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foes。　Then；　when　you　have　put　heart　into　all　our　panies；　we
will　stand　firm　here　and　fight　the　Danaans　however　hard　they
press　us；　for　there　is　nothing　else　to　be　done。　Meanwhile　do　you；
Hector；　go　to　the　city　and　tell　our　mother　what　is　happening。
Tell　her　to　bid　the　matrons　gather　at　the　temple　of　Minerva　in
the　acropolis；　let　her　then　take　her　key　and　open　the　doors　of
the　sacred　building；　there；　upon　the　knees　of　Minerva；　let　her
lay　the　largest；　fairest　robe　she　has　in　her　housethe　one　she
sets　most　store　by；　let　her；　moreover；　promise　to　sacrifice
twelve　yearling　heifers　that　have　never　yet　felt　the　goad；　in　the
temple　of　the　goddess；　if　she　will　take　pity　on　the　town；　with
the　wives　and　little　ones　of　the　Trojans；　and　keep　the　son　of
Tydeus　from　falling　on　the　goodly　city　of　Ilius；　for　he　fights
with　fury　and　fills　men's　souls　with　panic。　I　hold　him　mightiest
of　them　all；　we　did　not　fear　even　their　great　champion　Achilles；
son　of　a　goddess　though　he　be；　as　we　do　this　man：　his　rage　is
beyond　all　bounds；　and　there　is　none　can　vie　with　him　in　prowess〃

Hector　did　as　his　brother　bade　him。　He　sprang　from　his　chariot；
and　went　about　everywhere　among　the　host；　brandishing　his　spears；
urging　the　men　on　to　fight；　and　raising　the　dread　cry　of　battle。
Thereon　they　rallied　and　again　faced　the　Achaeans；　who　gave
ground　and　ceased　their　murderous　onset；　for　they　deemed　that
some　one　of　the　immortals　had　e　down　from　starry　heaven　to
help　the　Trojans；　so　strangely　had　they　rallied。　And　Hector
shouted　to　the　Trojans；　〃Trojans　and　allies；　be　men；　my　friends；
and　fight　with　might　and　main；　while　I　go　to　Ilius　and　tell　the
old　men　of　our　council　and　our　wives　to　pray　to　the　gods　and　vow
hecatombs　in　their　honour。〃

With　this　he　went　his　way；　and　the　black　rim　of　hide　that　went
round　his　shield　beat　against　his　neck　and　his　ancles。

Then　Glaucus　son　of　Hippolochus；　and　the　son　of　Tydeus　went　into
the　open　space　between　the　hosts　to　fight　in　single　bat。　When
they　were　close　up　to　one　another　Diomed　of　the　loud　war…cry　was
the　first　to　speak。　〃Who；　my　good　sir；〃　said　he；　〃who　are　you
among　men？　I　have　never　seen　you　in　battle　until　now；　but　you　are
daring　beyond　all　others　if　you　abide　my　onset。　Woe　to　those
fathers　whose　sons　face　my　might。　If；　however；　you　are　one　of　the
immortals　and　have　e　down　from　heaven；　I　will　not　fight　you；
for　even　valiant　Lycurgus；　son　of　Dryas；　did　not　live　long　when
he　took　to　fighting　with　the　gods。　He　it　was　that　drove　the
nursing　women　who　were　in　charge　of　frenzied　Bacchus　through　the
land　of　Nysa；　and　they　flung　their　thyrsi　on　the　ground　as
murderous　Lycurgus　beat　them　with　his　oxgoad。　Bacchus　himself
plunged　terror…stricken　into　the　sea；　and　Thetis　took　him　to　her
bosom　to　fort　him；　for　he　was　scared　by　the　fury　with　which
the　man　reviled　him。　Thereon　the　gods　who　live　at　ease　were　angry
with　Lycurgus　and　the　son　of　Saturn　struck　him　blind；　nor　did　he
live　much　longer　after　he　had　bee　hateful　to　the　immortals。
Therefore　I　will　not　fight　with　the　blessed　gods；　but　if　you　are
of　them　that　eat　the　fruit　of　the　ground；　draw　near　and　meet　your
doom。〃

And　the　son　of　Hippolochus　answered；　son　of　Tydeus；　why　ask　me　of
my　lineage？　Men　e　and　go　as　leaves　year　by　year　upon　the
trees。　Those　of　autumn　the　wind　sheds　upon　the　ground；　but　when
spring　returns　the　forest　buds　forth　with　fresh　vines。　Even　so　is
it　with　the　generations　of　mankind；　the　new　spring　up　as　the　old
are　passing　away。　If；　then；　you　would　learn　my　descent；　it　is　one
that　is　well　known　to　many。　There　is　a　city　in　the　heart　of
Argos；　pasture　land　of　horses；　called　Ephyra；　where　Sisyphus
lived；　who　was　the　craftiest　of　all　mankind。　He　was　the　son　of
Aeolus；　and　had　a　son　named　Glaucus；　who　was　father　to
Bellerophon；　whom　heaven　endowed　with　the　most　surpassing
eliness　and　beauty。　But　Proetus　devised　his　ruin；　and　being
stronger　than　he；　drove　him　from　the　land　of　the　Argives；　over
which　Jove　had　made　him　ruler。　For　Antea；　wife　of　Proetus；　lusted
after　him；　and　would　have　had　him　lie　with　her　in　secret；　but
Bellerophon　was　an　honourable　man　and　would　not；　so　she　told　lies
about　him　to　Proteus。　'Proetus；'　said　she；　'kill　Bellerophon　or
die；　for　he　would　have　had　converse　with　me　against　my　will。'　The
king　was　angered；　but　shrank　from　killing　Bellerophon；　so　he　sent
him　to　Lycia　with　lying　letters　of　introduction；　written　on　a
folded　tablet；　and　containing　much　ill　against　the　bearer。　He
bade　Bellerophon　show　these　letters　to　his　father…in…law；　to　the
end　that　he　might　thus　perish；　Bellerophon　therefore　went　to
Lycia；　and　the　gods　convoyed　him　safely。

〃When　he　reached　the　river　Xanthus；　which　is　in　Lycia；　the　king
received　him　with　all　goodwill；　feasted　him　nine　days；　and　killed
nine　heifers　in　his　honour；　but　when　rosy…fingered　morning
appeared　upon　the　tenth　day；　he　questioned　him　and　desired　to　see
the　letter　from　his　son…in…law　Proetus。　When　he　had　received　the
wicked　letter　he　first　manded　Bellerophon　to　kill　that　savage
monster；　the　Chimaera；　who　was　not　a　human　being；　but　a　goddess；
for　she　had　the　head　of　a　lion　and　the　tail　of　a　serpent；　while
her　body　was　that　of　a　goat；　and　she　breathed　forth　flames　of
fire；　but　Bellerophon　slew　her；　for　he　was　guided　by　signs　from
heaven。　He　next　fought　the　far…famed　Solymi；　and　this；　he　said；
was　the　hardest　of　all　his　battles。　Thirdly；　he　killed　the
Amazons；　women　who　were　the　peers　of　men；　and　as　he　was　returning
thence　the　king　devised　yet　another　plan　for　his　destruction；　he
picked　the　bravest　warriors　in　all　Lycia；　and　placed　them　in
ambuscade；　but　not　a　man　ever　came　back；　for　Bellerophon　killed
every　one　of　them。　Then　the　king　knew　that　he　must　be　the　valiant
offspring　of　a　god；　so　he　kept　him　in　Lycia；　gave　him　his
daughter　in　marriage；　and　made　him　of　equal　honour　in　the　kingdom
with　himself；　and　the　Lycians　gave　him　a　piece　of　land；　the　best
in　all　the　country；　fair　with　vineyards　and　tilled　fields；　to
have　and　to　hold。

〃The　king's　daughter　bore　Bellerophon　three　children；　Isander；
Hippolochus；　and　Laodameia。　Jove；　the　lord　of　counsel；　lay　with
Laodameia；　and　she　bore　him　noble　Sarpedon；　but　when　Bellerophon
came　to　be　hated　by　all　the　gods；　he　wandered　all　desolate　and
dismayed　upon　the　Alean　plain；　gnawing　at　his　own　heart；　and
shunning　the　path　of　man。　Mars；　insatiate　of　battle；　killed　his
son　Isander　while　he　was　fighting　the　Solymi；　his　daughter　was
killed　by　Diana　of　the　golden　reins；　for　she　was　angered　with
her；　but　Hippolochus　was　father　to　myself；　and　when　he　sent　me　to
Troy　he　urged　me　again　and　again　to　fight　ever　among　the　foremost
and　outvie　my　peers；　so　as　not　to　shame　the　blood　of　my　fathers
who　were　the　noblest　in　Ephyra　and　in　all　Lycia。　This；　then；　is
the　descent　I　claim。〃

Thus　did　he　speak；　and　the　heart　of　Diomed　was　glad。　He　planted
his　spear　in　the　ground；　and　spoke　to　him　with　friendly　words。
〃Then；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　an　old　friend　of　my　father's　house。
Great　Oeneus　once　entertained　Bellerophon　for　twenty　days；　and
the　two　exchanged　presents。　Oeneus　gave　a　belt　rich　with　purple；
and　Bellerophon　a　double　cup；　which　I　left　at　home　when　I　set　out
for　Troy。　I　do　not　remember　Tydeus；　for　he　was　taken　from　us
while　I　was　yet　a　child；　when　the　army　of　the　Achaeans　was　cut　to
pieces　before　Thebes。　Henceforth；　however；　I　must　be　your　host　in
middle　Argos；　and　you　mine　in　Lycia；　if　I　should　ever　go　there；
let　us　avoid　one　another's　spears　even　during　a　general
engagement；　there　are　many　noble　Trojans　and　allies　whom　I　can
kill；　if　I　overtake　them　and　heaven　delivers　them　into　my　hand；
so　again　with　yourself；　there　are　many　Achaeans　whose　lives　you
may　take　if　you　can；　we　two；　then；　will　exchange　armour；　that　all
present　may　know　of　the　old　ties　that　subsist　between　us。〃

With　these　words　they　sprang　from　their　chariots；　grasped　one
another's　hands；　and　plighted　friendship。　But　the　son　of　Saturn
made　Glaucus　take　leave　of　his　wits；　for　he　exchanged　golden
armour　for　bronze；　the　worth　of　a　hundred　head　of　cattle　for　the
worth　of　nine。

Now　when　Hector　reached　the　Scaean　gates　and　the　oak　tree；　the
wives　and　daughters　of　the　Trojans　came　running　towards　him　to
ask　after　their　sons；　brothers；　kinsmen；　and　husbands：　he　told
them　to　set　about　praying　to　the　gods；　and　many　were　made
sorrowful　as　they　heard　him。

Presently　he　reached　the　splendid　palace　of　King　Priam；　adorned
with　colonnades　of　hewn　stone。　In　it　there　were　fifty
bedchambersall　of　hewn　stonebuilt　near　one　another；　where　the
sons　of　Priam　slept；　each　with　his　wedded　wife。　Opposite　these；
on　the　other　side　the　courtyard；　there　were　twelve　upper　rooms
also　of　hewn　stone　for　Priam's　daughters；　built　near　one　another；
where　his　sons…in…law　slept　with　their　wives。　When　Hector　got
there；　his　fond　mother　came　up　to　him　with　Laodice　the　fairest　of
her　daughters。　She　took　his　hand　within　her　own　and　said；　〃My
son；　why　have　you　left　the　battle　to　e　hither？　Are　the
Achaeans；　woe　betide　them；　pressing　you　hard　about　the　city　that
you　have　thought　fit　to　e　and　uplift　your　hands　to　Jove　from
the　citadel？　Wait　till　I　can　bring　you　wine　that　you　may　make
offering　to　Jove　and　to　the　other　immortals