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of all his comrades.
The others still kept on charging one another round the body with
their pointed spears and killing each other. Then would one say, "My
friends, we can never again show our faces at the ships-­‐ better, and
greatly better, that earth should open and swallow us here in this
place, than that we should let the Trojans have the triumph of bearing
off Patroclus to their city."
The Trojans also on their part spoke to one another saying, "Friends,
though we fall to a man beside this body, let none shrink from fighting."
With such words did they exhort each other. They fought and fought,
and an iron clank rose through the void air to the brazen vault of
heaven. The horses of the descendant of Aeacus stood out of the fight
and wept when they heard that their driver had been laid low by the
hand of murderous Hector. Automedon, valiant son of Diores, lashed
them again and again; many a time did he speak kindly to them, and
many a time did he upbraid them, but they would neither go back to
the ships by the waters of the broad Hellespont, nor yet into battle
among the Achaeans; they stood with their chariot stock still, as
a pillar set over the tomb of some dead man or woman, and bowed their
heads to the ground. Hot tears fell from their eyes as they mourned
the loss of their charioteer, and their noble manes drooped all wet
from under the yokestraps on either side the yoke.
The son of Saturn saw them and took pity upon their sorrow. He wagged
his head, and muttered to himself, saying, "Poor things, why did we
give you to King Peleus who is a mortal, while you are yourselves