Page 94 - the-iliad

self against gods, for men that walk the earth cannot hold
their own with the immortals.’
The son of Tydeus then gave way for a little space, to
avoid the anger of the god, while Apollo took Aeneas out of
the crowd and set him in sacred Pergamus, where his tem-
ple stood. There, within the mighty sanctuary, Latona and
Diana healed him and made him glorious to behold, while
Apollo of the silver bow fashioned a wraith in the likeness
of Aeneas, and armed as he was. Round this the Trojans
and Achaeans hacked at the bucklers about one another’s
breasts, hewing each other’s round shields and light hide-
covered targets. Then Phoebus Apollo said to Mars, ‘Mars,
Mars, bane of men, blood-stained stormer of cities, can
you not go to this man, the son of Tydeus, who would now
fight even with father Jove, and draw him out of the battle?
He first went up to the Cyprian and wounded her in the
hand near her wrist, and afterwards sprang upon me too, as
though he were a god.’
He then took his seat on the top of Pergamus, while mur-
derous Mars went about among the ranks of the Trojans,
cheering them on, in the likeness of fleet Acamas chief of
the Thracians. ‘Sons of Priam,’ said he, ‘how long will you
let your people be thus slaughtered by the Achaeans? Would
you wait till they are at the walls of Troy? Aeneas the son of
Anchises has fallen, he whom we held in as high honour as
Hector himself. Help me, then, to rescue our brave comrade
from the stress of the fight.’
With these words he put heart and soul into them all.
Then Sarpedon rebuked Hector very sternly. ‘Hector,’ said