ach other in battle, so furiously they fought. And to them fighting
this was the opinion: the Greeks, indeed, thought that they could not
escape from destruction, but must perish. But the soul of each within
his breast, to the Trojans, hoped to burn the ships, and slay the
Grecian heroes. They thinking these things, opposed one another.

[Footnote 500: _I.e._ about its carcase. The Scholiast also gives
another interpretation, viz. "to prevent his killing an ox;" but
Kennedy, with reason, prefers the former one.]

[Footnote 501: "_They now held their ships in view_, which were
arranged in a two-fold line, from the outermost whereof the
Greeks were driven in upon their tents, disposed in the
intermediate position between the lines of the
vessels."--Kennedy.]

[Footnote 502: Cf. v. 530.]

[Footnote 503: As the "desultores" (Liv. xxiii. 29). Hence
"desultor amoris," in Ovid, Amor. i. 3, 15, to denote an
inconstant lover; "desultoria scientia," Apuleius, Met. i. praef.,
speaking of his own varied fable.]

But Hector seized the stern of a sea-traversing bark, beautiful, swift,
which had carried Protesilaus[504] to Troy, but did not bear him back
again to his father-land. Round his ship the Greeks and Trojans were now
slaying one another in close combat; nor did they indeed at a distance
await the attacks of arrows and of javelins, but standing near, having
one mind, they fought with sharp battle-axes and hatchets, with large
swords and two-edged spears. And many fair swords, black-hilted, with
massive handles, fell to the ground, some indeed from the hands, and
others from the shoulders of the contending heroes; and the dark earth
streamed with gore. But Hector, after he had seized [the vessel] by the
stern, did not let go, holding the furthest[505] edge with his hands,
and he cheered on the Trojans:

"Bring fire, and at the same time do yourselves together excite the
battle. Now hath Jove vouchsafed us a day worth all,[506] to take the
ships, which, coming hither against the will of the gods, brought many
evils upon us through the cowardice of our elders, who kept me back when
desirous myself to fight at the sterns of the ships, and restrained the
people. But if, indeed, far-sounding Jove then injured[507] our minds,
he now impels and orders us." Thus he spoke, but they rushed the more
against the Greeks. Even Ajax no longer sustained them, for he was
overwhelmed with darts; but,