d his destruction; it struck him where the head springs
from the neck at the top joint of the spine, and severed both the
tendons at the back of the head. His head, mouth, and nostrils reached
the ground long before his legs and knees could do so, and Ajax shouted
to Polydamas saying, "Think, Polydamas, and tell me truly whether this
man is not as well worth killing as Prothoenor was: he seems rich, and
of rich family, a brother, it may be, or son of the knight Antenor, for
he is very like him."

But he knew well who it was, and the Trojans were greatly angered.
Acamas then bestrode his brother's body and wounded Promachus the
Boeotian with his spear, for he was trying to drag his brother's body
away. Acamas vaunted loudly over him saying, "Argive archers, braggarts
that you are, toil and suffering shall not be for us only, but some of
you too shall fall here as well as ourselves. See how Promachus now
sleeps, vanquished by my spear; payment for my brother's blood has not
been long delayed; a man, therefore, may well be thankful if he leaves
a kinsman in his house behind him to avenge his fall."

His taunts infuriated the Argives, and Peneleos was more enraged than
any of them. He sprang towards Acamas, but Acamas did not stand his
ground, and he killed Ilioneus son of the rich flock-master Phorbas,
whom Mercury had favoured and endowed with greater wealth than any
other of the Trojans. Ilioneus was his only son, and Peneleos now
wounded him in the eye under his eyebrows, tearing the eye-ball from
its socket: the spear went right through the eye into the nape of the
neck, and he fell, stretching out both hands before him. Peneleos then
drew his sword and smote him on the neck, so that both head and helmet
came tumbling down to the ground with the spear still sticking in the
eye; he then held up the head, as though it had been a poppy-head, and
showed it to the Trojans, vaunting over them as he did so. "Trojans,"
he cried, "bid the father and mother of noble Ilioneus make moan for
him in their house, for the wife also of Promachus son of Alegenor will
never be gladdened by the coming of her dear husband--when we Argives
return with our ships from Troy."

As he spoke fear fell upon them, and every man looked round about to
see whither he might fly for safety.

Tell me now, O Muses that dwell on Olympus, who was the first of the
Argives to bear away blood-stained spoils after Neptune lord of the
earthquake had turned t