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Trojan battalions poured over the bridge, and Apollo with his redoubtable
aegis led the way. He kicked down the wall of the Achaeans as easily
as a child who playing on the sea-­‐shore has built a house of sand
and then kicks it down again and destroys it-­‐ even so did you, O Apollo,
shed toil and trouble upon the Argives, filling them with panic and
confusion.
Thus then were the Achaeans hemmed in at their ships, calling out
to one another and raising their hands with loud cries every man to
heaven. Nestor of Gerene, tower of strength to the Achaeans, lifted
up his hands to the starry firmament of heaven, and prayed more fervently
than any of them. "Father Jove," said he, "if ever any one in wheat-­‐growing
Argos burned you fat thigh-­‐bones of sheep or heifer and prayed that
he might return safely home, whereon you bowed your head to him in
assent, bear it in mind now, and suffer not the Trojans to triumph
thus over the Achaeans."
All counselling Jove thundered loudly in answer to die prayer of the
aged son of Neleus. When the heard Jove thunder they flung themselves
yet more fiercely on the Achaeans. As a wave breaking over the bulwarks
of a ship when the sea runs high before a gale-­‐ for it is the force
of the wind that makes the waves so great-­‐ even so did the Trojans
spring over the wall with a shout, and drive their chariots onwards.
The two sides fought with their double-­‐pointed spears in hand-­‐to-­‐hand
encounter-­‐the Trojans from their chariots, and the Achaeans climbing
up into their ships and wielding the long pikes that were lying on
the decks ready for use in a sea-­‐fight, jointed and shod with bronze.