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the blast of Boreas, nor do the flames of a <strong>for</strong>est fire roar more<br />

fiercely when it is well alight upon the mountains, nor does the wind<br />

bellow with ruder music as it tears on through the tops of when it<br />

is blowing its hardest, than the terrible shout which the Trojans<br />

and Achaeans raised as they sprang upon one another.<br />

Hector first aimed his spear at Ajax, who was turned full towards<br />

him, nor did he miss his aim. <strong>The</strong> spear struck him where two bands<br />

passed over his chest-­‐ the band of his shield and that of his silver-­‐studded<br />

sword-­‐ and these protected his body. Hector was angry that his spear<br />

should have been hurled in vain, and withdrew under cover of his men.<br />

As he was thus retreating, Ajax son of Telamon struck him with a stone,<br />

of which there were many lying about under the men's feet as they<br />

fought-­‐ brought there to give support to the ships' sides as they<br />

lay on the shore. Ajax caught up one of them and struck Hector above<br />

the rim of his shield close to his neck; the blow made him spin round<br />

like a top and reel in all directions. As an oak falls headlong when<br />

uprooted <strong>by</strong> the lightning flash of father Jove, and there is a terrible<br />

smell of brimstone-­‐ no man can help being dismayed if he is standing<br />

near it, <strong>for</strong> a thunderbolt is a very awful thing-­‐ even so did Hector<br />

fall to earth and bite the dust. His spear fell from his hand, but<br />

his shield and helmet were made fast about his body, and his bronze<br />

armour rang about him.<br />

<strong>The</strong> sons of the Achaeans came running with a loud cry towards him,<br />

hoping to drag him away, and they showered their darts on the Trojans,<br />

but none of them could wound him be<strong>for</strong>e he was surrounded and covered<br />

<strong>by</strong> the princes Polydamas, Aeneas, Agenor, Sarpedon captain of the

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