330
  And I will give to thy victorious hand,
  After my own, the noblest recompense,
  A tripod or a chariot with its steeds,
  Or some fair captive to partake thy bed. 
    To whom the generous Teucer thus replied. 335
  Atrides! glorious monarch! wherefore me
  Exhortest thou to battle? who myself
  Glow with sufficient ardor, and such strength
  As heaven affords me spare not to employ. 
  Since first we drove them back, with watchful eye 340
  Their warriors I have mark’d; eight shafts my bow
  Hath sent long-barb’d, and every shaft, well-aim’d. 
  The body of some Trojan youth robust
  Hath pierced, but still you ravening wolf escapes. 
    He said, and from the nerve another shaft 345
  Impatient sent at Hector; but it flew
  Devious, and brave Gorgythion struck instead. 
  Him beautiful Castianira, brought
  By Priam from AEsyma, nymph of form
  Celestial, to the King of Ilium bore. 350
  As in the garden, with the weight surcharged
  Of its own fruit, and drench’d by vernal rains
  The poppy falls oblique, so he his head
  Hung languid, by his helmet’s weight depress’d.[14]
  Then Teucer yet an arrow from the nerve 355
  Dispatch’d at Hector, with impatience fired
  To pierce him; but again his weapon err’d
  Turn’d by Apollo, and the bosom struck
  Of Archeptolemus, his rapid steeds
  To battle urging, Hector’s charioteer. 360
  He fell, his fiery coursers at the sound
  Recoil’d, and lifeless where he fell he lay. 
  Deep sorrow for his charioteer the mind
  O’erwhelm’d of Hector, yet he left the slain,
  And seeing his own brother nigh at hand, 365
  Cebriones, him summon’d to the reins,
  Who with alacrity that charge received. 
  Then Hector, leaping with a dreadful shout
  From his resplendent chariot, grasp’d a stone,
  And rush’d on Teucer, vengeance in his heart. 370
  Teucer had newly fitted to the nerve
  An arrow keen selected from the rest,
  And warlike Hector, while he stood the cord
  Retracting, smote him with that rugged rock
  Just where the key-bone interposed divides 375
  The neck and bosom, a most mortal part. 
  It snapp’d the bow-string, and with numbing force
  Struck dead his hand; low on his knees he dropp’d,
  And from his opening grasp let fall the bow. 
  Then not unmindful of a brother fallen 380
  Was Ajax, but, advancing rapid, stalk’d
  Around him, and his broad shield interposed,
  Till brave Alaster and Mecisteus, son
  Of Echius, friends of Teucer, from the earth
  Upraised and bore him groaning to the fleet. 385
  And now again fresh force Olympian Jove