Then Achilles made trial of himself in his armour to see whether it fitted him, so that his limbs could play freely under it, and it seemed to buoy him up as though it had been wings.
He also drew his father's spear out of the spear-stand, a spear so great and heavy and strong that none of the Achaeans save only Achilles had strength to wield it; this was the spear of Pelian ash from the topmost ridges of Mt.

Pelion, which Chiron had once given to Peleus, fraught with the death of heroes.

Automedon and Alcimus busied themselves with the harnessing of his horses; they made the bands fast about them, and put the bit in their mouths, drawing the reins back towards the chariot.

Automedon, whip in hand, sprang up behind the horses, and after him Achilles mounted in full armour, resplendent as the sun-god Hyperion.

Then with a loud voice he chided with his father's horses saying, "Xanthus and Balius, famed offspring of Podarge--this time when we have done fighting be sure and bring your driver safely back to the host of the Achaeans, and do not leave him dead on the plain as you did Patroclus." Then fleet Xanthus answered under the yoke--for white-armed Juno had endowed him with human speech--and he bowed his head till his mane touched the ground as it hung down from under the yoke-band.