He fought beside Scamander, where around605 Huge Nestor, and Idomeneus the brave, Most deaths were dealt, and loudest roar’d the fight. There Hector toil’d, feats wonderful of spear And horsemanship achieving, and the lines Of many a phalanx desolating wide.610 Nor even then had the bold Greeks retired, But that an arrow triple-barb’d, dispatch’d By Paris, Helen’s mate, against the Chief Machaon warring with distinguish’d force, Pierced his right shoulder. For his sake alarm’d,615 The valor-breathing Grecians fear’d, lest he In that disast’rous field should also fall.[16] At once, Idomeneus of Crete approach’d The noble Nestor, and him thus bespake. Arise, Neleian Nestor! Pride of Greece!620 Ascend thy chariot, and Machaon placed Beside thee, bear him, instant to the fleet. For one, so skill’d in medicine, and to free The inherent barb, is worth a multitude. He said, nor the Gerenian hero old625 Aught hesitated, but into his seat Ascended, and Machaon, son renown’d Of Æsculapius, mounted at his side. He lash’d the steeds, they not unwilling sought The hollow ships, long their familiar home.630 Cebriones, meantime, the charioteer Of Hector, from his seat the Trojan ranks Observing sore discomfited, began. Here are we busied, Hector! on the skirts Of roaring battle, and meantime I see635 Our host confused, their horses and themselves All mingled. Telamonian Ajax there Routs them; I know the hero by his shield. Haste, drive we thither, for the carnage most Of horse and foot conflicting furious, there640 Rages, and infinite the shouts arise. He said, and with shrill-sounding scourge the steeds Smote ample-maned; they, at the sudden stroke Through both hosts whirl’d the chariot, shields and men Trampling; with blood the axle underneath645 All redden’d, and the chariot-rings with drops From the horse-hoofs, and from the fellied wheels. Full on the multitude he drove, on fire To burst the phalanx, and confusion sent Among the Greeks, for nought[17] he shunn’d the spear.650 All quarters else with falchion or with lance, Or with huge stones he ranged, but cautious shunn’d The encounter of the Telamonian Chief. But the eternal father throned on high With fear fill’d Ajax; panic-fixt he stood,655 His seven-fold shield behind his shoulder cast, And hemm’d by numbers, with an eye askant, Watchful retreated. As a beast of prey Retiring, turns and looks, so he his face Turn’d oft, retiring slow, and step by step.660 As when the watch-dogs and assembled swains Have driven a tawny lion from the stalls, Then, interdicting him his wish’d repast, Watch all the night, he, famish’d, yet again Comes furious on, but speeds not, kept aloof665 By frequent spears from daring hands, but more By flash of torches, which, though fierce, he dreads, Till, at the dawn, sullen he stalks away; So from before the Trojans Ajax stalk’d Sullen, and with reluctance slow retired.670 His brave heart trembling for the fleet of Greece.