quickly rallied them and made towards the front like a wild boar upon the mountains when he stands at bay in the forest glades and routs the hounds and lusty youths that have attacked him - even so did Ajax son of Telamon passing easily in among the phalanxes of the Trojans, disperse those who had bestridden Patroklos and were most bent on winning glory by dragging him off to their city. At this moment Hippothoos brave son of the Pelasgian Lethus, in his zeal for Hektor and the Trojans, was dragging the body off by the foot through the press of the fight, having bound a strap round the sinews near the ankle; but a mischief soon befell him from which none of those could save him who would have gladly done so, for the son of Telamon sprang forward and smote him on his bronze-cheeked helmet. The plumed headpiece broke about the point of the weapon, struck at once by the spear and by the strong hand of Ajax, so that the bloody brain came oozing out through the crest-socket. His strength then failed him and he let Patroklos' foot drop from his hand, as he fell full length dead upon the body; thus he died far from the fertile land of Larissa, and never repaid his parents the cost of bringing him up, for his life was cut short early by the spear of mighty Ajax. Hektor then took aim at Ajax with a spear, but he saw it coming and just managed to avoid it; the spear passed on and struck Schedios son of noble Iphitos, leader of the Phoceans, who dwelt in famed Panopeus and reigned over many people; it struck him under the middle of the collar-bone the bronze point went right through him, coming out at the bottom of his shoulder-blade, and his armor rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground. Ajax in his turn struck noble Phorkys son of Phainops in the middle of the belly as he was bestriding Hippothoos, and broke the plate of his cuirass; whereon the spear tore out his entrails and he clutched the ground in his palm as he fell to earth. Hektor and those who were in the front rank then gave ground, while the Argives raised a loud cry of triumph, and drew off the bodies of Phorkys and Hippothoos which they stripped presently of their armor.
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The Trojans would now have been worsted by the brave Achaeans and driven back to Ilion through their own cowardice, while the Argives, so great was their courage and endurance, would have achieved a triumph even against the will of Zeus, if Apollo had not roused Aeneas, in the likeness of Periphas son of Epytos, an attendant who had grown old in the service of Aeneas' aged father, and was at all times devoted to him. In his likeness, then, Apollo said, "Aeneas, can you not manage, even though heaven be against us, to save high Ilion? I have known men, whose numbers, courage, and self-reliance have saved their population [dêmos] in spite of Zeus, whereas in this case he would much rather give victory to us than to the Danaans, if you would only fight instead of being so terribly afraid."
