eaders
of the Lycians are upon us, men who have ever fought desperately
heretofore. But if they have too much on their hands to let them come,
at any rate let Ajax son of Telamon do so, and let Teucer, the famous
bowman, come with him."

The messenger did as he was told, and set off running along the wall of
the Achaeans. When he reached the Ajaxes he said to them, "Sirs,
princes of the Argives, the son of noble Peteos bids you come to him
for a while and help him. You had better both come if you can, or it
will be all over with him directly; the leaders of the Lycians are upon
him, men who have ever fought desperately heretofore; if you have too
much on your hands to let both come, at any rate let Ajax, son of
Telamon, do so, and let Teucer, the famous bowman, come with him."

Great Ajax son of Telamon heeded the message, and at once spoke to the
son of Oileus. "Ajax," said he, "do you two, yourself and brave
Lycomedes, stay here and keep the Danaans in heart to fight their
hardest. I will go over yonder, and bear my part in the fray, but I
will come back here at once as soon as I have given them the help they
need."

With this, Ajax son of Telamon set off, and Teucer, his brother by the
same father, went also, with Pandion to carry Teucer's bow. They went
along inside the wall, and when they came to the tower where Menestheus
was (and hard pressed indeed did they find him) the brave captains and
leaders of the Lycians were storming the battlements as it were a thick
dark cloud, fighting in close quarters, and raising the battle-cry
aloud.

First, Ajax son of Telamon killed brave Epicles, a comrade of Sarpedon,
hitting him with a jagged stone that lay by the battlements at the very
top of the wall. As men now are, even one who is in the bloom of youth
could hardly lift it with his two hands, but Ajax raised it high aloft
and flung it down, smashing Epicles' four-crested helmet so that the
bones of his head were crushed to pieces, and he fell from the high
wall as though he were diving, with no more life left in him. Then
Teucer wounded Glaucus the brave son of Hippolochus as he was coming on
to attack the wall. He saw his shoulder bare and aimed an arrow at it,
which made Glaucus leave off fighting. Thereon he sprang covertly down
for fear some of the Achaeans might see that he was wounded and taunt
him. Sarpedon was stung with grief when he saw Glaucus leave him, still
he did not leave off fighting, but aimed his