CHAPTER VI

GLAUCUS AND DIOMED

Now when Ares had departed, the Greeks prevailed again, slaying many of the sons of Troy and of their allies. But at last Helenus, the wise seer, spake to Hector and Æneas:—

Glau'-cus.     Hel'-e-nus.

"Cause the army to draw back to the walls, and go through the ranks and give them such strength and courage as ye may. And do thou, Hector, when thou hast so done, pass into the city, and bid thy mother go with the daughters of Troy, and take the costliest robe that she hath, and lay it on the knees of Athene in her temple, vowing therewith to sacrifice twelve heifers, if perchance she may have pity upon us, and keep this Diomed from our walls. Surely there is no Greek so strong as he; we did not fear even Achilles' self so much as we fear this man to-day, so dreadful is he and fierce. Go, and we will make such stand meanwhile as we can."

Then Hector passed through the ranks, bidding them be of good heart, and so departed to the city.

And when he was gone, Glaucus and Diomed met in the space between the two hosts. Then first spake Diomed: "Tell me, thou mighty man of valour, who thou art of mortal men, for never before have I seen thee in the battle; but now thou comest out far before the ranks of thy fellows, and art willing to abide my spear. If thou be one of the immortal gods, and hast come down from heaven, I fight thee not. I dare not match myself with the gods of heaven."

To him Glaucus made answer: "Valiant son of Tydeus, why seekest thou to know my name and lineage, and the generations of my fathers? For the generations of men are as the leaves of the wood. The wind scattereth them on the ground, and the wood bringeth forth others in the springtime. So is it with the generations of men—one goeth, and another cometh. Yet, if thou wilt know these things, hearken unto me. I am the son of Hippolochus, the son of Bellerophon."

Hip-pol'-o-chus.     Bel-ler'-o-phon.

So spake Glaucus, and Diomed was glad at heart. His spear he drave into the earth, and he spake pleasant words to the prince: "Verily, thou art by inheritance a friend of my house. For long ago great Œneus entertained Bellerophon in his dwelling, keeping him twenty days. Goodly gifts did they give one to the other. Œneus gave to Bellerophon a belt richly broidered with purple, and Bellerophon gave to Œneus a cup of gold with a mouth on either side. This I left when I came hither, in my palace at home. Now Œneus was my grandfather. Therefore, I am thy friend and host when thou comest to the land of Argos, and thou art mine if any chance shall bring me to Lycia. But now, let each of us shun the spear of the other, yea, in the closest press of the battle. Many sons of Troy there are, and many of their brave allies, whom I may slay if the gods deliver them into my hands, so and my feet be swift to overtake them. And thou also hast many Greeks to slay if thou canst. But now let us make exchange of arms and armour, that both the Greeks and the men of Troy may know that we are friends by inheritance."

Œ'-neus.     Lyc'-i-a.

So spake Tydeus. And the two chiefs leapt down from their chariots, and clasped each the hand of the other, and pledged their faith. Then Zeus changed the wisdom of Glaucus to folly, so that he gave his armour in exchange for the armour of Diomed, gold for bronze, the price of five-score oxen for the price of nine.

CHAPTER VII

HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE

Hector came into the city by the Scæan gates, and as he went wives and mothers crowded about him, asking how it had fared with their husbands and sons. But he said naught, save to bid them pray; and indeed there was sore news for many, if he had told that which he knew. Then he came to the palace of King Priam, and there he saw Hecuba, his mother, and with her Laodice, fairest of her daughters. She caught him by the hand and said:—

An-drom'-a-che.     Scæ'-an.     Hec'-u-ba.

"Why hast thou come from the battle, my son? Do the Greeks press thee hard, and art thou minded to pray to Father Zeus from the citadel? Let me bring thee honey-sweet wine, that thou mayest pour out before him, aye, and that thou mayest drink thyself, and gladden thy heart."

But Hector said: "Give me not wine, my mother, lest thou weaken my knees and make me forget my courage. Nor must I pour out an offering to Zeus thus, with unwashed hands. But do thou gather the mothers of Troy together, and go to the temple of Athene and take a robe, the one that is the most precious and beautiful in thy stores, and lay it on the knees of the goddess, and pray her to keep this dreadful Diomed from the walls of Troy; and forget not to vow therewith twelve heifers as a sacrifice. As for me, I will go and seek Paris, if perchance he will come with me to the war. Would that the earth might open and swallow him up, for of a truth he is a curse to King Priam and to Troy."

Then went Queen Hecuba into her house, and gave command to her maids that they should assemble the aged women of the city. Afterwards she went to her store-chamber, where lay the well-wrought robes, work of Sidonian women, which Paris himself brought from Sidon, when he sailed upon the broad sea, bringing home with him high-born Helen. The fairest robe of all did the Queen take. Bright as a star it was, and it lay the undermost of all.

Si-do'-ni-an.     Si'-don.

And when she and the aged women that were with her came to the temple of Athene that was in the citadel, the priestess of Athene opened the doors to them. They lifted their hands, and cried aloud, and the priestess laid the garment on the knees of the goddess, and spake, saying:—

"Lady Athene, that keepest the city, break now the spear of Diomed, and let him fall upon his face before the Scæan gates. So will we sacrifice to thee twelve heifers that have not felt the goad, if only thou wilt have pity upon our town, and on the wives and little ones of the men of Troy."

So she prayed, but Athene heeded not her words.

Meanwhile Hector went to the house of Paris, where it stood on the citadel, near to his own dwelling and the dwelling of Priam. He found him busy with his arms, and the fair Helen sat near him and gave their tasks to her maidens.

When Hector saw his brother, he spake to him bitter words, taunting him, as if it were by reason of his anger that he stood aloof from the battle. "Verily thou doest not well to be angry. The people perish about the walls, and the war burns hot round the city; and all for thy sake. Rouse thee, lest it be consumed."

And Paris answered: "Brother, thou hast spoken well. It was not in wrath that I sat here. I was vexed at my sore defeat. But now my wife has urged me to join the battle; and truly it is well, for victory comes now to one and now to another. Wait thou, then, till I put on my arms, or, if thou wouldst depart, I will overtake thee."

Then spake Helen with soothing words: "O my brother, come in, sit thee down in this chair, for my heart is weary because of my sin and of the sin of my husband. Verily Zeus hath ordained for us an evil fate, so that our story shall be sung in days that are yet to come."

But Hector said: "Ask me not to rest, for I am eager to help the men of Troy, for verily their need is sore. But do thou urge thy husband that he overtake me while I am yet within the city, for now I go to my home that I may see my wife and my little son, because I know not whether I shall return to them again."

So Hector departed and went to his own home, seeking his wife Andromache, but found her not, for she was on a tower of the wall with her child and her child's nurse, weeping sore for fear. And Hector spake to the maids:—

"Tell me, whither went the white-armed Andromache; to see some sister-in-law, or to the temple of Athene with the mothers of Troy?"

"Nay," said an aged woman, keeper of the house. "She went to one of the towers of the wall, for she had heard that the Greeks were pressing our people hard. She hasted as if she were mad, and the nurse carried the child."

So Hector ran through the city to the Scæan gates, and there Andromache spied him, and hasted to meet him. And with her was the nurse, bearing the young child on her bosom—Hector's only child, beautiful, headed as a star. His father called him Scamandrius, after the river, but the sons of Troy called him Astyanax, the "City-King," because it was his father who saved the city. Silently he smiled when he saw the child, but Andromache clasped his hand and wept, and said:—

Sca-man'-dri-us.     As-ty'-a-nax.

"O Hector, thy courage will bring thee to death. Thou hast no pity on thy wife and child, but sparest not thyself, and all the Greeks will rush on thee and slay thee. It were better for me, losing thee, to die; for I have no comfort but thee. My father is dead, for Achilles slew him. Seven brethren I had, and they all fell in one day by the hand of the great Achilles. And my mother, she is dead, for when she had been ransomed, Artemis smote her with an arrow in her father's house. But thou art father to me, and mother, and brother, and husband also. Have pity, then, and stay here upon the wall, lest thou leave me a widow and thy child an orphan. And set the people here in array by this fig tree, where the city is easiest to be taken; for there come the bravest of the Greeks."

Ar'-te-mis.

But Hector said: "Nay, let these things be my care. I would not that any son or daughter of Troy should see me skulking from the war. And my own heart loathes the thought, and bids me fight in the front. Well I know, indeed, that Priam, and the people of Priam, and holy Troy, will perish. Yet it is not for Troy, or for the people, or even for my father or my mother that I care so much, as for thee in the day when some Greek shall carry thee away captive, and thou shalt ply the loom or carry the pitcher in the land of Greece. And some one shall say when he sees thee, 'This was Hector's wife, who was the bravest of the sons of Troy.' May the earth cover me before that day!"

Then Hector stretched out his arms to his child. But the child drew back into the bosom of his nurse, with a loud cry, fearing the shining bronze and the horse-hair plume which nodded awfully from his helmet top. Then father and mother laughed aloud. And Hector took the helmet from his head, and laid it on the ground, and caught his child in his hands, and kissed him and dandled him, praying aloud to Father Zeus and all the gods.

"Grant, Father Zeus and all ye gods, that this child may be as I am, great among the sons of Troy; and may they say some day, when they see him carrying home the bloody spoils from the war. 'A better man than his father, this,' and his mother shall be glad at heart."

Then he gave the child to his mother, and she clasped him to her breast, and smiled a tearful smile. And her husband's heart was moved; and he stroked her with his hand, and spake:—

"Be not troubled over much. No man shall slay me against the ordering of fate; but as for fate, that, methinks, no man may escape, be he coward or brave. But go, ply thy tasks, the shuttle and the loom, and give their tasks to thy maidens, and let men take thought for the battle."

Then Hector took up his helmet from the ground, and Andromache went her way to her home, oft turning back her eyes. And when she was come, she and all her maidens wailed for the living Hector as though he were dead, for she thought that she should never see him any more returning safe from the battle.

And as Hector went his way, Paris came running, clad in shining arms, like to some proud steed which has been fed high in his stall, and now scours the plain with head aloft and mane streaming over his shoulders. And he spake to Hector:—

"I have kept thee, I fear, when thou wast in haste, nor came at thy bidding."

But Hector answered: "No man can blame thy courage, only thou wilfully heldest back from the battle. Therefore do the sons of Troy speak shame of thee. But now let us go to the war."

So they went together out of the gates, and fell upon the hosts of the Greeks and slew many chiefs of fame, and Glaucus the Lycian went with them.

CHAPTER VIII

THE DUEL OF HECTOR AND AJAX

Now when Athene saw that the Greeks were perishing by the hand of Hector and his companions, it grieved her sore. So she came down from the heights of Olympus to help them. And Apollo met her and said:—

"Art thou come, Athene, to help the Greeks whom thou lovest? Well, let us stay the battle for this day; hereafter they shall fight till the doom of Troy be accomplished."

But Athene answered, "How shall we stay it?"

And Apollo said, "We will set on Hector to challenge the bravest of the Greeks to fight with him, man to man."

So they two put the matter into the mind of Helenus the seer. Then Helenus went near to Hector, and spake, saying:—

"Listen to me, for I am thy brother,. Cause the rest of the sons of Troy and of the Greeks to sit down, and do thou challenge the bravest of the Greeks to fight with thee, man to man. And be sure thou shalt not fall in the battle, for the will of the immortal gods is so."

Then Hector greatly rejoiced, and passed to the front of the army, holding his spear by the middle, and kept back the sons of Troy; and King Agamemnon did likewise with his own people. Then Hector spake:—

"Hear me, sons of Troy, and ye men of Greece. The covenant that we made one with another hath been broken, for Zeus would have it so, purposing evil to both, till either you shall take our high-walled city or we shall conquer you by your ships. But let one of you, who call yourselves champions of the Greeks, come forth and fight with me, man to man. And let it so be that if he vanquish me, he shall spoil me of my arms, but give my body to my people, that they may burn it with fire; and if I vanquish him, I will spoil him of his arms, but give his body to the Greeks, that they may bury him and raise a great mound above him by the broad salt river of Hellespont. And so men of after days shall see it, sailing by, and say, 'This is the tomb of the bravest of the Greeks, whom Hector slew.' So shall my name live forever."

Hel'-les-pont.

But all the Greeks kept silence, fearing to meet him in battle, but ashamed to hold back. At last Menelaus leapt forward and spake:—

"Surely ye are women and not men. Is there no man to stand up against this Hector? Lo! I will fight with him my own self."

So he spake in his rage, courting death, for Hector was much stronger than he. Then King Agamemnon answered:—

"Nay, but this is folly, my brother. Seek not in thy anger to fight with one that is stronger than thou; for even Achilles is loth to meet Hector. Sit thou down among thy comrades, and the Greeks will find some champion who shall fight with him."

And Menelaus hearkened to his brother's words, and sat down. Then rose up nine chiefs of fame. First of all, King Agamemnon, lord of many nations, and next to him Diomed, son of Tydeus, and Ajax the Greater, and Ajax the Less, and then Idomeneus, and Meriones, who was his companion in arms, and Eurypylus, and Thoas, son of Andræmon, and the wise Ulysses.

Me-ri'-o-nes.     Eu-ryp'-y-lus.     Tho'-as.     An-dræ'-mon.

Then Nestor said, "Let us cast lots to see who shall do battle with the mighty Hector."

So they threw the lots into the helmet of King Agamemnon,—a lot for each. And the people prayed, "Grant, ye gods, that the lot of Ajax the Greater may leap forth, or the lot of Diomed, or the lot of King Agamemnon." Then Nestor shook the lots in the helmet, and the one which they most wished leapt forth. For the herald took it through the ranks and showed it to the chiefs, but none knew it for his own till he came to where Ajax the Greater stood among his comrades. But Ajax had marked it with his mark, and put forth his hand for it, and claimed it, right glad at heart. On the ground by his feet he threw it, and said:—

"Mine is the lot, my friends, and right glad I am, for I think that I shall prevail over the mighty Hector."

So he armed himself and moved forwards, smiling with grim face. With mighty strides he came, brandishing his long-shafted spear. And all the Greeks were glad to behold him, but the knees of the Trojans were loosened with fear, and great Hector's heart beat fast; but he trembled not, nor gave place, seeing that he had himself called him to battle. So Ajax came near, holding before him the great shield, like a wall. Seven folds of bull's hide it had, and an eighth of bronze. Threateningly he spake:—

"Now shalt thou know, Hector, what manner of men there are yet among our chiefs, though Achilles the lion-hearted is far away, sitting idly in his tent, in great wrath with King Agamemnon. Do thou, then, begin the battle."

"Speak not to me," said Hector, "as though I were a woman or a child, knowing nothing of war. Well I know all the arts of battle, to ply my shield this way and that, to guide my car through the tumult of steeds, and to stand fighting hand to hand."

And as he spake he hurled his long-shafted spear, and smote the great shield. Through six folds it passed, but in the seventh it was stayed. Then Ajax hurled his spear, striking Hector's shield. Through shield it passed and corselet, and cut the tunic close against the loin; but Hector shrank away and escaped the doom of death. Then, each with a fresh spear, they rushed together like lions or wild boars of the wood. First Hector smote the middle of the shield of Ajax, but pierced it not, for the spear-point was bent back; then Ajax, with a great bound, drove his spear at Hector's shield and pierced it, forcing him back, and grazing his neck so that the black blood welled out. Yet did not Hector cease from the combat. A great stone and rough he caught up from the ground, and hurled it at the seven-fold shield. Loud rang the bronze, but the shield brake not. Then Ajax took a stone heavier by far, and threw it with all his might. It brake the shield of Hector, and bore him backwards, so that he fell at length with his shield above him. But Apollo raised him up. Then did both draw their swords; but ere they could join in close battle came the heralds, and held their sceptres between them, and Idæus, the herald of Troy, spake:—

I-dæ'-us.

"Fight no more, my sons; Zeus loves you both, and ye are both mighty warriors. That we all know right well. But now the night bids you cease, and it is well to heed its bidding."

Then said Ajax: "It is for Hector to speak, for he called the bravest of the Greeks to battle. And as he wills it, so will I."

And Hector said: "O Ajax, the gods have given thee stature and strength and skill, nor is there any better warrior among the Greeks. Let us cease then from the battle; we may yet meet again, and the gods give the victory to me or thee. But now let us give gifts the one to the other, so that Trojans and Greeks may say, 'Hector and Ajax met in fierce fight and parted in friendship.'"

So Hector gave to Ajax a silver-studded sword with the scabbard and the sword-belt, and Ajax gave to Hector a buckler splendid with purple. So they parted. Right glad were the sons of Troy when they saw Hector returning safe. Glad also were the Greeks, as they led Ajax rejoicing in his victory to King Agamemnon. Thereupon the King called the chiefs to banquet together, and bade slay an ox of five years old, and Ajax he honoured most of all, giving him the best portions. And when the feast was ended, Nestor said:—

"It were well that we should cease a while from war and burn the dead, for many are fallen. And we will build a great wall and dig a trench about it, and we will make gates that a chariot may pass through, so that our ships may be safe, if the sons of Troy should press us hard."

But the next morning came a herald from Troy to the chiefs, as they sat in council by the ship of King Agamemnon, and said:—

"This is the word of Priam and the men of Troy: Paris will give back all the treasures of the fair Helen, and many more besides; but the fair Helen herself he will not give. And if this please you not, grant us a truce, that we may bury our dead."

Then Diomed spake, "Nay, we will not take the treasures, for a man may know, even though he be a fool, that the doom of Troy is come."

And King Agamemnon said, "Herald, thou hast heard the word of the Greeks, but as for the truce, be it as you will."

So the next day they burnt their dead, and the Greeks made a wall with gates and dug a trench about it. And when it was finished, even at sunset, they made ready a meal, and lo! there came ships from Lemnos bringing wine, and Greeks bought thereof, some with bronze, and some with iron, and some with shields of ox hide. All night they feasted right joyously. The sons of Troy also feasted in their city. But the dreadful thunder rolled through the night, for Zeus was planning evil against them.

CHAPTER IX

THE BATTLE ON THE PLAIN

When the next morning came Zeus called the gods to an assembly on the topmost ridge of Olympus, and spake to them, saying:—

"Hearken, gods and goddesses! Let none of you presume to go against my word. Whosoever of you shall aid either Greek or Trojan, him will I smite with the thunder, or else will cast him far down to the darkness of Tartarus, whose gates are iron and whose threshold bronze, and he shall know that I am chief among gods. And if ye will make trial of my strength, let down a chain of gold from heaven to earth, and take hold thereof, all ye gods and goddesses. Yet shall ye not drag down Zeus, no, though ye strive with all your might. But if I should draw with all my strength, I could lift you up, and earth and sea with you, and bind the chain about a horn of Olympus, and leave you hanging there. So much am I stronger than all besides."

Tar'-tar-us.

Then all the gods sat silent and amazed. But at last spake Athene: "Surely we know, Father Zeus, that thy strength cannot be resisted. Yet we pity the Greeks, and fear lest they should perish altogether. We will keep aloof from the war, according to thy command, but we will give them counsel."

And Zeus smiled upon her, and gave consent. Then he yoked to his chariot his swift horses, and touched them with his whip. Midway between heaven and earth they flew, and came to Ida, the mountain of many springs. There he stayed his course, and sat down amidst the peaks, looking on the city of Troy and the host of the Greeks.

The Greeks took their meal in haste, and armed themselves. The men of Troy also made them ready for battle in the city; fewer they were in number than their foes, but not less eager for the fight, for indeed a sore need was upon them, the need to fight for children and wife. Then the gates were opened, and the people went quickly forth.

And the two hosts came together, buckler against buckler, and spear against spear, and the shields clashed with a great ringing sound. While the day was increasing, neither this side prevailed nor that; but at noon Father Zeus stretched on high his golden scales, laying in them two weights of death; one for the Greeks, and one for the sons of Troy. By the middle he took the scales, and let them hang, and the scale of the Greeks sank lower. Then did he send his blazing thunderbolt among the people from the heights of Ida, and they saw it and were dismayed.

Then could no man hold his ground. Only Nestor remained, against his will, for Paris had slain one of his chariot-horses with an arrow. And while the old man cut away the traces, Hector came through the press. Then would the old man have perished, but Diomed was swift to notice his danger. With a great cry he called Ulysses, and said:—

"Son of Laertes, whither dost thou flee, turning thy back like a coward? See that no man thrust thee in the back with a spear. Tarry, and keep back this fierce man of war from old Nestor."

So he spake, but Ulysses heeded not, fleeing fast to the ships.

Then rushed Diomed, alone as he was, into the foremost rank, and stood before the chariot of old Nestor, and spake: "Old sir, the younger fighters press thee sore; feeble thou art, and weak thy charioteer, and thy horses slow. Come, mount upon my chariot, and see what the horses that I took from Æneas can do—how they can flee, and follow, and speed this way and that! Thy charioteer and mine shall look to thy horses. Come thou with me, and Hector shall see whether there is yet any strength in the spear of Diomed."

To this Nestor gave consent, and took the reins in his hand, and plied the whip. Soon they came near to Hector, and Diomed cast his spear. Hector he missed, but smote his charioteer upon the breast, so that he fell from the chariot, and the swift horses started back. Hector's heart was dark with grief for his comrade; yet he let him lie where he fell, for he must needs find another charioteer.

Then there would have been rout among the men of Troy, and they would have been pent up in the city, as sheep in a fold, but that Zeus hurled a blazing thunderbolt. Right before the chariot of Diomed did it fall; and the horses crouched in fear, and Nestor let fall the reins from his hands, for he was sore afraid, and cried aloud:—

"Son of Tydeus, turn thy horses to flight; seest thou that Zeus is not with thee? To-day he giveth glory to Hector; to-morrow, perhaps, to thee. The purpose of Zeus none may hinder."

Then the son of Tydeus spake: "Old sir, thou sayest well; but this goeth to my heart, that Hector will say, 'Diomed fled before me, seeking the ships.' Then may the earth swallow me up!"

But Nestor made reply, "Though Hector call thee coward, yet will not the sons of Troy believe him, nor the daughters whose gallant husbands thou hast tumbled in the dust."

Then he turned his horses, and fled. But Hector cried after Diomed: "Art thou the man to whom the Greeks give high place in the feast, and plenteous cups of wine? Not so will they honour thee hereafter. Run, girl! run, coward! Shalt thou climb our walls, and carry away our daughters in thy ships?"

Then Diomed was very wroth, doubting whether to flee or to turn; but when he turned Zeus thundered from on high, making him afraid. And Hector bade the hosts of Troy be of good courage, for that Zeus was with them, and called to his horses: "Come, now, Bayard, and Whitefoot, and Flame of Fire, and Brilliant; forget not how the fair Andromache has cared for you; aye, even before me, who am her husband. Carry me fast, that I may win old Nestor's shield, which men say is all of gold, and strip from the shoulders of Diomed the breastplate which Hephæstus wrought."

So the Greeks fled headlong within the wall which they had built, Hector driving them before him, and all the space between the wall and the ships was crowded with chariots and with men. Then would Hector have burned the ships, had not Hera put it in the heart of King Agamemnon to urge the Greeks to battle. On the ship of Ulysses, that was midmost of all, he stood, so that he could shout to either end, to where Ajax the Greater on one side, and Achilles on the other, had drawn up their ships. And he cried aloud:—

"Shame on you, ye Greeks! Where are now your boasts that one man of you would outmatch five score, yea, ten score, of the sons of Troy? And now one single man is of more worth than you all! O Father Zeus, grant us that we may at least escape with our lives."

And Zeus hearkened to his prayer, and sent a sign from heaven, an eagle that held a kid in his claw; by the altar of Zeus did he drop it, and the Greeks, when they saw it, took heart, and leaped upon the men of Troy, and rejoiced again in the battle.

Foremost of all was Diomed. After him came the sons of Atreus, and either Ajax, and all the chiefs, and among them Teucer, who stood beneath the shield of Ajax son of Telamon, as he bent his bow. Ajax would lift his shield a little, and Teucer, peering out, would shoot a warrior in the throng. Then would he go back as a child to his mother, and Ajax would hide him beneath his shield. Eight warriors did he slay; and when Agamemnon saw him, he came near, and spake, saying: "Shoot on, Teucer, and be a light to thy people and to thy father Telamon. Surely when Zeus and Athene shall grant me the spoil of Troy, to thee, first after myself, will I give a goodly gift."

Teu'-cer.     Tel'-a-mon.

Teucer made reply: "Eight shafts have I launched, and every shaft has been buried in a warrior's flesh; but that man I cannot strike."

He spake, and sped another arrow from the string, aiming at Hector. Him he touched not, but he slew a son of Priam. Yet once again he shot, and slew this time the charioteer of Hector, striking him full upon the breast, as he rushed into battle. Then Hector's heart grew dark with rage and grief. He leapt from his chariot to the ground, and caught a stone in his hand, and went towards Teucer, desiring to crush him. Then Teucer took an arrow from the quiver and fitted it on the string, but as he drew the arrow to his shoulder, Hector smote him where the collarbone stands between neck and breast, and snapped the bow-string, and numbed his arm and wrist, so that the bow flew from his hand, and he fell upon his knee. But Ajax bestrode him, covering him with his shield, and two of his comrades bare him, groaning deeply, to the ships.

Then again did Zeus put courage into the hearts of the men of Troy, and they thrust the Greeks back to the ditch; and Hector moved ever in the front, rejoicing in his strength. Even as a dog pursues a wild boar or a lion, and catches him by hip or thigh, so did Hector hang upon the Greeks, and smite the hindmost as they fled.

But Hera saw and pitied them, and spake to Athene: "Shall not thou and I have pity on the Greeks once more? They are perishing at the hands of Hector."

Athene made reply: "It is all the doing of my father, who listened to Thetis, when she besought him to give honour to Achilles. But another day, may be, he will hearken unto me. Make ready, therefore, the horses, while I arm myself for the war. We will see whether Hector will be glad when he beholds thee and me in the forefront of the battle."

So Hera made ready the chariot, and Athene armed herself for the war. And when she was armed, Hera lashed the horses, and the great gates of heaven, where the Hours keep watch, opened before them.

But Zeus saw them from Ida, and said to Iris of the golden wings: "Go now, swift Iris, bid these two not come face to face with me, for our meeting would be ill for them. Verily I will cast them from their chariot, and break the chariot in pieces. Not for ten years would they recover of their wounds should the lightning smite them."

So Iris hasted on her way, and gave the two goddesses the Father's message.

Then spake Hera to Athene: "No more shall we two do battle with Zeus for the sake of mortal men. Let them perish or live, as it may chance."

So they two went back to Olympus, and sat down in their chairs of gold, among the other gods, right heavy of heart.

Zeus also hastened from Ida to Olympus, and came into the assembly of the gods; but Hera and Athene sat apart, and spake not, and asked no question.

Then said Zeus: "Why are ye so cast down? To-morrow shall see worse things than these; for great Hector will not cease from his slaying till the son of Peleus be roused by his ships, in the day when they shall fight about the dead Patroclus."

Pe'-leus.

And row the sun sank into the sea; wroth were the Trojans that the light should go, but to the Greeks welcome came the night.

Then Hector called the men of Troy to an assembly. In his hand he held a spear eleven cubits long, with flaming point of bronze, and circled with gold; on it he leant and spake:—

cubit, a foot and a half.

"Give ear, ye Trojans and allies! I thought this day to destroy the hosts of the Greeks and their ships, and so to return to Troy; but night hath hindered me. Let us yield to night, and take our meal. Unharness your horses and feed them. Fetch also from the city kine, and sheep, and wine, and bread, and store of fuel also, that we may burn many fires, lest the Greeks escape across the sea in the night. Also let the heralds make proclamation in the city that the lads and the old men should guard the wall, and that every woman should light a great fire in her house, and that all should keep watch, lest an ambush should enter the city while the people are away. In the morning will we arm ourselves, and wake the war beside the ships, and bring ruin on the Greeks."

So Hector spake, and all the Trojans shouted their assent. They loosed their horses, and fetched food from the city, and gathered fuel. All night long they sat in high hope. And as on some windless night the stars shine bright about the moon, and all the crags and dells are shown, and the tops of the hills also, and the depths of the sky are open, and all the stars appear, and the shepherd's heart is glad; so the Trojan fires glittered between the stream of Xanthus and the ships. A thousand fires were burning, and fifty sat in the glare of each; and the horses stood beside the chariots champing their grain, and waited for the morn.

Xan'-thus (X is pronounced as Z).

CHAPTER X

THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES

While the Trojans watched with good hope, the Greeks were filled with fear. And King Agamemnon was troubled beyond all others. He bade the heralds call every man to the assembly. Gloomily they sat, and when the King rose up to speak, his tears dropped down, as the waters drop down a steep cliff-side from some spring which the sunshine toucheth not. Thus he spake: "O friends, lords and leaders of the Greeks, verily Zeus dealeth ill with me. Once he promised that I should take the city of Troy and so return home; but now he hath deceived me, bidding me go back dishonoured, having lost much people. Therefore let us flee with our ships to the land of our fathers, for Troy we may not take."

Long time the chiefs kept silence, for they were out of heart; but at the last rose Diomed, and spake: "Be not wroth, O King, if I contend with this thy madness. Thou hast called me laggard and coward; whether I be so indeed the Greeks know well, both young and old. But to thee Zeus hath given lordship and the power of the sceptre above thy fellows; but courage he hath not given, and courage is best of all. Now if thine heart be bent upon return, go thou; the way is nigh, and thy ships are by the sea; but all the other Greeks will abide till they have taken Troy. Yea, and if these also will go, then we two, I and Sthenelus, will abide and fight till we make an end of the city, for it was the gods that sent us hither."

Then Nestor spake: "Thou art brave in war, son of Tydeus, and excellent in council above thy fellows. But now let us take our meal; and let sentinels watch along the trench. And do thou, son of Atreus, make a feast for thy chiefs, as is meet. And him who counsels thee most wisely thou must follow. Sorely do we need wise counsel, seeing that the enemy have so many fires near our ships. Verily this night will save our army or destroy."

So King Agamemnon called the chiefs to a feast; and when the feast was ended Nestor rose up and spake: "Evil was the day, O King, when thou didst send and take the damsel Briseis from the tent of Achilles. Let us therefore take thought how we may best appease him with noble gifts and pleasant words."

Then said King Agamemnon: "These are true words that thou hast spoken, old man. Truly I did as a fool that day, and I deny it not. For he that is loved of Zeus is of more worth than whole armies of men; and verily Zeus loveth this man, seeing that he putteth the Greeks to flight that he may do him honour. But even as I wronged him in my folly, so will I make amends, and give a recompense beyond all telling. And now I will declare before you all the gifts that I will give: a huge treasure of gold and bronze, and twelve stout horses, that have won prizes in the race by fleetness of foot. And seven women will I give him, skilled in excellent handiwork, fairer than all women. These will I give him, and with them the damsel Briseis, even as I took her from him. And if the gods shall grant us to destroy the great city of Priam, then let him come when we divide the spoil, and choose for himself twenty women of Troy, the fairest there be after Helen. And if he come again to the land of Greece, then shall he be my son, and he shall choose in marriage which one of my daughters he will. Yea, and I will give with her seven fair cities, with pasture-lands and vineyards, wherein dwell men that have many flocks and herds, who will honour him with gifts even as men honour a god, and will fulfil his commands. All this will I give him, if so be that he will cease from his anger."

To him Nestor made answer: "No man may think lightly of the gifts that thou givest to great Achilles. Come, therefore, let us choose men, that they may go with all speed to his tent. Let Phœnix, who is beloved of Zeus, lead the way; and let Ajax the Greater and Ulysses go with him, and two heralds also."

Phœ'-nix.

So the heralds went by the shore of the sea; and, as they went, they made prayer to the god that shakes the earth that they might turn the heart of Achilles. And when they came to the ships of the Myrmidons, they found the King taking his pleasure with a harp. There he sat, delighting his soul with music, and sang the deeds of heroes of old time. And Patroclus sat opposite him in silence, waiting till he should cease from his singing. Then the two chiefs came forward, Ulysses leading the way, and stood before the face of Achilles; and Achilles leapt up in much amaze, holding the harp in his hand. And Patroclus rose also from his seat when he saw the twain. Then said Achilles, fleet of foot, "Welcome ye are, and right dear to me, for all my anger."

So spake Achilles, and led them forward; and he bade them sit on seats that were covered with coverlets of purple. Then said he to Patroclus, "Bring forth the biggest bowl, and mix for each man a cup, for I have not dearer friends than these that are come beneath my roof this day.

And the chiefs stretched forth their hands to the meat that lay ready before them. And when they had done with the desire for food and drink, Ajax nodded to Phœnix that he should speak; but Ulysses perceived it, and was beforehand with him, and filled a cup with wine, and pledged Achilles, and spake: "Hail, Achilles! No lack have we had of feasting before in the tent of King Agamemnon and now in thine; but it is not of feasting that we think this day; for we behold sore destruction close at hand, and are afraid. Verily, we are in doubt whether or no we may save our ships, unless thou wilt gird on thy might again. For indeed this day the men of Troy and their allies come near to the ships to burn them with fire. And Zeus shows them favourable signs. As for Hector, he rages furiously, trusting in Zeus, and vows that he will burn the ships with fire, and make havoc of the Greeks while they are dazed with the smoke of the burning. Sorely do I fear in my heart lest the god fulfil his threats, and doom us to perish here in Troy, far from the plains of Argos. Up, therefore, if thou art minded even now to save the Greeks! Delay not, lest thou repent hereafter, for there is no remedy for that which is done. Cease from thy anger. Verily, Agamemnon offereth thee worldly gifts, a huge treasure of gold and bronze, and twelve stout horses that have won much wealth for Agamemnon by fleetness of foot, and seven women, skilful in handiwork, and fairer than all their kind; and Briseis herself he will restore to thee, even as he took her from thee. All these things will he give; and if we take the great city of Priam, twenty daughters of Troy, fairest of women, after Helen. And when we shall go back to Greece, thou shalt have his daughter to wife, her whom thou shalt choose, and with her seven cities, lying all of them near to the sea, a land of vineyards and cornfields, whose folk shall pay thee tribute and honour. But if thou yet hate from thy heart Agamemnon and his gifts, then I pray thee have pity upon the Greeks, who will honour thee even as men honour a god. Hector, too, thou mayest slay, for he will come near thee in his madness, for he deems that there is not a man of all the Greeks that can stand against him."

To him Achilles, fleet of foot, made answer: "Son of Laertes, plain shall be my speech; for I would not have you sit before me, seeking to coax me, one man this way and another another. Why must the Greeks make war against the sons of Troy? Why did the sons of Atreus gather this host together, and lead them to this land? Was it not for fair-haired Helen's sake? Tell me, then, do the sons of Atreus alone of all men love their wives? Nay, but whosoever is good and sound of heart loveth his wife and cherisheth her, even as I loved mine, though I won her by my spear. He took her from me, and deceived me; let him not make trial of me again, for I know him well, and he shall not prevail with me. Let him take counsel now with thee, Ulysses, and with the other princes of the host, how he may keep from the ships the devouring fire. Many things hath he done without my help, building a wall and digging a ditch about it, both wide and deep, and setting stakes in the ditch; yet for all this can he not keep Hector from the ships. And yet, when I fought in the host of the Greeks, this Hector dared not set his army in array far from the walls, but scarce came to the Scæan gates and the fig tree. Once did he await me there to do battle, man against man, and scarce escaped my spear. But now, seeing that I have no mind to fight with him, I will do sacrifice to-morrow to Zeus and all the gods, and I will store my ships and launch them on the sea. Yea, to-morrow, right early in the morning, thou shalt see them, if thou wilt, sailing along the Hellespont, and my men toiling eagerly at the oar; and if the god that shaketh the earth grants me a fair journey, on the third morning shall I come to the fair land of Phthia. There is all the wealth that I left behind me when I came to Troy; and hence I shall carry with me yet more of gold and bronze and iron, and fair women slaves, my portion of the spoil. King Agamemnon shall not deceive me again with lying speech. And as for his gifts, I scorn them; though he give me tenfold, yea, twentyfold, all that he now hath promised. Yea, verily, though he give me gifts as the sand of the sea for multitude, he shall not persuade me, till he shall have endured bitterness of soul like mine. And his daughter I will not wed—no, not though she be as fair as golden Aphrodite, and match Athene of the flashing eyes in skill of handiwork. Let him choose him from among the Greeks some kinglier son-in-law than I, and for me, if the gods bring me safe to my home, Peleus shall choose a wife. For all the wealth that was stored in the city of Troy, in the days of peace, before the Greeks came thither, and all the treasure that is laid up in the temple of Apollo the Archer that is in the city of Delphi—all this I count as nothing in comparison with life. For a man may take cattle and sheep for spoil, and he may buy treasure and horses; but the life of a man, when it hath once passed from out his lips, he may not win back by spoiling or by buying. And to me my mother, even Thetis, the goddess of the silver foot, hath unfolded my doom. A double doom it is. If I abide in this land and fight against the city of Troy, then shall I return no more to my native country, but my name shall live for ever; but if I go back to my home, then my fame shall be taken from me, but I shall live long and see not the grave. Therefore I go, and verily I counsel you all to go, for Troy ye never shall take as ye desire, seeing that Zeus, who seeth all things before, holdeth over it his hand, and her sons are a valiant folk. And now go your way; carry back this answer to the princes of the Greeks. But let the old man Phœnix abide with me in my tent to-night, that he may sail in my ship on the morrow. Verily he shall sail, if he will; but I will not take him by force."

Phthi'-a.     Pe'-leus.

Thus spake Achilles. And the chiefs sat still and held their peace, marvelling at his speech, so vehement was he. But at the last the old man Phœnix made answer. With many tears he spake, for he was sore afraid lest the ships of the Greeks should perish: "If indeed thou art minded to depart, and carest not to save the ships from devouring fire, how can I endure to be left alone by thee? For the old man Peleus made me thy teacher, both of words and of deeds. With no man but me wouldst thou go unto the feast, or take thy meat in the hall; but I set thee upon my knees, and cut the savoury morsel for thee from the dish, and put the wine-cup to thy lips. Many a tunic hast thou stained for me, sputtering forth the wine upon it. Much have I suffered, and much toiled for thee; for child of mine own I had not, and thou wast to me as a son, Achilles, to cherish me in my need."

Then Achilles nodded to Patroclus, that he should spread a couch for the old man Phœnix, that so the other twain might depart without delay. Then said Ajax, the son of Telamon: "Let us depart, Ulysses. I trow that we shall accomplish naught this day. Let us, therefore, take back the tidings, evil though they be, to them that wait for us."

Then said Achilles: "My heart swells with wrath, when I remember how the son of Atreus shamed me before all the people, as though I was some stranger nothing worth. Go and take my message. I will not arise to the battle till Hector shall come as he slays the Greeks even to the tents of the Myrmidons, and shall encircle their ships with fire. But when he shall come to my tent and to my ships, then I ween shall he be stayed, for all that he is eager for battle."

Then Ajax and Ulysses departed, and told the message of Achilles to King Agamemnon.

CHAPTER XI

THE ADVENTURE OF ULYSSES AND DIOMED

The other chiefs of the Greeks slept that night; but King Agamemnon slept not; sore troubled was he in heart. For when he looked towards Troy, and saw the many fires, and heard the sound of flute and pipe and the murmur of men, he was astonished; and when he looked towards the ships he groaned, and tore his hair, thinking what evil might come to the people. Then it seemed good to him to seek counsel from Nestor. So he arose, and drew his coat about his breast, and bound the sandals on his feet, and wrapped a tawny lion's hide about him, and took a spear in his hand.

To Menelaus also came no sleep that night. So he arose, and wrapped a leopard's skin about him, and put on his head a cap of bronze, and took a spear in his hand, and went to seek his brother.

He found him arming by his ship, and said; "Why armest thou? Wilt thou send some one to spy out the doings of the Trojans? I fear much that no man will undertake the task to go alone, for it is a daring deed."

To him replied King Agamemnon: "We have need of good counsel, my brother, that we may save the people. Truly the mind of Zeus is changed; for never hath a man wrought such destruction in one day as did Hector on the Greeks. Run thou to Ajax and Idomeneus, and call them to the council, and I will go to Nestor."

So the chiefs were gathered to the council. First of all they went to the company of them that watched the camp. These they found not sleeping but awake. As dogs that hear the sound of some wild beast in the wood, so did the watch look towards the plain, thinking to hear the sound of the feet of the Trojans.

Gladly did old Nestor see them, and spake, saying, "Such be your watch, my children, lest we become a prey to our enemies."

Then he hasted to cross the trench, and with him went the other princes. In an open spaces that was clear of dead, they sat down, even where Hector had turned back from slaying the Greeks.

And Nestor rose and said: "Is there now a man who will go among the sons of Troy, and see what they are minded to do? Great honour will he win, and gifts."

Then Diomed said, "I am ready to go, but I would fain have some one with me. To have a companion gives comfort and courage, and, indeed, two wits are better than one to take counsel and to foresee."

And many were willing to go with Diomed. But Agamemnon said, "Choose the best man, O Diomed, and regard not the birth or rank of any." And Diomed answered: "If I may choose, whom should I choose rather than the wise Ulysses? Brave is he, and prudent, and Athene loves him well."

But Ulysses said: "Praise me not overmuch, nor blame me. Only let us go, for the night is far spent."

So these two armed themselves. Diomed took a two-edged sword and a shield, and a helmet without a crest, and Ulysses a bow and a quiver and a sword, and a helmet of hide with the white teeth of a wild boar about it. Then both prayed to Athene that she would help them, and after that they went through the darkness like two lions, trampling over dead bodies and arms and blood.

But Hector, meanwhile, was thinking on the same things, for he called the chiefs to a council and said: "Who now will go and spy among the Greeks, and see what they purpose to do on the morrow, and whether they are keeping watch through the night? A goodly reward shall he have, even a chariot and horses, the best that there are in the camp of the Greeks."

Then stood up a certain Dolon. Ill-favoured was he, but a swift runner. He said:—

Do'-lon.

"I will go, Hector; but come, lift up thy sceptre, and swear to me that thou wilt give me the chariot and the horses of Achilles."

So Hector sware to him. And Dolon took his bow, and a helmet of gray wolf-skin, and a sharp spear, and went his way in haste. But Ulysses saw him, and said:—

"Here cometh a man, Diomed, but whether he be a spy or a spoiler of the dead I know not. Let him pass by a space that we may take him. If he outrun us, press him with thy spear towards the ships; only let him not turn back to the city."

So they lay down among the dead, a little out of the way, and Dolon passed by them unknowing; but when he had gone a little space they ran upon him. For a while he stood hearkening to their steps, for he thought that Hector had sent comrades to call him back. But when they were a spear's throw from him, or less, he knew them for foes and fled. And as two dogs follow a fawn or a hare, so they ran, pursuing Dolon. And when he had well-nigh reached the trench, for they kept him from turning back to the city, Diomed rushed forward and cried:—

"Stay, or I will slay thee with my spear."

And he threw the spear, but made it pass over his shoulder, so that it stood in the ground before him. Then Dolon stood trembling and pale, and with teeth chattering with fear. And the two heroes, breathing hard, came up and laid hands on him. And he said, weeping:—

"Hold me for ransom; much gold and bronze and iron will my father give, if he hear that I am a prisoner at the ships."

Then said the wise Ulysses: "Tell us truly, why wast thou coming hither through the darkness? To spoil the dead, or, at Hector's bidding, to spy out our affairs at the ships, or on some errand of thine own?"

And Dolon answered, "Hector persuaded me, promising to give me the horses and chariot of Achilles, and he bade me go and spy out what ye purposed to do on the morrow, and whether ye were keeping watch in the night."

And Ulysses smiled and said: "Surely it was a great reward that thy soul desired. But tell me, where is Hector, and where are the watches of the sons of Troy?"

Then Dolon answered: "Hector holds council with the chiefs. As for the army, there are no watches set, save only where be the Trojans themselves. As for the allies, they sleep secure, and trust to the Trojans to watch for them, seeing that they have not wives or children near."

Then Ulysses asked, "Do they sleep, then, among the Trojans, or apart?"

"Next to the sea," said Dolon, "but if ye wish to enter the camp, lo! apart from all are some newcomers, Thracians, with Rhesus, their king. Never have I seen horses so fair and tall as his. Whiter are they than snow, and swifter than the winds. But do ye now send me to the ships, or, if ye will, bind me and leave me here."

Thra'-ci-ans.     Rhe'-sus.

But Diomed said: "Think not to escape, Dolon, though thy news is good; for then wouldst thou come again to spy out our camp or to fight. But if I slay thee, thou wilt trouble the Greeks no more."

So he slew him, and took from him his arms, hanging them on a tamarisk tree, and made a mark with reeds and tamarisk boughs, that they might know the place as they came back. So they went on across the plain and came to where the men of Thrace lay sleeping, and by each man were his arms in fair array, and his horses; but in the midst lay King Rhesus, with his horses tethered to the chariot-rail. Then Diomed began to slay. As a lion rushes on a flock, so rushed he on the men of Thrace. Twelve he slew, and as he slew them Ulysses dragged them out of the way, that there might be a clear road for the horses, lest they should start back, fearing the dead bodies, for they were not used to war. And the thirteenth was King Rhesus himself, who panted in his sleep, for an evil dream was on him. And meanwhile Ulysses drove the horses out of the encampment, smiting them with his bow, for he had not thought to take the whip out of the chariot. Then he whistled, making a sign to Diomed that he should come, for Diomed lingered, doubting whether he might not slay yet more. But Athene whispered in his ear:—

"Think of thy return, lest some god rouse the Trojans against thee."

Indeed, Apollo was even then rousing them. And the Trojans flocked together with tumult and shouting. But Diomed and Ulysses meanwhile had mounted the horses, and were riding to the ships. Glad were their comrades to see them safe returned, and praised them much for all that they had done.

CHAPTER XII

THE WOUNDING OF THE CHIEFS

When the next day dawned, King Agamemnon called the Greeks to battle. And on the other side Hector set in order the men of Troy. As a baleful star now shineth from the clouds, and now is hidden, so Hector now shone among the foremost ranks, and now ordered the rearward.

Then the men of Troy and the Greeks leapt upon each other. As reapers reap in a rich man's field, making the barley and the wheat fall in long swathes, so did the Trojans and the Greeks slay one another. So long as the day was waxing, the battle was equal, and the people fell alike on either side; but at noon, the Greeks brake the Trojan line, and Agamemnon leapt first into the breach. As a fire falleth on a wood, and sweepeth it away, so Agamemnon fell upon the men of Troy, and swept them before him. Past the Tomb of Ilus, and past the wild fig tree in the plain, they fled, and the King followed hard upon them, shouting aloud. But when they came to the Scæan gate they turned and stood, and the battle was renewed.

I'-lus.

Then spake Zeus to Iris, saying: "Get thee away, swift Iris, and bear this word to Hector. So long as he shall see King Agamemnon laying waste the ranks of men, so long let him hold back from the battle. But when the King shall be wounded with spear or arrow, and shall leap from his chariot, then let him advance, and I will give him strength to slay till he shall come to the ships, and the sun shall set."

So he came, and told these words to Hector. And when Hector heard them, he leapt from his chariot, and went up and down the ranks of Troy, strengthening them for the fight. And the two hosts stood, and faced each other.

Then did King Agamemnon slay the two sons of Antenor. First he slew Iphidamas, smiting him a deadly blow upon the neck. But Coön, Antenor's first-born son, was grieved for his brother, and standing sideways, so that the King saw him not, he stabbed him in the middle of the arm, beneath the elbow, and the spear pierced it through. The King started, yet ceased not from battle, and as Coön dragged his brother by the foot out of the press, calling upon the chiefs to help, then Agamemnon smote him with the spear, beneath the shield, and drove him to the ground, and then smote off his head with the sword. Thus did Agamemnon slay the two sons of Antenor.

I-phid'-a-mas.     Co'-on.

For a time, while the wound was warm, the King fought as before; but when it grew cold and stiff, great pain came upon him, and he leapt into his chariot and bade the charioteer drive him to the ships, for he could fight no more.

Now when Hector saw that Agamemnon, had departed from the battle, he called aloud to the Trojans and the allies: "Come on, and play the man. The leader of the Greeks is gone; and Zeus giveth the honour unto me."

So he stirred the spirit within them. As a hunter setteth his dogs on a wild boar or a lion in the field, so did Hector set the men of Troy upon the Greeks, and he himself went among the foremost, and plunged into the battle as a storm cometh down upon the sea. Many valiant men did he slay, till Ulysses called to Diomed: "Son of Tydeus, have we forgotten our courage? Come hither, and stand by me; it were shame if Hector should take our ships."

Strong Diomed made answer, "I will, indeed, abide with thee; but it will fare ill with us if Zeus give the mastery to the men of Troy rather than to us."

So he spake, and slew a man, and Ulysses another; and afterwards they slew two apiece, making head against the men of Troy, and the Greeks, as they fled from Hector, gladly took breath and turned again.

Hector was quick to see what they did, and he came upon them with a cry, and the companies of Troy followed after him. But when Diomed saw him, he was afraid, and said to Ulysses, "See, mighty Hector cometh against us; let us be firm and stand against him."

And even as he spake he cast his spear, nor missed his aim. On the helmet he smote Hector; but the spear glanced from the bronze, nor wounded the flesh; for the helmet which Apollo had given him saved him. But he staggered under the blow, falling on his knee, and darkness came over his eyes. And when Diomed came after his spear, far through the foremost ranks, to where it had lighted on the ground, then Hector, breathing again, leapt upon his car, and drove into the midst of the host, avoiding death.

Then Diomed, as he rushed on, with his spear in his hand, cried aloud: "Dog, thou hast escaped from death once more; but mischief came near thee. Apollo hath saved thee, to whom doubtless thou didst pray ere thou came into the press of war. But some time I will slay thee, if only some god will help."

And he turned to slay the men of Troy. But Paris, who was in hiding behind the pillar on the Tomb of Ilus, drew his bow, and smote him with an arrow through the ankle of the right foot. Loud he boasted of his aim. "Only," he said, "I would that I had pierced thee in the loin; then hadst thou troubled the sons of Troy no more."

But Diomed answered: "Small good were thy bow to thee, cowardly archer, if thou shouldst dare to meet me face to face. And as for this graze on my foot, I care no more than if a woman or child had smitten me. Not such the wounds I deal."

Then Ulysses stood before him, while he drew the arrow out of his foot. Grievous was the smart of the wound, for all his brave words. Therefore he leapt into his chariot, and bade drive in haste to the ships; and Ulysses stood alone, and none of the Greeks stood by him, for all were sore afraid. Then spake he to himself:—

"What shall I do? It were much evil to fly before these many foes, and yet worse were I to be caught and slain, for truly Zeus hath sent great fear upon the Greeks. But why talk I thus? 'Tis only the coward that draweth back from the war; the brave man standeth whether he smite or be smitten."

And as he spake, the Trojans came about him as men with dogs come about a wild boar who stands at bay, gnashing his white teeth. Fiercely Ulysses stood at bay, and slew five chiefs of fame. But one of them, before he fell, wounded him on the side, scraping the flesh from the ribs. High spurted the blood from the wound, and the Trojans shouted to see it. Then Ulysses cried aloud for help; three times he cried, and Menelaus heard him, and called to Ajax, saying:—

"O Ajax, I hear the voice of Ulysses; and he shouteth as if the men of Troy had compassed him about, and he was left alone. Come, therefore, let us help him, lest he come to harm, and the Greeks have a heavy loss!"

Thus he spake, and led the way, and Ajax followed him; and when they came to Ulysses, the Trojans had beset him, even as the jackals beset a long-horned hart among the hills, which a hunter hath wounded with an arrow from the bow. From the hunter he flieth, while the wound is warm, but when he groweth weak the jackals tear him. Then cometh a lion, and the jackals flee. So fled the Trojans when Ajax came and stood beside Ulysses. Then Menelaus took Ulysses by the hand, and led him from out the throng.

Then Ajax leapt upon the Trojans and slew many, scouring the plain, and killing horse and man. But Paris, husband of Helen, stayed Machaon from the fight, wounding him on the right shoulder with a three-pointed arrow. Therefore spake Idomeneus to Nestor, "Quick, Nestor, mount thy chariot and take Machaon with thee, and drive quickly to the ships, for the life of a physician is as the lives of many men!"

So Nestor mounted on his chariot, and Machaon stood beside him. He touched the horses, and they flew right willingly to the ships.

Now Achilles was standing on the stern of his ship, looking at the war, and he saw Nestor carrying Machaon in his chariot to the ships. Then he called to Patroclus, and Patroclus, who was in the tent, came forth. Then said Achilles:—

"Now will the Greeks soon come praying for help, for their need is sore. But go and see who is this whom Nestor is taking to the ships. His shoulders are the shoulders of Machaon, but I saw not his face, so swift the horses passed me by."

Then Patroclus ran to the tent of Nestor, and stood in the door. But when old Nestor saw him, he went and took him by the hand, and would have had him sit down. But Patroclus would not, saying:—

"Stay me not. I came but to see who is this that thou hast brought wounded from the battle. And now I see that it is Machaon. Therefore I will return; for thou knowest what manner of man is Achilles, that he is hasty and swift to blame."

Then said Nestor: "But what careth Achilles for the Greeks? or why doth he ask who are wounded? Hear what I say. It may be that Achilles will not go forth to the battle. But let him send thee forth, and the Myrmidons with thee, and let him put his arms upon thee, so that the sons of Troy be affrighted, thinking that he is in the battle, and we shall have breathing space."

Then Patroclus returned to Achilles.