Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
and Neptune on the Argive side. Mighty was the uproar as the two
forces met; the sea came rolling in towards the ships and tents of
the Achaeans, but waves do not thunder on the shore more loudly
when driven before the blast of Boreas, nor do the flames of a forest
fire roar more fiercely when it is well alight upon the mountains,
nor does the wind bellow with ruder music as it tears on through
the tops of when it is blowing its hardest, than the terrible shout
which the Trojans and Achaeans raised as they sprang upon one
another.
Hector first aimed his spear at Ajax, who was turned full towards
him, nor did he miss his aim. The spear struck him where two
bands passed over his chest- the band of his shield and that of his
silver-studded sword- and these protected his body. Hector was
angry that his spear should have been hurled in vain, and
withdrew under cover of his men. As he was thus retreating, Ajax
son of Telamon struck him with a stone, of which there were many
lying about under the men’s feet as they fought- brought there to
give support to the ships’ sides as they lay on the shore. Ajax
caught up one of them and struck Hector above the rim of his
shield close to his neck; the blow made him spin round like a top
and reel in all directions. As an oak falls headlong when uprooted
by the lightning flash of father Jove, and there is a terrible smell of
brimstone- no man can help being dismayed if he is standing near
it, for a thunderbolt is a very awful thing- even so did Hector fall to
earth and bite the dust. His spear fell from his hand, but his shield
and helmet were made fast about his body, and his bronze armour
rang about him.
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