d path either a beam or a large piece of
timber for ship-building, but the spirit within them, as they hasten, is
wearied equally with fatigue and perspiration; so they with alacrity
bore away the body, whilst the Ajaces behind them checked [the enemy];
as a barrier of wood, stretched straight across a plain, restrains
water; which checks the furious courses even of rapid rivers, and
immediately turning them, directs the streams of all into the plain; nor
can they at all burst through it, though flowing with violence. So the
Ajaces in the rear always repulsed the attack of the Trojans, who,
however, followed along with them; but two amongst them in particular,
AEneas, son of Anchises, and illustrious Hector. And as a cloud of
starlings or jackdaws, shrilly chattering,[568] flies away when they
perceive a hawk advancing, which brings death to small birds; so then
from AEneas and Hector departed the sons of the Greeks, loudly
clamouring, and were forgetful of the fight. And much beautiful armour
of the flying Greeks fell both in and about the trench; but there was no
cessation from the battle.

[Footnote 567: Literally, "girding themselves with strength."]

[Footnote 568: Or, "shouting in presage of their doom," as Heyne
and Kennedy would take it, a meaning borne out by [Greek:
proidosin]. Cf. Longus. Past. ii. 12: [Greek: oi kometai
tarachthentes, epipedosin autois osei psares, e kolo oi].]

BOOK THE EIGHTEENTH.

ARGUMENT.

Thetis comforts her son for the death of Patroclus, and promises to
procure him new armour from Vulcan. At the command of Juno, Achilles
comes forth and strikes terror into the enemy. The body of Patroclus is
rescued, and prepared for funeral rites, and Vulcan forges a suit of
armour and a splendid shield for Achilles.

Thus they, then,[569] were fighting, like a blazing fire; but
swift-footed Antilochus came as a messenger to Achilles. Him he found in
front of his lofty-prowed ships, revolving in his mind those things
which had already been accomplished; and then groaning, he communed with
his own mind:

[Footnote 569: This is to be taken in connection with ver. 148 of
the last book, as the regular narrative is interrupted by the
message of Antilochus and the grief of Achilles.]

"Ah me! why are the long-haired Achaeans driven back in confusion to the
ships, routed through the plain? [I fear] lest the go