d in Phylace away from his own country, for
he had killed the brother of his stepmother Eriopis, the wife of
Oileus; the other, Podarces, was the son of Iphiclus, son of Phylacus.
These two stood in the van of the Phthians, and defended the ships
along with the Boeotians.

Ajax son of Oileus, never for a moment left the side of Ajax, son of
Telamon, but as two swart oxen both strain their utmost at the plough
which they are drawing in a fallow field, and the sweat steams upwards
from about the roots of their horns--nothing but the yoke divides them
as they break up the ground till they reach the end of the field--even
so did the two Ajaxes stand shoulder to shoulder by one another. Many
and brave comrades followed the son of Telamon, to relieve him of his
shield when he was overcome with sweat and toil, but the Locrians did
not follow so close after the son of Oileus, for they could not hold
their own in a hand-to-hand fight. They had no bronze helmets with
plumes of horse-hair, neither had they shields nor ashen spears, but
they had come to Troy armed with bows, and with slings of twisted wool
from which they showered their missiles to break the ranks of the
Trojans. The others, therefore, with their heavy armour bore the brunt
of the fight with the Trojans and with Hector, while the Locrians shot
from behind, under their cover; and thus the Trojans began to lose
heart, for the arrows threw them into confusion.

The Trojans would now have been driven in sorry plight from the ships
and tents back to windy Ilius, had not Polydamas presently said to
Hector, "Hector, there is no persuading you to take advice. Because
heaven has so richly endowed you with the arts of war, you think that
you must therefore excel others in counsel; but you cannot thus claim
preeminence in all things. Heaven has made one man an excellent
soldier; of another it has made a dancer or a singer and player on the
lyre; while yet in another Jove has implanted a wise understanding of
which men reap fruit to the saving of many, and he himself knows more
about it than any one; therefore I will say what I think will be best.
The fight has hemmed you in as with a circle of fire, and even now that
the Trojans are within the wall some of them stand aloof in full
armour, while others are fighting scattered and outnumbered near the
ships. Draw back, therefore, and call your chieftains round you, that
we may advise together whether to fall now upon the ships