Page 78 - the-iliad

round about him and took aim, and the Trojans fell back as
he did so. His dart was not sped in vain, for it struck Demo-
coon, the bastard son of Priam, who had come to him from
Abydos, where he had charge of his father’s mares. Ulysses,
infuriated by the death of his comrade, hit him with his
spear on one temple, and the bronze point came through
on the other side of his forehead. Thereon darkness veiled
his eyes, and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell
heavily to the ground. Hector, and they that were in front,
then gave round while the Argives raised a shout and drew
off the dead, pressing further forward as they did so. But
Apollo looked down from Pergamus and called aloud to the
Trojans, for he was displeased. ‘Trojans,’ he cried, ‘rush on
the foe, and do not let yourselves be thus beaten by the Ar-
gives. Their skins are not stone nor iron that when hit them
you do them no harm. Moreover, Achilles, the son of lovely
Thetis, is not fighting, but is nursing his anger at the ships.’
Thus spoke the mighty god, crying to them from the city,
while Jove’s redoubtable daughter, the Trito-born, went
about among the host of the Achaeans, and urged them for-
ward whenever she beheld them slackening.
Then fate fell upon Diores, son of Amarynceus, for he
was struck by a jagged stone near the ancle of his right leg.
He that hurled it was Peirous, son of Imbrasus, captain of
the Thracians, who had come from Aenus; the bones and
both the tendons were crushed by the pitiless stone. He fell
to the ground on his back, and in his death throes stretched
out his hands towards his comrades. But Peirous, who had
wounded him, sprang on him and thrust a spear into his