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the blood alike of Trojans and of Achaeans. But even so the Trojans
could not rout the Achaeans, who still held on; and as some honest
hard-­‐working woman weighs wool in her balance and sees that the scales
be true, for she would gain some pitiful earnings for her little ones,
even so was the fight balanced evenly between them till the time came
when Jove gave the greater glory to Hector son of Priam, who was first
to spring towards the wall of the Achaeans. As he did so, he cried
aloud to the Trojans, "Up, Trojans, break the wall of the Argives,
and fling fire upon their ships."
Thus did he hound them on, and in one body they rushed straight at
the wall as he had bidden them, and scaled the battlements with sharp
spears in their hands. Hector laid hold of a stone that lay just outside
the gates and was thick at one end but pointed at the other; two of
the best men in a town, as men now are, could hardly raise it from
the ground and put it on to a waggon, but Hector lifted it quite easily
by himself, for the son of scheming Saturn made it light for him.
As a shepherd picks up a ram's fleece with one hand and finds it no
burden, so easily did Hector lift the great stone and drive it right
at the doors that closed the gates so strong and so firmly set. These
doors were double and high, and were kept closed by two cross-­‐bars
to which there was but one key. When he had got close up to them,
Hector strode towards them that his blow might gain in force and struck
them in the middle, leaning his whole weight against them. He broke
both hinges, and the stone fell inside by reason of its great weight.
The portals re-­‐echoed with the sound, the bars held no longer, and
the doors flew open, one one way, and the other the other, through
the force of the blow. Then brave Hector leaped inside with a face