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 drag ing 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 -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 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
stern 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 i'll 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.