Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
He poised and hurled as he spoke, whereon the spear struck the
round shield of Aretus, and went right through it for the shield
stayed it not, so that it was driven through his belt into the lower
part of his belly. As when some sturdy youth, axe in hand, deals his
blow behind the horns of an ox and severs the tendons at the back
of its neck so that it springs forward and then drops, even so did
Aretus give one bound and then fall on his back the spear
quivering in his body till it made an end of him. Hector then aimed
a spear at Automedon but he saw it coming and stooped forward
to avoid it, so that it flew past him and the point stuck in the
ground, while the butt-end went on quivering till Mars robbed it of
its force. They would then have fought hand to hand with swords
had not the two Ajaxes forced their way through the crowd when
they heard their comrade calling, and parted them for all their furyfor
Hector, Aeneas, and Chromius were afraid and drew back,
leaving Aretus to lie there struck to the heart. Automedon, peer of
fleet Mars, then stripped him of his armour and vaunted over him
saying, “I have done little to assuage my sorrow for the son of
Menoetius, for the man I have killed is not so good as he was.”
As he spoke he took the blood-stained spoils and laid them upon
his chariot; then he mounted the car with his hands and feet all
steeped in gore as a lion that has been gorging upon a bull.
And now the fierce groanful fight again raged about Patroclus, for
Minerva came down from heaven and roused its fury by the
command of far-seeing Jove, who had changed his mind and sent
her to encourage the Danaans. As when Jove bends his bright bow
in heaven in token to mankind either of war or of the chill storms
that stay men from their labour and plague the flocks- even so,
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