The battle at the ships
Poseidon, the god of the sea, loved the Greeks. When he saw how they fled before the Trojans, he said to himself: “I will help these men.” It happened, also, that Zeus had turned his eyes from the battle; thinking that none of the gods would do the thing that he had forbidden, that is, bring help to the Greeks. So Poseidon said to Ajax and the others standing by: “Stir yourselves, for it is for you, who are stronger than other men, to save the people.”
As he spoke, he touched them with his staff and filled them with fresh courage, and gave new strength to their hands and to their feet. But still the Trojans came on, even fiercer than before.
Many of the Trojans did the Greeks slay, and many they wounded. Even the mighty Hector himself was struck down. When they had driven back the Greeks, the Trojans carried Hector to the river. After a while, he sat up, and then his spirit left him again. When the Greeks saw that Hector was carried out of the battle, they took fresh courage and charged the Trojans, and drove them back even beyond the walls and the trench.
Zeus turned his eyes again to the land of Troy. Very angry was he when he saw what had happened, how the Trojans fled from the Greeks, and Hector lay upon the plain. So he said to Hera: “Is this your doing, rebellious one?” And Hera answered: “Nay, it is Poseidon who gives the Greeks strength and courage.”
Then said Zeus to Iris the messenger: “Go to Poseidon and tell him that he is not to meddle with these things. Let him go back to the sea where he is master. And when you have given this message to Poseidon, go to Apollo and bid him go to Hector and put new life and courage into him, and send him back to the battle.”
So Iris went to Poseidon, and gave him the message of Zeus. He was very angry when he heard it and said: “Am I not his equal in honor? We were three brothers, sons of Old Time, and to me was given the dominion of the sea and to Pluto the dwellings of the dead and to Zeus to reign over the heaven and the earth.”
Iris answered: “O Poseidon, is it well to speak thus of Zeus? Do you not know how the eldest born is the strongest?” And Poseidon answered: “These are words of wisdom, O Iris, yet if Zeus is minded to save this city of Troy, there will be enmity without ceasing between him and me.”
Then went Iris to Apollo and gave him the message of Zeus. Apollo hastened to Hector and said: “Why do you take no part in the battle?” Hector answered: “Is this a god that speaks to me? Did you not see how Ajax struck me down with a great stone, so that I could fight no more?” Apollo said: “Take courage, my friend. I am Apollo, and Zeus has sent me to stand by you and to help you. Call the Trojans together again, go before them and lead them to the ships, and I will be with you and make the way easy for you.”
Hector stood and his strength came back to him. He called to the Trojans and went before them. The Greeks wondered when they saw him, for they thought that he had been wounded to death.
Nevertheless, the Greeks kept up their courage, and stood close together with their faces toward the enemy; but though the chiefs stood firm, many of the Greeks turned their backs and fled.
Hector still came on and Apollo went before him holding the great shield of Zeus in his hand. Many of the Greeks were slain that day. The Trojans came again to the trench and crossed it. They came as far as the ships.
Ajax called to Teucer: “Where are your bow and arrows? Shoot.” So Teucer shot. With the first arrow, he slew a Trojan; but when he laid another arrow upon the string and aimed it at Hector, the string broke. When Teucer saw this, he cried out: “Surely the gods are against us; see how the string of my bow is broken.”
Ajax said to him: “Let your bow be. Take your spear and fight. Truly, if the men of Troy prevail over us, they shall not take our ships for nothing.” So Teucer took up his spear. When Hector saw it, he cried: “Come on, men of Troy, for Zeus is with us, and they whom Zeus favors are strong and they whom he favors not are weak.”
Thus did Hector urge on his people to the battle. Ajax called to the Greeks and bade them quit themselves like men. Many chiefs fell on either side, but still the Trojans prevailed and the Greeks fell back before them. The battle grew fiercer and fiercer.
Hector cried: “Bring me fire that we may burn the ships of these robbers.” And the Trojans came on more fiercely than before, so that Ajax himself was forced to give way and he cried to the Greeks: “Now must you quit yourselves as men, O Greeks! There is no city here with a wall and towers behind which you may hide yourselves. You are in the plain of Troy, and the sea is close behind us. All our hope is in courage, for there is no one to save if you will not save yourselves.”
So did Ajax speak to the Greeks, and still as he spoke he thrust at the Trojans with his spear.
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