lls and reached the springs, then Zeus, the Great
Father, raised his golden scales, and placed in each the lot of gloomy
death,--one for Hector, and the other for Achilles. And he held the scales
by the middle, and poised them; and the noble Hector's scale sank down to
Hades; and Phoebus Apollo left him.

But the fierce-eyed goddess Athene came near to Achilles and spake winged
words: "Now, at last, O godlike Achilles! shall we twain carry off great
glory to the Achaian ships! He cannot now escape us, though the Far-Darter
should grovel at the feet of Zeus with fruitless prayers. But do thou stay
and recover thy breath; and I will go and persuade Hector to stand up
against thee in fight." And he gladly obeyed her voice, and stood leaning
on his ashen spear.

And she, Athene, came to noble Hector in the likeness of his brother
Deiphobus, and spake to him: "Dear Lord and elder Brother, surely the
fleet-footed son of Peleus hath done great violence against thee, chasing
thee round the walls! But let us twain make a stand against him!"

And the great Hector answered, "Deiphobus, thou wert ever the dearest of
my brothers; now I honor thee still more, because thou hast dared to come
out from behind the walls to aid me, while others skulk within."

The fierce-eyed goddess, as Deiphobus, spake again: "It is true that my
father, and my queenly mother, and all my comrades, besought me to stay
with them, so greatly do they fear the mighty son of Peleus; but my heart
was sore for thee, dear brother! But let us fight amain, and see whether
he will carry our spoils to his ships, or fall beneath thy spear!" And so,
with her cunning words, she led him on to death.

And when he and Achilles were come near to each other, the noble Hector
spake: "O mighty Achilles, thrice did I flee before thee round the great
city of Priam, and dared not await thy onslaught. But now I will stand up
against thee, to slay or to be slain. But come, let us make a covenant
with one another, and call the Gods, the best guardians of oaths, to
witness. If Zeus grant me to take thy life, and despoil thee of thy divine
armor, then will I give back thy body to the warlike Achaians; and do thou
the same by me!"

And Achilles, with a malignant scowl, replied, "Speak not to me of
covenants! There is no covenant between men and lions, or between wolves
and sheep, but only eternal war. And there can be no pledge of faith
between us twain, until one of us hath sated