coming from the deep sea, aroused the Greeks, assimilating his person and indefatigable voice to Calchas. The Ajaces he first addressed, though themselves were earnest:
"Ye Ajaces, ye indeed, mindful of valor, not of direful flight, will preserve the people of the Greeks. For in any other place, indeed, I do not dread the audacious hands of the Trojans, who in great numbers have surmounted the great wall, because the well-greaved Greeks will sustain them all. But in that place I grievously fear lest we suffer any thing, where infuriated Hector, like unto a flame, leads on, who boasts to be the son of almighty Jove. But may some of the gods thus put it in your minds, that ye stand firmly yourselves, and exhort others; thus may ye drive him, although impetuous, from the swift-sailing ships, even if Jove himself excites him."
He said, and earth-ruling Neptune, striking both with his scepter, filled them with violent might, and made their limbs light and their feet and hands above. But he, like as a swift-winged hawk is impelled to fly, which, lifted up from a rugged, lofty rock, has hastened to pursue another bird over the plain; so darted earth-shaking Neptune from them. But fleet Ajax, the son of Oïleus, recognized him first of the two, and straightway addressed Ajax, the son of Telamon:
"O Ajax, since some one of the gods, who possess Olympus, likening himself to the soothsayer, exhorts us to fight beside the ships (neither is this Calchas, the prophesying augur; for I readily recognized the traces of his feet and legs when departing; for the gods are easily distinguished), even to myself, the soul within my bosom is more incited to war and the fight, and my feet beneath and hands above eagerly desire it."
But him Telamonian Ajax answering addressed: "So also to me are my strong hands upon my spear eager, and my courage is aroused, and I am hurried along by both my feet under me; and I eagerly long, even, alone, to combat with Hector, the son of Priam, insatiably raging."
Thus they addressed these words to each other, joyful in the desire of battle[1] which the god had infused into their
- ↑ See Heyne, who compares the Latin gestire. Hesych.: Χάρμη, ἡ μετὰ χαρᾶς μάχη.
