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Aias and Hector fight an inconclusive duel and exchange gifts:
So [Hector] spoke, and balanced the spear far-shadowed, and threw it,
and struck the sevenfold-ox-hide terrible shield of Aias
in the uttermost bronze, which was the eighth layer upon it,
and the unwearying bronze spearhead shore its way through six folds
but was stopped in the seventh ox-hide. Then after him Aias
the illustrious in turn cast with his spear far-shadowing
and struck the shield of Priam's son on its perfect circle.
All the way through the glittering shield went the heavy spearhead,
and crashed its way through the intricately worked corselet;
straight ahead by the flank the spearhead shore through his tunic,
yet he bent away to one side and avoided the dark death.
Both now gripping in their hands the long spears pulled them
out and went at each other like lions who live on raw meat,
or wild boars, whose strength is no light thing. The son of Priam
stabbed then with his spear into the shield's centre,
nor did the bronze point break its way through, but the spearhead bent back.
Now Aias plunging upon him thrust at the shield, and the spearhead
passed clean through, and pounded Hector back in his fury,
and tore at his neck so that the dark blood broke. Yet
even so Hector of the shining helmet did not stop fighting,
but gave back and in his heavy hand caught up a stone that
lay in the plain, black and rugged and huge. With this
he struck the sevenfold-ox-hide terrible shield of Aias
in the knob of the centre so that the bronze clashed loud about it.
After him Aias in turn lifting a stone far greater
whirled it and threw, leaning into his cast his strength beyond measure,
and the shield broke inward under the stroke of the rock like a millstone,
and Hector's very knees gave, so that he sprawled backward,
shield beaten upon him, but at once Apollo lifted him upright. |
