Antilochus crosses the Achaeans’ trench with the summoned chiefs before meeting beyond it.
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“With this he passed the trench, and with him the other chiefs of the Achaeans who had been called to the council. Meriones and the brave son of Nestor went also, for the princes bade them. When they were beyond the trench that was dug round the wall they held their meeting on the open ground”
Antilochus, one of the five drivers just placed in line, raced over the plain away from the ships.
See evidence text
“At the same instant they all of them lashed their horses, struck them with the reins, and shouted at them with all their might. They flew full speed over the plain away from the ships”
Antilochus kills Echepolus by driving bronze through helmet, brow, and bone, making him fall headlong like a tower.
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“First Antilochus slew an armed warrior of the Trojans, Echepolus, son of Thalysius, fighting in the foremost ranks. He struck at the projecting part of his helmet and drove the spear into his brow; the point of bronze pierced the bone, and darkness veiled his eyes; headlong as a tower he fell amid the press of the fight”
·Direct
Antilochus advances beside Menelaus to protect the king from Aeneas.
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“Antilochus the son of Nestor saw him and sprang forward, fearing that the king might come to harm and thus bring all their labour to nothing; when, therefore Aeneas and Menelaus were setting their hands and spears against one another eager to do battle, Antilochus placed himself by the side of Menelaus.”
·Direct
Antilochus strikes Mydon’s elbow with a stone, cuts his temples with a sword, and drives off his horses.
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“while Antilochus hit his charioteer and squire Mydon, the son of Atymnius, who was turning his horses in flight. He hit him with a stone upon the elbow, and the reins, enriched with white ivory, fell from his hands into the dust. Antilochus rushed towards him and struck him on the temples with his sword, whereon he fell head first from the chariot to the ground. There he stood for a while with his head and shoulders buried deep in the dust—for he had fallen on sandy soil till his horses kicked him and laid him flat on the ground, as Antilochus lashed them and drove them off to the host of the Achaeans.”
·Direct
Antilochus kills Ablerus with his spear.
See evidence text
“Ablerus fell by the spear of Nestor’s son Antilochus”
·Reported
Agamemnon identifies Nestor’s son as a captain over the sentinels.
See evidence text
“for his own son, and Meriones brother in arms to Idomeneus, are captains over them.”
·Direct
Antilochus spears Asius’s charioteer through the belly and drives the horses toward the Achaeans.
See evidence text
“Antilochus hit him in the middle of his body with a spear; his cuirass of bronze did not protect him, and the spear stuck in his belly. He fell gasping from his chariot and Antilochus, great Nestor’s son, drove his horses from the Trojans to the Achaeans.”
·Direct
Angry but mindful of his friend, Antilochus runs to Hypsenor, stands over him, and shields him.
See evidence text
“Noble Antilochus was more angry than any one, but grief did not make him forget his friend and comrade. He ran up to him, bestrode him, and covered him with his shield”
·Direct
Antilochus severs Thoon’s back-to-neck vein, brings him down imploring, and strips his armour while glaring around; he remains in the thick of the fight, continually aiming for ranged or hand-to-hand combat.
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“Antilochus spied his chance, flew forward towards Thoon, and wounded him as he was turning round. He laid open the vein that runs all the way up the back to the neck; he cut this vein clean away throughout its whole course, and Thoon fell in the dust face upwards, stretching out his hands imploringly towards his comrades. Antilochus sprang upon him and stripped the armour from his shoulders, glaring round him fearfully as he did so. The Trojans came about him on every side and struck his broad and gleaming shield, but could not wound his body, for Neptune stood guard over the son of Nestor, though the darts fell thickly round him. He was never clear of the foe, but was always in the thick of the fight; his spear was never idle; he poised and aimed it in every direction, so eager was he to hit someone from a distance or to fight him hand to hand.”
·Direct
Antilochus kills both Phalces and Mermerus.
See evidence text
“Antilochus killed Phalces and Mermerus,”
·Reported
Menelaus says Antilochus is young and unsurpassed among Achaeans in speed of foot and valour.
See evidence text
“you are young and there is none of the Achaeans more fleet of foot or more valiant than you are”
·Direct
Antilochus darts from the front, looks carefully around, throws a spear that strikes Melanippus in the breast, and makes him fall heavily with armour rattling.
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“Antilochus, who at once darted out from the front ranks and aimed a spear, after looking carefully round him. The Trojans fell back as he threw, and the dart did not speed from his hand without effect, for it struck Melanippus the proud son of Hiketaon in the breast by the nipple as he was coming forward, and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground”
·Direct
Antilochus drives a spear through Atymnius’s throat, felling him.
See evidence text
“Antilochus, speared Atymnius, driving the point of the spear through his throat, and down he fell.”
·Direct
Antilochus is one of two valiant reserve fighters who have not heard of Patroclus’s death; together they believe him alive and leading the van and remain in reserve under Nestor’s orders.
See evidence text
“the two valiant heroes, Thrasymedes and Antilochus, had not yet heard of the death of Patroclus, and believed him to be still alive and leading the van against the Trojans; they were keeping themselves in reserve against the death or rout of their own comrades, for so Nestor had ordered when he sent them from the ships into battle.”
·Direct
Antilochus stands on the far left, cheering his men and urging them to fight boldly.
See evidence text
“Presently Menelaus saw him on the extreme left of the battle cheering on his men and exhorting them to fight boldly.”
·Direct
Horror leaves Antilochus long speechless and tearful; after giving his armour to Laodocus, he sets off running to obey Menelaus.
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“Antilochus was struck with horror. For a long time he was speechless; his eyes filled with tears and he could find no utterance, but he did as Menelaus had said, and set off running as soon as he had given his armour to a comrade, Laodocus, who was wheeling his horses round, close beside him.”
·Direct
Antilochus runs weeping from the battlefield to carry Patroclus’s death-news to Achilles.
See evidence text
“did he run weeping from the field, to carry the bad news to Achilles son of Peleus.”
·Direct
Antilochus serves as a fleet messenger and reaches Achilles at the ships.
See evidence text
“fleet runner Antilochus, who had been sent as messenger, reached Achilles”
·Direct
Antilochus delivers the bad tidings while weeping bitterly.
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“weeping bitterly the while. ‘Alas,’ he cried, ‘son of noble Peleus, I bring you bad tidings”
·Direct
Antilochus bends over Achilles weeping and restrains both his hands for fear that he may cut his own throat.
See evidence text
“Antilochus bent over him the while, weeping and holding both his hands as he lay groaning for he feared that he might plunge a knife into his own throat”
·Reported
Nestor called Antilochus a young, divinely favored, skillful horseman and urged him to compensate for slow horses through artifice.
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“‘Antilochus,’ said Nestor, ‘you are young, but Jove and Neptune have loved you well, and have made you an excellent horseman. I need not therefore say much by way of instruction. You are skilful at wheeling your horses round the post, but the horses themselves are very slow, and it is this that will, I fear, mar your chances. The other drivers know less than you do, but their horses are fleeter; therefore, my dear son, see if you cannot hit upon some artifice whereby you may insure that the prize shall not slip through your fingers.”