Meanwhile Idomeneus had been away from the front, helping a comrade wounded behind the knee. He went to his shelter, took up fine armor, and came back like lightning.
Poseidon met him in the shape of Thoas and urged him to fight for the ships. Idomeneus answered that no man could blame his courage; some god must be crushing the army, but he would still fight.
He called Meriones, who was coming from the shelter after breaking his spear. Idomeneus asked whether he was wounded or only needed a weapon.
Meriones said spears were plentiful in his hut, Trojan spears he had taken from slain men, for he did not fight far off. Idomeneus praised him and offered him a spear from his own shelter.
The two spoke of courage: the coward changes color and cannot sit still, but the brave man's heart does not flutter, and he longs to enter battle.
They chose not to stand with the Aiantes at the center, where even a weak man could know his duty, but to go left, where they might test whether Zeus or some mortal carried the day.
As Ares goes to battle with Terror beside him, so Idomeneus went with Meriones, and the Trojans saw them with joyless hearts.
Idomeneus first killed Othryoneus from Kabesos, who had come recently seeking Cassandra without bride-price and had promised Priam to drive the Achaeans from Troy. Idomeneus struck him and mocked his empty marriage bargain.
Asios came to avenge Othryoneus, but Idomeneus struck him in the throat before his horses, and he fell like an oak or poplar cut by shipwrights in the mountains. His driver stood stunned, and Antilochos stabbed him, then drove the horses back to the Achaeans.
Deiphobos grieved for Asios and hurled at Idomeneus. The spear missed him but killed Hypsenor, son of Hippasos, under the liver.
Deiphobos shouted over him, saying Asios had not fallen unavenged and would have a companion on the road to Hades. The Argives grieved, and Antilochos especially ran in to cover the body.