Verse

Iliad

Book 11, Line 411 by Samuel Butler (English)

While he was thus in two minds, the ranks of the Trojans advanced and hemmed him in, and bitterly did they come to me it. As hounds and lusty youths set upon a wild boar that sallies from his lair whetting his white tusks - they attack him from every side and can hear the gnashing of his jaws, but for all his fierceness they still hold their ground - even so furiously did the Trojans attack Odysseus. First he sprang spear in hand upon Deiopites and wounded him on the shoulder with a downward blow; then he killed Thoon and Ennomos. After these he struck Chersidamas in the loins under his shield as he had just sprung down from his chariot; so he fell in the dust and clutched the earth in the hollow of his hand. These he let lie, and went on to wound Charops son of Hippasus, brother to noble Sokos. Sokos, hero that he was, made all speed to help him, and when he was close to Odysseus he said, "Far-famed Odysseus, insatiable of craft and toil [ ponos ], this day you shall either boast of having killed both the sons of Hippasus and stripped them of their armor, or you shall fall before my spear."

IliadBook 11, Line 411Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 11

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Samuel Butler's public-domain English prose Iliad via Perseus canonical TEI; prose segments are assigned to their source line span.