having thought of building
this weak and worthless wall. It shall not stay my fury; my horses will
spring lightly over their trench, and when I am at their ships forget
not to bring me fire that I may burn them, while I slaughter the
Argives who will be all dazed and bewildered by the smoke."

Then he cried to his horses, "Xanthus and Podargus, and you Aethon and
goodly Lampus, pay me for your keep now and for all the honey-sweet
corn with which Andromache daughter of great Eetion has fed you, and
for she has mixed wine and water for you to drink whenever you would,
before doing so even for me who am her own husband. Haste in pursuit,
that we may take the shield of Nestor, the fame of which ascends to
heaven, for it is of solid gold, arm-rods and all, and that we may
strip from the shoulders of Diomed the cuirass which Vulcan made him.
Could we take these two things, the Achaeans would set sail in their
ships this self-same night."

Thus did he vaunt, but Queen Juno made high Olympus quake as she shook
with rage upon her throne. Then said she to the mighty god of Neptune,
"What now, wide ruling lord of the earthquake? Can you find no
compassion in your heart for the dying Danaans, who bring you many a
welcome offering to Helice and to Aegae? Wish them well then. If all of
us who are with the Danaans were to drive the Trojans back and keep
Jove from helping them, he would have to sit there sulking alone on
Ida."

King Neptune was greatly troubled and answered, "Juno, rash of tongue,
what are you talking about? We other gods must not set ourselves
against Jove, for he is far stronger than we are."

Thus did they converse; but the whole space enclosed by the ditch, from
the ships even to the wall, was filled with horses and warriors, who
were pent up there by Hector son of Priam, now that the hand of Jove
was with him. He would even have set fire to the ships and burned them,
had not Queen Juno put it into the mind of Agamemnon, to bestir himself
and to encourage the Achaeans. To this end he went round the ships and
tents carrying a great purple cloak, and took his stand by the huge
black hull of Ulysses' ship, which was middlemost of all; it was from
this place that his voice would carry farthest, on the one hand towards
the tents of Ajax son of Telamon, and on the other towards those of
Achilles--for these two heroes, well assured of their own strength, had
valorously drawn up their ships at the two ends of the line.