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please him； he will again grant it to ourselves； no man； however
brave； may thwart the purpose of Jove； for he is far stronger
than any。〃
Diomed answered； 〃All that you have said is true； there is a
grief however which pierces me to the very heart； for Hector will
talk among the Trojans and say； 'The son of Tydeus fled before me
to the ships。' This is the vaunt he will make； and may earth then
swallow me。〃
〃Son of Tydeus；〃 replied Nestor； 〃what mean you？ Though Hector
say that you are a coward the Trojans and Dardanians will not
believe him； nor yet the wives of the mighty warriors whom you
have laid low。〃
So saying he turned the horses back through the thick of the
battle； and with a cry that rent the air the Trojans and Hector
rained their darts after them。 Hector shouted to him and said；
〃Son of Tydeus； the Danaans have done you honour hitherto as
regards your place at table； the meals they give you； and the
filling of your cup with wine。 Henceforth they will despise you；
for you are bee no better than a woman。 Be off； girl and
coward that you are； you shall not scale our walls through any
flinching upon my part； neither shall you carry off our wives in
your ships； for I shall kill you with my own hand。〃
The son of Tydeus was in two minds whether or no to turn his
horses round again and fight him。 Thrice did he doubt； and thrice
did Jove thunder from the heights of Ida in token to the Trojans
that he would turn the battle in their favour。 Hector then
shouted to them and said； 〃Trojans； Lycians； and Dardanians；
lovers of close fighting； be men； my friends； and fight with
might and with main； I see that Jove is minded to vouchsafe
victory and great glory to myself； while he will deal destruction
upon the Danaans。 Fools； for having thought of building this weak
and worthless wall。 It shall not stay my fury； my horses will
spring lightly over their trench； and when I am at their ships
forget not to bring me fire that I may burn them； while I
slaughter the Argives who will be all dazed and bewildered by the
smoke。〃
Then he cried to his horses； 〃Xanthus and Podargus； and you
Aethon and goodly Lampus； pay me for your keep now and for all
the honey…sweet corn with which Andromache daughter of great
Eetion has fed you； and for she has mixed wine and water for you
to drink whenever you would； before doing so even for me who am
her own husband。 Haste in pursuit； that we may take the shield of
Nestor； the fame of which ascends to heaven； for it is of solid
gold； arm…rods and all； and that we may strip from the shoulders
of Diomed。 the cuirass which Vulcan made him。 Could we take these
two things； the Achaeans would set sail in their ships this
self…same night。〃
Thus did he vaunt； but Queen Juno made high Olympus quake as she
shook with rage upon her throne。 Then said she to the mighty god
of Neptune； 〃What now； wide ruling lord of the earthquake？ Can
you find no passion in your heart for the dying Danaans； who
bring you many a wele offering to Helice and to Aegae？ Wish
them well then。 If all of us who are with the Danaans were to
drive the Trojans back and keep Jove from helping them； he would
have to sit there sulking alone on Ida。〃
King Neptune was greatly troubled and answered； 〃Juno； rash of
tongue； what are you talking about？ We other gods must not set
ourselves against Jove； for he is far stronger than we are。〃
Thus did they converse； but the whole space enclosed by the
ditch； from the ships even to the wall； was filled with horses
and warriors； who were pent up there by Hector son of Priam； now
that the hand of Jove was with him。 He would even have set fire
to the ships and burned them； had not Queen Juno put it into the
mind of Agamemnon； to bestir himself and to encourage the
Achaeans。 To this end he went round the ships and tents carrying
a great purple cloak； and took his stand by the huge black hull
of Ulysses' ship； which was middlemost of all； it was from this
place that his voice would carry farthest； on the one hand
towards the tents of Ajax son of Telamon； and on the other
towards those of Achillesfor these two heroes； well assured of
their own strength； had valorously drawn up their ships at the
two ends of the line。 From this spot then； with a voice that
could be heard afar； he shouted to the Danaans； saying； 〃Argives；
shame on you cowardly creatures； brave in semblance only； where
are now our vaunts that we should prove victoriousthe vaunts we
made so vaingloriously in Lemnos； when we ate the flesh of horned
cattle and filled our mixing…bowls to the brim？ You vowed that
you would each of you stand against a hundred or two hundred men；
and now you prove no match even for onefor Hector； who will be
ere long setting our ships in a blaze。 Father Jove； did you ever
so ruin a great king and rob him so utterly of his greatness？
Yet； when to my sorrow I was ing hither； I never let my ship
pass your altars without offering the fat and thigh…bones of
heifers upon every one of them； so eager was I to sack the city
of Troy。 Vouchsafe me then this prayersuffer us to escape at
any rate with our lives； and let not the Achaeans be so utterly
vanquished by the Trojans。〃
Thus did he pray； and father Jove pitying his tears vouchsafed
him that his people should live； not die； forthwith he sent them
an eagle； most unfailingly portentous of all birds； with a young
fawn in its talons； the eagle dropped the fawn by the altar on
which the Achaeans sacrificed to Jove the lord of omens； when；
therefore； the people saw that the bird had e from Jove； they
sprang more fiercely upon the Trojans and fought more boldly。
There was no man of all the many Danaans who could then boast
that he had driven his horses over the trench and gone forth to
fight sooner than the son of Tydeus； long before any one else
could do so he slew an armed warrior of the Trojans； Agelaus the
son of Phradmon。 He had turned his horses in flight； but the
spear struck him in the back midway between his shoulders and
went right through his chest； and his armour rang rattling round
him as he fell forward from his chariot。
After him came Agamemnon and Menelaus； sons of Atreus； the two
Ajaxes clothed in valour as with a garment； Idomeneus and his
panion in arms Meriones； peer of murderous Mars； and Eurypylus
the brave son of Euaemon。 Ninth came Teucer with his bow； and
took his place under cover of the shield of Ajax son of Telamon。
When Ajax lifted his shield Teucer would peer round； and when he
had hit any one in the throng； the man would fall dead； then
Teucer would hie back to Ajax as a child to its mother； and again
duck down under his shield。
Which of the Trojans did brave Teucer first kill？ Orsilochus； and
then Ormenus and Ophelestes； Daetor； Chromius； and godlike
Lycophontes； Amopaon son of Polyaemon； and Melanippus。 these in
turn did he lay low upon the earth； and King Agamemnon was glad
when he saw him making havoc of the Trojans with his mighty bow。
He went up to him and said； 〃Teucer； man after my own heart； son
of Telamon； captain among the host； shoot on； and be at once the
saving of the Danaans and the glory of your father Telamon； who
brought you up and took care of you in his own house when you
were a child； bastard though you were。 Cover him with glory
though he is far off； I will promise and I will assuredly
perform； if aegis…bearing Jove and Minerva grant me to sack the
city of Ilius； you shall have the next best meed of honour after
my owna tripod； or two horses with their chariot； or a woman
who shall go up into your bed。〃
And Teucer answered； 〃Most noble son of Atreus； you need not urge
me； from the moment we began to drive them back to Ilius； I have
never ceased so far as in me lies to look out for men whom I can
shoot and kill； I have shot eight barbed shafts； and all of them
have been buried in the flesh of warlike youths； but this mad dog
I cannot hit。〃
As he spoke he aimed another arrow straight at Hector； for he was
bent on hitting him； nevertheless he missed him； and the arrow
hit Priam's brave son Gorgythion in the breast。 His mother； fair
Castianeira； lovely as a goddess； had been married from Ae