Left not, but griping fast her upper edge With both hands, to his Trojans call’d aloud. Fire! Bring me fire! Stand fast and shout to heaven! Jove gives us now a day worth all the past;870 The ships are ours which, in the Gods’ despite Steer’d hither, such calamities to us Have caused, for which our seniors most I blame Who me withheld from battle at the fleet And check’d the people; but if then the hand875 Of Thunderer Jove our better judgment marr’d, Himself now urges and commands us on. He ceased; they still more violent assail’d The Grecians. Even Ajax could endure, Whelm’d under weapons numberless, that storm880 No longer, but expecting death retired Down from the decks to an inferior stand, Where still he watch’d, and if a Trojan bore Fire thither, he repulsed him with his spear, Roaring continual to the host of Greece.885 Friends! Grecian heroes! ministers of Mars! Be men, my friends! now summon all your might! Think we that we have thousands at our backs To succor us, or yet some stronger wall To guard our warriors from the battle’s force?890 Not so. No tower’d city is at hand, None that presents us with a safe retreat While others occupy our station here, But from the shores of Argos far remote Our camp is, where the Trojans arm’d complete895 Swarm on the plain, and Ocean shuts us in. Our hands must therefore save us, not our heels He said, and furious with his spear again Press’d them, and whatsoever Trojan came, Obsequious to the will of Hector, arm’d900 With fire to burn the fleet, on his spear’s point Ajax receiving pierced him, till at length Twelve in close fight fell by his single arm. BOOK XVI. ARGUMENT OF THE SIXTEENTH BOOK. Achilles, at the suit of Patroclus, grants him his own armor, and permission to lead the Myrmidons to battle. They, sallying, repulse the Trojans. Patroclus slays Sarpedon, and Hector, when Apollo had first stripped off his armor and Euphorbus wounded him, slays Patroclus. BOOK XVI.