or a while seem as though he would career through the tents and ships
of the Achaeans till he had reached the sea in his murderous course;
but the closely serried battalions stayed him when he reached them, for
the sons of the Achaeans thrust at him with swords and spears pointed
at both ends, and drove him from them so that he staggered and gave
ground; thereon he shouted to the Trojans, "Trojans, Lycians, and
Dardanians, fighters in close combat, stand firm: the Achaeans have set
themselves as a wall against me, but they will not check me for long;
they will give ground before me if the mightiest of the gods, the
thundering spouse of Juno, has indeed inspired my onset."

With these words he put heart and soul into them all. Deiphobus son of
Priam went about among them intent on deeds of daring with his round
shield before him, under cover of which he strode quickly forward.
Meriones took aim at him with a spear, nor did he fail to hit the broad
orb of ox-hide; but he was far from piercing it for the spear broke in
two pieces long ere he could do so; moreover Deiphobus had seen it
coming and had held his shield well away from him. Meriones drew back
under cover of his comrades, angry alike at having failed to vanquish
Deiphobus, and having broken his spear. He turned therefore towards the
ships and tents to fetch a spear which he had left behind in his tent.

The others continued fighting, and the cry of battle rose up into the
heavens. Teucer son of Telamon was the first to kill his man, to wit,
the warrior Imbrius, son of Mentor, rich in horses. Until the Achaeans
came he had lived in Pedaeum, and had married Medesicaste, a bastard
daughter of Priam; but on the arrival of the Danaan fleet he had gone
back to Ilius, and was a great man among the Trojans, dwelling near
Priam himself, who gave him like honour with his own sons. The son of
Telamon now struck him under the ear with a spear which he then drew
back again, and Imbrius fell headlong as an ash-tree when it is felled
on the crest of some high mountain beacon, and its delicate green
foliage comes toppling down to the ground. Thus did he fall with his
bronze-dight armour ringing harshly round him, and Teucer sprang
forward with intent to strip him of his armour; but as he was doing so,
Hector took aim at him with a spear. Teucer saw the spear coming and
swerved aside, whereon it hit Amphimachus, son of Cteatus son of Actor,
in the chest as he was coming into batt