Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
He thus then yielded Hector the greater glory.
For as he turned back, he tripped against the rim of his shield which
he was wont to bear, a shield that reached to the feet, a fence against
javelins—thereon he stumbled, and fell back, and his helm rang
wrondrously around his temples as he fell. And Hector quickly spied it,
and ran up swiftly and stood by him, and fixed a spear in his breast,
and slew him hard by his dear comrades that could not aid him, despite
all their sorrow for their friend, for themselves greatly dreaded noble
Hector.
Now were they come between the ships, and the prows protected them, the
prows of the ships drawn up in the first line, but the Trojans rushed
in after them. And the Argives were compelled even of necessity to give
back from the foremost ships, yet there they abode in close rank beside
the huts, and did not scatter throughout the camp. For shame and fear
restrained them and ceaselessly they kept shouting each to other. Now
Gerenian Nestor above all, the Warden of the Achaians, implored each
man by the memory of them that begat him, and spake beseechingly: “O
friends, play the man, and set shame of other men’s contempt in hearts.
Let each also be mindful of children and wives, and of his possessions,
and of them that begat him, whether any have parents yet alive or they
be already dead. For their sake do I here beseech you, for the sake of
them that are not with us, to stand stoutly, nor turn to flight.”
So spake he, and roused each man’s courage and might, and from their
eyes Athene lifted the wondrous cloud of mist, and light came mightily
upon them from either side, both from the side of the ships, and from
the quarter of even-balanced war. And they beheld Hector of the loud
war-cry, and his comrades, both them that stood in the rear and were
not fighting, and all them that fought in the battle by the swift
ships.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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