So when triumphant from successful toils
Of heroes slain he bears the reeking spoils,
Whole hosts may hail him with deserved acclaim,
And say, 'This chief transcends his father's fame:'
While pleased amidst the general shouts of Troy,
His mother's conscious heart o'erflows with joy."

Then, resuming his helmet, Hector drives out of the Scaean Gate and is
joined by his brother Paris, now full of ambition to fight.

_Book VII._ Joyfully the Trojans hail the arrival of both brothers,
before whose fierce onslaught the Greeks soon fall back in their turn.
Meanwhile Minerva and Apollo, siding with opposite forces, decide to
inspire the Trojans to challenge the Greeks to a single fight, and,
after doing this, perch upon a tree, in the guise of vultures, to
watch the result. Calling for a suspension of hostilities, Hector
dares any Greek to fight him, stipulating that the arms of the
vanquished shall be the victor's prize, but that his remains shall
receive honorable burial. Conscious that none of their warriors--save
Achilles--match Hector, the Greeks at first hesitate, but, among the
nine who finally volunteer, Ajax is chosen by lot to be the Greek
champion. Overjoyed at this opportunity to distinguish himself, Ajax
advances with boastful confidence to meet Hector, who, undismayed by
his size and truculent speeches, enters into the fight. The duel is,
however, not fought to a finish, for the heralds interrupt it at
nightfall, pronouncing the champions equal in strength and skill and
postponing its issue until the morrow.

In his elation Ajax offers thanks to Jupiter before attending a
banquet, where Nestor prudently advises his friends to fortify their