Page 249 - the-iliad

through the tents and ships of the Achaeans till he had
reached the sea in his murderous course; but the closely ser-
ried battalions stayed him when he reached them, for the
sons of the Achaeans thrust at him with swords and spears
pointed at both ends, and drove him from them so that he
staggered and gave ground; thereon he shouted to the Tro-
jans, ‘Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians, fighters in close
combat, stand firm: the Achaeans have set themselves as a
wall against me, but they will not check me for long; they
will give ground before me if the mightiest of the gods, the
thundering spouse of Juno, has indeed inspired my onset.’
With these words he put heart and soul into them all.
Deiphobus son of Priam went about among them intent on
deeds of daring with his round shield before him, under
cover of which he strode quickly forward. Meriones took
aim at him with a spear, nor did he fail to hit the broad
orb of ox-hide; but he was far from piercing it for the spear
broke in two pieces long ere he could do so; moreover Dei-
phobus had seen it coming and had held his shield well away
from him. Meriones drew back under cover of his com-
rades, angry alike at having failed to vanquish Deiphobus,
and having broken his spear. He turned therefore towards
the ships and tents to fetch a spear which he had left behind
in his tent.
The others continued fighting, and the cry of battle rose
up into the heavens. Teucer son of Telamon was the first
to kill his man, to wit, the warrior Imbrius, son of Men-
tor, rich in horses. Until the Achaeans came he had lived in
Pedaeum, and had married Medesicaste, a bastard daugh-

The Iliad