Still if for my honour's sake I fight Hector and the Trojans single-handed, they will prove too many for me, for Hector is bringing them up in force.
Why, however, should I thus hesitate?
When a man fights in despite of heaven with one whom a god befriends, he will soon rue it.

Let no Danaan think ill of me if I give place to Hector, for the hand of heaven is with him.

Yet, if I could find Ajax, the two of us would fight Hector and heaven too, if we might only save the body of Patroclus for Achilles son of Peleus.

This, of many evils would be the least." While he was thus in two minds, the Trojans came up to him with Hector at their head; he therefore drew back and left the body, turning about like some bearded lion who is being chased by dogs and men from a stockyard with spears and hue and cry, whereon he is daunted and slinks sulkily off--even so did Menelaus son of Atreus turn and leave the body of Patroclus.

When among the body of his men, he looked around for mighty Ajax son of Telamon, and presently saw him on the extreme left of the fight, cheering on his men and exhorting them to keep on fighting, for Phoebus Apollo had spread a great panic among them.