provident Jove thundered from the Idæan mountains, giving a signal to the Trojans, the alternating success of battle. But Hector exhorted the Trojans, vociferating aloud:
"Ye Trojans and Lycians, and close-fighting Dardanians, be men, my friends, and be mindful of impetuous might! I know the son of Saturn hath willingly accorded me victory and great renown, but to the Greeks destruction. Fools, who indeed built those weak, worthless walls, which shall not check my strength; but our steeds will easily overleap the dug trench. But when, indeed, I come to their hollow ships, then let there be some memory of burning fire, that I may consume their fleet with the flame, and slay the Argives themselves at the ships, bewildered by the smoke."
Thus having spoken, he cheered on his steeds, and said: "Xanthus, and thou Podargus, and Æthon, and noble Lampus, now repay to me the attention, with which, in great abundance, Andromache, the daughter of magnanimous Eetion, gave to you the sweet barley, mixing wine also [for you] to drink, whenever your mind ordered it, even before me, who boast to be her vigorous husband. But follow and hasten, that we may take the shield of Nestor, the fame of which has now reached the heaven, that it is entirely golden, the handles and itself: but, from the shoulders of horse-breaking Diomede, the well-made corselet, which the artist Vulcan wrought. If we can take these, I expect that the Greeks this very night will ascend their swift ships."
Thus he said boasting; but venerable Juno was indignant, and shook herself on her throne, and made great Olympus tremble; and openly accosted the mighty deity, Neptune:
"Alas! far-ruling Earth-shaker, dost thou not in thy soul pity the perishing Greeks? But they bring thee many and grateful gifts to Helice and Ægæ. Do thou, therefore, will to them the victory. For if we were willing, as many of us as are assistants to the Greeks, to repulse the Trojans and restrain far-sounding Jove, then might he grieve sitting alone there on Ida."
But her king Neptune, greatly excited, thus addressed: "Juno, petulant[1] in speech, what hast thou said? I would
- ↑ Compare the phrase καθάπτεσθαι ἐπέεσσιν.—Od. ii. 240. Suidas: Ἀπτοεπής· ἀπτόητος ἐν τῷ λέγειν. Apollon. Lex. p. 188: Ἀπτωτε, ἢ ἀπτόητε τοῖς λόγοις, ἢ καθάπτομένη διὰ τῶν λογῶν.
