greaves fitted with silver clasps; then again he put on his breast the corselet of his brother Lycaon, for it fitted him: but around his shoulders he slung his brazen, silver-studded sword and then his huge and solid shield. But on his valiant head he placed a well-wrought helmet, crested with horse-hair, and the crest nodded dreadfully from above; and he grasped his doughty spear, which fitted to his hands. In this same manner the martial Menelaus put on his arms.
But they, when they were armed from each side of the throng advanced to the middle between the Trojans and Greeks, looking dreadfully; and amazement seized the beholders, both the horse-breaking Trojans and the well-greaved Greeks. They then stood near in the measured-out space, brandishing their spears, incensed against each other. Alexander first hurled his long-shadowed spear, and smote the shield of the son of Atreus, equal on all sides, nor did the brass break, for the point was bent upon the strong shield: but next Menelaus, son of Atreus, commenced the attack with his brazen spear, praying to father Jove:
"O king Jove, grant [me] to avenge myself [on him] who first injured me, and subdue impious Alexander under my hands, that every one, even of future men, may shudder to offer injury to a guest who may have afforded [him] an hospitable reception."
He spoke; and brandishing, he hurled his long-shadowed spear, and smote the shield of the son of Priam, equal on all sides; and through the glittering shield went the impetuous spear, and was stuck firmly into the deftly-wrought corselet: and the spear pierced right through his soft tunic beside the flank: but he bent sideways, and evaded black death. Next the son of Atreus having drawn his silver-studded sword, raising it, struck the cone[1] of his helmet, but it fell from his hand shivered round about into three or four pieces. And the son of Atreus groaned aloud, looking toward the wide heaven:
"O father Jove, none other of the gods is more baleful than thou. Certainly I hoped to be revenged upon Alexander for his wickedness; but now my sword has been
- ↑ Buttmann, Lexil. p. 521, makes ϕάλος to be the same as κῶνος, a metal ridge in which the plume was fixed.
