Pallas
Minerva had made, that, flying, he might escape from the sea-monster,
when pursued from the shore to the plain. There then Neptune sat down,
and the other gods, and drew an indissoluble cloud around their
shoulders; whilst on the other side they sat upon the tops of
Callicolone, around thee, O archer Apollo, and Mars, the sacker of
cities. Thus they sat on both sides, planning designs, yet both were
unwilling to commence grievous war; but Jove, sitting aloft, cheered
them on. All the plain, however, was filled with them, and glittered
with the brass of men and horses, and the earth echoed under the feet of
them rushing together. But two heroes, by far the most valiant, advanced
towards [each other] into the midst of both armies, eager to
fight,--AEneas, the son of Anchises, and noble Achilles. And first AEneas,
threatening, advanced, nodding with his strong casque; and before his
breast he held his impetuous shield, and shook his brazen spear. But on
the other side Pelides rushed against him like a destructive lion, which
men assembled together, a whole village, are anxious to kill. He,
however, at first despising them, proceeds; but when some one of
vigorous youths has wounded him with a dart, yawning, he collects
himself [for a spring],[649] and the foam arises round his teeth, and
his valiant soul groans within his breast, and he lashes his sides and
thighs on both sides with his tail, and rouses himself to battle; then,
grimly glaring, he is borne straight on by his strength, if he can kill
some of the men, or is himself destroyed in the first crowd. Thus did
his might and noble soul urge Achilles to go against magnanimous AEneas.
But when now, advancing, they approached each other, swift-footed, noble
Achilles first addressed the other:

[Footnote 645: See Duport, p. 114. On the web woven by the Fates
for man's life, see Virg. Ecl. iv. 46; Catullus, lxiv. 328. But
this passage of Homer seems to imply the ancient notion, that the
Fates might be delayed, but never set aside. Cf. Nemes. de Nat.
Horn. i. 36; Censorin. de die Nat. xiv.; Serv. on AEn. vii. 398.]

[Footnote 646: "Deos _manifesto_ in lumine vidi."--Virg. AEn. iv.
358. On the belief that the sight of a god was attended with
danger, cf. Liv. i. xvi. where Proculus beseeches the apparition
of Romulus "ut contra intueri fas esset." See intpp. on Exod.
xxxiii. 20; Judges xiii. 22.]

[Footnote 647: I am half inclined to