Mythology, Greek -- Juvenile literature; Mythology, Roman -- Juvenile literature
And the words stung Hector to the heart. He leapt from his chariot and
went through the host, urging them to the battle. And on the other side
the Greeks strengthened themselves. But Ares brought back Æneas whole
from his wound, and gave him courage and might. Right glad were his
comrades to see him, nor did they ask him any question; scant leisure
was there for questions that day. Then were done many valiant deeds,
nor did any bear himself more bravely than Æneas. Two chieftains of
the Greeks he slew, Crethon and Orsilochus, who came from the banks of
Alpheüs. Sore vexed was Menelaüs to see them fall, and he rushed to
avenge them, Ares urging him on, for he hoped that Æneas would slay
him. But Antilochus, Nestor’s son, saw him go, and hasted to his side
that he might help him. So they went and slew Pylæmenes, King of the
Paphlagonians, and Medon, his charioteer. Then Hector rushed to the
front, and Ares was by his side. Diomed saw him, and the god also, for
his eyes were opened that day, and he fell back a space and cried,--
“O my friends! here Hector comes; nor he alone, but Ares is with him in
the shape of a mortal man. Let us give place, still keeping our faces
to the foe, for men must not fight with gods.”
Then drew near to each other Sarpedon the Lycian and Tlepolemus, the
son of Hercules, the one a son and the other a grandson of Zeus. First
Tlepolemus spake,--
“What art thou doing here, Sarpedon? Surely ’tis a false report that
thou art a son of Zeus. The sons of Zeus in the old days were better
men than thou art, such as my father Hercules, who came to this city
when Laomedon would not give him the horses which he had promised, and
brake down the walls and wasted the streets. No help, methinks, wilt
thou be to the sons of Troy, slain here by my hands.”
But Sarpedon answered, “He indeed spoiled Troy, for Laomedon did him
grievous wrong. But thou shalt not fare so, but rather meet with thy
death.”
Then they both hurled their spears, aiming truly, both of them. For
Sarpedon smote Tlepolemus in the neck, piercing it through so that he
fell dead, and Tlepolemus smote Sarpedon in the left thigh, driving the
spear close to the bone, but slaying him not, his father Zeus warding
off the doom of death. And his comrades carried him out of the battle,
sorely burdened with the spear, which no one had thought to take out of
the wound. And as he was borne along, Hector passed by, and Sarpedon
rejoiced to see him, and cried,--
“Son of Priam, suffer me not to become a prey to the Greeks; let me
at least die in your city, for Lycia I may see no more, nor wife, nor
child.”
But Hector heeded him not, so eager was he for the battle. So his
comrades carried him to the great beech-tree and laid him down, and
one of them drew the spear out of his thigh. When it was drawn out he
fainted, but the cool north wind blew and revived him, and he breathed
again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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