Aias armed in flashing bronze and came on like huge Ares, smiling with a grim face and shaking his long spear. The Argives rejoiced; the Trojans trembled, and even Hector’s heart beat hard, though he could not draw back after giving the challenge.
Aias carried a shield like a tower, seven oxhides of sturdy bulls with an eighth layer of bronze, made by Tychius of Hyle, best of his craft. Holding that before his chest he told Hector he would now know what champions still stood among the Danaans even after Achilles breaker of men lay angry among the ships at Agamemnon. They were such as could stand against him, and many. Hector answered that Aias should not try him as if he were a feeble boy or a woman who knew nothing of war. He knew battles and killings of men — how to shift his dry-hide shield to right and left, how to charge with fast horses, how to dance the hard dance of Ares close in. But he would not strike by stealth as he watched; he would strike openly, if he might hit him.
Hector threw first. His spear pierced six folds of Aias’s shield and stopped in the seventh hide. Aias threw next, piercing Hector’s shield and corselet and tearing the tunic by his flank; Hector bent away and escaped death. They fought close; Hector’s spear bent on Aias’s shield, while Aias grazed Hector’s neck and blood sprang out.
Hector struck Aias’s dread shield with a jagged stone; the bronze rang loud as it hit. Aias answered with a far larger stone, swinging it and hurling with measureless force. It crushed Hector’s shield inward and struck his knees; he was stretched on his back, pressed under the shield. But Apollo quickly raised him up. Now they would have closed with swords and stabbed at close quarters, but heralds, messengers of Zeus and men, came forward — one from the Trojans, one from the Achaeans — Idaeus and Talthybius. They held their staffs between them, and Idaeus, wise of speech, said: fight no longer, dear children, and do not do battle. Zeus who gathers the clouds loves you both, and you are both warriors. Night is already here; it is good to yield to night.