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of your shield with my spear, however strong and self-­‐confident you
may be, I should soon vanquish you, and you would yield your life
to Hades of the noble steeds."
On this the son of Menoetius rebuked him and said, "Meriones, hero
though you be, you should not speak thus; taunting speeches, my good
friend, will not make the Trojans draw away from the dead body; some
of them must go under ground first; blows for battle, and words for
council; fight, therefore, and say nothing."
He led the way as he spoke and the hero went forward with him. As
the sound of woodcutters in some forest glade upon the mountains-­‐
and the thud of their axes is heard afar-­‐ even such a din now rose
from earth-­‐clash of bronze armour and of good ox-­‐hide shields, as
men smote each other with their swords and spears pointed at both
ends. A man had need of good eyesight now to know Sarpedon, so covered
was he from head to foot with spears and blood and dust. Men swarmed
about the body, as flies that buzz round the full milk-­‐pails in spring
when they are brimming with milk-­‐ even so did they gather round Sarpedon;
nor did Jove turn his keen eyes away for one moment from the fight,
but kept looking at it all the time, for he was settling how best
to kill Patroclus, and considering whether Hector should be allowed
to end him now in the fight round the body of Sarpedon, and strip
him of his armour, or whether he should let him give yet further trouble
to the Trojans. In the end, he deemed it best that the brave squire
of Achilles son of Peleus should drive Hector and the Trojans back
towards the city and take the lives of many. First, therefore, he
made Hector turn fainthearted, whereon he mounted his chariot and