In a silver sheath It nestled, which was slung on golden rings. And then he took his shield, a mighty orb, And nobly wrought and strong and beautiful, Bound with ten brazen circles. On its disk Were twenty bosses of white tin, and one Of tawny bronze just in the midst, where glared A Gorgon’s-head with angry eyes, round which Were sculptured Fear and Flight. Along its band Of silver twined a serpent wrought in bronze, With three heads springing from one neck and formed Into an orb. Upon his head he placed A helmet rough with studs on every side, And with four bosses, and a horse-hair plume That nodded fearfully on high. He took In hand two massive spears, brass-tipped and sharp, That shone afar and sent their light to heaven, Where Juno and Minerva made a sound Like thunder in mid-sky, as honoring The sovereign of Mycenae rich in gold.
Each chief gave orders to his charioteer To stay his horses firmly by the trench, While they rushed forth in arms. At once arose, Ere yet the sun was up, a mighty din. They marshalled by the trench the men on foot; The horse came after, with short space between. The son of Saturn sent among their ranks Confusion, and dropped down upon the host Dews tinged with blood, in sign that he that day Would send to Hades many a valiant chief.
The Trojans, on their side, in the mid-plain Drew up their squadrons on a hill, around The mighty Hector, and Polydamas The blameless, and Aeneas, who among The sons of Troy was honored like a god, And three sons of Antenor, who were named Agenor and the noble Polybus And the young Acamas of godlike bloom, There Hector in the van uplifted bore His broad round shield. As some portentous star Breaks from the clouds and shines, and then again Enters their shadow, Hector thus appeared Among the foremost, issuing his commands, Then sought the hindmost. All in brass, he shone Like lightnings of the Aegis-bearer, Jove.