scene a new hero appears upon the field, Hector, the warlike
son of Priam, and next to Achilles the greatest warrior of the war. He
arms himself inside the walls, and takes an affectionate leave of his
wife Andromache and his infant son, the child crying with terror at his
glittering helmet and nodding plume. This mild demeanor of the warrior
changes to warlike ardor when he appears upon the field. His coming
turns the tide of battle. The victorious Greeks are driven back before
his shining spear, many of them are slain, and the whole host is driven
to its ships and almost forced to take flight by sea from the victorious
onset of Hector and his triumphant followers. While the Greeks cower in
their ships the Trojans spend the night in bivouac upon the field. Homer
gives us a picturesque description of this night-watch, which Tennyson
has thus charmingly rendered into English:

"As when in heaven the stars about the moon
Look beautiful, when all the winds are laid,
And every height comes out, and jutting peak
And valley, and the immeasurable heavens
Break open to their highest, and all the stars
Shine, and the shepherd gladdens in his heart;
So, many a fire between the ships and stream
Of Xanthus blazed before the towers of Troy,
A thousand on the plain; and close by each
Sat fifty in the blaze of burning fire;
And, champing golden grain, the horses stood
Hard by their chariots, waiting for the dawn."

Affairs had grown perilous for the Greeks. Patroclus, the bosom friend
of Achilles, begged him to come to their aid. This the sulking hero
would not do, but he lent Patroclus his armor, and permitted him to
lead his troops, the Myrmidons, to the field. Patroclus was himself a
gallant and famous warrior, and his aid turned the next day's battle
against the Trojans, who were driven back with great slaughter. But,
unfortunately for this hero of the fight, a greater than he was in the
field. Hector met him in the full tide of his success, engaged him in
battle, killed him, and captured from his body the armor of Achilles.

[Illustration: THE PARTING OF HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE.]

The slaughter of his friend at length aroused the sullen Achilles to
action. Rage against the Trojans succeeded his anger against Agamemnon.
His lost armor was replaced by new armor forged for him by Vulcan, the
celestial smith,--who fashioned him the most wonderful of shields and
most formidable of spears. Thus armed, he mo