drive swiftly from the press of battle. A healer such as he is worth the
lives of many men. Save him alive so that we may still have him to draw
the arrows from our flesh and put medicaments into our wounds." Then did
Nestor lift the healer into his chariot, and the charioteer turned the
horses and they too drove from the press of battle and towards the
hollow ships.'




XIV


Achilles, standing by the stern of his great ship, saw the battle as it
went this way and that way, but his heart was not at all moved with pity
for the destruction wrought upon the Greeks. He saw the chariot of
Nestor go dashing by, dragged by sweating horses, and he knew that a
wounded man was in the chariot. When it had passed he spoke to his dear
friend Patroklos.

'"Go now, Patroklos," he said, "and ask of Nestor who it is that he has
borne away from the battle."'

'"I go, Achilles," Patroklos said, and even as he spoke he started to
run along the line of the ships and to the hut of Nestor.'

'He stood before the door, and when old Nestor beheld him he bade him
enter. "Achilles sent me to you, revered Nestor," said Patroklos, "to
ask who it was you bore out of the battle wounded. But I need not ask,
for I see that it is none other than Machaon, the best of our healers."'