Chapter 41 41

The old king Priam stood in a tall tower.He saw the son of the valiant Peleus pursuing the fleeing Trojans so fiercely that neither god nor mortal could stop him.The king came down from the tower complaining, and said to the soldiers guarding the city: "Open the gates, hold the gates, and let all the fleeing Trojans come back into the city. But be careful, Achilles is chasing them, wait for the soldiers As soon as you are inside the city, close the gates, lest the fierce son of Peleus rush in!" The guards obeyed the orders and pulled the bolts, and the gates opened wide. The Trojans returned from the battle hungry and thirsty, and Achilles pursued them.Apollo saw all this, and immediately left the city gate to help the panicked deserters.He first mustered the courage of Agenor, son of Antenor.

Then, concealed in the thick fog, he stood under the sacred tree of Zeus and accompanied Agenor.Therefore, Agenor was the first among the Trojans to realize that he was running away. He stood still, thought for a while, and said to himself with guilt: "Who is the man who is chasing after you? He Is not his body the same as a spear can pierce? Is he not mortal like the rest?" With that said, he calmed down and waited for Achilles who rushed over. Agenor held his shield in one hand and brandished his spear in the other, and shouted at Achilles, "Don't think you can take Troy right away. There are heroes among us who stand up to heaven and earth. Fight in defense of father, mother, wife, and children." As he spoke he threw his spear and struck the freshly cast greaves, but the spear fell to the ground with a thump and spared Achilles.Achilles rushed over, but Apollo took Agenor away under the cover of thick fog, and lured Achilles to go astray, still chasing him, because he had changed into Agenor , ran across the wheat fields towards the Scamander River.

Achilles pursued closely, hoping to catch up with his opponent.Just at that moment the Trojans were lucky enough to return to the city through the wide open gate.They scrambled to be the first, you pushed and squeezed each other, and they didn't breathe a sigh of relief until they entered the city, wiped their sweat profusely, drank water to quench their thirst, and then sat or lay down on the battlements to rest. But the Greeks all rushed to the city with their shields on their shoulders, and among the Trojans, only Hector remained outside the city.Achilles was still chasing Apollo, thinking he was chasing Agenor.Suddenly, Apollo stopped, turned around, and said in the sonorous voice of a god: "Why did you pursue me so hard and gave up chasing the Trojans? You thought you were chasing a mortal, but you were chasing me." A god you can't hurt!"

Achilles suddenly realized, and shouted angrily. "You cruel and treacherous god! You led me away from the walls! It was not because of you that many Trojans died, you cunningly rescued the Trojans and deprived me of victory. As a god, You don't need to be afraid of revenge. Even so, how much I want to revenge you!" He turned around and ran towards the city tenaciously like a violent war horse. Seeing Achilles running towards him from the tower, the aged Priam beat his chest anxiously and called out in pain for his son who was standing outside the city waiting for Achilles. "Hector, noble son! Why are you still out there? Do you want to be sent to the tiger's mouth? He has killed so many of my sons. Come to the city and protect the men and women of Troy. Please have mercy on me Bar!

Zeus tormented me so that I would still suffer this unbearable suffering in my old age, allowing me to see my sons killed, my daughters taken into slavery, cities destroyed, and treasures plundered.In the end I shall die at the spear or spear, thrown out the door, to be devoured by my own hand-fed dogs, licking my blood! " Hecuba stood beside him, also weeping and crying out: "Hector, have mercy on me, and listen to me! Drive back that terrible hero from behind the walls, and don't confront him outside the walls!" The loud cries and entreaties of his parents could not change Hector's mind.He stood firmly in the same place, waiting for Achilles quietly, and said to himself: "At that time, my friend Polydamas advised me to withdraw the army to the city, but because of my command error , many lives have been lost. I am ashamed of the men, women and children of Troy. Maybe one day they will say that Hector ruined an entire nation by believing in his own strength. So it is better for me and that terrible enemy Fight to the death. Either I win, or I die in battle! Otherwise, what shall I do? Shall I lay down my shield and armor, and give away all the treasures that Helen and Paris have robbed? Look, where did I think? If I really I beg him, he will not pity me, on the contrary, he will kill me mercilessly. It seems that it is better to fight him, and see who the gods of the holy mountain of Olympus will win."