nly the shield of Ajax son
of Telamon, and he surely must be fighting in the front rank and
wielding his spear about the body of dead Patroclus."

Iris said, "We know that your armour has been taken, but go as you are;
go to the deep trench and show yourself before the Trojans, that they
may fear you and cease fighting. Thus will the fainting sons of the
Achaeans gain some brief breathing-time, which in battle may hardly be."

Iris left him when she had so spoken. But Achilles dear to Jove arose,
and Minerva flung her tasselled aegis round his strong shoulders; she
crowned his head with a halo of golden cloud from which she kindled a
glow of gleaming fire. As the smoke that goes up into heaven from some
city that is being beleaguered on an island far out at sea--all day
long do men sally from the city and fight their hardest, and at the
going down of the sun the line of beacon-fires blazes forth, flaring
high for those that dwell near them to behold, if so be that they may
come with their ships and succour them--even so did the light flare
from the head of Achilles, as he stood by the trench, going beyond the
wall--but he did not join the Achaeans for he heeded the charge which
his mother laid upon him.

There did he stand and shout aloud. Minerva also raised her voice from
afar, and spread terror unspeakable among the Trojans. Ringing as the
note of a trumpet that sounds alarm then the foe is at the gates of a
city, even so brazen was the voice of the son of Aeacus, and when the
Trojans heard its clarion tones they were dismayed; the horses turned
back with their chariots for they boded mischief, and their drivers
were awe-struck by the steady flame which the grey-eyed goddess had
kindled above the head of the great son of Peleus.

Thrice did Achilles raise his loud cry as he stood by the trench, and
thrice were the Trojans and their brave allies thrown into confusion;
whereon twelve of their noblest champions fell beneath the wheels of
their chariots and perished by their own spears. The Achaeans to their
great joy then drew Patroclus out of reach of the weapons, and laid him
on a litter: his comrades stood mourning round him, and among them
fleet Achilles who wept bitterly as he saw his true comrade lying dead
upon his bier. He had sent him out with horses and chariots into
battle, but his return he was not to welcome.

Then Juno sent the busy sun, loth though he was, into the waters of
Oceanus; so he set, and t