Planted with trees and stretch’d athwart the mead Repels an overflow; the torrents loud905 Baffling, it sends them far away to float The level land, nor can they with the force Of all their waters burst a passage through; So the Ajaces, constant, in the rear Repress’d the Trojans; but the Trojans them910 Attended still, of whom Æneas most Troubled them, and the glorious Chief of Troy. They as a cloud of starlings or of daws Fly screaming shrill, warn’d timely of the kite Or hawk, devourers of the smaller kinds,915 So they shrill-clamoring toward the fleet, Hasted before Æneas and the might Of Hector, nor the battle heeded more. Much radiant armor round about the foss Fell of the flying Grecians, or within920 Lay scatter’d, and no pause of war they found. BOOK XVIII. ARGUMENT OF THE EIGHTEENTH BOOK. Achilles, by command of Juno, shows himself to the Trojans, who fly at his appearance; Vulcan, at the insistence of Thetis, forges for him a suit of armor. BOOK XVIII. Thus burn’d the battle like devouring fire. Meantime, Antilochus with rapid steps Came to Achilles. Him he found before His lofty barks, occupied, as he stood, With boding fears of all that had befall’n.5 He groan’d, and to his noble self he said. Ah! wo is me—why falls Achaia’s host, With such disorder foul, back on the fleet? I tremble lest the Gods my anxious thoughts Accomplish and my mother’s words, who erst10 Hath warn’d me, that the bravest and the best Of all my Myrmidons, while yet I live, Slain under Troy, must view the sun no more. Brave Menœtiades is, doubtless, slain. Unhappy friend! I bade thee oft, our barks15 Deliver’d once from hostile fires, not seek To cope in arms with Hector, but return. While musing thus he stood, the son approach’d Of noble Nestor, and with tears his cheeks Bedewing copious, his sad message told.20 Oh son of warlike Peleus! thou shalt hear Tidings of deeds which best had never been. Patroclus is no more. The Grecians fight For his bare corse, and Hector hath his arms.[1]