But when they saw the wall by Trojans scal’d, And heard the cry of Greeks in panic fear, Sprang forth those two, before the gates to fight. As when two boars, upon the mountain side, Await th’ approaching din of men and dogs, Then sideways rushing, snap the wood around, Ripp’d from the roots; loud clash their clatt’ring tusks, Till to the huntsman’s spear they yield their lives; So clatter’d on those champions’ brass-clad breasts The hostile weapons; stubbornly they fought, Relying on their strength, and friends above: For from the well-built tow’rs huge stones were hurl’d By those who for themselves, their tents and ships, Maintain’d defensive warfare; thick they fell, As wintry snow-flakes, which the boist’rous wind, Driving the shadowy clouds, spreads fast and close O’er all the surface of the fertile earth: So thick, from Grecian and from Trojan hands, The weapons flew; on helm and bossy shield With grating sound the pond’rous masses rang. Then deeply groaning, as he smote his thigh Thus spoke dismay’d the son of Hyrtacus: “O Father Jove, how hast thou lov’d our hopes To falsify, who deem’d not that the Greeks Would stand our onset, and resistless arms! But they, as yellow-banded wasps, or bees, That by some rocky pass have built their nests, Abandon not their cavern’d home, but wait Th’ attack, and boldly for their offspring fight; So from the gates these two, though two alone, Retire not, till they be or ta’en or slain.” He said: but Jove regarded not his words; So much on Hector’s triumph he was bent. Like battle rag’d round th’ other gates; but hard It were for me, with godlike pow’r, to paint Each sev’ral combat; for around the wall A more than human storm of stone was pour’d On ev’ry side; the Greeks, hard press’d, perforce Fought for their ships, while all the Gods look’d on Indignant, who the Grecian cause upheld. Fiercely the Lapithae sustain’d the war: Stout Polypoetes first, Pirithous’ son, Smote, through the brass-cheek’d helmet, Damasus; Nor stay’d the brazen helm the spear, whose point Went crashing through the bone, that all the brain Was shatter’d; onward as he rush’d, he fell. Then Pylon next, and Ormenus he slew: Meantime Leonteus, scion true of Mars, Struck with unerring spear Hippomachus, Son of Antimachus, below the waist; Then, drawing from the sheath his trenchant sword, Dash’d through the crowd, and hand to hand he smote Antiphates; he, backward, fell to earth. Menon, Iamenus, Orestes next, In quick succession to the ground he brought. From these while they their glitt’ring armour stripp’d, Round Hector throng’d, and bold Polydamas, The bravest and the best, who long’d the most To storm the wall, and burn with fire the ships. Yet on the margin of the ditch they paus’d; For, as they sought to cross, a sign from Heav’n Appear’d, to leftward of th’ astonish’d crowd; A soaring eagle in his talons bore A dragon, huge of size, of blood-red hue, Alive, and breathing still, nor yet subdued;