and brazen-armed Hector, and, standing near, addressed to him winged words:
"O Hector, now hast thou altogether neglected thine allies, who are losing their lives for thy sake, far away from their friends and fatherland; but thou dost not wish to aid them. Sarpedon lies low, the leader of the shield-bearing Lycians, who protected Lycia by his justice and his valor. Him hath brazen Mars subdued with a spear at the hands of Patroclus. But stand near, my friends, and be indignant in your minds, lest the Myrmidons spoil his armor, and unworthily treat the body, enraged on account of the Greeks, as many as have perished, whom we have slain with our spears at the ships."
Thus he spoke; but intolerable, unyielding grief wholly possessed the Trojans, for he had been a pillar of their city, though being a foreigner; for many forces followed along with him, among whom he himself was the most valiant in battle. They therefore advanced eagerly straight against the Greeks, ardent with desire; but Hector led the way, enraged on account of Sarpedon. But the valiant heart of Patroclus, son of Menœtius, aroused the Greeks. First he addressed the Ajaces, though they themselves were also eager:
"O Ajaces, now let it be a delightful thing to you both to repel [the foe]; be ye such as of old ye were among heroes, or even braver. Sarpedon lies low, the man who first broke through[1] the wall of the Greeks. But oh! that taking him, we could treat him with indignity, and spoil the armor from his shoulders, and subdue with the cruel brass some one of his companions keeping [us] off from him."
Thus he spoke; but they also themselves were ready to repel [the foe]. But when they had strengthened their phalanxes on both sides, the Trojans and Lycians, as well as the Myrmidons and Achæans, they closed to fight round the dead body, shouting dreadfully, and loudly rattled the arms of men. But Jove stretched pernicious night over the violent contest, that there might be a destructive toil of battle around his dear son. The Trojans first drove back the rolling-eyed Greeks; for a man was smitten, by no means the most inferior among the Myrmidons, noble Epigeus, son
- ↑ We must understand him as having done so in company with Hector, otherwise this passage would be at variance with xii. 290, 437.
