Page 351 - the-iliad

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 ooz-
ing 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 Iphi-
tus, captain of the Phoceans, who dwelt in famed Panopeus
and reigned over much people; it struck him under the mid-
dle 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 cow-
ardice, 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

0 The Iliad