ye uttered against Troy Since first my wrath began. Ye blame me much, And say: ‘Hard-hearted son of Peleus, sure Thy mother must have suckled thee on gall; For sternly thou dost keep us in the ships, Unwilling as we are. We might, at least, Crossing the sea, return in our good ships, If thus thine anger is to last.’ These words Ye utter oft when our assemblies meet, And now the great occasion is at hand Which ye have longed for; now let him whose heart Is fearless meet the Trojans valiantly.”
He spake, and roused their courage and their might, And as they heard their king they brought their rank To closer order. As an architect Builds up, with closely fitting stones, the wall Of some tall mansion, proof against the blast, So close were now the helms and bossy shields, Shield leaned on shield, and helm on helm, and man On man, and on the glittering helmet-cones The horse-hair plumes with every motion touched Each other, so compact the squadrons stood. Two heroes, nobly armed, were at their head, to Patroclus and Automedon, and both Had but one thought—to combat in the van.