unless the son of Saturn himself cast a flaming torch
upon the swift ships. Nor indeed will mighty Telamonian Ajax yield to
any man who may be a mortal, and who may eat the fruit of Ceres, who is
vulnerable by brass and by large stones. Not even to warlike Achilles
would he give way, at least in standing fight; but in speed he is by no
means able to contend with him. Guide us, therefore, to the left of the
army that we may quickly know whether we shall afford glory to any one,
or any one to us."

Thus he spoke. But Meriones, equal to rapid Mars, began to proceed,
until he came to [that part of] the army whither he had ordered him. But
they, when they beheld Idomeneus, like unto a flame in might, both him
and his attendant, in variously-wrought armour, they all, exhorting one
another along the crowd, advanced against him, and an equal contest
arose at the sterns of their ships. And as when storms sweep along,
[driven] by the shrill winds, on a day when the dust around the roads
[is] very abundant, and they at the same time raise up a large cloud of
dust; so came on the battle of these together, and they were eager in
their minds to slaughter one another throughout the throng with the
sharp brass. And the mortal-destroying combat bristles with the long
spears which they held, flesh-rending; and the brazen splendour from the
gleaming helmets, the newly-burnished corslets, and the shining shields,
coming together, dazzled their eyes. Very brave-hearted would he be who,
when beholding their toil, could have rejoiced, and would not be
disturbed.

But the two powerful sons of Saturn, favouring different sides, planned
grievous toils for the heroes. On the one hand, Jove willed victory to
the Trojans and to Hector, glorifying swift-footed Achilles; yet he
desired not entirely to destroy the Grecian people before Ilium, but was
honouring Thetis and her magnanimous son. On the other hand, Neptune,
coming amongst them, encouraged the Greeks, having secretly emerged from
the hoary deep; for he grieved that they should be subdued by the
Trojans, and he was greatly indignant with Jove. The same race indeed
was to both, and the same lineage, but Jove was born first,[422] and
knew more. For this reason [Neptune] avoided aiding them openly, but
always kept privately inciting them through the army, assimilated to a
man. They indeed alternately stretched over both the cord of vehement
contest and equally destructive war, irrefragable and