Page 421 - the-iliad

stands up against me.’ And the son of Pelegon answered,
‘Great son of Peleus, why should you ask my lineage. I am
from the fertile land of far Paeonia, captain of the Paeo-
nians, and it is now eleven days that I am at Ilius. I am of the
blood of the river Axius—of Axius that is the fairest of all
rivers that run. He begot the famed warrior Pelegon, whose
son men call me. Let us now fight, Achilles.’
Thus did he defy him, and Achilles raised his spear of
Pelian ash. Asteropaeus failed with both his spears, for he
could use both hands alike; with the one spear he struck
Achilles’ shield, but did not pierce it, for the layer of gold, gift
of the god, stayed the point; with the other spear he grazed
the elbow of Achilles’ right arm drawing dark blood, but
the spear itself went by him and fixed itself in the ground,
foiled of its bloody banquet. Then Achilles, fain to kill him,
hurled his spear at Asteropaeus, but failed to hit him and
struck the steep bank of the river, driving the spear half
its length into the earth. The son of Peleus then drew his
sword and sprang furiously upon him. Asteropaeus vainly
tried to draw Achilles’ spear out of the bank by main force;
thrice did he tug at it, trying with all his might to draw it
out, and thrice he had to leave off trying; the fourth time he
tried to bend and break it, but ere he could do so Achilles
smote him with his sword and killed him. He struck him in
the belly near the navel, so that all his bowels came gushing
out on to the ground, and the darkness of death came over
him as he lay gasping. Then Achilles set his foot on his chest
and spoiled him of his armour, vaunting over him and say-
ing, ‘Lie there—begotten of a river though you be, it is hard

0 The Iliad