But she would not give him full
victory as yet, for she wished still further to prove his own prowess
and that of his brave son, so she flew up to one of the rafters in
the roof of the room and sat upon it in the form of a
swallow.
Meanwhile Agelaos son of
Damastor, Eurynomos, Amphimedon, Demoptolemos, Peisandros, and
Polybos son of Polyktor bore the brunt of the fight upon the
suitors’ side; of all those who were still fighting for their
lives [psukhai], they were by far the most excellent
in aretê, for the others had already fallen under the
arrows of Odysseus. Agelaos shouted to them and said, "My friends, he
will soon have to leave off, for Mentor has gone away after having
done nothing for him but brag. They are standing at the doors
unsupported. Do not aim at him all at once, but six of you throw your
spears first, and see if you cannot cover yourselves with glory by
killing him. When he has fallen we need not be uneasy about the
others."
They threw their spears as he
bade them, but Athena made them all of no effect. One hit the door
post; another went against the door; the pointed shaft of another
struck the wall; and as soon as they had avoided all the spears of
the suitors Odysseus said to his own men, "My friends, I should say
we too had better let drive into the middle of them, or they will
crown all the harm they have done us by killing us
outright."
They therefore aimed straight in
front of them and threw their spears. Odysseus killed Demoptolemos,
Telemakhos Euryades, Eumaios Elatus, while the stockman killed
Peisandros. These all bit the dust, and as the others drew back into
a corner Odysseus and his men rushed forward and regained their
spears by drawing them from the bodies of the dead.
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