So he spake; but Poseidon and Athene stood by him, having taken upon them the shape of men, and took him by the hand and strengthened him with comforting words, for Poseidon spake, saying, “Son of Peleus, tremble not, neither be afraid.  It is not thy fate to be mastered by the River.  He shall soon cease from troubling thee.  And do thou heed what we say.  Stay not thy hands from the battle, till thou shalt have driven all the sons of Troy that escape thee within the walls of the city.  And when thou shalt have slain Hector, go back to the ships; for this day is the day of thy glory.”

Then the two departed from him.  Now all the plain was covered with water, wherein floated much fair armor and many dead bodies.  But Achilles went on even against the stream, nor could the River hold him back; for Athene put great might into his heart.  Yet did not Scamander cease from his wrath, but lifted his waves yet higher, and cried aloud to Simois, “Dear brother, let us two stay the fury of this man, or else of a surety he will destroy the city of Priam.  Come now, fill all thy streams and rouse thy torrents against him, and lift up against him a mighty wave with a great concourse of tree-trunks and stones, that we may stay this wild man from his fighting.  Very high thoughts hath he, even as a god; yet shall neither his might nor his beauty nor his fair form profit him; for they shall be covered with much mud; and over himself will I heap abundance of sand beyond all counting.  Neither shall the Greeks be able to gather his bones together, with such a heap will I hide them.  Surely a great tomb will I build for him; nor will his people have need to make a mound over him when they would bury him.”

Then he rushed again upon Achilles, swelling high with foam and blood and dead bodies of men.  Very dark was the wave as it rose, and was like to have overwhelmed the man, so that Juno greatly feared for him, lest the River should sweep him away.  And she cried to Vulcan, her son, saying, “Rouse thee, Haltfoot, my son!  I thought that thou wouldst have been a match for Scamander in battle.  But come, help us, and bring much fire with thee; and I will call the west wind and the south wind from the sea, with such a storm as shall consume the sons of Troy, both them and their arms.  And do thou burn the trees that are by the banks of Xanthus, yea, and the River himself.  And let him not turn thee from thy purpose by fury or by craft; but burn till I shall bid thee cease.”

Then Vulcan lit a great fire.  First he burned the dead bodies that lay upon the plain, and it dried all the plain, as the north wind in the autumn time dries a field, to the joy of him that tills it.  After this it laid hold of the River.  The lime-trees and the willows and the tamarisks it burned; also the plants that grew in the streams.  And the eels and the fishes were sore distressed, twisting hither and thither in the water, being troubled by the breath of Vulcan.  So the might of the River was subdued, and he cried aloud, “O Vulcan, no one of the Gods can match himself with thee.  Cease now from consuming me; and Achilles may drive the men of Troy from their city if he will.  What have I to do with the strife and sorrow of men?”