Achilles brought out the spear, helmet, and shield Patroclus had stripped from Sarpedon, and called for two men to fight in full armor; the first to draw blood would take Asteropaios's silver-studded sword. Aias son of Telamon and Diomedes thrust thrice until the Achaeans feared for Aias and stopped them. Achilles gave Diomedes the long sword with scabbard and baldric.
For throwing the weight he set a mass of rough-cast iron that Eetion used to hurl before Achilles sacked his city. Polypoetes, Leonteus, Aias son of Telamon, and Epeios stood up. Epeios threw and all laughed. Leonteus threw farther; Aias farther still; then Polypoetes cast beyond all as a herdsman flings his crook, and the army shouted. His friends took the king's prize to the hollow ships.
For archery Achilles set ten double-edged axes and ten single-edged, raised a ship's mast on the sands, and tied a trembling dove to it by a thin string as target. Teucer and Meriones cast lots. Teucer shot first and missed the bird but cut the string; the dove flew up. Meriones snatched the bow, vowed a hecatomb of firstling lambs to Apollo, and hit the dove under the wing as she circled. She dropped on the mast and then to the ground; the arrow went into the earth beside Meriones' foot. He took the ten double axes; Teucer took the single-edged.
Last Achilles brought a spear and a cauldron never yet on the fire, worth an ox, chased with flowers, for those who would throw the javelin. Agamemnon son of Atreus rose, and Meriones. Achilles told the son of Atreus he knew how far he surpassed all and how much the best he was at the throw — take this prize to the hollow ships, and give the spear to Meriones if his heart agreed.
King Agamemnon assented. So Achilles gave the bronze spear to Meriones and handed the fair cauldron to Talthybios his squire.