lowed him with an
immense clamour. Then thunder-delighting Jove raised a storm of wind
from the Idaean mountains, which bore the dust directly towards the
ships; moreover, he weakened the courage of the Greeks, but bestowed
glory upon the Trojans and Hector: so that, relying upon his prodigies,
and [their own] strength, they endeavoured to break through the mighty
wall of the Greeks. They tore down the niched battlements of the towers,
and demolished the breast-works,[402] and with levers they upheaved the
projecting buttresses, which the Greeks had planted first in the earth,
as supporters of the towers. These then they tore down, and hoped to
break through the wall of the Greeks.

Yet did not the Greeks retire as yet from the way; but fencing up the
embrazures with their ox-hide shields, they wounded from behind them the
enemy coming up under the wall. And both the Ajaces ranged in every
direction upon the towers, cheering on, rousing the valour of the
Greeks. One [they addressed][403] with soothing, another they rebuked
with harsh expressions, whomsoever they beheld totally neglectful of
battle:

[Footnote 401: Cf. Aristot. Rhet. ii. 22; Cicero Ep. ad Attic,
ii. 3. See, also, Duport, Gnom. Horn. p. 73.]

[Footnote 402: Observe the zeugma, and compare Il. O. 8, G. 327;
Od. 291; and the most elaborate and accurate note on this
construction of D'Orville on Charit. iv. 4, p. 440, sqq. ed.
Lips., with Burm. and Schwabe on Phaedr. iv. 17, 31; Duker on
Flor. iii. 21, 26.]

[Footnote 403: Id.]

"O friends, whoever of the Greeks is excelling, or moderate, or inferior
(since all men are not alike in war), now is there work for all; and ye
yourselves, I ween, know this. Let not any one be turned back towards
the ships, hearing the threatener [Hector], but advance onwards, and
exhort each other, if perchance Olympic Jove, the darter of lightning,
may grant that, having repulsed the conflict, we may pursue the enemy to
the city."

Thus they, shouting in front, cheered on the attack of the Greeks. But
of them--as when frequent flakes of snow fall upon a winter's day, when
provident Jove has begun to snow, displaying his weapons in the sight of
men, and, having lulled the winds, pours it down incessantly, till he
covers the tops and highest peaks of the lofty mountains, and the lotus
plains and rich husbandry of men: and likewise it is poured out upon the
havens and shores of the hoary sea; but the a