Meanwhile Apollo hastened to the side of the Trojan prince, who was still weak from the blow of Ajax. Quickly the god restored the hero's strength and breathed fresh courage into his breast. Then he commanded Hector to hasten forward and lead his warriors against the enemy. In an instant the Trojan prince was on his feet, hurrying to the front. When the Greek chiefs saw him they were astonished as well as terrified, for they had thought him dead, and now they believed he had been rescued from death by some god. They resolved, however, to fight bravely, and so they stood firmly together. Hector meanwhile advanced, Apollo moving before him with the shield of Jupiter, the terrible aegis, which Jupiter had given him to shake before the Greeks and fill their hearts with fear. "Hector led The van in rapid march. Before him walked Phœbus, the terrible aggis in his hands, Dazzlingly bright within its shaggy fringe, By Vulcan forged, the great artificer, And given to Jupiter, with which to rout Armies of men. With this in hand he led The assailants on." BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book XV. Against an attack so led the bravery of the Greeks was of little avail. Numbers of their warriors were slain, and the rest fled back to their camp, pursued by Hector and his triumphant hosts. This time the Trojans were not hindered by the trench or the wall, for Apollo with his mighty feet trampled down the earth banks, and overthrew the great wall as easily as a child at play on the beach overthrows a tiny mound of sand. Then a fierce struggle took place, the Greeks fighting with desperate fury to defend their ships, which the Trojans, with lighted torches in their hands, tried to set on fire. At one of the galleys there was a terrific conflict. Hector, having grasped the vessel by the stern, called to his men to bring on their flaming brands, while the mighty Ajax stood on the rowers' bench, ready with his long spear to strike the assailants back. On the blade of that long spear The hero took them as they came, and slew In close encounter twelve before the fleet. BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book XV. But at last the brave son of Telamon was forced to give way, Hector having cut his spear shaft in two by a stroke of his huge sword. Then the Trojans hurled forward their blazing torches, and the ship was soon wrapped in flames. The Greeks were now in the greatest peril. No hope seemed left to them to save their fleet from destruction. But help came from an unexpected quarter. Patroclus, the friend and companion of Achilles, had been watching the terrible conflict at the ships. As soon as he saw the vessel on fire he hurried to the tent of the Myrmidonian chief, and with tears in his eyes implored him to have pity on his perishing countrymen.