Patroclus, was the end of thy
life manifest; for Phoebus, terrible in the dire battle, met thee. He did
not indeed perceive him coming through the crowd, for he advanced
against him covered with much darkness; but he stood behind, and smote
him with his flat hand upon the back and broad shoulders, and his eyes
were seized with giddiness.[544] And from his head Phoebus Apollo struck
the helmet, and the oblong helmet rattled, rolling under the horses'
feet, and the crest was defiled with blood and dust; although before
this it was not permitted that [this] helmet, crested with horse-hair,
should be contaminated by the dust; for it protected the head of a
godlike hero, even the venerable forehead of Achilles; but Jove then
gave it to Hector to wear upon his head; but his destruction was near.
But the long-shadowed spear, great, sturdy, pointed [with brass], was
utterly shattered in his hands; whilst the shield, which reached to his
heels, with its belt, fell to the ground; and king Apollo, the son of
Jove, unbound his corslet. But stupor seized his brain, and his fair
limbs were relaxed under him, and he stood astounded. But a Trojan,
hero, Euphorbus, the son of Panthous, who excelled those of his own age
in the spear, in horsemanship, and in swiftness of foot, smote him close
at hand with his sharp spear, in the back between the shoulders. For
even before this he had hurled twenty men from their horses, at first
coming with his chariot, learning [the art] of war. He [it was] who
first hurled a weapon at thee, O knight Patroclus, nor did he subdue
thee; for he ran back, and was mingled with the crowd, having plucked
the ashen spear out of thy body; nor did he await Patroclus, though
being unarmed, in the fight. Patroclus, however, subdued by the blow of
the god, and by the spear, retired into the crowd of his companions,
avoiding death. But Hector, when he perceived magnanimous Patroclus
retiring, wounded with a sharp spear, went through the ranks near him,
and smote him with his javelin in the lowest part of the groin, and
drove the brass quite through. Falling, he gave a crash, and greatly
grieved the people of the Greeks. As when a lion presses on an unwearied
boar in fight, and they twain, high spirited, contend upon the mountain
tops for a small rill, for they both desire to drink, but the lion
subdues him by force, panting much; so Hector, the son of Priam, in
close fight with his spear, deprived the gallant son of Me