"Father Jove," said he, "if ever any one in wheat-growing Argos burned you fat thigh-bones of sheep or heifer and prayed that he might return safely home, whereon you bowed your head to him in assent, bear it in mind now, and suffer not the Trojans to triumph thus over the Achaeans." All-counselling Jove thundered loudly in answer to the prayer of the aged son of Neleus.

When they heard Jove thunder they flung themselves yet more fiercely on the Achaeans.

As a wave breaking over the bulwarks of a ship when the sea runs high before a gale--for it is the force of the wind that makes the waves so great--even so did the Trojans spring over the wall with a shout, and drive their chariots onwards.

The two sides fought with their double-pointed spears in hand-to-hand encounter-the Trojans from their chariots, and the Achaeans climbing up into their ships and wielding the long pikes that were lying on the decks ready for use in a sea-fight, jointed and shod with bronze.
Now Patroclus, so long as the Achaeans and Trojans were fighting about the wall, but were not yet within it and at the ships, remained sitting in the tent of good Eurypylus, entertaining him with his conversation and spreading herbs over his wound to ease his pain.

When, however, he saw the Trojans swarming through the breach in the wall, while the Achaeans were clamouring and struck with panic, he cried aloud, and smote his two thighs with the flat of his hands.