Page 411 - the-iliad

spear or cut you down at close quarters.’
Thus he spoke, and Hector drew back within the crowd,
for he was afraid when he heard what the god had said to
him. Achilles then sprang upon the Trojans with a terri-
ble cry, clothed in valour as with a garment. First he killed
Iphition son of Otrynteus, a leader of much people whom
a naiad nymph had borne to Otrynteus waster of cities, in
the land of Hyde under the snowy heights of Mt. Tmolus.
Achilles struck him full on the head as he was coming on to-
wards him, and split it clean in two; whereon he fell heavily
to the ground and Achilles vaunted over him saying, ‘You
be low, son of Otrynteus, mighty hero; your death is here,
but your lineage is on the Gygaean lake where your father’s
estate lies, by Hyllus, rich in fish, and the eddying waters of
Hermus.’
Thus did he vaunt, but darkness closed the eyes of the
other. The chariots of the Achaeans cut him up as their
wheels passed over him in the front of the battle, and after
him Achilles killed Demoleon, a valiant man of war and
son to Antenor. He struck him on the temple through his
bronze-cheeked helmet. The helmet did not stay the spear,
but it went right on, crushing the bone so that the brain in-
side was shed in all directions, and his lust of fighting was
ended. Then he struck Hippodamas in the midriff as he was
springing down from his chariot in front of him, and trying
to escape. He breathed his last, bellowing like a bull bellows
when young men are dragging him to offer him in sacrifice
to the King of Helice, and the heart of the earth-shaker is
glad; even so did he bellow as he lay dying. Achilles then

10 The Iliad