The story of the Iliad · Alfred John Church
THE DUEL OF HECTOR AND AJAX
"Hear me, sons of Troy, and ye men of Greece. The covenant that we made one with another hath been broken, for Zeus would have it so, purposing evil to both, till either you shall take our high-walled city or we shall conquer you by your ships. But let one of you, who call yourselves champions of the Greeks, come forth and fight with me, man to man. And let it so be that if he vanquish me, he shall spoil me of my arms, but give my body to my people, that they may burn it with fire; and if I vanquish him, I will spoil him of his arms, but give his body to the Greeks, that they may bury him and raise a great mound above him by the broad salt river of Hellespont. And so men of after days shall see it, sailing by, and say, 'This is the tomb of the bravest of the Greeks, whom Hector slew.' So shall my name live forever." Hel'-les-pont. But all the Greeks kept silence, fearing to meet him in battle, but ashamed to hold back. At last Menelaus leapt forward and spake:-- "Surely ye are women and not men. Is there no man to stand up against this Hector? Lo! I will fight with him my own self."
"Mine is the lot, my friends, and right glad I am, for I think that I shall prevail over the mighty Hector." So he armed himself and moved forwards, smiling with grim face. With mighty strides he came, brandishing his long-shafted spear. And all the Greeks were glad to behold him, but the knees of the Trojans were loosened with fear, and great Hector's heart beat fast; but he trembled not, nor gave place, seeing that he had himself called him to battle. So Ajax came near, holding before him the great shield, like a wall. Seven folds of bull's hide it had, and an eighth of bronze. Threateningly he spake:-- "Now shalt thou know, Hector, what manner of men there are yet among our chiefs, though Achilles the lion-hearted is far away, sitting idly in his tent, in great wrath with King Agamemnon. Do thou, then, begin the battle." "Speak not to me," said Hector, "as though I were a woman or a child, knowing nothing of war. Well I know all the arts of battle, to ply my shield this way and that, to guide my car through the tumult of steeds, and to stand fighting hand to hand."
"It were well that we should cease a while from war and burn the dead, for many are fallen. And we will build a great wall and dig a trench about it, and we will make gates that a chariot may pass through, so that our ships may be safe, if the sons of Troy should press us hard." But the next morning came a herald from Troy to the chiefs, as they sat in council by the ship of King Agamemnon, and said:-- "This is the word of Priam and the men of Troy: Paris will give back all the treasures of the fair Helen, and many more besides; but the fair Helen herself he will not give. And if this please you not, grant us a truce, that we may bury our dead." Then Diomed spake, "Nay, we will not take the treasures, for a man may know, even though he be a fool, that the doom of Troy is come." And King Agamemnon said, "Herald, thou hast heard the word of the Greeks, but as for the truce, be it as you will." So the next day they burnt their dead, and the Greeks made a wall with gates and dug a trench about it. And when it was finished, even at sunset, they made ready a meal, and lo! there came ships from Lemnos bringing wine, and Greeks bought thereof, some with bronze, and some with iron, and some with shields of ox hide. All night they feasted right joyously. The sons of Troy also feasted in their city. But the dreadful thunder rolled through the night, for Zeus was planning evil against them.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.