hat he might return safely home, whereon you bowed your head to
him in assent, bear it in mind now, and suffer not the Trojans to
triumph thus over the Achaeans."

All-counselling Jove thundered loudly in answer to the prayer of the
aged son of Neleus. When they heard Jove thunder they flung themselves
yet more fiercely on the Achaeans. As a wave breaking over the bulwarks
of a ship when the sea runs high before a gale--for it is the force of
the wind that makes the waves so great--even so did the Trojans spring
over the wall with a shout, and drive their chariots onwards. The two
sides fought with their double-pointed spears in hand-to-hand
encounter-the Trojans from their chariots, and the Achaeans climbing up
into their ships and wielding the long pikes that were lying on the
decks ready for use in a sea-fight, jointed and shod with bronze.

Now Patroclus, so long as the Achaeans and Trojans were fighting about
the wall, but were not yet within it and at the ships, remained sitting
in the tent of good Eurypylus, entertaining him with his conversation
and spreading herbs over his wound to ease his pain. When, however, he
saw the Trojans swarming through the breach in the wall, while the
Achaeans were clamouring and struck with panic, he cried aloud, and
smote his two thighs with the flat of his hands. "Eurypylus," said he
in his dismay, "I know you want me badly, but I cannot stay with you
any longer, for there is hard fighting going on; a servant shall take
care of you now, for I must make all speed to Achilles, and induce him
to fight if I can; who knows but with heaven's help I may persuade him.
A man does well to listen to the advice of a friend."

When he had thus spoken he went his way. The Achaeans stood firm and
resisted the attack of the Trojans, yet though these were fewer in
number, they could not drive them back from the ships, neither could
the Trojans break the Achaean ranks and make their way in among the
tents and ships. As a carpenter's line gives a true edge to a piece of
ship's timber, in the hand of some skilled workman whom Minerva has
instructed in all kinds of useful arts--even so level was the issue of
the fight between the two sides, as they fought some round one and some
round another.

Hector made straight for Ajax, and the two fought fiercely about the
same ship. Hector could not force Ajax back and fire the ship, nor yet
could Ajax drive Hector from the spot to which heaven had brought