Page 481 - the-iliad

slain him and carried it off in his ships along with other
spoils. He stood up and said among the Argives, ‘Stand for-
ward, you who would essay this contest. He who wins it will
have a store of iron that will last him five years as they go
rolling round, and if his fair fields lie far from a town his
shepherd or ploughman will not have to make a journey to
buy iron, for he will have a stock of it on his own premises.’
Then uprose the two mighty men Polypoetes and Leon-
teus, with Ajax son of Telamon and noble Epeus. They stood
up one after the other and Epeus took the quoit, whirled it,
and flung it from him, which set all the Achaeans laughing.
After him threw Leonteus of the race of Mars. Ajax son of
Telamon threw third, and sent the quoit beyond any mark
that had been made yet, but when mighty Polypoetes took
the quoit he hurled it as though it had been a stockman’s
stick which he sends flying about among his cattle when
he is driving them, so far did his throw out-distance those
of the others. All who saw it roared applause, and his com-
rades carried the prize for him and set it on board his ship.
Achilles next offered a prize of iron for archery—ten
double-edged axes and ten with single edges: he set up a
ship’s mast, some way off upon the sands, and with a fine
string tied a pigeon to it by the foot; this was what they were
to aim at. ‘Whoever,’ he said, ‘can hit the pigeon shall have
all the axes and take them away with him; he who hits the
string without hitting the bird will have taken a worse aim
and shall have the single-edged axes.’
Then uprose King Teucer, and Meriones the stalwart
squire of Idomeneus rose also, They cast lots in a bronze

0 The Iliad