He said: first heard Oileus’ active son, And hast’ning through the fray, beside him stood. Next him Idomeneus, with whom there came, Valiant as Mars, his friend Meriones. But who can know or tell the names of all, Who, following, swell’d the battle of the Greeks? Onward the Trojans press’d, by Hector led: With such a sound, as when the ocean wave Meets on the beach th’ outpouring of a stream, Swoll’n by the rains of Heav’n: the lofty cliffs Resound, and bellows the big sea without; With such a sound advanc’d the Trojan host: While round Patroclus, with one heart and mind, The Greeks a fence of brass-clad bucklers rais’d. O’er their bright helms the son of Saturn shed A veil of darkness; for Menoetius’ son, Achilles’ faithful friend, while yet he liv’d Jove hated not, nor would that now his corpse Should to the dogs of Troy remain a prey, But to the rescue all his comrades stirr’d. At first the Trojans drove the keen-ey’d Greeks; Leaving the corpse, they fled; nor with their spears The valiant Trojans reach’d a single Greek; But on the dead they seiz’d; yet not for long Endur’d their flight; them Ajax rallied soon, In form pre-eminent, and deeds of arms, O’er all the Greeks, save Peleus’ matchless son. Onward he sprang, as springs a mountain boar, Which, turning in the forest glade to bay, Scatters with ease both dogs and stalwart youths; So Ajax scatter’d soon the Trojan ranks, That round Patroclus closing, hop’d to bear, With glory to themselves, his corpse to Troy. Hippothous, Pelasgian Lethus’ son, Was dragging by the feet the noble dead, A leathern belt around his ancles bound, Seeking the favour of the men of Troy; But on himself he brought destruction down, Which none might turn aside; for from the crowd Outsprang the son of Telamon, and struck, In close encounter, on the brass-cheek’d helm; The plumed helm was shiver’d by the blow, Dealt by a weighty spear and stalwart hand; Gush’d from the wound the mingled blood and brain, His vital spirit quench’d; and on the ground Fell from his pow’rless grasp Patroclus’ foot; While he himself lay stretch’d beside the dead, Far from his own Larissa’s teeming soil: Not destin’d he his parents to repay Their early care; for short his term of life, By godlike Ajax’ mighty spear subdu’d. At Ajax Hector threw his glitt’ring spear: He saw, and narrowly the brazen death Escap’d; but Schedius, son of Iphitus, (The bravest of the Phocian chiefs, who dwelt In far-fam’d Panopeus, the mighty Lord Of num’rous hosts,) below the collar-bone It struck, and passing through, the brazen point Came forth again beneath his shoulder-blade: Thund’ring he fell, and loud his armour rang.