Teucer's Archery and His Wounding by Hector

and to your father Telamon, who reared you when you were a child, and, though you were a bastard, took care of you in his own house; bring him, far away though he is, to glorious renown. And I will declare to you how it shall indeed be fulfilled: if aegis-bearing Zeus and Athena grant me to sack the well-built city of Ilios, first to you, after myself, will I place a prize of honor in your hands, either a tripod, or two horses with their chariot, or a woman who may go up into one bed with you." And peerless Teucer answered him and said: "Most glorious son of Atreus, why do you urge me on who am myself already eager?

Truly, as far as strength is in me, I do not cease, but ever since we drove them back toward Ilios, from that time I lie in wait and slay men with my bow. Eight long-pointed arrows have I already let fly, and they have all been fixed in the flesh of swift-fighting youths; but this mad dog here I cannot hit." He spoke, and shot another arrow from the string straight at Hector, and his heart was set on hitting him. And he missed him indeed, but his arrow hit peerless Gorgythion in the chest, the noble son of Priam, whom a mother wedded from Aisyme had borne, beautiful Castianeira, in form like the goddesses. And as a poppy in a garden lets bow its head to one side, heavy with fruit and spring showers, even so he bowed his head to one side, weighed down by his helmet. And Teucer shot another arrow from the string straight at Hector, and his heart was set on hitting him. But he missed him even then, for Apollo turned it aside; yet he hit Archeptolemus, the bold charioteer of Hector, as he rushed into battle, in the chest beside the nipple. And he fell from the chariot, and the swift-footed horses swerved aside; and there his life and strength were undone. And dread grief clouded Hector's mind for his charioteer. Yet he let him lie, though grieving for his comrade, and bade his brother Cebriones, who was near, to take the reins of the horses; and he did not disobey when he heard. But Hector himself leaped to the ground from his gleaming chariot, crying out terribly; and he grasped a large stone in his hand, and went straight at Teucer, and his heart bade him strike him. Now Teucer had drawn a sharp arrow from his quiver and laid it upon the string; but even as he was drawing it back, Hector of the flashing helm struck him beside the shoulder, where the collarbone parts neck and chest, and where is the most deadly spot; there, as he was aiming eagerly at him, he struck him with the jagged stone, and broke his bowstring; and his hand grew numb at the wrist, and he fell on his knees and remained, and the bow fell from his hand. And Ajax did not neglect his fallen brother, but ran and stood over him, and covered him with his shield. Then two trusty comrades, Mecisteus, son of Echius, and noble Alastor, stepped beneath him and carried him, groaning heavily, to the hollow ships. And once again the Olympian stirred up strength in the Trojans; and they drove the Achaeans straight back to the deep trench; Hector went in the forefront, exulting in his might. And as when a hound with swift feet pursues a wild boar or a lion, and clings to him from behind, at hip and buttock, and watches him as he turns, so Hector pressed hard upon the long-haired Achaeans, always slaying the hindmost; and they fled. But when they had passed through the palisade and the trench in their flight, and many had been slain at the hands of the Trojans, they stayed their flight and remained beside the ships, calling to one another and lifting up their hands to all the gods, praying aloud, each one of them; but Hector wheeled his beautiful-maned horses this way and that, with the eyes of the Gorgon or of Ares, destroyer of men. And the white-armed goddess Hera saw them and pitied them, and straightway spoke winged words to Athena: "Alas, child of aegis-bearing Zeus, shall we two no longer..."