ld; this he held in front of him, and
brandishing his two spears came on like some lion of the wilderness,
who has been long famished for want of meat and will dare break even
into a well-fenced homestead to try and get at the sheep. He may find
the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks with dogs and spears, but
he is in no mind to be driven from the fold till he has had a try for
it; he will either spring on a sheep and carry it off, or be hit by a
spear from some strong hand--even so was Sarpedon fain to attack the
wall and break down its battlements. Then he said to Glaucus son of
Hippolochus, "Glaucus, why in Lycia do we receive especial honour as
regards our place at table? Why are the choicest portions served us and
our cups kept brimming, and why do men look up to us as though we were
gods? Moreover we hold a large estate by the banks of the river
Xanthus, fair with orchard lawns and wheat-growing land; it becomes us,
therefore, to take our stand at the head of all the Lycians and bear
the brunt of the fight, that one may say to another, 'Our princes in
Lycia eat the fat of the land and drink best of wine, but they are fine
fellows; they fight well and are ever at the front in battle.' My good
friend, if, when we were once out of this fight, we could escape old
age and death thenceforward and forever, I should neither press forward
myself nor bid you do so, but death in ten thousand shapes hangs ever
over our heads, and no man can elude him; therefore let us go forward
and either win glory for ourselves, or yield it to another."

Glaucus heeded his saying, and the pair forthwith led on the host of
Lycians. Menestheus son of Peteos was dismayed when he saw them, for it
was against his part of the wall that they came--bringing destruction
with them; he looked along the wall for some chieftain to support his
comrades and saw the two Ajaxes, men ever eager for the fray, and
Teucer, who had just come from his tent, standing near them; but he
could not make his voice heard by shouting to them, so great an uproar
was there from crashing shields and helmets and the battering of gates
with a din which reached the skies. For all the gates had been closed,
and the Trojans were hammering at them to try and break their way
through them. Menestheus, therefore, sent Thootes with a message to
Ajax. "Run, good Thootes," he said, "and call Ajax, or better still bid
both come, for it will be all over with us here directly; the l