e nor feats of arms. If you were struck
by a dart or smitten in close combat, it would not be from behind, in
your neck nor back, but the weapon would hit you in the chest or belly
as you were pressing forward to a place in the front ranks. But let us
no longer stay here talking like children, lest we be ill spoken of;
go, fetch your spear from the tent at once."

On this Meriones, peer of Mars, went to the tent and got himself a
spear of bronze. He then followed after Idomeneus, big with great deeds
of valour. As when baneful Mars sallies forth to battle, and his son
Panic so strong and dauntless goes with him, to strike terror even into
the heart of a hero--the pair have gone from Thrace to arm themselves
among the Ephyri or the brave Phlegyans, but they will not listen to
both the contending hosts, and will give victory to one side or to the
other--even so did Meriones and Idomeneus, captains of men, go out to
battle clad in their bronze armour. Meriones was first to speak. "Son
of Deucalion," said he, "where would you have us begin fighting? On the
right wing of the host, in the centre, or on the left wing, where I
take it the Achaeans will be weakest?"

Idomeneus answered, "There are others to defend the centre--the two
Ajaxes and Teucer, who is the finest archer of all the Achaeans, and is
good also in a hand-to-hand fight. These will give Hector son of Priam
enough to do; fight as he may, he will find it hard to vanquish their
indomitable fury, and fire the ships, unless the son of Saturn fling a
firebrand upon them with his own hand. Great Ajax son of Telamon will
yield to no man who is in mortal mould and eats the grain of Ceres, if
bronze and great stones can overthrow him. He would not yield even to
Achilles in hand-to-hand fight, and in fleetness of foot there is none
to beat him; let us turn therefore towards the left wing, that we may
know forthwith whether we are to give glory to some other, or he to us."

Meriones, peer of fleet Mars, then led the way till they came to the
part of the host which Idomeneus had named.

Now when the Trojans saw Idomeneus coming on like a flame of fire, him
and his squire clad in their richly wrought armour, they shouted and
made towards him all in a body, and a furious hand-to-hand fight raged
under the ships' sterns. Fierce as the shrill winds that whistle upon a
day when dust lies deep on the roads, and the gusts raise it into a
thick cloud--even such was the fury of t