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 to 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.

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 be 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 what
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 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 lightning, 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.”