Teucer came with his curved bow and stood under the shield of Aias son of Telamon. Aias would lift the shield; Teucer would look out, shoot into the crowd, and when he hit a man he slipped back like a child under his mother's cloak while Aias covered him with the bright shield.
He shot Orsilochos, Ormenos, Ophelestes, Daitor, Chromios, godlike Lykophontes, Amopaon son of Polyaimon, and Melanippos. One after another he brought them down on the nourishing earth, and Agamemnon rejoiced when he saw the arrows thinning the Trojan ranks.
The lord of men came to Teucer and praised him: dear Teucer, son of Telamon, shoot that way and become a light for the Danaans and for your father, who raised you though you were born outside wedlock. If Zeus and Athena let him sack well-built Ilios, Teucer would receive a prize second only to his own.
Teucer answered that he needed no urging. He had been shooting as fast as his strength allowed. Eight long-barbed arrows had flown, and all had fixed themselves in the flesh of young warriors. Yet he could not hit the raging dog, Hector.
He shot again at Hector and missed. The arrow struck Gorgythion, a noble son of Priam, whose mother was lovely Castianeira from Aisyme. His head bent to one side like a poppy heavy with rain and spring fruit, and he sank under his helmet.
Teucer shot once more at Hector, still eager to hit him, and again Apollo turned the shaft aside. It struck Archeptolemos, Hector's brave driver, in the chest as he rushed on. He fell from the car, and the swift horses swerved back; Hector grieved, but ordered Kebriones to take the reins.
Hector leapt down with a terrible cry, seized a jagged stone in his hand, and rushed at Teucer. The archer was drawing another bitter arrow when Hector struck him where neck and chest meet, by the collarbone. The bowstring snapped, his hand went numb, and he dropped to his knees.
Aias did not fail his brother. He stood over Teucer with the shield, while Mekisteus and Alastor carried the groaning man back to the hollow ships. Zeus stirred the Trojans again, and they drove the Achaeans back into the deep ditch. Hector was first, face like sudden night.
As a hound and hunters press a boar or lion, striking from behind while the beast turns again and again, so Hector pressed the Achaeans and kept killing the rearmost men. They crossed the stakes and ditch in flight, and many were beaten down by Trojan hands before they reached the ships.