way to Phrygia and fair Meonia,
for the hand of Jove has been laid heavily upon us. Now, therefore,
that the son of scheming Saturn has vouchsafed me to win glory here and
to hem the Achaeans in at their ships, prate no more in this fool's
wise among the people. You will have no man with you; it shall not be;
do all of you as I now say;--take your suppers in your companies
throughout the host, and keep your watches and be wakeful every man of
you. If any Trojan is uneasy about his possessions, let him gather them
and give them out among the people. Better let these, rather than the
Achaeans, have them. At daybreak we will arm and fight about the ships;
granted that Achilles has again come forward to defend them, let it be
as he will, but it shall go hard with him. I shall not shun him, but
will fight him, to fall or conquer. The god of war deals out like
measure to all, and the slayer may yet be slain."

Thus spoke Hector; and the Trojans, fools that they were, shouted in
applause, for Pallas Minerva had robbed them of their understanding.
They gave ear to Hector with his evil counsel, but the wise words of
Polydamas no man would heed. They took their supper throughout the
host, and meanwhile through the whole night the Achaeans mourned
Patroclus, and the son of Peleus led them in their lament. He laid his
murderous hands upon the breast of his comrade, groaning again and
again as a bearded lion when a man who was chasing deer has robbed him
of his young in some dense forest; when the lion comes back he is
furious, and searches dingle and dell to track the hunter if he can
find him, for he is mad with rage--even so with many a sigh did
Achilles speak among the Myrmidons saying, "Alas! vain were the words
with which I cheered the hero Menoetius in his own house; I said that I
would bring his brave son back again to Opoeis after he had sacked
Ilius and taken his share of the spoils--but Jove does not give all men
their heart's desire. The same soil shall be reddened here at Troy by
the blood of us both, for I too shall never be welcomed home by the old
knight Peleus, nor by my mother Thetis, but even in this place shall
the earth cover me. Nevertheless, O Patroclus, now that I am left
behind you, I will not bury you, till I have brought hither the head
and armour of mighty Hector who has slain you. Twelve noble sons of
Trojans will I behead before your bier to avenge you; till I have done
so you shall lie as you are by th