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close combat with their mighty swords and spears pointed at both ends;
they fought moreover with keen battle-­‐axes and with hatchets. Many
a good stout blade hilted and scabbarded with iron, fell from hand
or shoulder as they fought, and the earth ran red with blood. Hector,
when he had seized the ship, would not loose his hold but held on
to its curved stern and shouted to the Trojans, "Bring fire, and raise
the battle-­‐cry all of you with a single voice. Now has Jove vouchsafed
us a day that will pay us for all the rest; this day we shall take
the ships which came hither against heaven's will, and which have
caused us such infinite suffering through the cowardice of our councillors,
who when I would have done battle at the ships held me back and forbade
the host to follow me; if Jove did then indeed warp our judgements,
himself now commands me and cheers me on."
As he spoke thus the Trojans sprang yet more fiercely on the Achaeans,
and Ajax no longer held his ground, for he was overcome by the darts
that were flung at him, and made sure that he was doomed. Therefore
he left the raised deck at the stern, and stepped back on to the seven-­‐foot
bench of the oarsmen. Here he stood on the look-­‐out, and with his
spear held back Trojan whom he saw bringing fire to the ships. All
the time he kept on shouting at the top of his voice and exhorting
the Danaans. "My friends," he cried, "Danaan heroes, servants of Mars,
be men my friends, and fight with might and with main. Can we hope
to find helpers hereafter, or a wall to shield us more surely than
the one we have? There is no strong city within reach, whence we may
draw fresh forces to turn the scales in our favour. We are on the
plain of the armed Trojans with the sea behind us, and far from our
own country. Our salvation, therefore, is in the might of our hands