Book VIII
  
     Now when Morning, clad in her robe of saffron, had begun to suffuse
     light over the earth, Jove called the gods in council on the topmost
     crest of serrated Olympus. Then he spoke and all the other gods gave
     ear. "Hear me," said he, "gods and goddesses, that I may speak even
     as I am minded. Let none of you neither goddess nor god try to cross
     me, but obey me every one of you that I may bring this matter to an
     end. If I see anyone acting apart and helping either Trojans or
     Danaans, he shall be beaten inordinately ere he come back again to
     Olympus; or I will hurl him down into dark Tartarus far into the
     deepest pit under the earth, where the gates are iron and the floor
     bronze, as far beneath Hades as heaven is high above the earth, that
     you may learn how much the mightiest I am among you. Try me and find
     out for yourselves. Hangs me a golden chain from heaven, and lay
     hold of it all of you, gods and goddesses together- tug as you will,
     you will not drag Jove the supreme counsellor from heaven to earth;
     but were I to pull at it myself I should draw you up with earth and
     sea into the bargain, then would I bind the chain about some
     pinnacle of Olympus and leave you all dangling in the mid firmament.
     So far am I above all others either of gods or men." 
     
     They were frightened and all of them of held their peace, for he had
     spoken masterfully; but at last Minerva answered, "Father, son of
     Saturn, king of kings, we all know that your might is not to be
     gainsaid, but we are also sorry for the Danaan warriors, who are
     perishing and coming to a bad end. We will, however, since you so
     bid us, refrain from actual fighting, but we will make serviceable
     suggestions to the Argives that they may not all of them perish in
     your displeasure." 
     
     Jove smiled at her and answered, "Take heart, my child, Trito-born;
     I am not really in earnest, and I wish to be kind to you." 
     
     With this he yoked his fleet horses, with hoofs of bronze and manes
     of glittering gold. He girded himself also with gold about the body,
     seized his gold whip and took his seat in his chariot. Thereon he
     lashed his horses and they flew forward nothing loth midway twixt
     earth and starry heaven. After a while he reached many-fountained
     Ida, mother of wild beasts, and Gargarus, where are his grove and
     fragrant altar. There the father of gods and men stayed his horses,
     took them from the chariot, and hid them in a thick cloud; then he
     took his seat all glorious upon the topmost crests, looking down
     upon the city of Troy and the ships of the Achaeans. 
     
     The Achaeans took their morning meal hastily at the ships, and
     afterwards put on their armour. The Trojans on the other hand
     likewise armed themselves throughout the city, fewer in numbers but
     nevertheless eager perforce to do battle for their wives and
     children. All the gates were flung wide open, and horse and foot
     sallied forth with the tramp as of a great multitude. 
     
     When they were got together in one place, shield clashed with
     shield, and spear with spear, in the conflict of mail-clad men.
     Mighty was the din as the bossed shields pressed hard on one
     another- death- cry and shout of triumph of slain and slayers, and
     the earth ran red with blood. 
     
     Now so long as the day waxed and it was still morning their weapons
     beat against one another, and the people fell, but when the sun had
     reached mid-heaven, the sire of all balanced his golden scales, and
     put two fates of death within them, one for the Trojans and the
     other for the Achaeans. He took the balance by the middle, and when
     he lifted it up the day of the Achaeans sank; the death-fraught
     scale of the Achaeans settled down upon the ground, while that of
     the Trojans rose heavenwards. Then he thundered aloud from Ida, and
     sent the glare of his lightning upon the Achaeans; when they saw
     this, pale fear fell upon them and they were sore afraid. 
     
     Idomeneus dared not stay nor yet Agamemnon, nor did the two Ajaxes,
     servants of Mars, hold their ground. Nestor knight of Gerene alone
     stood firm, bulwark of the Achaeans, not of his own will, but one of
     his horses was disabled. Alexandrus husband of lovely Helen had hit
     it with an arrow just on the top of its head where the mane begins
     to grow away from the skull, a very deadly place. The horse bounded
     in his anguish as the arrow pierced his brain, and his struggles
     threw others into confusion. The old man instantly began cutting the
     traces with his sword, but Hector's fleet horses bore down upon him
     through the rout with their bold charioteer, even Hector himself,
     and the old man would have perished there and then had not Diomed
     been quick to mark, and with a loud cry called Ulysses to help him. 
     
     "Ulysses," he cried, "noble son of Laertes where are you flying to,
     with your back turned like a coward? See that you are not struck
     with a spear between the shoulders. Stay here and help me to defend
     Nestor from this man's furious onset." 
     
     Ulysses would not give ear, but sped onward to the ships of the
     Achaeans, and the son of Tydeus flinging himself alone into the
     thick of the fight took his stand before the horses of the son of
     Neleus. "Sir," said he, "these young warriors are pressing you hard,
     your force is spent, and age is heavy upon you, your squire is
     naught, and your horses are slow to move. Mount my chariot and see
     what the horses of Tros can do- how cleverly they can scud hither
     and thither over the plain either in flight or in pursuit. I took
     them from the hero Aeneas. Let our squires attend to your own
     steeds, but let us drive mine straight at the Trojans, that Hector
     may learn how furiously I too can wield my spear." 
     
     Nestor knight of Gerene hearkened to his words. Thereon the doughty
     squires, Sthenelus and kind-hearted Eurymedon, saw to Nestor's
     horses, while the two both mounted Diomed's chariot. Nestor took the
     reins in his hands and lashed the horses on; they were soon close up
     with Hector, and the son of Tydeus aimed a spear at him as he was
     charging full speed towards them. He missed him, but struck his
     charioteer and squire Eniopeus son of noble Thebaeus in the breast
     by the nipple while the reins were in his hands, so that he died
     there and then, and the horses swerved as he fell headlong from the
     chariot. Hector was greatly grieved at the loss of his charioteer,
     but let him lie for all his sorrow, while he went in quest of
     another driver; nor did his steeds have to go long without one, for
     he presently found brave Archeptolemus the son of Iphitus, and made
     him get up behind the horses, giving the reins into his hand. 
     
     All had then been lost and no help for it, for they would have been
     penned up in Ilius like sheep, had not the sire of gods and men been
     quick to mark, and hurled a fiery flaming thunderbolt which fell
     just in front of Diomed's horses with a flare of burning brimstone.
     The horses were frightened and tried to back beneath the car, while
     the reins dropped from Nestor's hands. Then he was afraid and said
     to Diomed, "Son of Tydeus, turn your horses in flight; see you not
     that the hand of Jove is against you? To-day he vouchsafes victory
     to Hector; to-morrow, if it so please him, he will again grant it to
     ourselves; no man, however brave, may thwart the purpose of Jove,
     for he is far stronger than any." 
     
     Diomed answered, "All that you have said is true; there is a grief
     however which pierces me to the very heart, for Hector will talk
     among the Trojans and say, 'The son of Tydeus fled before me to the
     ships.' This is the vaunt he will make, and may earth then swallow
     me." 
     
     "Son of Tydeus," replied Nestor, "what mean you? Though Hector say
     that you are a coward the Trojans and Dardanians will not believe
     him, nor yet the wives of the mighty warriors whom you have laid
     low." 
     
     So saying he turned the horses back through the thick of the battle,
     and with a cry that rent the air the Trojans and Hector rained their
     darts after them. Hector shouted to him and said, "Son of Tydeus,
     the Danaans have done you honour hitherto as regards your place at
     table, the meals they give you, and the filling of your cup with
     wine. Henceforth they will despise you, for you are become no better
     than a woman. Be off, girl and coward that you are, you shall not
     scale our walls through any Hinching upon my part; neither shall you
     carry off our wives in your ships, for I shall kill you with my own
     hand." 
     
     The son of Tydeus was in two minds whether or no to turn his horses
     round again and fight him. Thrice did he doubt, and thrice did Jove
     thunder from the heights of. Ida in token to the Trojans that he
     would turn the battle in their favour. Hector then shouted to them
     and said, "Trojans, Lycians, and Dardanians, lovers of close
     fighting, be men, my friends, and fight with might and with main; I
     see that Jove is minded to vouchsafe victory and great glory to
     myself, while he will deal destruction upon the Danaans. Fools, for
     having thought of building this weak and worthless wall. It shall
     not stay my fury; my horses will spring lightly over their trench,
     and when I am at their ships forget not to bring me fire that I may
     burn them, while I slaughter the Argives who will be all dazed and
     bewildered by the smoke." 
     
     Then he cried to his horses, "Xanthus and Podargus, and you Aethon
     and goodly Lampus, pay me for your keep now and for all the
     honey-sweet corn with which Andromache daughter of great Eetion has
     fed you, and for she has mixed wine and water for you to drink
     whenever you would, before doing so even for me who am her own
     husband. Haste in pursuit, that we may take the shield of Nestor,
     the fame of which ascends to heaven, for it is of solid gold,
     arm-rods and all, and that we may strip from the shoulders of
     Diomed. the cuirass which Vulcan made him. Could we take these two
     things, the Achaeans would set sail in their ships this self-same
     night." 
     
     Thus did he vaunt, but Queen Juno made high Olympus quake as she
     shook with rage upon her throne. Then said she to the mighty god of
     Neptune, "What now, wide ruling lord of the earthquake? Can you find
     no compassion in your heart for the dying Danaans, who bring you
     many a welcome offering to Helice and to Aegae? Wish them well then.
     If all of us who are with the Danaans were to drive the Trojans back
     and keep Jove from helping them, he would have to sit there sulking
     alone on Ida." 
     
     King Neptune was greatly troubled and answered, "Juno, rash of
     tongue, what are you talking about? We other gods must not set
     ourselves against Jove, for he is far stronger than we are." 
     
     Thus did they converse; but the whole space enclosed by the ditch,
     from the ships even to the wall, was filled with horses and
     warriors, who were pent up there by Hector son of Priam, now that
     the hand of Jove was with him. He would even have set fire to the
     ships and burned them, had not Queen Juno put it into the mind of
     Agamemnon, to bestir himself and to encourage the Achaeans. To this
     end he went round the ships and tents carrying a great purple cloak,
     and took his stand by the huge black hull of Ulysses' ship, which
     was middlemost of all; it was from this place that his voice would
     carry farthest, on the one hand towards the tents of Ajax son of
     Telamon, and on the other towards those of Achilles- for these two
     heroes, well assured of their own strength, had valorously drawn up
     their ships at the two ends of the line. From this spot then, with a
     voice that could be heard afar, he shouted to the Danaans, saying,
     "Argives, shame on you cowardly creatures, brave in semblance only;
     where are now our vaunts that we should prove victorious- the vaunts
     we made so vaingloriously in Lemnos, when we ate the flesh of horned
     cattle and filled our mixing-bowls to the brim? You vowed that you
     would each of you stand against a hundred or two hundred men, and
     now you prove no match even for one- for Hector, who will be ere
     long setting our ships in a blaze. Father Jove, did you ever so ruin
     a great king and rob him so utterly of his greatness? yet, when to
     my sorrow I was coming hither, I never let my ship pass your altars
     without offering the fat and thigh-bones of heifers upon every one
     of them, so eager was I to sack the city of Troy. Vouchsafe me then
     this prayer- suffer us to escape at any rate with our lives, and let
     not the Achaeans be so utterly vanquished by the Trojans." 
     
     Thus did he pray, and father Jove pitying his tears vouchsafed him
     that his people should live, not die; forthwith he sent them an
     eagle, most unfailingly portentous of all birds, with a young fawn
     in its talons; the eagle dropped the fawn by the altar on which the
     Achaeans sacrificed to Jove the lord of omens; When, therefore, the
     people saw that the bird had come from Jove, they sprang more
     fiercely upon the Trojans and fought more boldly. 
     
     There was no man of all the many Danaans who could then boast that
     he had driven his horses over the trench and gone forth to fight
     sooner than the son of Tydeus; long before any one else could do so
     he slew an armed warrior of the Trojans, Agelaus the son of
     Phradmon. He had turned his horses in flight, but the spear struck
     him in the back midway between his shoulders and went right through
     his chest, and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell forward
     from his chariot. 
     
     After him came Agamemnon and Menelaus, sons of Atreus, the two
     Ajaxes clothed in valour as with a garment, Idomeneus and his
     companion in arms Meriones, peer of murderous Mars, and Eurypylus
     the brave son of Euaemon. Ninth came Teucer with his bow, and took
     his place under cover of the shield of Ajax son of Telamon. When
     Ajax lifted his shield Teucer would peer round, and when he had hit
     any one in the throng, the man would fall dead; then Teucer would
     hie back to Ajax as a child to its mother, and again duck down under
     his shield. 
     
     Which of the Trojans did brave Teucer first kill? Orsilochus, and
     then Ormenus and Ophelestes, Daetor, Chromius, and godlike
     Lycophontes, Amopaon son of Polyaemon, and Melanippus. these in turn
     did he lay low upon the earth, and King Agamemnon was glad when he
     saw him making havoc of the Trojans with his mighty bow. He went up
     to him and said, "Teucer, man after my own heart, son of Telamon,
     captain among the host, shoot on, and be at once the saving of the
     Danaans and the glory of your father Telamon, who brought you up and
     took care of you in his own house when you were a child, bastard
     though you were. Cover him with glory though he is far off; I will
     promise and I will assuredly perform; if aegis-bearing Jove and
     Minerva grant me to sack the city of Ilius, you shall have the next
     best meed of honour after my own- a tripod, or two horses with their
     chariot, or a woman who shall go up into your bed." 
     
     And Teucer answered, "Most noble son of Atreus, you need not urge
     me; from the moment we began to drive them back to Ilius, I have
     never ceased so far as in me lies to look out for men whom I can
     shoot and kill; I have shot eight barbed shafts, and all of them
     have been buried in the flesh of warlike youths, but this mad dog I
     cannot hit." 
     
     As he spoke he aimed another arrow straight at Hector, for he was
     bent on hitting him; nevertheless he missed him, and the arrow hit
     Priam's brave son Gorgythion in the breast. His mother, fair
     Castianeira, lovely as a goddess, had been married from Aesyme, and
     now he bowed his head as a garden poppy in full bloom when it is
     weighed down by showers in spring- even thus heavy bowed his head
     beneath the weight of his helmet. 
     
     Again he aimed at Hector, for he was longing to hit him, and again
     his arrow missed, for Apollo turned it aside; but he hit Hector's
     brave charioteer Archeptolemus in the breast, by the nipple, as he
     was driving furiously into the fight. The horses swerved aside as he
     fell headlong from the chariot, and there was no life left in him.
     Hector was greatly grieved at the loss of his charioteer, but for
     all his sorrow he let him lie where he fell, and bade his brother
     Cebriones, who was hard by, take the reins. Cebriones did as he had
     said. Hector thereon with a loud cry sprang from his chariot to the
     ground, and seizing a great stone made straight for Teucer with
     intent kill him. Teucer had just taken an arrow from his quiver and
     had laid it upon the bow-string, but Hector struck him with the
     jagged stone as he was taking aim and drawing the string to his
     shoulder; he hit him just where the collar-bone divides the neck
     from the chest, a very deadly place, and broke the sinew of his arm
     so that his wrist was less, and the bow dropped from his hand as he
     fell forward on his knees. Ajax saw that his brother had fallen, and
     running towards him bestrode him and sheltered him with his shield.
     Meanwhile his two trusty squires, Mecisteus son of Echius, and
     Alastor, came up and bore him to the ships groaning in his great
     pain. glad when he saw 
     
     Jove now again put heart into the Trojans, and they drove the
     Achaeans to their deep trench with Hector in all his glory at their
     head. As a hound grips a wild boar or lion in flank or buttock when
     he gives him chase, and watches warily for his wheeling, even so did
     Hector follow close upon the Achaeans, ever killing the hindmost as
     they rushed panic-stricken onwards. When they had fled through the
     set stakes and trench and many Achaeans had been laid low at the
     hands of the Trojans, they halted at their ships, calling upon one
     another and praying every man instantly as they lifted up their
     hands to the gods; but Hector wheeled his horses this way and that,
     his eyes glaring like those of Gorgo or murderous Mars. 
     
     Juno when she saw them had pity upon them, and at once said to
     Minerva, "Alas, child of aegis-bearing Jove, shall you and I take no
     more thought for the dying Danaans, though it be the last time we
     ever do so? See how they perish and come to a bad end before the
     onset of but a single man. Hector the son of Priam rages with
     intolerable fury, and has already done great mischief." 
     
     Minerva answered, "Would, indeed, this fellow might die in his own
     land, and fall by the hands of the Achaeans; but my father Jove is
     mad with spleen, ever foiling me, ever headstrong and unjust. He
     forgets how often I saved his son when he was worn out by the
     labours Eurystheus had laid on him. He would weep till his cry came
     up to heaven, and then Jove would send me down to help him; if I had
     had the sense to foresee all this, when Eurystheus sent him to the
     house of Hades, to fetch the hell-hound from Erebus, he would never
     have come back alive out of the deep waters of the river Styx. And
     now Jove hates me, while he lets Thetis have her way because she
     kissed his knees and took hold of his beard, when she was begging
     him to do honour to Achilles. I shall know what to do next time he
     begins calling me his grey-eyed darling. Get our horses ready, while
     I go within the house of aegis-bearing Jove and put on my armour; we
     shall then find out whether Priam's son Hector will be glad to meet
     us in the highways of battle, or whether the Trojans will glut
     hounds and vultures with the fat of their flesh as they he dead by
     the ships of the Achaeans." 
     
     Thus did she speak and white-armed Juno, daughter of great Saturn,
     obeyed her words; she set about harnessing her gold-bedizened
     steeds, while Minerva daughter of aegis-bearing Jove flung her
     richly vesture, made with her own hands, on to the threshold of her
     father, and donned the shirt of Jove, arming herself for battle.
     Then she stepped into her flaming chariot, and grasped the spear so
     stout and sturdy and strong with which she quells the ranks of
     heroes who have displeased her. Juno lashed her horses, and the
     gates of heaven bellowed as they flew open of their own accord-
     gates over which the Hours preside, in whose hands are heaven and
     Olympus, either to open the dense cloud that hides them or to close
     it. Through these the goddesses drove their obedient steeds. 
     
     But father Jove when he saw them from Ida was very angry, and sent
     winged Iris with a message to them. "Go," said he, "fleet Iris, turn
     them back, and see that they do not come near me, for if we come to
     fighting there will be mischief. This is what I say, and this is
     what I mean to do. I will lame their horses for them; I will hurl
     them from their chariot, and will break it in pieces. It will take
     them all ten years to heal the wounds my lightning shall inflict
     upon them; my grey-eyed daughter will then learn what quarrelling
     with her father means. I am less surprised and angry with Juno, for
     whatever I say she always contradicts me." 
     
     With this Iris went her way, fleet as the wind, from the heights of
     Ida to the lofty summits of Olympus. She met the goddesses at the
     outer gates of its many valleys and gave them her message. "What,"
     said she, "are you about? Are you mad? The son of Saturn forbids
     going. This is what he says, and this is he means to do, he will
     lame your horses for you, he will hurl you from your chariot, and
     will break it in pieces. It will take you all ten years to heal the
     wounds his lightning will inflict upon you, that you may learn,
     grey-eyed goddess, what quarrelling with your father means. He is
     less hurt and angry with Juno, for whatever he says she always
     contradicts him but you, bold bold hussy, will you really dare to
     raise your huge spear in defiance of Jove?" 
     
     With this she left them, and Juno said to Minerva, "Of a truth,
     child of aegis-bearing Jove, I am not for fighting men's battles
     further in defiance of Jove. Let them live or die as luck will have
     it, and let Jove mete out his judgements upon the Trojans and
     Danaans according to his own pleasure." 
     
     She turned her steeds; the Hours presently unyoked them, made them
     fast to their ambrosial mangers, and leaned the chariot against the
     end wall of the courtyard. The two goddesses then sat down upon
     their golden thrones, amid the company of the other gods; but they
     were very angry. 
     
     Presently father Jove drove his chariot to Olympus, and entered the
     assembly of gods. The mighty lord of the earthquake unyoked his
     horses for him, set the car upon its stand, and threw a cloth over
     it. Jove then sat down upon his golden throne and Olympus reeled
     beneath him. Minerva and Juno sat alone, apart from Jove, and
     neither spoke nor asked him questions, but Jove knew what they
     meant, and said, "Minerva and Juno, why are you so angry? Are you
     fatigued with killing so many of your dear friends the Trojans? Be
     this as it may, such is the might of my hands that all the gods in
     Olympus cannot turn me; you were both of you trembling all over ere
     ever you saw the fight and its terrible doings. I tell you
     therefore-and it would have surely been- I should have struck you
     with lighting, and your chariots would never have brought you back
     again to Olympus." 
     
     Minerva and Juno groaned in spirit as they sat side by side and
     brooded mischief for the Trojans. Minerva sat silent without a word,
     for she was in a furious passion and bitterly incensed against her
     father; but Juno could not contain herself and said, "What, dread
     son of Saturn, are you talking about? We know how great your power
     is, nevertheless we have compassion upon the Danaan warriors who are
     perishing and coming to a bad end. We will, however, since you so
     bid us, refrain from actual fighting, but we will make serviceable
     suggestions to the Argives, that they may not all of them perish in
     your displeasure." 
     
     And Jove answered, "To-morrow morning, Juno, if you choose to do so,
     you will see the son of Saturn destroying large numbers of the
     Argives, for fierce Hector shall not cease fighting till he has
     roused the son of Peleus when they are fighting in dire straits at
     their ships' sterns about the body of Patroclus. Like it or no, this
     is how it is decreed; for aught I care, you may go to the lowest
     depths beneath earth and sea, where Iapetus and Saturn dwell in lone
     Tartarus with neither ray of light nor breath of wind to cheer them.
     You may go on and on till you get there, and I shall not care one
     whit for your displeasure; you are the greatest vixen living." 
     
     Juno made him no answer. The sun's glorious orb now sank into
     Oceanus and drew down night over the land. Sorry indeed were the
     Trojans when light failed them, but welcome and thrice prayed for
     did darkness fall upon the Achaeans. 
     
     Then Hector led the Trojans back from the ships, and held a council
     on the open space near the river, where there was a spot ear
     corpses. They left their chariots and sat down on the ground to hear
     the speech he made them. He grasped a spear eleven cubits long, the
     bronze point of which gleamed in front of it, while the ring round
     the spear-head was of gold Spear in hand he spoke. "Hear me," said
     he, "Trojans, Dardanians, and allies. I deemed but now that I should
     destroy the ships and all the Achaeans with them ere I went back to
     Ilius, but darkness came on too soon. It was this alone that saved
     them and their ships upon the seashore. Now, therefore, let us obey
     the behests of night, and prepare our suppers. Take your horses out
     of their chariots and give them their feeds of corn; then make speed
     to bring sheep and cattle from the city; bring wine also and corn
     for your horses and gather much wood, that from dark till dawn we
     may burn watchfires whose flare may reach to heaven. For the
     Achaeans may try to fly beyond the sea by night, and they must not
     embark scatheless and unmolested; many a man among them must take a
     dart with him to nurse at home, hit with spear or arrow as he is
     leaping on board his ship, that others may fear to bring war and
     weeping upon the Trojans. Moreover let the heralds tell it about the
     city that the growing youths and grey-bearded men are to camp upon
     its heaven-built walls. Let the women each of them light a great
     fire in her house, and let watch be safely kept lest the town be
     entered by surprise while the host is outside. See to it, brave
     Trojans, as I have said, and let this suffice for the moment; at
     daybreak I will instruct you further. I pray in hope to Jove and to
     the gods that we may then drive those fate-sped hounds from our
     land, for 'tis the fates that have borne them and their ships
     hither. This night, therefore, let us keep watch, but with early
     morning let us put on our armour and rouse fierce war at the ships
     of the Achaeans; I shall then know whether brave Diomed the son of
     Tydeus will drive me back from the ships to the wall, or whether I
     shall myself slay him and carry off his bloodstained spoils.
     To-morrow let him show his mettle, abide my spear if he dare. I ween
     that at break of day, he shall be among the first to fall and many
     another of his comrades round him. Would that I were as sure of
     being immortal and never growing old, and of being worshipped like
     Minerva and Apollo, as I am that this day will bring evil to the
     Argives." 
     
     Thus spoke Hector and the Trojans shouted applause. They took their
     sweating steeds from under the yoke, and made them fast each by his
     own chariot. They made haste to bring sheep and cattle from the
     city, they brought wine also and corn from their houses and gathered
     much wood. They then offered unblemished hecatombs to the immortals,
     and the wind carried the sweet savour of sacrifice to heaven- but
     the blessed gods partook not thereof, for they bitterly hated Ilius
     with Priam and Priam's people. Thus high in hope they sat through
     the livelong night by the highways of war, and many a watchfire did
     they kindle. As when the stars shine clear, and the moon is bright-
     there is not a breath of air, not a peak nor glade nor jutting
     headland but it stands out in the ineffable radiance that breaks
     from the serene of heaven; the stars can all of them be told and the
     heart of the shepherd is glad- even thus shone the watchfires of the
     Trojans before Ilius midway between the ships and the river Xanthus.
     A thousand camp-fires gleamed upon the plain, and in the glow of
     each there sat fifty men, while the horses, champing oats and corn
     beside their chariots, waited till dawn should come.