round. Nestor knight of Gerene alone
stood firm, bulwark of the Achaeans, not of his own will, but one of
his horses was disabled. Alexandrus husband of lovely Helen had hit it
with an arrow just on the top of its head where the mane begins to grow
away from the skull, a very deadly place. The horse bounded in his
anguish as the arrow pierced his brain, and his struggles threw others
into confusion. The old man instantly began cutting the traces with his
sword, but Hector's fleet horses bore down upon him through the rout
with their bold charioteer, even Hector himself, and the old man would
have perished there and then had not Diomed been quick to mark, and
with a loud cry called Ulysses to help him.

"Ulysses," he cried, "noble son of Laertes where are you flying to,
with your back turned like a coward? See that you are not struck with a
spear between the shoulders. Stay here and help me to defend Nestor
from this man's furious onset."

Ulysses would not give ear, but sped onward to the ships of the
Achaeans, and the son of Tydeus flinging himself alone into the thick
of the fight took his stand before the horses of the son of Neleus.
"Sir," said he, "these young warriors are pressing you hard, your force
is spent, and age is heavy upon you, your squire is naught, and your
horses are slow to move. Mount my chariot and see what the horses of
Tros can do--how cleverly they can scud hither and thither over the
plain either in flight or in pursuit. I took them from the hero Aeneas.
Let our squires attend to your own steeds, but let us drive mine
straight at the Trojans, that Hector may learn how furiously I too can
wield my spear."

Nestor knight of Gerene hearkened to his words. Thereon the doughty
squires, Sthenelus and kind-hearted Eurymedon, saw to Nestor's horses,
while the two both mounted Diomed's chariot. Nestor took the reins in
his hands and lashed the horses on; they were soon close up with
Hector, and the son of Tydeus aimed a spear at him as he was charging
full speed towards them. He missed him, but struck his charioteer and
squire Eniopeus son of noble Thebaeus in the breast by the nipple while
the reins were in his hands, so that he died there and then, and the
horses swerved as he fell headlong from the chariot. Hector was greatly
grieved at the loss of his charioteer, but let him lie for all his
sorrow, while he went in quest of another driver; nor did his steeds
have to go long without one, for he pr