Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
The god left him when he had given him these instructions, and at
once removed the darkness from before the eyes of Achilles, who
opened them wide indeed and said in great anger, “Alas! what
marvel am I now beholding? Here is my spear upon the ground,
but I see not him whom I meant to kill when I hurled it. Of a truth
Aeneas also must be under heaven’s protection, although I had
thought his boasting was idle. Let him go hang; he will be in no
mood to fight me further, seeing how narrowly he has missed
being killed. I will now give my orders to the Danaans and attack
some other of the Trojans.”
He sprang forward along the line and cheered his men on as he did
so. “Let not the Trojans,” he cried, “keep you at arm’s length,
Achaeans, but go for them and fight them man for man. However
valiant I may be, I cannot give chase to so many and fight all of
them. Even Mars, who is an immortal, or Minerva, would shrink
from flinging himself into the jaws of such a fight and laying about
him; nevertheless, so far as in me lies I will show no slackness of
hand or foot nor want of endurance, not even for a moment; I will
utterly break their ranks, and woe to the Trojan who shall venture
within reach of my spear.”
Thus did he exhort them. Meanwhile Hector called upon the
Trojans and declared that he would fight Achilles. “Be not afraid,
proud Trojans,” said he, “to face the son of Peleus; I could fight
gods myself if the battle were one of words only, but they would be
more than a match for me, if we had to use our spears. Even so the
deed of Achilles will fall somewhat short of his word; he will do in
part, and the other part he will clip short. I will go up against him
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