Verse
Iliad
Book 20, Line 259 by Samuel Butler (English)
As he spoke he drove his spear at the great and terrible shield of Achilles, which rang out as the point struck it. The son of Peleus held the shield before him with his strong hand, and he was afraid, for he deemed that Aeneas' spear would go through it quite easily, not reflecting that the god's glorious gifts were little likely to yield before the blows of mortal men; and indeed Aeneas' spear did not pierce the shield, for the layer of gold, gift of the god, stayed the point. It went through two layers, but the god had made the shield in five, two of bronze, the two innermost ones of tin, and one of gold; it was in this that the spear was stayed.
IliadBook 20, Line 259Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 20
HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-20-259