Page:The Story of the Iliad.djvu/129

Rh And the two hosts came together, buckler against buckler, and spear against spear, and the bosses of the shields clashed with a great ringing sound. While the day was increasing, neither this side prevailed nor that; but at noon Father Zeus stretched on high his golden scales, laying in them two weights of death; for the Greeks one, and one for the sons of Troy. By the middle he took the scales, and let them hang, and the scale of the Greeks sank lower. Then did he send his blazing bolt among the people from the heights of Ida, and they saw it and were dismayed.

Then could no man hold his ground. Only Nestor remained, and that against his will, for Paris had slain one of his chariot-horses with an arrow. And while the old man cut away the traces, came Hector through the press. Then had the old man perished, but Diomed was swift to mark. With a great cry he called Ulysses, and said:―

"Son of Laertes, whither dost thou flee, turning thy back like a coward in the press? See that no man thrust thee in the back with