Lost both to friends and country, on these plains
  Perish, unaided and unmiss’d by thee. 
  Sarpedon breathless lies, who led to fight
  Our shielded bands, and from whose just control
  And courage Lycia drew her chief defence. 655
  Him brazen Mars hath by the spear subdued
  Of Menoetiades.  But stand ye firm! 
  Let indignation fire you, O my friends! 
  Lest, stripping him of his resplendent arms,
  The Myrmidons with foul dishonor shame 660
  His body, through resentment of the deaths
  Of numerous Grecians slain by spears of ours. 
    He ceased; then sorrow every Trojan heart
  Seized insupportable and that disdain’d
  All bounds, for that, although a stranger born, 665
  Sarpedon ever had a bulwark proved
  To Troy, the leader of a numerous host,
  And of that host by none in fight excell’d. 
  Right on toward the Danai they moved
  Ardent for battle all, and at their head 670
  Enraged for slain Sarpedon, Hector came. 
  Meantime, stout-hearted[16] Chief, Patroclus roused
  The Grecians, and exhorting first (themselves
  Already prompt) the Ajaces, thus began. 
    Heroic pair! now make it all your joy 675
  To chase the Trojan host, and such to prove
  As erst, or even bolder, if ye may. 
  The Chief lies breathless who ascended first
  Our wall, Sarpedon.  Let us bear him hence,
  Strip and dishonor him, and in the blood 680
  Of his protectors drench the ruthless spear. 
    So Menoetiades his warriors urged,
  Themselves courageous.  Then the Lycian host
  And Trojan here, and there the Myrmidons
  With all the host of Greece, closing the ranks 685
  Rush’d into furious contest for the dead,
  Shouting tremendous; clang’d their brazen arms,
  And Jove with Night’s pernicious shades[17] o’erhung
  The bloody field, so to enhance the more
  Their toilsome strife for his own son.  First then 690
  The Trojans from their place and order shock’d
  The bright-eyed Grecians, slaying not the least
  Nor worst among the Myrmidons, the brave
  Epigeus from renown’d Agacles sprung. 
  He, erst, in populous Budeum ruled, 695
  But for a valiant kinsman of his own
  Whom there he slew, had thence to Peleus fled
  And to his silver-footed spouse divine,
  Who with Achilles, phalanx-breaker Chief,
  Sent him to fight beneath the walls of Troy. 700
  Him seizing fast the body, with a stone
  Illustrious Hector smote full on the front,
  And his whole skull within the ponderous casque
  Split sheer; he prostrate on the body fell
  In shades of soul-divorcing death involved. 705
  Patroclus, grieving for his slaughter’d