Verse
Iliad
Book 16, Line 112 by Samuel Butler (English)
And now, tell me, O Muses that hold your mansions on Olympus , how fire was thrown upon the ships of the Achaeans. Hektor came close up and let drive with his great sword at the ashen spear of Ajax. He cut it clean in two just behind where the point was fastened on to the shaft of the spear. Ajax, therefore, had now nothing but a headless spear, while the bronze point flew some way off and came ringing down on to the ground. Ajax knew the hand of heaven in this, and was dismayed at seeing that Zeus had now left him utterly defenseless and was willing victory for the Trojans. Therefore he drew back, and the Trojans flung fire upon the ship which was at once wrapped in flame.
IliadBook 16, Line 112Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 16
HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-16-112