from his car. Then hastening up, and stripping from the dead Their shining mail, he knew them; he had seen Both at the ships to which the fleet of foot, Achilles, brought them bound from Ida’s side. As when a lion comes upon the haunt Of a swift hind, to make an easy prey Of her young fawns, and, with his powerful teeth Seizing them, takes their tender lives; while she, Though nigh, can bring no aid but yields herself To mortal fear, and, to escape his rage, Flies swiftly through the wood of close-grown oaks, With sweaty sides—thus none of all the host Of Trojans could avert from Priam’s sons Their fate, but fled in terror from the Greeks. Next on Pisander and Hippolochus Atrides rushed—brave warriors both, and sons Of brave Antimachus, the chief who took Gold and rich gifts from Paris, and refused To let the Trojans render Helen back To fair-haired Menelaus. His two sons, Both in one car, and reining their fleet steeds, Atrides intercepted; they let fall The embroidered reins, dismayed, as, lion-like, Forward he came; and, cowering, thus they prayed:—
“Take us alive, Atrides, and accept A worthy ransom, for Antimachus Keeps in his halls large treasures—brass and gold. And well-wrought steel; and he will send, from these, Large ransom, hearing we are at the fleet Alive.” So prayed they with bland words, and met Harsh answer: “Since ye call Antimachus Your father, who in Trojan council once Proposed that Menelaus, whom we sent A legate with Ulysses the divine, Should not return to Greece, but suffer death, Your blood must answer for your father’s guilt.”
So spake the king, and, striking with his spear Pisander’s breast, he dashed him from the car. Prone on the ground he lay. Hippolochus Leaped down and met the sword. Atrides lopped His hands and drave the weapon through his neck, And sent the head to roll among the crowd. And then he left the dead, and rushed to where The ranks were in disorder; with him went His-well-armed Greeks; there they who fought on foot Slaughtered the flying foot; the horsemen there Clove horsemen