Iliad

As he spoke thus the Trojans sprang yet more fiercely on the Achaeans, and Ajax no longer held his ground, for he was overcome by the darts that were flung at him, and made sure that he was doomed. Therefore he left the raised deck at the stern, and stepped back on to the seven-foot bench of the oarsmen. Here he stood on the look-out, and with his spear held back Trojan whom he saw bringing fire to the ships. All the time he kept on shouting at the top of his voice and exhorting the Danaans. "My friends," he cried, "Danaan heroes, squires [ therapontes ] of Ares, be men my friends, and fight with might and with main. Can we hope to find helpers hereafter, or a wall to shield us more surely than the one we have? There is no strong city within reach, whence we may draw fresh population [ dêmos ] to turn the scales in our favor. We are on the plain of the armed Trojans with the sea [ pontos ] behind us, and far from our own country. Our salvation, therefore, is in the might of our hands and in hard fighting."

IliadBook 15, Line 726Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 15

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