nous son of Dexius on the shoulder, as he was springing on to his
chariot behind his fleet mares; so he fell to earth from the car, and
there was no life left in him.

When, therefore, Minerva saw these men making havoc of the Argives, she
darted down to Ilius from the summits of Olympus, and Apollo, who was
looking on from Pergamus, went out to meet her; for he wanted the
Trojans to be victorious. The pair met by the oak tree, and King Apollo
son of Jove was first to speak. "What would you have," said he,
"daughter of great Jove, that your proud spirit has sent you hither
from Olympus? Have you no pity upon the Trojans, and would you incline
the scales of victory in favour of the Danaans? Let me persuade
you--for it will be better thus--stay the combat for to-day, but let
them renew the fight hereafter till they compass the doom of Ilius,
since you goddesses have made up your minds to destroy the city."

And Minerva answered, "So be it, Far-Darter; it was in this mind that I
came down from Olympus to the Trojans and Achaeans. Tell me, then, how
do you propose to end this present fighting?"

Apollo, son of Jove, replied, "Let us incite great Hector to challenge
some one of the Danaans in single combat; on this the Achaeans will be
shamed into finding a man who will fight him."

Minerva assented, and Helenus son of Priam divined the counsel of the
gods; he therefore went up to Hector and said, "Hector son of Priam,
peer of gods in counsel, I am your brother, let me then persuade you.
Bid the other Trojans and Achaeans all of them take their seats, and
challenge the best man among the Achaeans to meet you in single combat.
I have heard the voice of the ever-living gods, and the hour of your
doom is not yet come."

Hector was glad when he heard this saying, and went in among the
Trojans, grasping his spear by the middle to hold them back, and they
all sat down. Agamemnon also bade the Achaeans be seated. But Minerva
and Apollo, in the likeness of vultures, perched on father Jove's high
oak tree, proud of their men; and the ranks sat close ranged together,
bristling with shield and helmet and spear. As when the rising west
wind furs the face of the sea and the waters grow dark beneath it, so
sat the companies of Trojans and Achaeans upon the plain. And Hector
spoke thus:--

"Hear me, Trojans and Achaeans, that I may speak even as I am minded;
Jove on his high throne has brought our oaths and covenants to nothing,
and