n, whose stream goes round the world. Not long was he in
making the shield and the other wonderful pieces of armour. As soon as
the armour was ready Thetis put her hands upon it, and flying down from
Olympus like a hawk, brought it to the feet of Achilles, her son.'

'And Achilles, when he saw the splendid armour that Hephaistos the lame
god had made for him, rose up from where he lay and took the
wonderfully-wrought piece in his hands. And he began to put the armour
upon him, and none of the Myrmidons who were around could bear to look
upon it, because it shone with such brightness and because it had all
the marks of being the work of a god.'

XVII

Then Achilles put his shining armour upon him and it fitted him as
though it were wings; he put the wonderful shield before him and he took
in his hands the great spear that Cheiron the Centaur had given to
Peleus his father--that spear that no one else but Achilles could wield.
He bade his charioteer harness the immortal horses Xanthos and Balios.
Then as he mounted his chariot Achilles spoke to the horses. "Xanthos
and Balios," he said, "this time bring the hero that goes with you back
safely to the ships, and do not leave him dead on the plain as ye left
the hero Patroklos."'

'Then Xanthos the immortal steed spoke, answering for himself and his
comrade. "Achilles," he said, with his head bowed and his mane touching
the ground, "Achilles, for this time we will bring thee safely back from
the battle. But a day will come when we shall not bring thee back, when
thou too shalt lie with the dead before the walls of Troy."'

'Then was Achilles troubled and he said, "Xanthos, my steed, why dost
thou remind me by thy prophecies of what I know already--that my death
too is appointed, and that I am to perish here, far from my father and
my mother and my own land."'

'Then he drove his immortal horses into the battle. The Trojans were
affrighted when they saw Achilles himself in the fight, blazing in the
armour that Hephaistos had made for him. They went backward before his
onset. And Achilles shouted to the captains of the Greeks, "No longer
stand apart from the men of Troy, but go with me into the battle and let
each man throw his whole soul into the fight."'

'And on the Trojan side Hector cried to his captains and said, "Do not
let Achilles drive you before him. Even though his hands are as
irresistible as fire and his fierceness as terrible as flashing steel, I