Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
forbade the host to follow me; if Jove did then indeed warp our
judgements, himself now commands me and cheers me on.”
As he spoke thus the Trojans sprang yet more fiercely on the
Achaeans, and Ajax no longer held his ground, for he was
overcome by the darts that were flung at him, and made sure that
he was doomed. Therefore he left the raised deck at the stern, and
stepped back on to the seven-foot bench of the oarsmen. Here he
stood on the look-out, and with his spear held back Trojan whom
he saw bringing fire to the ships. All the time he kept on shouting
at the top of his voice and exhorting the Danaans. “My friends,” he
cried, “Danaan heroes, servants of Mars, be men my friends, and
fight with might and with main. Can we hope to find helpers
hereafter, or a wall to shield us more surely than the one we have?
There is no strong city within reach, whence we may draw fresh
forces to turn the scales in our favour. We are on the plain of the
armed Trojans with the sea behind us, and far from our own
country. Our salvation, therefore, is in the might of our hands and
in hard fighting.”
As he spoke he wielded his spear with still greater fury, and when
any Trojan made towards the ships with fire at Hector’s bidding, he
would be on the look-out for him, and drive at him with his long
spear. Twelve men did he thus kill in hand-to-hand fight before the
ships.
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