When Patroclus was coming on like a god for yet a fourth time, Apollo shouted to him with an awful voice and said, "Draw back, noble Patroclus, it is not your lot to sack the city of the Trojan chieftains, nor yet will it be that of Achilles who is a far better man than you are." On hearing this, Patroclus withdrew to some distance and avoided the anger of Apollo.
Meanwhile Hector was waiting with his horses inside the Scaean gates, in doubt whether to drive out again and go on fighting, or to call the army inside the gates.

As he was thus doubting Phoebus Apollo drew near him in the likeness of a young and lusty warrior Asius, who was Hector's uncle, being own brother to Hecuba, and son of Dymas who lived in Phrygia by the waters of the river Sangarius; in his likeness Jove's son Apollo now spoke to Hector saying, "Hector, why have you left off fighting?
It is ill done of you.

If I were as much better a man than you, as I am worse, you should soon rue your slackness.

Drive straight towards Patroclus, if so be that Apollo may grant you a triumph over him, and you may rule him." With this the god went back into the hurly-burly, and Hector bade Cebriones drive again into the fight.

Apollo passed in among them, and struck panic into the Argives, while he gave triumph to Hector and the Trojans.