“Hear, ye countless troops of allies dwelling around, for I did not assemble you here, each from his own city, seeking or wanting a crowd, but that ye might willingly defend for me the wives and infant children of the Trojans from the warlike Greeks. Thinking these things, I wear away my people by gifts and provisions [to you], and I satisfy the desire of each of you. Wherefore now let some one, being turned round straight, either perish or be saved; for these are the chances of war. 552 Nevertheless, whoever will drag Patroclus, although dead, to the horse-breaking Trojans, and to whom Ajax shall yield, [to him] will I present one-half of the spoils, but I myself will keep the other half; and glory shall be to him as much as to me.” Thus he spoke; but they, lifting up their spears, advanced with condensed might 553 direct against the Greeks; and their mind eagerly hoped to draw away the dead body from Telamonian Ajax:—fools! truly over it he took away the life from many. And then Ajax addressed Menelaus, good in the din of war: Footnote 552: (return) See Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 97. Footnote 553: (return) Schol.: Στίφος ποιήσαντες, συνασπίσαντες, εἰς τὸ αύτὸ πάντες ὁρμήσαντες. A curious interpretation is given in the Glossaries: “Βοίζω, _post cibum denuo impetum facio.”_ See Alberti on Hesych. p. 766. “O my friend, O Jove-nurtured Menelaus, no longer do I expect that even we ourselves will return from battle. Nor do I fear so much about the dead body of Patroclus, which will quickly satiate the dogs and birds of the Trojans, as much as I fear for my own head, lest it suffer anything, and for thine, for Hector, that cloud of war, overshadows all things; whilst to us, on the other hand, utter destruction appears. But come, call the bravest of the Greeks, if any one will hear.” Thus he spoke; nor did Menelaus, good in the din of war, disobey; but he shouted, crying with a loud voice to the Greeks: “Ο friends, leaders and chieftains of the Greeks, ye who with Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, and Menelaus, drink the public wine, 554 and command each his forces; but honour and glory follows from Jove. Difficult would it be for me to look to each of the leaders, for so great a strife of battle burns. But let some one advance, and let him be indignant in his mind, that Patroclus should become a sport to Trojan dogs.” Footnote 554: (return) _I.e._ who are supplied from the public resources,—τὰ ἐκ τῶν κοινῶν καὶ δημοσίων χρημάτων χορηγούμενα τοῖς βασιλεῦσι.—Schol. Thus he spoke; but quickly the swift Oïlean Ajax heard, and first advanced opposite, running through the battle; after him Idomeneus, and Meriones, the armour-bearer of Idomeneus, equal to man-slaughtering Mars. But who in his mind could recount the names of the others as many as afterwards aroused the battle of the Greeks? But the Trojans, in close array, first made the onset, and Hector led them on.