But when Hector saw Agamemnon departing, to Trojans and Lycians he called with a loud shout: Ye Trojans and Lycians and Dardanians that fight in close combat, be men, my friends, and bethink you of furious valour. Gone is the best of the men, and to me hath Zeus, son of Cronos granted great glory. Nay, drive your single-hooved horses straight towards the valiant Danaans, that ye may win the glory of victory. So saving he aroused the strength and spirit of every man. And even as when a huntsman sets his white-toothed hounds upon a wild boar or a lion, so upon the Achaeans did Hector, son of Priam, peer of Ares, the bane of mortals, set the great-souled Trojans. Himself with high heart he strode among the foremost, and fell upon the conflict like a blustering tempest, that leapeth down and lasheth to fury the violet-hued deep. Who then was first to be slain, and who last by Hector, Priam's son, when Zeus vouchsafed him glory? Asaeus first, and Autonous, and Opites and Dolops, son of Clytius, and Opheltius, and Agelaus, and Aesymnus, and Orus, and Hipponous, staunch in fight.
These leaders of the Danaans he slew and thereafter fell upon the multitude, and even as when the West Wind driveth the clouds of the white South Wind, smiting them with a violent squall, and many a swollen wave rolleth onward, and on high the spray is scattered beneath the blast of the wandering wind; even so many heads of the host were laid low by Hector. Then had ruin come, and deeds beyond remedy been wrought, and now would the Achaeans in flight have flung themselves upon their ships, had not Odysseus called to Diomedes, son of Tydeus: Tydeus' son, what has come over us that we have forgotten our furious valour? Nay, come thou hither, good friend, and take thy stand by my side, for verily shame will it be if Hector of the flashing helm shall take the ships. Then in answer to him spake mighty Diomedes: Of a surety will I abide and endure, howbeit but for scant space shall be our profit, for Zeus, the cloud-gatherer, plainly willeth to give victory to the Trojans rather than to us. He spake, and thrust Thymbraeus from his chariot to the ground, smiting him with his spear on the left breast, and Odysseus smote Molion, the godlike squire of that prince.
These then they let be, when they had made them cease from war; but the twain ranged throughout the throng, making havoc of it, as when two boars with high hearts fall upon hunting hounds; even so they turned again upon the Trojans and slew them, and the Achaeans gladly had respite in their flight before goodly Hector. Then took they a chariot and two men, the best of their people, sons twain of Merops of Percote, that was above all men skilled in prophesying, and would not suffer his sons to go into war, the bane of men; but the twain would in no wise hearken to him, for the fates of black death were leading them on. These did the son of Tydeus, Diomedes, famed for his spear, rob of spirit and of life, and took from them their goodly battle-gear. And Odysseus slew Hippodamus and Hypeirochus. Then the son of Cronos stretched evenly for them the line of battle, as he looked down from Ida, and they kept slaying one another. Tydeus' son wounded the warrior Agastrophus, son of Paeon, on the hip with a thrust of his spear; nor were his horses near at hand for him to flee, but he was greatly blinded at heart;, for his squire held the horses withdrawn apart, and he on foot was raging amid the foremost fighters until he lost his life.
But Hector was quick to mark them across the ranks, and rushed upon them, shouting, and with him followed the battalions of the Trojans. At sight of him Diomedes, good at the war-cry, shuddered, and forthwith spake to Odysseus that was near: On us twain is this ruin rolling, even mighty Hector; but come, let us stand, and ward off his onset abiding where we are. He spake and poised his far-shadowing spear, and hurled it, nor missed he the mark at which he aimed, but smote him on the head, on the top of the helmet, but the bronze was turned aside by bronze, and reached not his fair flesh, for it was stayed by the threefold crested helm, which Phoebus Apollo had bestowed upon him. But Hector sprang back a wondrous way, and mingled with the throng, and he fell upon his knees and thus abode, and with his stout hand leaned upon the earth, and dark night enfolded his eyes. But while the son of Tydeus was following after the cast of his spear far through the foremost fighters, where he had seen it fix itself in the earth, meanwhile Hector revived again, and leaping back into his chariot drave forth into the throng, and escaped black fate.
And rushing after him with his spear mighty Diomedes spake to him: Now again, thou dog, art thou escaped from death, though verily thy bane came nigh thee; but once more hath Phoebus Apollo saved thee, to whom of a surety thou must make prayer whenso thou goest amid the hurtling of spears. Verily I will yet make an end of thee when I meet thee hereafter, if so be any god is helper to me likewise. But now will I make after the rest, whomsoever I may light upon. So spake he, and went on to strip of his armour the son of Paeon, famed for his spear. But Alexander, lord of fair-haired Helen, aimed an arrow at Tydeus' son, shepherd of the host, leaning the while against a pillar on the barrow that men's hands reared for Ilus, son of Dardanus, an elder of the people in days of old. Now Diomedes was stripping the gleaming corselet of valiant Agastrophus from about his breast, and the shield from off his shoulder, and his heavy helm, when Paris drew the centre-piece of the bow and smote him—for not in vain did the shaft speed from his hand—upon the flat of the right foot, and the arrow passed clean through and fixed itself in the ground; and with a right merry laugh Paris leapt up from his lair and spake vauntingly: Thou art smitten, not in vain hath my shaft sped; would that I had smitten thee in the nethermost belly, and taken away thy life.
So would the Trojans have had respite from their woe, who now tremble before thee as bleating goats before a lion. But with no touch of fear mighty Diomedes spake to him: Bowman, reviler, proud of thy curling locks, thou ogler of girls! O that thou wouldst make trial of me man to man in armour, then would thy bow and thy swift-falling arrows help thee not; whereas now having but grazed the flat of my foot thou boastest vainly. I reck not thereof, any more than if a woman had struck me or a witless child, for blunt is the dart of one that is a weakling and a man of naught. Verily in other wise when sped by my hand, even though it do but touch, does the spear prove its edge, and forthwith layeth low its man; torn then with wailing are the two cheeks of his wife, and his children fatherless, while he, reddening the earth with his blood, rotteth away, more birds than women around him. So spake he, and to him did Odysseus, famed for his spear, draw nigh, and take his stand before him, and Diomedes sat down behind him, and drew forth the sharp arrow from his foot, and a sore pang shot through his flesh. Then leapt he upon his chariot and bade his charioteer drive to the hollow ships, for he was sore pained at heart.
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