e brushwood under him, since if the wild boar
should attack him in that posture, owing to the upward curve of its
tusks, it cannot get under him; (30) whereas if caught erect, he must be
wounded. What will happen then is, that the beast will try to raise him
up, and failing that will stand upon and trample him.

(26) {epanieis}. See Sturz, s.v.

(27) Lit. "forwards the left foot will follow the left arm and the
right foot the other."

(28) "Statum venatoris aprum venabulo excipientis pinxit
Philostratus," "Imag." i. 28, Schn.

(29) Or, "he will step forward and take one stride not much longer
than that of a wrestler, and thrust forward his boar-spear."

(30) Cf. Hes. "Shield," 387; Hom. "Il." xii. 148: "Then forth rushed
the twain, and fought in front of the gates like wild boars that
in the mountains abide the assailing crew of men and dogs, and
charging on either flank they crush the wood around them, cutting
it at the root, and the clatter of their tusks waxes loud, till
one smite them and take their life away" (A. Lang).

From this extremity there is but one means of escape, and one alone,
for the luckless prisoner. One of his fellow-huntsmen must approach with
boar-spear and provoke the boar, making as though he would let fly at
him; but let fly he must not, for fear of hitting the man under him. The
boar, on seeing this, will leave the fallen man, and in rage and fury
turn to grapple his assailant. The other will seize the instant to
spring to his feet, and not forget to clutch his boar-spear as he
rises to his legs again; since rescue cannot be nobly purchased save
by victory. (31) Let him again bring the weapon to bear in the same
fashion, and make a lunge at a point within the shoulder-blade, where
lies the throat; (32) and planting his body firmly press with all his
force. (33) The boar, by dint of his might and battle rage, will still
push on, and were it not that the teeth of the lance-blade hindered,
(34) would push his way up to the holder of the boar-spear even though
the shaft run right through him. (35)

(31) "Safety can only be won with honour by some master-stroke of
victory."

(32) {sphage}. Aristot. "H. A." i. 14. 2. "Straight at the jugular."

(33) Or, "throwing his whole weight on the thrust, press home with all
his force."

(34) Or, "but for the intervention of the two projecting teeth of the
lance-blade." See the account of the pas