Book VII

BOOK VII

WITH these words Hector passed through the gates, and his brother

Alexandrus with him, both eager for the fray. As when heaven

sends a breeze to sailors who have long looked for one in vain,

and have laboured at their oars till they are faint with toil,

even so welcome was the sight of these two heroes to the Trojans.

Thereon Alexandrus killed Menesthius the son of Areithous; he

lived in Arne, and was son of Areithous the Mace-man, and of

Phylomedusa. Hector threw a spear at Eioneus and struck him dead

with a wound in the neck under the bronze rim of his helmet.

Glaucus, moreover, son of Hippolochus, captain of the Lycians, in

hard hand-to-hand fight smote Iphinous son of Dexius on the

shoulder, as he was springing on to his chariot behind his fleet

mares; so he fell to earth from the car, and there was no life

left in him.

When, therefore, Minerva saw these men making havoc of the

Argives, she darted down to Ilius from the summits of Olympus,

and Apollo, who was looking on from Pergamus, went out to meet

her; for he wanted the Trojans to be victorious. The pair met by

the oak tree, and King Apollo son of Jove was first to speak.

"What would you have", said he, "daughter of great Jove, that

your proud spirit has sent you hither from Olympus? Have you no

pity upon the Trojans, and would you incline the scales of

victory in favour of the Danaans? Let me persuade you--for it

will be better thus--stay the combat for to-day, but let them

renew the fight hereafter till they compass the doom of Ilius,

since you goddesses have made up your minds to destroy the city."

And Minerva answered, "So be it, Far-Darter; it was in this mind

that I came down from Olympus to the Trojans and Achaeans. Tell

me, then, how do you propose to end this present fighting?"

Apollo, son of Jove, replied, "Let us incite great Hector to

challenge some one of the Danaans in single combat; on this the

Achaeans will be shamed into finding a man who will fight him."

Minerva assented, and Helenus son of Priam divined the counsel of

the gods; he therefore went up to Hector and said, "Hector son of

Priam, peer of gods in counsel, I am your brother, let me then

persuade you. Bid the other Trojans and Achaeans all of them take

their seats, and challenge the best man among the Achaeans to

meet you in single combat. I have heard the voice of the

ever-living gods, and the hour of your doom is not yet come."

Hector was glad when he heard this saying, and went in among the

Trojans, grasping his spear by the middle to hold them back, and