The Iliad: Book 20 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGGGFGGHIJIKLEK IMDNOKPQRHSDDHBDHTFD DGJUVWXYXDZA2GHB2XC2 GDD2E2HE2B2F2XHDHG2H H2GDI2XJ2TKH2H2HDDK2 DGDHBDQL2DDM2N2O2KXX K2HUP2Q2BBQHDXE2BG2D R2I2H2DJHDDGGDPS2DHT 2EDDF2DHHYDU2DXDDH2M 2S2BFDDH2DH2HKDH2FV2 DW2DJFX2FQJQY2H2H2GH GHL2XZ2H2HH2H2H2H2DJ A3GH2BHUXH2X2DH2DGDH 2QH2H2H2HH2H2H2XDK2H E2H2XB3H2DQDH2H2H2H2 GXXDHDH2C3H2HH2BH2BG D3H2HX2X2H2XGDGDHHH2 HGHDXH2H2H2JK2H2E2QX DH2E3BGP2K2FQXF3DH2D FH2XH2DXHH2H2X2DH2DD XB3G3DDH2DXFE2DHXHX2 HXH2P2DH2HE2DGDH2XK2 DH2XE2DDQDXQH2HFH2GH H3H2Z2XH2E2XJH2K2XQI 3C3H2XBDDH2H2K2H2XXJ 3L2HB3XH2BB3DDHQK3DH 2H2H2XHXX2H2QE2HE2HG E2QDH2XHBH2H2F| Thus then did the Achaeans arm by their ships round you O son | A |
| of Peleus who were hungering for battle while the Trojans over | B |
| against them armed upon the rise of the plain | C |
| Meanwhile Jove from the top of many delled Olympus bade Themis | D |
| gather the gods in council whereon she went about and called them | E |
| to the house of Jove There was not a river absent except Oceanus nor | F |
| a single one of the nymphs that haunt fair groves or springs of | G |
| rivers and meadows of green grass When they reached the house of | G |
| cloud compelling Jove they took their seats in the arcades of | G |
| polished marble which Vulcan with his consummate skill had made for | F |
| father Jove | G |
| In such wise therefore did they gather in the house of Jove | G |
| Neptune also lord of the earthquake obeyed the call of the | H |
| goddess and came up out of the sea to join them There sitting in | I |
| the midst of them he asked what Jove's purpose might be Why | J |
| said he wielder of the lightning have you called the gods in | I |
| council Are you considering some matter that concerns the Trojans and | K |
| Achaeans for the blaze of battle is on the point of being kindled | L |
| between them | E |
| And Jove answered You know my purpose shaker of earth and | K |
| wherefore I have called you hither I take thought for them even in | I |
| their destruction For my own part I shall stay here seated on Mt | M |
| Olympus and look on in peace but do you others go about among Trojans | D |
| and Achaeans and help either side as you may be severally disposed | N |
| If Achilles fights the Trojans without hindrance they will make no | O |
| stand against him they have ever trembled at the sight of him and | K |
| now that he is roused to such fury about his comrade he will override | P |
| fate itself and storm their city | Q |
| Thus spoke Jove and gave the word for war whereon the gods took | R |
| their several sides and went into battle Juno Pallas Minerva | H |
| earth encircling Neptune Mercury bringer of good luck and excellent | S |
| in all cunning all these joined the host that came from the ships | D |
| with them also came Vulcan in all his glory limping but yet with his | D |
| thin legs plying lustily under him Mars of gleaming helmet joined the | H |
| Trojans and with him Apollo of locks unshorn and the archer | B |
| goddess Diana Leto Xanthus and laughter loving Venus | D |
| So long as the gods held themselves aloof from mortal warriors the | H |
| Achaeans were triumphant for Achilles who had long refused to fight | T |
| was now with them There was not a Trojan but his limbs failed him for | F |
| fear as he beheld the fleet son of Peleus all glorious in his | D |
| armour and looking like Mars himself When however the Olympians | D |
| came to take their part among men forthwith uprose strong Strife | G |
| rouser of hosts and Minerva raised her loud voice now standing by | J |
| the deep trench that ran outside the wall and now shouting with all | U |
| her might upon the shore of the sounding sea Mars also bellowed out | V |
| upon the other side dark as some black thunder cloud and called on | W |
| the Trojans at the top of his voice now from the acropolis and now | X |
| speeding up the side of the river Simois till he came to the hill | Y |
| Callicolone | X |
| Thus did the gods spur on both hosts to fight and rouse fierce | D |
| contention also among themselves The sire of gods and men thundered | Z |
| from heaven above while from beneath Neptune shook the vast earth | A2 |
| and bade the high hills tremble The spurs and crests of | G |
| many fountained Ida quaked as also the city of the Trojans and the | H |
| ships of the Achaeans Hades king of the realms below was struck | B2 |
| with fear he sprang panic stricken from his throne and cried aloud in | X |
| terror lest Neptune lord of the earthquake should crack the ground | C2 |
| over his head and lay bare his mouldy mansions to the sight of | G |
| mortals and immortals mansions so ghastly grim that even the gods | D |
| shudder to think of them Such was the uproar as the gods came | D2 |
| together in battle Apollo with his arrows took his stand to face King | E2 |
| Neptune while Minerva took hers against the god of war the | H |
| archer goddess Diana with her golden arrows sister of far darting | E2 |
| Apollo stood to face Juno Mercury the lusty bringer of good luck | B2 |
| faced Leto while the mighty eddying river whom men can Scamander but | F2 |
| gods Xanthus matched himself against Vulcan | X |
| The gods then were thus ranged against one another But the | H |
| heart of Achilles was set on meeting Hector son of Priam for it was | D |
| with his blood that he longed above all things else to glut the | H |
| stubborn lord of battle Meanwhile Apollo set Aeneas on to attack | G2 |
| the son of Peleus and put courage into his heart speaking with the | H |
| voice of Lycaon son of Priam In his likeness therefore he said to | H2 |
| Aeneas Aeneas counsellor of the Trojans where are now the brave | G |
| words with which you vaunted over your wine before the Trojan princes | D |
| saying that you would fight Achilles son of Peleus in single combat | I2 |
| And Aeneas answered Why do you thus bid me fight the proud son | X |
| of Peleus when I am in no mind to do so Were I to face him now it | J2 |
| would not be for the first time His spear has already put me to Right | T |
| from Ida when he attacked our cattle and sacked Lyrnessus and | K |
| Pedasus Jove indeed saved me in that he vouchsafed me strength to | H2 |
| fly else had the fallen by the hands of Achilles and Minerva who | H2 |
| went before him to protect him and urged him to fall upon the | H |
| Lelegae and Trojans No man may fight Achilles for one of the gods is | D |
| always with him as his guardian angel and even were it not so his | D |
| weapon flies ever straight and fails not to pierce the flesh of him | K2 |
| who is against him if heaven would let me fight him on even terms | D |
| he should not soon overcome me though he boasts that he is made of | G |
| bronze | D |
| Then said King Apollo son to Jove Nay hero pray to the | H |
| ever living gods for men say that you were born of Jove's daughter | B |
| Venus whereas Achilles is son to a goddess of inferior rank Venus is | D |
| child to Jove while Thetis is but daughter to the old man of the sea | Q |
| Bring therefore your spear to bear upon him and let him not scare | L2 |
| you with his taunts and menaces | D |
| As he spoke he put courage into the heart of the shepherd of his | D |
| people and he strode in full armour among the ranks of the foremost | M2 |
| fighters Nor did the son of Anchises escape the notice of white armed | N2 |
| Juno as he went forth into the throng to meet Achilles She called | O2 |
| the gods about her and said Look to it you two Neptune and | K |
| Minerva and consider how this shall be Phoebus Apollo has been | X |
| sending Aeneas clad in full armour to fight Achilles Shall we turn | X |
| him back at once or shall one of us stand by Achilles and endow him | K2 |
| with strength so that his heart fail not and he may learn that the | H |
| chiefs of the immortals are on his side while the others who have all | U |
| along been defending the Trojans are but vain helpers Let us all come | P2 |
| down from Olympus and join in the fight that this day he may take | Q2 |
| no hurt at the hands of the Trojans Hereafter let him suffer whatever | B |
| fate may have spun out for him when he was begotten and his mother | B |
| bore him If Achilles be not thus assured by the voice of a god he | Q |
| may come to fear presently when one of us meets him in battle for the | H |
| gods are terrible if they are seen face to face | D |
| Neptune lord of the earthquake answered her saying Juno | X |
| restrain your fury it is not well I am not in favour of forcing | E2 |
| the other gods to fight us for the advantage is too greatly on our | B |
| own side let us take our places on some hill out of the beaten track | G2 |
| and let mortals fight it out among themselves If Mars or Phoebus | D |
| Apollo begin fighting or keep Achilles in check so that he cannot | R2 |
| fight we too will at once raise the cry of battle and in that | I2 |
| case they will soon leave the field and go back vanquished to | H2 |
| Olympus among the other gods | D |
| With these words the dark haired god led the way to the high | J |
| earth barrow of Hercules built round solid masonry and made by the | H |
| Trojans and Pallas Minerva for him fly to when the sea monster was | D |
| chasing him from the shore on to the plain Here Neptune and those | D |
| that were with him took their seats wrapped in a thick cloud of | G |
| darkness but the other gods seated themselves on the brow of | G |
| Callicolone round you O Phoebus and Mars the waster of cities | D |
| Thus did the gods sit apart and form their plans but neither side | P |
| was willing to begin battle with the other and Jove from his seat | S2 |
| on high was in command over them all Meanwhile the whole plain was | D |
| alive with men and horses and blazing with the gleam of armour The | H |
| earth rang again under the tramp of their feet as they rushed | T2 |
| towards each other and two champions by far the foremost of them | E |
| all met between the hosts to fight to wit Aeneas son of Anchises | D |
| and noble Achilles | D |
| Aeneas was first to stride forward in attack his doughty helmet | F2 |
| tossing defiance as he came on He held his strong shield before his | D |
| breast and brandished his bronze spear The son of Peleus from the | H |
| other side sprang forth to meet him fike some fierce lion that the | H |
| whole country side has met to hunt and kill at first he bodes no ill | Y |
| but when some daring youth has struck him with a spear he crouches | D |
| openmouthed his jaws foam he roars with fury he lashes his tail | U2 |
| from side to side about his ribs and loins and glares as he springs | D |
| straight before him to find out whether he is to slay or be slain | X |
| among the foremost of his foes even with such fury did Achilles | D |
| burn to spring upon Aeneas | D |
| When they were now close up with one another Achilles was first to | H2 |
| speak Aeneas said he why do you stand thus out before the host | M2 |
| to fight me Is it that you hope to reign over the Trojans in the seat | S2 |
| of Priam Nay though you kill me Priam will not hand his kingdom over | B |
| to you He is a man of sound judgement and he has sons of his own Or | F |
| have the Trojans been allotting you a demesne of passing richness | D |
| fair with orchard lawns and corn lands if you should slay me This | D |
| you shall hardly do I have discomfited you once already Have you | H2 |
| forgotten how when you were alone I chased you from your herds | D |
| helter skelter down the slopes of Ida You did not turn round to | H2 |
| look behind you you took refuge in Lyrnessus but I attacked the | H |
| city and with the help of Minerva and father Jove I sacked it and | K |
| carried its women into captivity though Jove and the other gods | D |
| rescued you You think they will protect you now but they will not do | H2 |
| so therefore I say go back into the host and do not face me or | F |
| you will rue it Even a fool may be wise after the event | V2 |
| Then Aeneas answered Son of Peleus think not that your words | D |
| can scare me as though I were a child I too if I will can brag | W2 |
| and talk unseemly We know one another's race and parentage as matters | D |
| of common fame though neither have you ever seen my parents nor I | J |
| yours Men say that you are son to noble Peleus and that your | F |
| mother is Thetis fair haired daughter of the sea I have noble | X2 |
| Anchises for my father and Venus for my mother the parents of one or | F |
| other of us shall this day mourn a son for it will be more than silly | Q |
| talk that shall part us when the fight is over Learn then my | J |
| lineage if you will and it is known to many | Q |
| In the beginning Dardanus was the son of Jove and founded | Y2 |
| Dardania for Ilius was not yet stablished on the plain for men to | H2 |
| dwell in and her people still abode on the spurs of many fountained | H2 |
| Ida Dardanus had a son king Erichthonius who was wealthiest of | G |
| all men living he had three thousand mares that fed by the | H |
| water meadows they and their foals with them Boreas was enamoured of | G |
| them as they were feeding and covered them in the semblance of a | H |
| dark maned stallion Twelve filly foals did they conceive and bear | L2 |
| him and these as they sped over the rich plain would go bounding on | X |
| over the ripe ears of corn and not break them or again when they | Z2 |
| would disport themselves on the broad back of Ocean they could | H2 |
| gallop on the crest of a breaker Erichthonius begat Tros king of the | H |
| Trojans and Tros had three noble sons Ilus Assaracus and | H2 |
| Ganymede who was comeliest of mortal men wherefore the gods carried | H2 |
| him off to be Jove's cupbearer for his beauty's sake that he might | H2 |
| dwell among the immortals Ilus begat Laomedon and Laomedon begat | H2 |
| Tithonus Priam Lampus Clytius and Hiketaon of the stock of Mars | D |
| But Assaracus was father to Capys and Capys to Anchises who was my | J |
| father while Hector is son to Priam | A3 |
| Such do I declare my blood and lineage but as for valour Jove | G |
| gives it or takes it as he will for he is lord of all And now let | H2 |
| there be no more of this prating in mid battle as though we were | B |
| children We could fling taunts without end at one another a | H |
| hundred oared galley would not hold them The tongue can run all | U |
| whithers and talk all wise it can go here and there and as a man | X |
| says so shall he be gainsaid What is the use of our bandying hard | H2 |
| like women who when they fall foul of one another go out and wrangle | X2 |
| in the streets one half true and the other lies as rage inspires | D |
| them No words of yours shall turn me now that I am fain to fight | H2 |
| therefore let us make trial of one another with our spears | D |
| As he spoke he drove his spear at the great and terrible shield of | G |
| Achilles which rang out as the point struck it The son of Peleus | D |
| held the shield before him with his strong hand and he was afraid | H2 |
| for he deemed that Aeneas's spear would go through it quite easily | Q |
| not reflecting that the god's glorious gifts were little likely to | H2 |
| yield before the blows of mortal men and indeed Aeneas's spear did | H2 |
| not pierce the shield for the layer of gold gift of the god | H2 |
| stayed the point It went through two layers but the god had made the | H |
| shield in five two of bronze the two innermost ones of tin and | H2 |
| one of gold it was in this that the spear was stayed | H2 |
| Achilles in his turn threw and struck the round shield of Aeneas at | H2 |
| the very edge where the bronze was thinnest the spear of Pelian | X |
| ash went clean through and the shield rang under the blow Aeneas was | D |
| afraid and crouched backwards holding the shield away from him | K2 |
| the spear however flew over his back and stuck quivering in the | H |
| ground after having gone through both circles of the sheltering | E2 |
| shield Aeneas though he had avoided the spear stood still blinded | H2 |
| with fear and grief because the weapon had gone so near him then | X |
| Achilles sprang furiously upon him with a cry as of death and with | B3 |
| his keen blade drawn and Aeneas seized a great stone so huge that | H2 |
| two men as men now are would be unable to lift it but Aeneas | D |
| wielded it quite easily | Q |
| Aeneas would then have struck Achilles as he was springing towards | D |
| him either on the helmet or on the shield that covered him and | H2 |
| Achilles would have closed with him and despatched him with his sword | H2 |
| had not Neptune lord of the earthquake been quick to mark and said | H2 |
| forthwith to the immortals Alas I am sorry for great Aeneas who | H2 |
| will now go down to the house of Hades vanquished by the son of | G |
| Peleus Fool that he was to give ear to the counsel of Apollo | X |
| Apollo will never save him from destruction Why should this man | X |
| suffer when he is guiltless to no purpose and in another's | D |
| quarrel Has he not at all times offered acceptable sacrifice to the | H |
| gods that dwell in heaven Let us then snatch him from death's jaws | D |
| lest the son of Saturn be angry should Achilles slay him It is fated | H2 |
| moreover that he should escape and that the race of Dardanus whom | C3 |
| Jove loved above all the sons born to him of mortal women shall not | H2 |
| perish utterly without seed or sign For now indeed has Jove hated the | H |
| blood of Priam while Aeneas shall reign over the Trojans he and | H2 |
| his children's children that shall be born hereafter | B |
| Then answered Juno Earth shaker look to this matter yourself and | H2 |
| consider concerning Aeneas whether you will save him or suffer | B |
| him brave though he be to fall by the hand of Achilles son of | G |
| Peleus For of a truth we two I and Pallas Minerva have sworn full | D3 |
| many a time before all the immortals that never would we shield | H2 |
| Trojans from destruction not even when all Troy is burning in the | H |
| flames that the Achaeans shall kindle | X2 |
| When earth encircling Neptune heard this he went into the battle | X2 |
| amid the clash of spears and came to the place where Achilles and | H2 |
| Aeneas were Forthwith he shed a darkness before the eyes of the son | X |
| of Peleus drew the bronze headed ashen spear from the shield of | G |
| Aeneas and laid it at the feet of Achilles Then he lifted Aeneas | D |
| on high from off the earth and hurried him away Over the heads of | G |
| many a band of warriors both horse and foot did he soar as the god's | D |
| hand sped him till he came to the very fringe of the battle where the | H |
| Cauconians were arming themselves for fight Neptune shaker of the | H |
| earth then came near to him and said Aeneas what god has egged | H2 |
| you on to this folly in fighting the son of Peleus who is both a | H |
| mightier man of valour and more beloved of heaven than you are Give | G |
| way before him whensoever you meet him lest you go down to the | H |
| house of Hades even though fate would have it otherwise When Achilles | D |
| is dead you may then fight among the foremost undaunted for none | X |
| other of the Achaeans shall slay you | H2 |
| The god left him when he had given him these instructions and at | H2 |
| once removed the darkness from before the eyes of Achilles who opened | H2 |
| them wide indeed and said in great anger Alas what marvel am I | J |
| now beholding Here is my spear upon the ground but I see not him | K2 |
| whom I meant to kill when I hurled it Of a truth Aeneas also must | H2 |
| be under heaven's protection although I had thought his boasting | E2 |
| was idle Let him go hang he will be in no mood to fight me | Q |
| further seeing how narrowly he has missed being killed I will now | X |
| give my orders to the Danaans and attack some other of the Trojans | D |
| He sprang forward along the line and cheered his men on as he did | H2 |
| so Let not the Trojans he cried keep you at arm's length | E3 |
| Achaeans but go for them and fight them man for man However | B |
| valiant I may be I cannot give chase to so many and fight all of | G |
| them Even Mars who is an immortal or Minerva would shrink from | P2 |
| flinging himself into the jaws of such a fight and laying about him | K2 |
| nevertheless so far as in me lies I will show no slackness of hand or | F |
| foot nor want of endurance not even for a moment I will utterly | Q |
| break their ranks and woe to the Trojan who shall venture within | X |
| reach of my spear | F3 |
| Thus did he exhort them Meanwhile Hector called upon the Trojans | D |
| and declared that he would fight Achilles Be not afraid proud | H2 |
| Trojans said he to face the son of Peleus I could fight gods | D |
| myself if the battle were one of words only but they would be more | F |
| than a match for me if we had to use our spears Even so the deed | H2 |
| of Achilles will fall somewhat short of his word he will do in | X |
| part and the other part he will clip short I will go up against | H2 |
| him though his hands be as fire though his hands be fire and his | D |
| strength iron | X |
| Thus urged the Trojans lifted up their spears against the | H |
| Achaeans and raised the cry of battle as they flung themselves into | H2 |
| the midst of their ranks But Phoebus Apollo came up to Hector and | H2 |
| said Hector on no account must you challenge Achilles to single | X2 |
| combat keep a lookout for him while you are under cover of the others | D |
| and away from the thick of the fight otherwise he will either hit you | H2 |
| with a spear or cut you down at close quarters | D |
| Thus he spoke and Hector drew back within the crowd for he was | D |
| afraid when he heard what the god had said to him Achilles then | X |
| sprang upon the Trojans with a terrible cry clothed in valour as with | B3 |
| a garment First he killed Iphition son of Otrynteus a leader of much | G3 |
| people whom a naiad nymph had borne to Otrynteus waster of cities | D |
| in the land of Hyde under the snowy heights of Mt Tmolus Achilles | D |
| struck him full on the head as he was coming on towards him and split | H2 |
| it clean in two whereon he fell heavily to the ground and Achilles | D |
| vaunted over him saying You he low son of Otrynteus mighty hero | X |
| your death is here but your lineage is on the Gygaean lake where your | F |
| father's estate lies by Hyllus rich in fish and the eddying | E2 |
| waters of Hermus | D |
| Thus did he vaunt but darkness closed the eyes of the other The | H |
| chariots of the Achaeans cut him up as their wheels passed over him in | X |
| the front of the battle and after him Achilles killed Demoleon a | H |
| valiant man of war and son to Antenor He struck him on the temple | X2 |
| through his bronze cheeked helmet The helmet did not stay the | H |
| spear but it went right on crushing the bone so that the brain | X |
| inside was shed in all directions and his lust of fighting was ended | H2 |
| Then he struck Hippodamas in the midriff as he was springing down from | P2 |
| his chariot in front of him and trying to escape He breathed his | D |
| last bellowing like a bull bellows when young men are dragging him to | H2 |
| offer him in sacrifice to the King of Helice and the heart of the | H |
| earth shaker is glad even so did he bellow as he lay dying | E2 |
| Achilles then went in pursuit of Polydorus son of Priam whom his | D |
| father had always forbidden to fight because he was the youngest of | G |
| his sons the one he loved best and the fastest runner He in his | D |
| folly and showing off the fleetness of his feet was rushing about | H2 |
| among front ranks until he lost his life for Achilles struck him in | X |
| the middle of the back as he was darting past him he struck him | K2 |
| just at the golden fastenings of his belt and where the two pieces | D |
| of the double breastplate overlapped The point of the spear pierced | H2 |
| him through and came out by the navel whereon he fell groaning on | X |
| to his knees and a cloud of darkness overshadowed him as he sank | E2 |
| holding his entrails in his hands | D |
| When Hector saw his brother Polydorus with his entrails in his hands | D |
| and sinking down upon the ground a mist came over his eyes and he | Q |
| could not bear to keep longer at a distance he therefore poised his | D |
| spear and darted towards Achilles like a flame of fire When | X |
| Achilles saw him he bounded forward and vaunted saying This is he | Q |
| that has wounded my heart most deeply and has slain my beloved | H2 |
| comrade Not for long shall we two quail before one another on the | H |
| highways of war | F |
| He looked fiercely on Hector and said Draw near that you may meet | H2 |
| your doom the sooner Hector feared him not and answered Son of | G |
| Peleus think not that your words can scare me as though I were a | H |
| child I too if I will can brag and talk unseemly I know that you are | H3 |
| a mighty warrior mightier by far than I nevertheless the issue | H2 |
| lies in the the lap of heaven whether I worse man though I be may | Z2 |
| not slay you with my spear for this too has been found keen ere now | X |
| He hurled his spear as he spoke but Minerva breathed upon it and | H2 |
| though she breathed but very lightly she turned it back from going | E2 |
| towards Achilles so that it returned to Hector and lay at his feet in | X |
| front of him Achilles then sprang furiously on him with a loud cry | J |
| bent on killing him but Apollo caught him up easily as a god can and | H2 |
| hid him in a thick darkness Thrice did Achilles spring towards him | K2 |
| spear in hand and thrice did he waste his blow upon the air When | X |
| he rushed forward for the fourth time as though he were a god he | Q |
| shouted aloud saying Hound this time too you have escaped death | I3 |
| but of a truth it came exceedingly near you Phoebus Apollo to whom | C3 |
| it seems you pray before you go into battle has again saved you | H2 |
| but if I too have any friend among the gods I will surely make an | X |
| end of you when I come across you at some other time Now however | B |
| I will pursue and overtake other Trojans | D |
| On this he struck Dryops with his spear about the middle of his | D |
| neck and he fell headlong at his feet There he let him lie and | H2 |
| stayed Demouchus son of Philetor a man both brave and of great | H2 |
| stature by hitting him on the knee with a spear then he smote him | K2 |
| with his sword and killed him After this he sprang on Laogonus and | H2 |
| Dardanus sons of Bias and threw them from their chariot the one | X |
| with a blow from a thrown spear while the other he cut down in | X |
| hand to hand fight There was also Tros the son of Alastor he came up | J3 |
| to Achilles and clasped his knees in the hope that he would spare | L2 |
| him and not kill him but let him go because they were both of the | H |
| same age Fool he might have known that he should not prevail with | B3 |
| him for the man was in no mood for pity or forbearance but was in | X |
| grim earnest Therefore when Tros laid hold of his knees and sought | H2 |
| a hearing for his prayers Achilles drove his sword into his liver | B |
| and the liver came rolling out while his bosom was all covered with | B3 |
| the black blood that welled from the wound Thus did death close his | D |
| eyes as he lay lifeless | D |
| Achilles then went up to Mulius and struck him on the ear with a | H |
| spear and the bronze spear head came right out at the other ear He | Q |
| also struck Echeclus son of Agenor on the head with his sword which | K3 |
| became warm with the blood while death and stern fate closed the eyes | D |
| of Echeclus Next in order the bronze point of his spear wounded | H2 |
| Deucalion in the fore arm where the sinews of the elbow are united | H2 |
| whereon he waited Achilles' onset with his arm hanging down and | H2 |
| death staring him in the face Achilles cut his head off with a blow | X |
| from his sword and flung it helmet and all away from him and the | H |
| marrow came oozing out of his backbone as he lay He then went in | X |
| pursuit of Rhigmus noble son of Peires who had come from fertile | X2 |
| Thrace and struck him through the middle with a spear which fixed | H2 |
| itself in his belly so that he fell headlong from his chariot He | Q |
| also speared Areithous squire to Rhigmus in the back as he was turning | E2 |
| his horses in flight and thrust him from his chariot while the | H |
| horses were struck with panic | E2 |
| As a fire raging in some mountain glen after long drought and the | H |
| dense forest is in a blaze while the wind carries great tongues of | G |
| fire in every direction even so furiously did Achilles rage wielding | E2 |
| his spear as though he were a god and giving chase to those whom he | Q |
| would slay till the dark earth ran with blood Or as one who yokes | D |
| broad browed oxen that they may tread barley in a threshing floor and | H2 |
| it is soon bruised small under the feet of the lowing cattle even | X |
| so did the horses of Achilles trample on the shields and bodies of the | H |
| slain The axle underneath and the railing that ran round the car were | B |
| bespattered with clots of blood thrown up by the horses' hoofs and | H2 |
| from the tyres of the wheels but the son of Peleus pressed on to | H2 |
| win still further glory and his hands were bedrabbled with gore | F |
Homer
(1)
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