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the elbow, and the reins, enriched with white ivory, fell from his<br />

hands into the dust. Antilochus rushed towards him and struck him<br />

on the temples with his sword, whereon he fell head first from the<br />

chariot to the ground. <strong>The</strong>re he stood <strong>for</strong> a while with his head and<br />

shoulders buried deep in the dust-­‐ <strong>for</strong> he had fallen on sandy soil<br />

till his horses kicked him and laid him flat on the ground, as Antilochus<br />

lashed them and drove them off to the host of the Achaeans.<br />

But Hector marked them from across the ranks, and with a loud cry<br />

rushed towards them, followed <strong>by</strong> the strong battalions of the Trojans.<br />

Mars and dread Enyo led them on, she fraught with ruthless turmoil<br />

of battle, while Mars wielded a monstrous spear, and went about, now<br />

in front of Hector and now behind him.<br />

Diomed shook with passion as he saw them. As a man crossing a wide<br />

plain is dismayed to find himself on the brink of some great river<br />

rolling swiftly to the sea-­‐ he sees its boiling waters and starts<br />

back in fear-­‐ even so did the son of Tydeus give ground. <strong>The</strong>n he said<br />

to his men, "My friends, how can we wonder that Hector wields the<br />

spear so well? Some god is ever <strong>by</strong> his side to protect him, and now<br />

Mars is with him in the likeness of mortal man. Keep your faces there<strong>for</strong>e<br />

towards the Trojans, but give ground backwards, <strong>for</strong> we dare not fight<br />

with gods."<br />

As he spoke the Trojans drew close up, and Hector killed two men,<br />

both in one chariot, Menesthes and Anchialus, heroes well versed in<br />

war. Ajax son of Telamon pitied them in their fall; he came close<br />

up and hurled his spear, hitting Amphius the son of Selagus, a man

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