Thus pray’d he; Jove, the Lord of counsel, heard, And half his pray’r he granted, half denied: For from the ships the battle to repel He granted; but denied his safe return. His pray’rs and off’rings ended, to the tent Achilles turn’d again, and in the chest Replac’d the cup; then issuing forth, he stood Before the tent; for much he long’d to see The Greeks and Trojans join in battle strife. They who in arms round brave Patroclus stood Their line of battle form’d, with courage high To dash upon the Trojans; and as wasps That have their nest beside the public road, Which boys delight to vex and irritate In wanton play, but to the gen’ral harm; Them if some passing trav’ller unawares Disturb, with angry courage forth they rush In one continuous swarm, to guard their nest: E’en with such courage pour’d the Myrmidons Forth from the ships; then uproar wild arose, And loud Patroclus on his comrades call’d: “Ye valiant Myrmidons, who boast yourselves Achilles’ comrades, quit ye now like men; Your ancient valour prove; to Peleus’ son, Of all the Greeks the noblest, so shall we, His faithful followers, highest honour give; And Agamemnon’s haughty self shall mourn The slight on Grecia’s bravest warrior cast.” His words fresh courage rous’d in ev’ry breast. Thick on the Trojan host their masses fell; While loud the fleet re-echoed to the sound Of Grecian cheers; but when the Trojans saw, Blazing in arms, Menoetius’ godlike son, Himself, and follower; quail’d the spirits of all; Their firm-set ranks were shaken; for they deem’d Achilles had beside the ships exchang’d His wrath for friendship; and each sev’ral man Look’d round, to find his own escape from death. Then first Patroclus aim’d his glitt’ring spear Amid the crowd, where thickest round the ships Of brave Protesilaus, raged the war; And struck Pyraechmes, who from Amydon, From the wide-flowing stream of Axius, led The horsehair-crested Paeons; him he struck Through the right shoulder; backwards in the dust Groaning, he fell; around him quail’d with fear His Paeons all, such terror in their ranks Patroclus threw, their bravest leader slain, The foremost in the fight; the crowd he drove Far from the ships, and quench’d the blazing fire. There lay the half-burnt ship; with shouts confus’d The Trojans fled; and from amid the ships Forth pour’d the Greeks; and loud the clamour rose. As when around a lofty mountain’s top The lightning’s Lord dispels a mass of cloud, And ev’ry crag, and ev’ry jutting peak Is plainly seen, and ev’ry forest glade; And the deep vault of Heav’n is open’d wide; So when the Greeks had clear’d the ships of fire, They breath’d awhile; yet ceas’d not so the strife; For not in headlong panic from the ships The Trojans by the valiant Greeks were driv’n, But, though perforce retiring, still made head.