The blue-eyed Pallas spake, and disappeared; And Diomed went back into the field And mingled with the warriors. If before His spirit moved him fiercely to engage The men of Troy, a threefold courage now Inspired him. As a lion who has leaped Into a fold—and he who guards the flock Has wounded but not slain him—feels his rage Waked by the blow;—the affrighted shepherd then Ventures not near, but hides within the stalls, And the forsaken sheep are put to flight, And, huddling, slain in heaps, till o’er the fence The savage bounds into the fields again;— Such was Tydides midst the sons of Troy. Astynoüs first he slew, Hypenor next, The shepherd of the people. One he pierced High on the bosom with his brazen spear, And smote the other on the collar-bone With his good sword, and hewed from neck and spine The shoulder. There he left the dead, and rushed To Abas and to Polyeidus, sons Of old Eurydamas, interpreter Of visions. Ill the aged man had read His visions when they joined the war. They died, And Diomed, the valiant, spoiled the slain. Xanthus and Thoön he encountered next, The sons of Phaenops, born in his old age. No other child had he, to be his heir, And he was worn with length of years. These two Tydides smote and took their lives, and left Grief to their father and regretful cares, Since he no more should welcome their return From war, and strangers should divide his wealth. Then smote he Chromius and Echemon, sons Of Dardan Priam, in one chariot both. As on a herd of beeves a lion springs While midst the shrubs they browse, and breaks their necks— Heifer or ox—so sprang he on the twain And struck them, vainly struggling, from their car, And spoiled them of their arms, and took their steeds, And bade his comrades lead them to the fleet.
Aeneas, who beheld him scattering thus The embattled ranks before him, straightway went Through the thick fight, amid encountering spears, In search of godlike Pandarus. He found Lycaon’s blameless and illustrious son, And stood before him, and addressed him thus:—