us, Rhodius, Grenicus, Aesopus, and goodly
Scamander, with Simois, where many a shield and helm had fallen, and
many a hero of the race of demigods had bitten the dust. Phoebus Apollo
turned the mouths of all these rivers together and made them flow for
nine days against the wall, while Jove rained the whole time that he
might wash it sooner into the sea. Neptune himself, trident in hand,
surveyed the work and threw into the sea all the foundations of beams
and stones which the Achaeans had laid with so much toil; he made all
level by the mighty stream of the Hellespont, and then when he had
swept the wall away he spread a great beach of sand over the place
where it had been. This done he turned the rivers back into their old
courses.

This was what Neptune and Apollo were to do in after time; but as yet
battle and turmoil were still raging round the wall till its timbers
rang under the blows that rained upon them. The Argives, cowed by the
scourge of Jove, were hemmed in at their ships in fear of Hector the
mighty minister of Rout, who as heretofore fought with the force and
fury of a whirlwind. As a lion or wild boar turns fiercely on the dogs
and men that attack him, while these form a solid wall and shower their
javelins as they face him--his courage is all undaunted, but his high
spirit will be the death of him; many a time does he charge at his
pursuers to scatter them, and they fall back as often as he does
so--even so did Hector go about among the host exhorting his men, and
cheering them on to cross the trench.

But the horses dared not do so, and stood neighing upon its brink, for
the width frightened them. They could neither jump it nor cross it, for
it had overhanging banks all round upon either side, above which there
were the sharp stakes that the sons of the Achaeans had planted so
close and strong as a defence against all who would assail it; a horse,
therefore, could not get into it and draw his chariot after him, but
those who were on foot kept trying their very utmost. Then Polydamas
went up to Hector and said, "Hector, and you other captains of the
Trojans and allies, it is madness for us to try and drive our horses
across the trench; it will be very hard to cross, for it is full of
sharp stakes, and beyond these there is the wall. Our horses therefore
cannot get down into it, and would be of no use if they did; moreover
it is a narrow place and we should come to harm. If, indeed, great Jove
is min