Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
did Ajax fell to earth Simoeisius, son of Anthemion. Thereon
Antiphus of the gleaming corslet, son of Priam, hurled a spear at
Ajax from amid the crowd and missed him, but he hit Leucus, the
brave comrade of Ulysses, in the groin, as he was dragging the
body of Simoeisius over to the other side; so he fell upon the body
and loosed his hold upon it. Ulysses was furious when he saw
Leucus slain, and strode in full armour through the front ranks till
he was quite close; then he glared round about him and took aim,
and the Trojans fell back as he did so. His dart was not sped in
vain, for it struck Democoon, the bastard son of Priam, who had
come to him from Abydos, where he had charge of his father’s
mares. Ulysses, infuriated by the death of his comrade, hit him
with his spear on one temple, and the bronze point came through
on the other side of his forehead. Thereon darkness veiled his eyes,
and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the
ground. Hector, and they that were in front, then gave round while
the Argives raised a shout and drew off the dead, pressing further
forward as they did so. But Apollo looked down from Pergamus
and called aloud to the Trojans, for he was displeased. “Trojans,”
he cried, “rush on the foe, and do not let yourselves be thus beaten
by the Argives. Their skins are not stone nor iron that when hit
them you do them no harm. Moreover, Achilles, the son of lovely
Thetis, is not fighting, but is nursing his anger at the ships.”
Thus spoke the mighty god, crying to them from the city, while
Jove’s redoubtable daughter, the Trito-born, went about among the
host of the Achaeans, and urged them forward whenever she
beheld them slackening.
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