too he would have brought within the City that his triumph might be
greater, but now Aias came to where Patroklos had fallen and over the
body he placed his great shield. The fight went on and Hector,
withdrawing himself to the plain, put upon himself the armour he had
stripped off the body of Patroklos. The armour fitted every limb and
joint and as he put it on more courage and strength than ever yet he had
felt came into the soul of Hector.'

[Illustration]

'And the immortal steeds that Patroklos had driven, having galloped from
the battle, stood apart and would not move for all that their
charioteer would do. They stood apart with their heads bowed, and tears
flowed from their eyes down on the ground. And Zeus, the greatest of the
gods, saw them and had pity upon them and spoke to himself saying, "Ah,
immortal steeds, why did I give ye to king Peleus, whose generations die
while ye remain young and undying? Was it that ye should know the
sorrows that befall mortal men? Pitiful, indeed, is the lot of all men
upon the earth. Even Hector now, who boasteth in the armour that the
gods once gave, will shortly go down to his death and the City he
defendeth will be burned with fire."'

'So saying he put courage into the hearts of the immortal steeds and
they went where the charioteer would have them go, and they came safely
out of the battle.'

'Now Hector, with the armour of Achilles upon him, gathered his
companies together and brought them up to the battle to win and carry
away the body of Patroklos. But each one who laid hands upon that body
was instantly slain by Aias. All day the battle went on, for the Greeks