Thoas, Andrannon’s son, the bravest far Among the Aetolians, skilled to cast the spear And combat hand to hand, addressed the Greeks. In council few excelled him, when the youths Assembled for debate. With prudent speech Thoas bespake his fellow-warriors thus:— “Gods! What a marvel do mine eyes behold; Hector has risen from death! We fully thought, Each one of us, that, smitten by the hand Of Telamonian Ajax, he had died. Some god hath rescued and restored to strength This Hector who hath slain, and yet will slay, I fear, so many Greeks. He comes not thus Leading the charge without the aid of Jove, The God of Thunders. Now let all of us Follow this counsel: bid the multitude Retreat upon the ships, and let the rest, Who boast ourselves the bravest of the host, Stand firm and breast his onset, and so break Its fury with our lifted spears. I think, With all his rage, he will be slow to fling Himself into a band of armèd Greeks.”
He spake; they hearkened and at once complied; The Ajaxes, the Prince Idomeneus, Teucer, Meriones, and Meges, peer Of Mars, assembled all the chiefs, and ranked Their files to encounter Hector and his band Of Trojans, while the multitude fell back To the Greek galleys. Then, in close array, The Trojan host moved forward. Hector led The van in rapid march. Before him walked Phoebus, the terrible aegis in his hands Dazzlingly bright within its shaggy fringe, By Vulcan forged, the great artificer, And given to Jupiter, with which to rout Armies of men. With this in hand he led The assailants on. The Achaians kept their ground In serried ranks, and a sharp yell arose From Greeks and Trojans. Arrows from the string Flew through the air, and spears from valiant hands. Some pierced the breasts of warrior-youths, but more Fell half-way ere they reached their aim, and plunged Into the ground, still hungering for their prey. As long as Phoebus held the aegis still, The weapons reached