Page 410 - the-iliad

ing killed. I will now give my orders to the Danaans and
attack some other of the Trojans.’
He sprang forward along the line and cheered his men
on as he did so. ‘Let not the Trojans,’ he cried, ‘keep you
at arm’s length, Achaeans, but go for them and fight them
man for man. However valiant I may be, I cannot give chase
to so many and fight all of them. Even Mars, who is an im-
mortal, or Minerva, would shrink from flinging himself
into the jaws of such a fight and laying about him; neverthe-
less, so far as in me lies I will show no slackness of hand or
foot nor want of endurance, not even for a moment; I will
utterly break their ranks, and woe to the Trojan who shall
venture within reach of my spear.’
Thus did he exhort them. Meanwhile Hector called upon
the Trojans and declared that he would fight Achilles. ‘Be
not afraid, proud Trojans,’ said he, ‘to face the son of Peleus;
I could fight gods myself if the battle were one of words only,
but they would be more than a match for me, if we had to
use our spears. Even so the deed of Achilles will fall some-
what short of his word; he will do in part, and the other part
he will clip short. I will go up against him though his hands
be as fire—though his hands be fire and his strength iron.’
Thus urged the Trojans lifted up their spears against the
Achaeans, and raised the cry of battle as they flung them-
selves into the midst of their ranks. But Phoebus Apollo
came up to Hector and said, ‘Hector, on no account must
you challenge Achilles to single combat; keep a lookout for
him while you are under cover of the others and away from
the thick of the fight, otherwise he will either hit you with a

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