So spake he, and aroused the might and the spirit of every man. Then Hector slew Schedios, the son of Perimedes, a leader of the Phokians, while Aias slew Laodamas, the leader of the foot-men, the noble son of Antenor, and Polydamas slew Otos, of Kyllene, comrade of Phyleides, a chief of the high-hearted Epeians. And Meges, when he beheld it rushed on him, but Polydamas stooped downwards, and him Meges missed,—for Apollo suffered not the son of Panthoos to be smitten among the foremost fighters,—but he wounded Kroismos in the midst of the breast with his spear. And he fell with a crash, and the other set to stripping the harness from his shoulders. Then Dolops rose against him, a warrior skilled, Dolops son of Lampos, whom Lampos Laomedon’s son begat, his bravest son, well skilled in impetuous valour; who then smote the midst of the shield of Phyleus’ son, setting on him at close quarters. But his well-wrought corslet guarded him, the corslet that he wore, fashioned of plates of mail. This corslet did Phyleus once bear out of Ephyre, from the river Selleëis. For a guest friend of his had given him the same, even Euphetes, king of men, that he might bear it in war, a defence against foemen; and now from his son’s flesh too it warded off his bane. Now Meges smote with sharpened spear at the topmost crest of his helmet of bronze with horse-hair plume, and brake off his plume of horse-hair, and it all fell earthward in the dust, shining with its new scarlet dye. Now while he abode, and fought, and yet hoped for victory, there came against him to the rescue warlike Menelaos, and stood unmarked on his flank with his spear, and smote him on the shoulder from behind, and the eager spear rushed through his breast, in forward flight, and then fell he forward. Then the twain made for him to strip from his shoulders his harness of bronze. But Hector called to all his kinsmen, and first he chid the son of Hiketaon, the strong Melanippos. Now till then was Melanippos wont to feed his kine of trailing gait in Perkote, far off from hostile men, but when the curved ships of the Danaans came, he returned to Ilios, and excelled among the Trojans, and dwelt hard by Priam, who honoured him equally with his own children. Him did Hector chide, and spake out, and called him by name: “Melanippos, are we to be thus slack? Is thy heart not moved at all, at sight of thy kinsman slain? Seest thou not how they are busied about the harness of Dolops? nay, follow on, for no longer may we fight with the Argives from afar, till either we slay them, or they utterly take steep Ilios, and slay her people.” So spake he, and led on, while the other followed him, a godlike man. But the great Aias, son of Telamon, exhorted the Argives, saying: “O friends, play the man, and take shame in your hearts; yea, have shame each of the other’s contempt, in the strong battle. For of men thus shamefast more escape than fall, but of men that flee cometh neither glory, nor any avail.”