bend His will—who knows?—by thy persuasive words For wholesome are the warnings of a friend. Yet, if he shrink from some predicted doom, Or if his goddess-mother have revealed Aught of Jove’s counsels to him, then, at least Let him send thee to war, and let his troop Of Myrmidons go with thee, so that thou Mayst carry succor to the Greeks. Yet more— Let him permit thee in the field to wear His glorious armor, that the Trojan host, Beholding thee so like to him, may shun The combat, and the warlike sons of Greece, Hard-pressed, may breathe again, and find at length A respite from the conflict. Ye, who still Are fresh and vigorous, shall assault and drive Townward the weary foe from camp and fleet.”
He spake. The spirit of the youth took fire, And instantly he hastened toward the ships Of Peleus’ son. But when he came where lay The galleys of Ulysses the divine, Where was the assembly-place and judgment-seat, And where the altars of the immortals stood, Evaemon’s noble son, Eurypylus, Met him as from the battle-field he came Halting, and with an arrow in his thigh. The sweat ran down his shoulders and his brow, And the black blood was oozing from his wound, Yet was his spirit untamed. The gallant youth, Son of Menoetius, saw with grief, and said:—