"Antilochus, you shall not have praised me to no purpose; I
shall give you an additional half talent of gold." He then gave the
half talent to Antilochus, who received it gladly.

Then the son of Peleus brought out the spear, helmet and shield that
had been borne by Sarpedon, and were taken from him by Patroclus. He
stood up and said among the Argives, "We bid two champions put on their
armour, take their keen blades, and make trial of one another in the
presence of the multitude; whichever of them can first wound the flesh
of the other, cut through his armour, and draw blood, to him will I
give this goodly Thracian sword inlaid with silver, which I took from
Asteropaeus, but the armour let both hold in partnership, and I will
give each of them a hearty meal in my own tent."

Forthwith uprose great Ajax the son of Telamon, as also mighty Diomed
son of Tydeus. When they had put on their armour each on his own side
of the ring, they both went into the middle eager to engage, and with
fire flashing from their eyes. The Achaeans marvelled as they beheld
them, and when the two were now close up with one another, thrice did
they spring forward and thrice try to strike each other in close
combat. Ajax pierced Diomed's round shield, but did not draw blood, for
the cuirass beneath the shield protected him; thereon the son of Tydeus
from over his huge shield kept aiming continually at Ajax's neck with
the point of his spear, and the Achaeans alarmed for his safety bade
them leave off fighting and divide the prize between them. Achilles
then gave the great sword to the son of Tydeus, with its scabbard, and
the leathern belt with which to hang it.

Achilles next offered the massive iron quoit which mighty Eetion had
erewhile been used to hurl, until Achilles had slain him and carried it
off in his ships along with other spoils. He stood up and said among
the Argives, "Stand forward, you who would essay this contest. He who
wins it will have a store of iron that will last him five years as they
go rolling round, and if his fair fields lie far from a town his
shepherd or ploughman will not have to make a journey to buy iron, for
he will have a stock of it on his own premises."

Then uprose the two mighty men Polypoetes and Leonteus, with Ajax son
of Telamon and noble Epeus. They stood up one after the other and Epeus
took the quoit, whirled it, and flung it from him, which set all the
Achaeans laughing. After him threw Leonteus of