ARGUMENT.

Hector challenges the bravest of the Greeks to single combat, and nine of the chiefs having cast lots, Ajax is appointed to meet him. Having protracted the contest till night, the combatants exchange gifts, and separate. A truce is then made for the purpose of burying the dead, and the Greeks fortify their camp.

Thus having said, illustrious Hector rushed forth from the gates, and with him went his brother Alexander, for both were eager in soul to wage war and to fight. As when the deity hath given a prosperous wind to expecting mariners, after they have become weary, agitating the deep with well-polished oars, and their limbs are relaxed with toil; thus then did those two appear to the expecting Trojans. Then they slew, the one,[253] indeed, Menesthius, son of king Areithoues, who dwelt in Arne, whom the club-bearer Areithoues and large-eyed Philomedusa brought forth; but Hector smote Eioneus with his sharp spear upon the neck, under his well-wrought brazen helmet,[254] and relaxed his limbs. And Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, leader of the Lycian heroes, in fierce engagement smote Iphinous, son of Dexias, upon the shoulder with his spear, as he vaulted on his swift mares.

[Footnote 253: I. e. Paris. The construction is an instance of the [Greek: schema kath' olon kai meros]. See Jelf, Gk. Gr. Sec.478, and my note on AEsch. Prom. p. 8, ed. Bohn.]

[Footnote 254: Apollonius, Lex. p. 734. seems to regard the [Greek: stephane] as a distinct kind of helmet, or cap. So, also, the Schol. and Hesych. t. ii. p. 186, and p. 1266. Others understand the rim of the helmet. Paschal, de Coronis, i. 2: "Eam galeae partem quam Hesychius dicit habere [Greek: exochas], id quod in galea eminentissimum est. Et vero apud Plutarchum distinguitur [Greek: to kranos] galea [Greek: apo tes stephanes], ab ejus parte quae est in ipsius summitate."]

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ARGUMENT.

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