slain four Trojan leaders. The Greeks
began to come back and face their enemies in line of battle again, though
Hector, who had been fighting on the Trojan right, rushed against them.
But Diomede took good aim with his spear at the helmet of Hector, and
struck it fairly. The spear-point did not go through the helmet, but
Hector was stunned and fell; and, when he came to himself, he leaped into
his chariot, and his squire drove him against the Pylians and Cretans,
under Nestor and Idomeneus, who were on the left wing of the Greek army.
Then Diomede fought on till Paris, who stood beside the pillar on the
hillock that was the tomb of old King Ilus, sent an arrow clean through
his foot. Ulysses went and stood in front of Diomede, who sat down, and
Ulysses drew the arrow from his foot, and Diomede stepped into his
chariot and was driven back to the ships.

Ulysses was now the only Greek chief that still fought in the centre. The
Greeks all fled, and he was alone in the crowd of Trojans, who rushed on
him as hounds and hunters press round a wild boar that stands at bay in a
wood. "They are cowards that flee from the fight," said Ulysses to
himself; "but I will stand here, one man against a multitude." He
covered the front of his body with his great shield, that hung by a belt
round his neck, and he smote four Trojans and wounded a fifth. But the
brother of the wounded man drove a spear through the shield and
breastplate of Ulysses, and tore clean through his side. Then Ulysses
turned on this Trojan, and he fled, and Ulysses sent a spear through his
shoulder and out at his breast, and he died. Ulysses dragged from his
own side the spear that had wounded him, and called thrice with a great
voice to the other Greeks, and Menelaus and Aias rushed to rescue him,
for many Trojans were round him, like jackals round a wounded stag that a
man has struck with an arrow. But Aias ran and covered the wounded
Ulysses with his huge shield till he could climb into the chariot of
Menelaus, who drove him back to the ships.

Meanwhile, Hector was slaying the Greeks on the left of their battle, and
Paris struck the Greek surgeon, Machaon, with an arrow; and Idomeneus
bade Nestor put Machaon in his chariot and drive him to Nestor's hut,
where his wound might be tended. Meanwhile, Hector sped to the centre of
the line, where Aias was slaying the Trojans; but Eurypylus, a Greek
chief, was wounded by an arrow from the bow of Paris, and h