He spake, and these three, being of one mind, In hearing of all men refused to judge Judgment so thankless: they would none of it. Therefore they set the high-born sons of Troy There in the midst, spear-thralls although they were, To give just judgment in the warriors' strife. Then in hot anger Aias rose, and spake: "Odysseus, frantic soul, why hath a God Deluded thee, to make thee hold thyself My peer in might invincible? Dar'st thou say That thou, when slain Achilles lay in dust, When round him swarmed the Trojans, didst bear back That furious throng, when I amidst them hurled Death, and thou coweredst away? Thy dam Bare thee a craven and a weakling wretch Frail in comparison of me, as is A cur beside a lion thunder-voiced! No battle-biding heart is in thy breast, But wiles and treachery be all thy care. Hast thou forgotten how thou didst shrink back From faring with Achaea's gathered host To Ilium's holy burg, till Atreus' sons Forced thee, the cowering craven, how loth soe'er, To follow them--would God thou hadst never come! For by thy counsel left we in Lemnos' isle Groaning in agony Poeas' son renowned. And not for him alone was ruin devised Of thee; for godlike Palamedes too Didst thou contrive destruction--ha, he was Alike in battle and council better than thou! And now thou dar'st to rise up against me, Neither remembering my kindness, nor Having respect unto the mightier man Who rescued thee erewhile, when thou didst quaff In fight before the onset of thy foes, When thou, forsaken of all Greeks beside, Midst tumult of the fray, wast fleeing too! Oh that in that great fight Zeus' self had stayed My dauntless might with thunder from his heaven! Then with their two-edged swords the Trojan men Had hewn thee limb from limb, and to their dogs Had cast thy carrion! Then thou hadst not presumed To meet me, trusting in thy trickeries! Wretch, wherefore, if thou vauntest thee in might Beyond all others, hast thou set thy ships In the line's centre, screened from foes, nor dared As I, on the far wing to draw them up? Because thou wast afraid! Not thou it was Who savedst from devouring fire the ships; But I with heart unquailing there stood fast Facing the fire and Hector ay, even he Gave back before me everywhere in fight. Thou--thou didst fear him aye with deadly fear! Oh, had this our contention been but set Amidst that very battle, when the roar Of conflict rose around Achilles slain! Then had thine own eyes seen me bearing forth Out from the battle's heart and fury of foes That goodly armour and its hero lord Unto the tents. But here thou canst but trust In cunning speech, and covetest a place Amongst the mighty! Thou--thou hast not strength To wear Achilles' arms invincible, Nor sway his massy spear in thy weak hands! But I they are verily moulded to my frame: