THE DUEL OF HECTOR AND AJAX
Now when Athene saw that the Greeks were perishing by the hand of
Hector and his companions, it grieved her sore. So she came down
from the heights of Olympus to help them. And Apollo met her and
said:--
"Art thou come, Athene, to help the Greeks whom thou lovest? Well,
let us stay the battle for this day; hereafter they shall fight till
the doom of Troy be accomplished."
But Athene answered, "How shall we stay it?"
And Apollo said, "We will set on Hector to challenge the bravest of
the Greeks to fight with him, man to man."
So they two put the matter into the mind of Helenus the seer. Then
Helenus went near to Hector, and spake, saying:--
"Listen to me, for I am thy brother,. Cause the rest of the sons of
Troy and of the Greeks to sit down, and do thou challenge the bravest
of the Greeks to fight with thee, man to man. And be sure thou shalt
not fall in the battle, for the will of the immortal gods is so."
Then Hector greatly rejoiced, and passed to the front of the army,
holding his spear by the middle, and kept back the sons of Troy; and
King Agamemnon did likewise with his own people. Then Hector spake:--
"Hear me, sons of Troy, and ye men of Greece. The covenant that we
made one with another hath been broken, for Zeus would have it so,
purposing evil to both, till either you shall take our high-walled
city or we shall conquer you by your ships. But let one of you, who
call yourselves champions of the Greeks, come forth and fight with
me, man to man. And let it so be that if he vanquish me, he shall
spoil me of my arms, but give my body to my people, that they may
burn it with fire; and if I vanquish him, I will spoil him of his
arms, but give his body to the Greeks, that they may bury him and
raise a great mound above him by the broad salt river of Hellespont.
And so men of after days shall see it, sailing by, and say, 'This is
the tomb of the bravest of the Greeks, whom Hector slew.' So shall
my name live forever."
Hel'-les-pont.
But all the Greeks kept silence, fearing to meet him in battle, but
ashamed to hold back. At last Menelaus leapt forward and spake:--
"Surely ye are women and not men. Is there no man to stand up
against this Hector? Lo! I will fight with him my own self."
So he spake in his rage, courting death, for Hector was much stronger
than he. Then King Agamemnon answered:--
"Nay, but this is folly, my brother. Seek not in thy anger to fight
with one that is stronger than thou; for even Achilles is loth to
meet Hector. Sit thou down among thy comrades, and the Greeks will
find some champion who shall fight with him."
And Menelaus hearkened to his brother's words, and sat down. Then
rose up nine chiefs of fame. First of all, King Agamemnon, lord of
many nations, and next to him Diomed, son of Tydeus, and Ajax the
Greater, and Ajax the Less, and then Idomeneus, and Meriones, who was
his companion in arms, and Eurypylus, and Thoas, son of Andræmon, and
the wise Ulysses.
Me-ri'-o-nes. Eu-ryp'-y-lus. Tho'-as. An-dræ'-mon.
Then Nestor said, "Let us cast lots to see who shall do battle with
the mighty Hector."
So they threw the lots into the helmet of King Agamemnon,--a lot for
each. And the people prayed, "Grant, ye gods, that the lot of Ajax
the Greater may leap forth, or the lot of Diomed, or the lot of King
Agamemnon." Then Nestor shook the lots in the helmet, and the one
which they most wished leapt forth. For the herald took it through
the ranks and showed it to the chiefs, but none knew it for his own
till he came to where Ajax the Greater stood among his comrades. But
Ajax had marked it with his mark, and put forth his hand for it, and
claimed it, right glad at heart. On the ground by his feet he threw
it, and said:--
"Mine is the lot, my friends, and right glad I am, for I think that I
shall prevail over the mighty Hector."
So he armed himself and moved forwards, smiling with grim face. With
mighty strides he came, brandishing his long-shafted spear. And all
the Greeks were glad to behold him, but the knees of the Trojans were
loosened with fear, and great Hector's heart beat fast; but he
trembled not, nor gave place, seeing that he had himself called him
to battle. So Ajax came near, holding before him the great shield,
like a wall. Seven folds of bull's hide it had, and an eighth of
bronze. Threateningly he spake:--
"Now shalt thou know, Hector, what manner of men there are yet among
our chiefs, though Achilles the lion-hearted is far away, sitting
idly in his tent, in great wrath with King Agamemnon. Do thou, then,
begin the battle."
"Speak not to me," said Hector, "as though I were a woman or a child,
knowing nothing of war. Well I know all the arts of battle, to ply
my shield this way and that, to guide my car through the tumult of
steeds, and to stand fighting hand to hand."
And as he spake he hurled his long-shafted spear, and smote the great
shield. Through six folds it passed, but in the seventh it was
stayed. Then Ajax hurled his spear, striking Hector's shield.
Through shield it passed and corselet, and cut the tunic close
against the loin; but Hector shrank away and escaped the doom of
death. Then, each with a fresh spear, they rushed together like
lions or wild boars of the wood. First Hector smote the middle of
the shield of Ajax, but pierced it not, for the spear-point was bent
back; then Ajax, with a great bound, drove his spear at Hector's
shield and pierced it, forcing him back, and grazing his neck so that
the black blood welled out. Yet did not Hector cease from the
combat. A great stone and rough he caught up from the ground, and
hurled it at the seven-fold shield. Loud rang the bronze, but the
shield brake not. Then Ajax took a stone heavier by far, and threw
it with all his might. It brake the shield of Hector, and bore him
backwards, so that he fell at length with his shield above him. But
Apollo raised him up. Then did both draw their swords; but ere they
could join in close battle came the heralds, and held their sceptres
between them, and Idæus, the herald of Troy, spake:--
I-dæ'-us.
"Fight no more, my sons; Zeus loves you both, and ye are both mighty
warriors. That we all know right well. But now the night bids you
cease, and it is well to heed its bidding."
Then said Ajax: "It is for Hector to speak, for he called the bravest
of the Greeks to battle. And as he wills it, so will I."
And Hector said: "O Ajax, the gods have given thee stature and
strength and skill, nor is there any better warrior among the Greeks.
Let us cease then from the battle; we may yet meet again, and the
gods give the victory to me or thee. But now let us give gifts the
one to the other, so that Trojans and Greeks may say, 'Hector and
Ajax met in fierce fight and parted in friendship.'"
So Hector gave to Ajax a silver-studded sword with the scabbard and
the sword-belt, and Ajax gave to Hector a buckler splendid with
purple. So they parted. Right glad were the sons of Troy when they
saw Hector returning safe. Glad also were the Greeks, as they led
Ajax rejoicing in his victory to King Agamemnon. Thereupon the King
called the chiefs to banquet together, and bade slay an ox of five
years old, and Ajax he honoured most of all, giving him the best
portions. And when the feast was ended, Nestor said:--
"It were well that we should cease a while from war and burn the
dead, for many are fallen. And we will build a great wall and dig a
trench about it, and we will make gates that a chariot may pass
through, so that our ships may be safe, if the sons of Troy should
press us hard."
But the next morning came a herald from Troy to the chiefs, as they
sat in council by the ship of King Agamemnon, and said:--
"This is the word of Priam and the men of Troy: Paris will give back
all the treasures of the fair Helen, and many more besides; but the
fair Helen herself he will not give. And if this please you not,
grant us a truce, that we may bury our dead."
Then Diomed spake, "Nay, we will not take the treasures, for a man
may know, even though he be a fool, that the doom of Troy is come."
And King Agamemnon said, "Herald, thou hast heard the word of the
Greeks, but as for the truce, be it as you will."
So the next day they burnt their dead, and the Greeks made a wall
with gates and dug a trench about it. And when it was finished, even
at sunset, they made ready a meal, and lo! there came ships from
Lemnos bringing wine, and Greeks bought thereof, some with bronze,
and some with iron, and some with shields of ox hide. All night they
feasted right joyously. The sons of Troy also feasted in their city.
But the dreadful thunder rolled through the night, for Zeus was
planning evil against them.