Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
Forthwith uprose great Ajax the son of Telamon, as also mighty
Diomed son of Tydeus. When they had put on their armour each
on his own side of the ring, they both went into the middle eager to
engage, and with fire flashing from their eyes. The Achaeans
marvelled as they beheld them, and when the two were now close
up with one another, thrice did they spring forward and thrice try
to strike each other in close combat. Ajax pierced Diomed’s round
shield, but did not draw blood, for the cuirass beneath the shield
protected him; thereon the son of Tydeus from over his huge shield
kept aiming continually at Ajax’s neck with the point of his spear,
and the Achaeans alarmed for his safety bade them leave off
fighting and divide the prize between them. Achilles then gave the
great sword to the son of Tydeus, with its scabbard, and the
leathern belt with which to hang it.
Achilles next offered the massive iron quoit which mighty Eetion
had erewhile been used to hurl, until Achilles had slain him and
carried it off in his ships along with other spoils. He stood up and
said among the Argives, “Stand forward, you who would essay this
contest. He who wins it will have a store of iron that will last him
five years as they go rolling round, and if his fair fields lie far from
a town his shepherd or ploughman will not have to make a journey
to buy iron, for he will have a stock of it on his own premises.”
Then uprose the two mighty men Polypoetes and Leonteus, with
Ajax son of Telamon and noble Epeus. They stood up one after the
other and Epeus took the quoit, whirled it, and flung it from him,
which set all the Achaeans laughing. After him threw Leonteus of
the race of Mars. Ajax son of Telamon threw third, and sent the
quoit beyond any mark that had been made yet, but when mighty
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