus the Trojans sprang yet more fiercely on the
Achaeans, and Ajax no longer held his ground, for he was overcome
by the darts that were flung at him, and made sure that he was
doomed. Therefore he left the raised deck at the stern, and
stepped back on to the seven-foot bench of the oarsmen. Here he
stood on the look-out, and with his spear held back Trojan whom
he saw bringing fire to the ships. All the time he kept on
shouting at the top of his voice and exhorting the Danaans. "My
friends," he cried, "Danaan heroes, servants of Mars, be men my
friends, and fight with might and with main. Can we hope to find
helpers hereafter, or a wall to shield us more surely than the
one we have? There is no strong city within reach, whence we may
draw fresh forces to turn the scales in our favour. We are on the
plain of the armed Trojans with the sea behind us, and far from
our own country. Our salvation, therefore, is in the might of our
hands and in hard fighting."

As he spoke he wielded his spear with still greater fury, and
when any Trojan made towards the ships with fire at Hector's
bidding, he would be on the look-out for him, and drive at him
with his long spear. Twelve men did he thus kill in hand-to-hand
fight before the ships.



BOOK XVI

Fire being now thrown on the ship of Protesilaus, Patroclus
fights in the armour of Achilles--He drives the Trojans back,
but is in the end killed by Euphorbus and Hector.

THUS did they fight about the ship of Protesilaus. Then Patroclus
drew near to Achilles with tears welling from his eyes, as from
some spring whose crystal stream falls over the ledges of a high
precipice. When Achilles saw him thus weeping he was sorry for
him and said, "Why, Patroclus, do you stand there weeping like
some silly child that comes running to her mother, and begs to be
taken up and carried--she catches hold of her mother's dress to
stay her though she is in a hurry, and looks tearfully up until
her mother carries her--even such tears, Patroclus, are you now
shedding. Have you anything to say to the Myrmidons or to myself?
or have you had news from Phthia which you alone know? They tell
me Menoetius son of Actor is still alive, as also Peleus son of
Aeacus, among the Myrmidons--men whose loss we two should
bitterly deplore; or are you grieving about the Argives and the
way in which they are being killed at the ships, through their
own high-handed doings? Do not hide anything from me but tell me
that both of us may know about it."

Then, O knight Patroclus, with a deep sigh you answered,
"Achilles, son of Peleus, foremost champion of the Achaeans, do
not be angry, but I weep for the disaster that has now befallen
the Argives. All those who have been their champions so far are
lying at the ships, wounded by sword or spear. Brave Diomed son
of Tydeus has been hit with a spear, while famed Ulysses and


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