Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
of their herd- he makes his greedy spring, but in vain, for the darts
from many a strong hand fall thick around him, with burning
brands that scare him for all his fury, and when morning comes he
slinks foiled and angry away- even so did Ajax, sorely against his
will, retreat angrily before the Trojans, fearing for the ships of the
Achaeans. Or as some lazy ass that has had many a cudgel broken
about his back, when he into a field begins eating the corn- boys
beat him but he is too many for them, and though they lay about
with their sticks they cannot hurt him; still when he has had his fill
they at last drive him from the field- even so did the Trojans and
their allies pursue great Ajax, ever smiting the middle of his shield
with their darts. Now and again he would turn and show fight,
keeping back the battalions of the Trojans, and then he would again
retreat; but he prevented any of them from making his way to the
ships. Single-handed he stood midway between the Trojans and
Achaeans: the spears that sped from their hands stuck some of
them in his mighty shield, while many, though thirsting for his
blood, fell to the ground ere they could reach him to the wounding
of his fair flesh.
Now when Eurypylus the brave son of Euaemon saw that Ajax was
being overpowered by the rain of arrows, he went up to him and
hurled his spear. He struck Apisaon son of Phausius in the liver
below the midriff, and laid him low. Eurypylus sprang upon him,
and stripped the armour from his shoulders; but when Alexandrus
saw him, he aimed an arrow at him which struck him in the right
thigh; the arrow broke, but the point that was left in the wound
dragged on the thigh; he drew back, therefore, under cover of his
comrades to save his life, shouting as he did so to the Danaans,
“My friends, princes and counsellors of the Argives, rally to the
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