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gnashing of his jaws, but <strong>for</strong> all his fierceness they still hold their<br />

ground-­‐ even so furiously did the Trojans attack Ulysses. First he<br />

sprang spear in hand upon Deiopites and wounded him on the shoulder<br />

with a downward blow; then he killed Thoon and Ennomus. After these<br />

he struck Chersidamas in the loins under his shield as he had just<br />

sprung down from his chariot; so he fell in the dust and clutched<br />

the earth in the hollow of his hand. <strong>The</strong>se he let lie, and went on<br />

to wound Charops son of Hippasus own brother to noble Socus. Socus,<br />

hero that he was, made all speed to help him, and when he was close<br />

to Ulysses he said, "Far-­‐famed Ulysses, insatiable of craft and toil,<br />

this day you shall either boast of having killed both the sons of<br />

Hippasus and stripped them of their armour, or you shall fall be<strong>for</strong>e<br />

my spear."<br />

With these words he struck the shield of Ulysses. <strong>The</strong> spear went through<br />

the shield and passed on through his richly wrought cuirass, tearing<br />

the flesh from his side, but Pallas Minerva did not suffer it to pierce<br />

the entrails of the hero. Ulysses knew that his hour was not yet come,<br />

but he gave ground and said to Socus, "Wretch, you shall now surely<br />

die. You have stayed me from fighting further with the Trojans, but<br />

you shall now fall <strong>by</strong> my spear, yielding glory to myself, and your<br />

soul to Hades of the noble steeds."<br />

Socus had turned in flight, but as he did so, the spear struck him<br />

in the back midway between the shoulders, and went right through his<br />

chest. He fell heavily to the ground and Ulysses vaunted over him<br />

saying, "O Socus, son of Hippasus tamer of horses, death has been<br />

too quick <strong>for</strong> you and you have not escaped him: poor wretch, not even

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