Page 257 - the-iliad

mountains with whetted axes—even thus did he lie full
length in front of his chariot and horses, grinding his teeth
and clutching at the bloodstained dust. His charioteer was
struck with panic and did not dare turn his horses round
and escape: thereupon Antilochus hit him in the middle of
his body with a spear; his cuirass of bronze did not protect
him, and the spear stuck in his belly. He fell gasping from
his chariot and Antilochus, great Nestor’s son, drove his
horses from the Trojans to the Achaeans.
Deiphobus then came close up to Idomeneus to avenge
Asius, and took aim at him with a spear, but Idomeneus was
on the look-out and avoided it, for he was covered by the
round shield he always bore—a shield of oxhide and bronze
with two arm-rods on the inside. He crouched under cov-
er of this, and the spear flew over him, but the shield rang
out as the spear grazed it, and the weapon sped not in vain
from the strong hand of Deiphobus, for it struck Hypsenor
son of Hippasus, shepherd of his people, in the liver under
the midriff, and his limbs failed beneath him. Deiphobus
vaunted over him and cried with a loud voice saying, ‘Of a
truth Asius has not fallen unavenged; he will be glad even
while passing into the house of Hades, strong warden of the
gate, that I have sent some one to escort him.’
Thus did he vaunt, and the Argives were stung by his
saying. Noble Antilochus was more angry than any one,
but grief did not make him forget his friend and comrade.
He ran up to him, bestrode him, and covered him with
his shield; then two of his staunch comrades, Mecisteus
son of Echius, and Alastor, stooped down, and bore him

The Iliad