Page 99 - the-iliad

its boiling waters and starts back in fear—even so did the
son of Tydeus give ground. Then he said to his men, ‘My
friends, how can we wonder that Hector wields the spear so
well? Some god is ever by his side to protect him, and now
Mars is with him in the likeness of mortal man. Keep your
faces therefore towards the Trojans, but give ground back-
wards, for we dare not fight with gods.’
As he spoke the Trojans drew close up, and Hector killed
two men, both in one chariot, Menesthes and Anchialus,
heroes well versed in war. Ajax son of Telamon pitied them
in their fall; he came close up and hurled his spear, hitting
Amphius the son of Selagus, a man of great wealth who
lived in Paesus and owned much corn-growing land, but
his lot had led him to come to the aid of Priam and his sons.
Ajax struck him in the belt; the spear pierced the lower part
of his belly, and he fell heavily to the ground. Then Ajax
ran towards him to strip him of his armour, but the Tro-
jans rained spears upon him, many of which fell upon his
shield. He planted his heel upon the body and drew out his
spear, but the darts pressed so heavily upon him that he
could not strip the goodly armour from his shoulders. The
Trojan chieftains, moreover, many and valiant, came about
him with their spears, so that he dared not stay; great, brave
and valiant though he was, they drove him from them and
he was beaten back.
Thus, then, did the battle rage between them. Present-
ly the strong hand of fate impelled Tlepolemus, the son of
Hercules, a man both brave and of great stature, to fight
Sarpedon; so the two, son and grandson of great Jove, drew

The Iliad