Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
stock that great Jove gave to Tros in payment for his son
Ganymede, and are the finest that live and move under the sun.
King Anchises stole the blood by putting his mares to them
without Laomedon’s knowledge, and they bore him six foals. Four
are still in his stables, but he gave the other two to Aeneas. We shall
win great glory if we can take them.”
Thus did they converse, but the other two had now driven close up
to them, and the son of Lycaon spoke first. “Great and mighty son,”
said he, “of noble Tydeus, my arrow failed to lay you low, so I will
now try with my spear.”
He poised his spear as he spoke and hurled it from him. It struck
the shield of the son of Tydeus; the bronze point pierced it and
passed on till it reached the breastplate. Thereon the son of Lycaon
shouted out and said, “You are hit clean through the belly; you
will not stand out for long, and the glory of the fight is mine.”
But Diomed all undismayed made answer, “You have missed, not
hit, and before you two see the end of this matter one or other of
you shall glut tough-shielded Mars with his blood.”
With this he hurled his spear, and Minerva guided it on to
Pandarus’s nose near the eye. It went crashing in among his white
teeth; the bronze point cut through the root of his to tongue,
coming out under his chin, and his glistening armour rang rattling
round him as he fell heavily to the ground. The horses started
aside for fear, and he was reft of life and strength.
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