赫克托耳说着这些话穿过城门，他的兄弟亚历山德拉也跟着他，两人都渴望战斗。就像天堂给水手们吹来一阵微风，他们长久以来一直在徒劳地寻找，一直在努力划桨，直到他们劳累得昏昏沉沉的，即使看到这两位英雄，特洛伊人也是如此欢迎。在这上面，亚历山德罗斯杀死了阿雷陀斯的儿子米奈修斯;他住在亚扪，是拿枪的亚列哥和基罗米杜沙的儿子。赫克托耳向爱俄涅斯扔了一根长矛，将他刺死，在他脖子上的青铜头盔下留下一道伤口。此外，吕西亚人的首领希波洛库斯的儿子格劳库斯，在一场肉搏战中，击中了德克修斯的儿子伊菲诺斯的肩膀，当时伊菲诺斯正跟在他的战马后面跳上他的战车;于是他从车里掉到地上，失去了生命。因此，当密涅瓦看到这些人对阿尔戈斯人造成严重破坏时，她从奥林匹斯山的山顶飞奔到伊利乌斯那里，而在帕伽马斯观望的阿波罗也出来迎接她;因为他希望特洛伊人取得胜利。两人在橡树旁相遇，朱庇特之子阿波罗国王首先发言。 "What would you have said he, "daughter of great Jove, that your proud spirit has sent you hither from Olympus? Have you no pity upon the Trojans, and would you incline the scales of victory in favour of the Danaans? Let me persuade you- for it will be better thus- stay the combat for to-day, but let them renew the fight hereafter till they compass the doom of Ilius, since you goddesses have made up your minds to destroy the city." And Minerva answered, "So be it, Far-Darter; it was in this mind that I came down from Olympus to the Trojans and Achaeans. Tell me, then, how do you propose to end this present fighting?" Apollo, son of Jove, replied, "Let us incite great Hector to challenge some one of the Danaans in single combat; on this the Achaeans will be shamed into finding a man who will fight him." Minerva assented, and Helenus son of Priam divined the counsel of the gods; he therefore went up to Hector and said, "Hector son of Priam, peer of gods in counsel, I am your brother, let me then persuade you. Bid the other Trojans and Achaeans all of them take their seats, and challenge the best man among the Achaeans to meet you in single combat. I have heard the voice of the ever-living gods, and the hour of your doom is not yet come." Hector was glad when he heard this saying, and went in among the Trojans, grasping his spear by the middle to hold them back, and they all sat down. Agamemnon also bade the Achaeans be seated. But Minerva and Apollo, in the likeness of vultures, perched on father Jove's high oak tree, proud of their men; and the ranks sat close ranged together, bristling with shield and helmet and spear. As when the rising west wind furs the face of the sea and the waters grow dark beneath it, so sat the companies of Trojans and Achaeans upon the plain. And Hector spoke thus:- "Hear me, Trojans and Achaeans, that I may speak even as I am minded; Jove on his high throne has brought our oaths and covenants to nothing, and foreshadows ill for both of us, till you either take the towers of Troy, or are yourselves vanquished at your ships. The princes of the Achaeans are here present in the midst of you; let him, then, that will fight me stand forward as your champion against Hector. Thus I say, and may Jove be witness between us. If your champion slay me, let him strip me of my armour and take it to your ships, but let him send my body home that the Trojans and their wives may give me my dues of fire when I am dead. In like manner, if Apollo vouchsafe me glory and I slay your champion, I will strip him of his armour and take it to the city of Ilius, where I will hang it in the temple of Apollo, but I will give up his body, that the Achaeans may bury him at their ships, and the build him a mound by the wide waters of the Hellespont. Then will one say hereafter as he sails his ship over the sea, 'This is the monument of one who died long since a champion who was slain by mighty Hector.' Thus will one say, and my fame shall not be lost." Thus did he speak, but they all held their peace, ashamed to decline the challenge, yet fearing to accept it, till at last Menelaus rose and rebuked them, for he was angry. "Alas," he cried, "vain braggarts, women forsooth not men, double-dyed indeed will be the stain upon us if no man of the Danaans will now face Hector. May you be turned every man of you into earth and water as you sit spiritless and inglorious in your places. I will myself go out against this man, but the upshot of the fight will be from on high in the hands of the immortal gods." With these words he put on his armour; and then, O Menelaus, you