Page 285 - the-iliad

they sprang upon one another.
Hector first aimed his spear at Ajax, who was turned
full towards him, nor did he miss his aim. The spear struck
him where two bands passed over his chest—the band of his
shield and that of his silver-studded sword—and these pro-
tected his body. Hector was angry that his spear should have
been hurled in vain, and withdrew under cover of his men.
As he was thus retreating, Ajax son of Telamon, struck him
with a stone, of which there were many lying about under
the men’s feet as they fought—brought there to give support
to the ships’ sides as they lay on the shore. Ajax caught up
one of them and struck Hector above the rim of his shield
close to his neck; the blow made him spin round like a top
and reel in all directions. As an oak falls headlong when
uprooted by the lightning flash of father Jove, and there is
a terrible smell of brimstone—no man can help being dis-
mayed if he is standing near it, for a thunderbolt is a very
awful thing— even so did Hector fall to earth and bite the
dust. His spear fell from his hand, but his shield and helmet
were made fast about his body, and his bronze armour rang
about him.
The sons of the Achaeans came running with a loud cry
towards him, hoping to drag him away, and they showered
their darts on the Trojans, but none of them could wound
him before he was surrounded and covered by the princes
Polydamas, Aeneas, Agenor, Sarpedon captain of the Ly-
cians, and noble Glaucus. Of the others, too, there was not
one who was unmindful of him, and they held their round
shields over him to cover him. His comrades then lifted him

The Iliad