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from afar, even from Lycia and the banks of the river Xanthus, where
I have left my wife, my infant son, and much wealth to tempt whoever
is needy; nevertheless, I head my Lycian soldiers and stand my ground
against any who would fight me though I have nothing here for the
Achaeans to plunder, while you look on, without even bidding your
men stand firm in defence of their wives. See that you fall not into
the hands of your foes as men caught in the meshes of a net, and they
sack your fair city forthwith. Keep this before your mind night and
day, and beseech the captains of your allies to hold on without flinching,
and thus put away their reproaches from you."
So spoke Sarpedon, and Hector smarted under his words. He sprang from
his chariot clad in his suit of armour, and went about among the host
brandishing his two spears, exhorting the men to fight and raising
the terrible cry of battle. Then they rallied and again faced the
Achaeans, but the Argives stood compact and firm, and were not driven
back. As the breezes sport with the chaff upon some goodly threshing-­‐floor,
when men are winnowing-­‐ while yellow Ceres blows with the wind to
sift the chaff from the grain, and the chaff-­‐ heaps grow whiter and
whiter-­‐ even so did the Achaeans whiten in the dust which the horses'
hoofs raised to the firmament of heaven, as their drivers turned them
back to battle, and they bore down with might upon the foe. Fierce
Mars, to help the Trojans, covered them in a veil of darkness, and
went about everywhere among them, inasmuch as Phoebus Apollo had told
him that when he saw Pallas, Minerva leave the fray he was to put
courage into the hearts of the Trojans-­‐ for it was she who was helping
the Danaans. Then Apollo sent Aeneas forth from his rich sanctuary,
and filled his heart with valour, whereon he took his place among