Strengthen Hector

So spake he; and they, seized with fear of the rebuke of their king, pressed on the more around about their counsellor and king, and the Argives over against them made strong their battalions within the wall; and before them was set a mighty work. For neither could the mighty Lycians break the wall of the Danaans, and make a path to the ships, nor ever could the Danaan spearmen thrust back the Lycians from the walI, when once they had drawn nigh thereto. But as two men with measuring-rods in hand strive about the landmark-stones in a common field, and in a narrow space contend each for his equal share; even so did the battlements hold these apart, and over them hey smote the bull's-hide bucklers about one another's breasts, the round shields and fluttering targets. And many were wounded in the flesh by thrusts of the pitiless bronze, both whensoever any turned and his back was left bare, as they fought, and many clean through the very shield. Yea, everywhere the walls and battlements were spattered with blood of men from both sides, from Trojans and Achaeams alike. Howbeit even so they could not put the Achaeans to rout, but they held their ground, as a careful woman that laboureth with her hands at spinning, holdeth the balance and raiseth the weight and the wool in either scale, making them equal, that she may win a meagre wage for her children; so evenly was strained their war and battle, until Zeus vouchsafed the glory of victory to Hector, son of Priam, that was first to leap within the wall of the Achaeans he uttered a piercing shout, calling aloud to the Trojans: "Rouse you horse-taming Trojans, break the wall of the Argives, and fling among the ships wondrous-blazing fire."

So spake he, urging them on, and they all heard with their ears, and rushed straight upon the wall in one mass, and with sharp spears in their hands mounted upon the pinnets. And Hector grasped and bore a stone that lay before the gate, thick at the base, but sharp at the point; not easily might two men, the mightiest of the folk, have upheaved it from the ground upon a wain—men, such as mortals now are—yet lightly did he wield it even alone; and the son of crooked-counselling Cronos made it light for him. And as when a shepherd easily beareth the fleece of a ram, taking it in one hand, and but little doth the weight thereof burden him; even so Hector lifted up the stone and bare it straight against the doors that guarded the close and strongly fitted gates—double gates they were, and high, and two cross bars held them within, and a single bolt fastened them. He came and stood hard by, and planting himself smote them full in the midst, setting his feet well apart that his cast might lack no strength; and he brake off both the hinges, and the stone fell within by its own weight, and loudly groaned the gates on either side, nor did the bars hold fast, but the doors were dashed apart this way and that beneath the onrush of the stone. And glorious Hector leapt within, his face like sudden night; and he shone in terrible bronze wherewith his body was clothed about, and in his hands he held two spears. None that met him could have held him back, none save the gods, when once he leapt within the gates; and his two eyes blazed with fire. And he wheeled him about in the throng, and called to the Trojans to climb over the wall; and they hearkened to his urging. Forthwith some clomb over the wall, and others poured in by the strong-built gate, and the Danaans were driven in rout among the hollow ships, and a ceaseless din arose.


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 12 (A. T. Murray translation)


----------

So he spoke, and they, awed at the reproach of their leader,
put on the pressure of more weight around their lord of the counsels.
And on the other side the Argives stiffened their battalions
inside the wall, and a huge fight developed between the two sides.
For neither could the powerful Lykians break in the rampart
of the Danaäns, and so open a path through to the vessels,
nor had the Danaän spearmen strength to push back the Lykians
from the rampart, once they had won to a place close under it;
but as two men with measuring ropes in their hands fight bitterly
about a boundary line at the meeting place of two cornfields,
and the two of them fight in the strait place over the rights of division,
so the battlements held these armies apart, and across them
they hewed at each other, and at the ox-hide shields strong-circled
guarding men’s chests, and at the fluttering straps of the guard-skins.
Many were torn in their white flesh by the bronze without pity
wherever one of the fighters turning aside laid bare
his back, and many were struck with the spear carried clean through the shield.
Everywhere the battlements and the bastions were awash
with men’s blood shed from both sides, Achaian and Trojan.
But even so they could not drive panic among the Achaians,
but held evenly as the scales which a careful widow
holds, taking it by the balance beam, and weighs her wool evenly
at either end, working to win a pitiful wage for her children:
so the battles fought by both sides were pulled fast and even
until that time when Zeus gave the greater glory to Hektor,
Priam’s son, who was first to break into the wall of the Achaians.
For he lifted his voice and called in a piercing cry to the Trojans:
“Rise up, Trojans, breakers of horses, and wreck the ramparts
of the Argives, and let loose the inhuman fire on their vessels.”
So he spoke, driving them on, and they all gave ear to him
and steered against the wall in a pack, and at once gripping
still their edged spears caught and swarmed up the wall’s projections.
Meanwhile Hektor snatched up a stone that stood before the gates
and carried it along; it was blunt-massed at the base, but the upper
end was sharp; two men, the best in all a community,
could not easily hoist it up from the ground to a wagon,
of men such as men are now, but he alone lifted and shook it
as the son of devious-devising Kronos made it light for him.
As when a shepherd easily carries the fleece of a wether,
picking it up with one hand, and little is the burden weighting him,
so Hektor lifting the stone carried it straight for the door leaves
which filled the gateway ponderously close-fitted together.
These were high and twofold, and double door-bars on the inside
overlapping each other closed it, and a single pin-bolt secured them.
He came and stood very close and taking a strong wide stance threw
at the middle, leaning into the throw, that the cast might not lack
force, and smashed the hinges at either side, and the stone crashed
ponderously in, and the gates groaned deep, and the door-bars
could not hold, but the leaves were smashed to a wreckage of splinters
under the stone’s impact. Then glorious Hektor burst in
with dark face like sudden night, but he shone with the ghastly
glitter of bronze that girded his skin, and carried two spears
in his hands. No one could have stood up against him, and stopped him,
except the gods, when he burst in the gates; and his eyes flashed fire.
Whirling, he called out across the battle to the Trojans
to climb over the wall, and they obeyed his urgency.
Immediately some swarmed over the wall, while others swept in
through the wrought gateways, and the Danaäns scattered in terror
among their hollow ships, and clamor incessant rose up.


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 12 (Richmond Lattimore translation)