t
and south wind buffet one another when they beat upon some dense forest
on the mountains--there is beech and ash and spreading cornel; the top
of the trees roar as they beat on one another, and one can hear the
boughs cracking and breaking--even so did the Trojans and Achaeans
spring upon one another and lay about each other, and neither side
would give way. Many a pointed spear fell to ground and many a winged
arrow sped from its bow-string about the body of Cebriones; many a
great stone, moreover, beat on many a shield as they fought around his
body, but there he lay in the whirling clouds of dust, all huge and
hugely, heedless of his driving now.

So long as the sun was still high in mid-heaven the weapons of either
side were alike deadly, and the people fell; but when he went down
towards the time when men loose their oxen, the Achaeans proved to be
beyond all forecast stronger, so that they drew Cebriones out of range
of the darts and tumult of the Trojans, and stripped the armour from
his shoulders. Then Patroclus sprang like Mars with fierce intent and a
terrific shout upon the Trojans, and thrice did he kill nine men; but
as he was coming on like a god for a time, then, O Patroclus, was the
hour of your end approaching, for Phoebus fought you in fell earnest.
Patroclus did not see him as he moved about in the crush, for he was
enshrouded in thick darkness, and the god struck him from behind on his
back and his broad shoulders with the flat of his hand, so that his
eyes turned dizzy. Phoebus Apollo beat the helmet from off his head,
and it rolled rattling off under the horses' feet, where its horse-hair
plumes were all begrimed with dust and blood. Never indeed had that
helmet fared so before, for it had served to protect the head and
comely forehead of the godlike hero Achilles. Now, however, Zeus
delivered it over to be worn by Hector. Nevertheless the end of Hector
also was near. The bronze-shod spear, so great and so strong, was
broken in the hand of Patroclus, while his shield that covered him from
head to foot fell to the ground as did also the band that held it, and
Apollo undid the fastenings of his corslet.

On this his mind became clouded; his limbs failed him, and he stood as
one dazed; whereon Euphorbus son of Panthous a Dardanian, the best
spearman of his time, as also the finest horseman and fleetest runner,
came behind him and struck him in the back with a spear, midway between
the shoulders. T