the race of Mars. Ajax
son of Telamon threw third, and sent the quoit beyond any mark that had
been made yet, but when mighty Polypoetes took the quoit he hurled it
as though it had been a stockman's stick which he sends flying about
among his cattle when he is driving them, so far did his throw
out-distance those of the others. All who saw it roared applause, and
his comrades carried the prize for him and set it on board his ship.

Achilles next offered a prize of iron for archery--ten double-edged
axes and ten with single edges: he set up a ship's mast, some way off
upon the sands, and with a fine string tied a pigeon to it by the foot;
this was what they were to aim at. "Whoever," he said, "can hit the
pigeon shall have all the axes and take them away with him; he who hits
the string without hitting the bird will have taken a worse aim and
shall have the single-edged axes."

Then uprose King Teucer, and Meriones the stalwart squire of Idomeneus
rose also, They cast lots in a bronze helmet and the lot of Teucer fell
first. He let fly with his arrow forthwith, but he did not promise
hecatombs of firstling lambs to King Apollo, and missed his bird, for
Apollo foiled his aim; but he hit the string with which the bird was
tied, near its foot; the arrow cut the string clean through so that it
hung down towards the ground, while the bird flew up into the sky, and
the Achaeans shouted applause. Meriones, who had his arrow ready while
Teucer was aiming, snatched the bow out of his hand, and at once
promised that he would sacrifice a hecatomb of firstling lambs to
Apollo lord of the bow; then espying the pigeon high up under the
clouds, he hit her in the middle of the wing as she was circling
upwards; the arrow went clean through the wing and fixed itself in the
ground at Meriones' feet, but the bird perched on the ship's mast
hanging her head and with all her feathers drooping; the life went out
of her, and she fell heavily from the mast. Meriones, therefore, took
all ten double-edged axes, while Teucer bore off the single-edged ones
to his ships.

Then the son of Peleus brought in a spear and a cauldron that had never
been on the fire; it was worth an ox, and was chased with a pattern of
flowers; and those that throw the javelin stood up--to wit the son of
Atreus, king of men Agamemnon, and Meriones, stalwart squire of
Idomeneus. But Achilles spoke saying, "Son of Atreus, we know how far
you excel all others both in powe