But if the son of Atreus, our supreme, If Agamemnon, have indeed transgress’d140 Past all excuse, dishonoring the swift Achilles, ye at least the fight decline Blame-worthy, and with no sufficient plea. But heal we speedily the breach; brave minds Easily coalesce. It is not well145 That thus your fury slumbers, for the host Hath none illustrious as yourselves in arms. I can excuse the timid if he shrink, But am incensed at _you_. My friends, beware! Your tardiness will prove ere long the cause150 Of some worse evil. Let the dread of shame Affect your hearts; oh tremble at the thought Of infamy! Fierce conflict hath arisen; Loud shouting Hector combats at the ships Nobly, hath forced the gates and burst the bar.155 With such encouragement those Grecian chiefs The King of Ocean roused. Then, circled soon By many a phalanx either Ajax stood, Whose order Mars himself arriving there Had praised, or Pallas, patroness of arms.160 For there the flower of all expected firm Bold Hector and his host; spear crowded spear, Shield, helmet, man, press’d helmet, man and shield;[3] The hairy crests of their resplendent casques Kiss’d close at every nod, so wedged they stood;165 No spear was seen but in the manly grasp It quiver’d, and their every wish was war. The powers of Ilium gave the first assault Embattled close; them Hector led himself[4] Right on, impetuous as a rolling rock170 Destructive; torn by torrent waters off From its old lodgment on the mountain’s brow, It bounds, it shoots away; the crashing wood Falls under it; impediment or check None stays its fury, till the level found,175 There, settling by degrees, it rolls no more; So after many a threat that he would pass Easily through the Grecian camp and fleet And slay to the sea-brink, when Hector once Had fallen on those firm ranks, standing, he bore180 Vehement on them; but by many a spear Urged and bright falchion, soon, reeling, retired, And call’d vociferous on the host of Troy. Trojans, and Lycians, and close-fighting sons Of Dardanus, oh stand! not long the Greeks185 Will me confront, although embodied close In solid phalanx; doubt it not; my spear Shall chase and scatter them, if Jove, in truth, High-thundering mate of Juno, bid me on. So saying he roused the courage of them all190 Foremost of whom advanced, of Priam’s race Deiphobus, ambitious of renown. Tripping he came with shorten’d steps,[5] his feet Sheltering behind his buckler; but at him Aiming, Meriones his splendid lance195 Dismiss’d, nor err’d; his bull-hide targe he struck But ineffectual; where the hollow wood Receives the inserted brass, the quivering beam Snapp’d; then, Deiphobus his shield afar Advanced before him, trembling at a spear200 Hurl’d by Meriones. He, moved alike With indignation for the victory lost And for his broken spear, into his band At first retired, but soon set forth again In prowess through the Achaian camp, to fetch205 Its fellow-spear within his tent reserved.