and all the treasure that Alexandrus
brought with him in his ships to Troy, aye, and to let the Achaeans
divide the half of everything that the city contains among themselves?
I might make the Trojans, by the mouths of their princes, take a solemn
oath that they would hide nothing, but would divide into two shares all
that is within the city--but why argue with myself in this way? Were I
to go up to him he would show me no kind of mercy; he would kill me
then and there as easily as though I were a woman, when I had off my
armour. There is no parleying with him from some rock or oak tree as
young men and maidens prattle with one another. Better fight him at
once, and learn to which of us Jove will vouchsafe victory."

Thus did he stand and ponder, but Achilles came up to him as it were
Mars himself, plumed lord of battle. From his right shoulder he
brandished his terrible spear of Pelian ash, and the bronze gleamed
around him like flashing fire or the rays of the rising sun. Fear fell
upon Hector as he beheld him, and he dared not stay longer where he was
but fled in dismay from before the gates, while Achilles darted after
him at his utmost speed. As a mountain falcon, swiftest of all birds,
swoops down upon some cowering dove--the dove flies before him but the
falcon with a shrill scream follows close after, resolved to have
her--even so did Achilles make straight for Hector with all his might,
while Hector fled under the Trojan wall as fast as his limbs could take
him.

On they flew along the waggon-road that ran hard by under the wall,
past the lookout station, and past the weather-beaten wild fig-tree,
till they came to two fair springs which feed the river Scamander. One
of these two springs is warm, and steam rises from it as smoke from a
burning fire, but the other even in summer is as cold as hail or snow,
or the ice that forms on water. Here, hard by the springs, are the
goodly washing-troughs of stone, where in the time of peace before the
coming of the Achaeans the wives and fair daughters of the Trojans used
to wash their clothes. Past these did they fly, the one in front and
the other giving chase behind him: good was the man that fled, but
better far was he that followed after, and swiftly indeed did they run,
for the prize was no mere beast for sacrifice or bullock's hide, as it
might be for a common foot-race, but they ran for the life of Hector.
As horses in a chariot race speed round the turning-post