Achilles (Mythological character); Classical literature; Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
Glaucus heeded his saying, and the pair forthwith led on the host
of Lycians. Menestheus son of Peteos was dismayed when he saw
them, for it was against his part of the wall that they
came—bringing destruction with them; he looked along the wall for
some chieftain to support his comrades and saw the two Ajaxes,
men ever eager for the fray, and Teucer, who had just come from
his tent, standing near them; but he could not make his voice
heard by shouting to them, so great an uproar was there from
crashing shields and helmets and the battering of gates with a
din which reached the skies. For all the gates had been closed,
and the Trojans were hammering at them to try and break their way
through them. Menestheus, therefore, sent Thootes with a message
to Ajax. “Run, good Thootes,” he said, “and call Ajax, or better
still bid both come, for it will be all over with us here
directly; the leaders of the Lycians are upon us, men who have
ever fought desperately heretofore. But if they have too much on
their hands to let them come, at any rate let Ajax son of Telamon
do so, and let Teucer, the famous bowman, come with him.”
The messenger did as he was told, and set off running along the
wall of the Achaeans. When he reached the Ajaxes he said to them,
“Sirs, princes of the Argives, the son of noble Peteos bids you
come to him for a while and help him. You had better both come if
you can, or it will be all over with him directly; the leaders of
the Lycians are upon him, men who have ever fought desperately
heretofore; if you have too much on your hands to let both come,
at any rate let Ajax, son of Telamon, do so, and let Teucer, the
famous bowman, come with him.”
Great Ajax son of Telamon heeded the message, and at once spoke
to the son of Oileus. “Ajax,” said he, “do you two, yourself and
brave Lycomedes, stay here and keep the Danaans in heart to fight
their hardest. I will go over yonder, and bear my part in the
fray, but I will come back here at once as soon as I have given
them the help they need.”
With this, Ajax son of Telamon set off, and Teucer, his brother
by the same father, went also, with Pandion to carry Teucer’s
bow. They went along inside the wall, and when they came to the
tower where Menestheus was (and hard pressed indeed did they find
him) the brave captains and leaders of the Lycians were storming
the battlements as it were a thick dark cloud, fighting in close
quarters, and raising the battle-cry aloud.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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