Book XVII - Page 2

its white blossoms till the blasts of some fierce hurricane sweep

down upon it and level it with the ground--even so did Menelaus

strip the fair youth Euphorbus of his armour after he had slain

him. Or as some fierce lion upon the mountains in the pride of

his strength fastens on the finest heifer in a herd as it is

feeding--first he breaks her neck with his strong jaws, and then

gorges on her blood and entrails; dogs and shepherds raise a hue

and cry against him, but they stand aloof and will not come close

to him, for they are pale with fear--even so no one had the

courage to face valiant Menelaus. The son of Atreus would have

then carried off the armour of the son of Panthous with ease, had

not Phoebus Apollo been angry, and in the guise of Mentes chief

of the Cicons incited Hector to attack him. "Hector," said he,

"you are now going after the horses of the noble son of Aeacus,

but you will not take them; they cannot be kept in hand and

driven by mortal man, save only by Achilles, who is son to an

immortal mother. Meanwhile Menelaus son of Atreus has bestridden

the body of Patroclus and killed the noblest of the Trojans,

Euphorbus son of Panthous, so that he can fight no more."

The god then went back into the toil and turmoil, but the soul of

Hector was darkened with a cloud of grief; he looked along the

ranks and saw Euphorbus lying on the ground with the blood still

flowing from his wound, and Menelaus stripping him of his armour.

On this he made his way to the front like a flame of fire, clad

in his gleaming armour, and crying with a loud voice. When the

son of Atreus heard him, he said to himself in his dismay, "Alas!

what shall I do? I may not let the Trojans take the armour of

Patroclus who has fallen fighting on my behalf, lest some Danaan

who sees me should cry shame upon me. Still if for my honour's

sake I fight Hector and the Trojans single-handed, they will

prove too many for me, for Hector is bringing them up in force.

Why, however, should I thus hesitate? When a man fights in

despite of heaven with one whom a god befriends, he will soon rue

it. Let no Danaan think ill of me if I give place to Hector, for

the hand of heaven is with him. Yet, if I could find Ajax, the

two of us would fight Hector and heaven too, if we might only

save the body of Patroclus for Achilles son of Peleus. This, of

many evils would be the least."

While he was thus in two minds, the Trojans came up to him with

Hector at their head; he therefore drew back and left the body,

turning about like some bearded lion who