11 The Battle Rages On

CHAPTER 11 The Battle Rages On Dawn arrived, and the men awoke. The Achaeans dressed for battle and faced the day with bravery and strength. For the first time in a while, they wished to go into battle rather than run home. They felt hopeful from Odysseus's spirited speech the night before. Agamemnon dressed in magnificent battle armor. The Achaean king picked up his giant shield and placed his sword in its sheath. He looked like a most fearsome warrior. He shouted words of encouragement to all

the troops as they dressed in their armor. The generals shouted orders for their drivers to keep the horses and chariots in line. The Achaeans had to stay focused to win. They moved in the direction of their enemy. On the other side of the battlefield, the Trojans prepared themselves. Hector stood before his men, holding his sword high. "We are blessed by the gods!" he shouted. "We have no fear of failure because the gods will fight with us." The Trojans cheered. They stamped on the ground and banged their shields. "Today victory will be ours!" Hector stepped into his chariot and started toward the battlefield. His men followed. The gods and goddesses sat up on Mount Olympus to watch the battle. By Zeus's order, no one could get involved. Most of them felt anxious. But they did as Zeus commanded.

Zeus sat alone, pleased with his glory and power. The king of the gods watched as the battle began. And what a brutal battle it was! The two sides fought all morning. Many men fell. At first, many Achaeans were driven to their deaths. The fight began to look hopeless for them. Then Agamemnon, in his bright armor, jumped forward. He killed one Trojan general. Then he killed the general's aide. Then he moved on to other foes. He fought with a renewed strength and great confidence. Some of his victims pleaded for their lives. But Agamemnon showed no mercy. The Achaeans began to gain ground. They pushed the Trojans back toward their city's gates. Hector was worried. He saw so many of his men fall at the hands of the Achaeans. Zeus sent his messenger down to visit

Hector. The messenger gave Hector some advice. "Step back for now. Do not make your full attack until King Agamemnon is wounded," the messenger said. Hector did as he was told. He stepped back from the fight, and he waited. But many of his soldiers still battled the mighty Agamemnon. Soon enough, Agamemnon was wounded. A Trojan's sword slashed his arm and knocked him to the ground. The king continued to fight, but after a while, the pain was too much. He ran to his chariot and his driver raced back to camp. He needed some time to heal. Hector saw the Achaean leader leaving the battlefield and ordered his men to attack. He led his Trojan army straight into the enemy's ranks. Hector expected an easy victory. But his attack did not go as planned. Even though

Agamemnon had left, the Achaeans continued to take down the Trojans. The Trojans' enemies did not slow down or lose their spirit. The great and fearless Diomedes caused the most damage. Diomedes pulled Trojan men from their chariots as they passed. He raced across the battlefield, killing Trojans and ripping their armor from their bodies. One of Diomedes's spears even hit Hector's helmet. The spear bounced off the headgear, but it shocked the Trojan warrior. Hector decided to move away from the battle. He needed a moment to recover. Paris had seen Diomedes attack his brother. The Trojan prince was enraged! Paris shot an arrow and hit Diomedes in the foot. The arrow pinned the Achaean's foot to the ground. Paris jumped in front of his victim. "Aha! My arrow did not miss. If only it had hit

higher, it would have done more damage." "Yes, that was a fine shot," Diomedes said. "But if you are not a coward, you will fight me face to face. This is just a scratch. You have done me almost no harm." Paris did not accept the challenge. Instead, the Trojan prince turned to fight another Achaean soldier in his path. Odysseus saw that Diomedes was wounded and ran to him. He shielded his friend while he pulled the arrow from his foot. Diomedes then jumped into his chariot and headed back to his camp. He needed some time to heal. Odysseus was now alone in this part of the battlefield. He wondered whether he should run or stand his ground. He knew that to run would be a cowardly move. Odysseus was not a coward! Trojan men began to approach him. They created a circle around the brave warrior. Odysseus had no choice but to stay