But that is the Immortals' path: no man May tread it, for a chasm deep and wide Down-reaching unto Hades, yawns between.
This track the Blest Gods may alone behold.
So died a host on either side that warred Over Machaon and Aglaia's son.
But at the last through desperate wrestle of fight The Danaans rescued them: yet few were they Which bare them to the ships: by bitter stress Of conflict were the more part compassed round, And needs must still abide the battle's brunt.
But when full many had filled the measure up Of fate, mid tumult, blood and agony, Then to their ships did many Argives flee Pressed by Eurypylus hard, an avalanche Of havoc. Yet a few abode the strife Round Aias and the Atreidae rallying;
And haply these had perished all, beset By throngs on throngs of foes on every hand, Had not Oileus' son stabbed with his spear 'Twixt shoulder and breast war-wise Polydamas;
Forth gushed the blood, and he recoiled a space.
Then Menelaus pierced Deiphobus By the right breast, that with swift feet he fled.
And many of that slaughter-breathing throng Were slain by Agamemnon: furiously He rushed on godlike Aethicus with the spear;
But he shrank from the forefront back mid friends.
Now when Eurypylus the battle-stay Marked how the ranks of Troy gave back from fight, He turned him from the host that he had chased Even to the ships, and rushed with eagle-swoop On Atreus' strong sons and Oileus' seed Stout-hearted, who was passing fleet of foot And in fight peerless. Swiftly he charged on these Grasping his spear long-shafted: at Iris side Charged Paris, charged Aeneas stout of heart, Who hurled a stone exceeding huge, that crashed On Aias' helmet: dashed to the dust he was, Yet gave not up the ghost, whose day of doom Was fate-ordained amidst Caphaerus' rocks On the home-voyage. Now his valiant men Out of the foes' hands snatched him, bare him thence, Scarce drawing breath, to the Achaean ships.
And now the Atreid kings, the war-renowned, Were left alone, and murder-breathing foes Encompassed them, and hurled from every side Whate'er their hands might find the deadly shaft Some showered, some the stone, the javelin some.
They in the midst aye turned this way and that, As boars or lions compassed round with pales On that day when kings gather to the sport The people, and have penned the mighty beasts Within the toils of death; but these, although With walls ringed round, yet tear with tusk and fang What luckless thrall soever draweth near.
So these death-compassed heroes slew their foes Ever as they pressed on. Yet had their might Availed not for defence, for all their will, Had Teucer and Idomeneus strong of heart Come not to help, with Thoas, Meriones, And godlike Thrasymedes, they which shrank Erewhile before Eurypylus yea, had fled Unto the ships to 'scape the crushing doom, But that, in fear for Atreus' sons, they rallied Against Eurypylus: deadly waxed the fight.
Then Teucer with a mighty spear-thrust smote Aeneas' shield, yet wounded not his flesh, For the great fourfold buckler warded him;
Yet feared he, and recoiled a little space.
Leapt Meriones upon Laophoon The son of Paeon, born by Axius' flood Of bright-haired Cleomede. Unto Troy With noble Asteropaeus had he come To aid her folk: him Meriones' keen spear Stabbed 'neath the navel, and the lance-head tore His bowels forth; swift sped his soul away Into the Shadow-land. Alcimedes, The warrior-friend of Aias, Oileus' son, Shot mid the press of Trojans; for he sped With taunting shout a sharp stone from a sling Into their battle's heart. They quailed in fear Before the hum and onrush of the bolt.
Fate winged its flight to the bold charioteer Of Pammon, Hippasus' son: his brow it smote While yet he grasped the reins, and flung him stunned Down from the chariot-seat before the wheels.
The rushing war-wain whirled his wretched form 'Twixt tyres and heels of onward-leaping steeds, And awful death in that hour swallowed him When whip and reins had flown from his nerveless hands.
