At length Memnon came, leading a great army of men who had nothing white
about them but the teeth, so fiercely the sun burned on them in their own
country. The Trojans had all the more hopes of Memnon because, on his
long journey from the land of sunrising, and the river Oceanus that
girdles the round world, he had been obliged to cross the country of the
Solymi. Now the Solymi were the fiercest of men and rose up against
Memnon, but he and his army fought them for a whole day, and defeated
them, and drove them to the hills. When Memnon came, Priam gave him a
great cup of gold, full of wine to the brim, and Memnon drank the wine at
one draught. But he did not make great boasts of what he could do, like
poor Penthesilea, "for," said he, "whether I am a good man at arms will
be known in battle, where the strength of men is tried. So now let us
turn to sleep, for to wake and drink wine all through the night is an ill
beginning of war."

Then Priam praised his wisdom, and all men betook them to bed, but the
bright Dawn rose unwillingly next day, to throw light on the battle where
her son was to risk his fife. Then Memnon led out the dark clouds of his
men into the plain, and the Greeks foreboded evil when they saw so great
a new army of fresh and unwearied warriors, but Achilles, leading them in
his shining armour, gave them courage. Memnon fell upon the left wing of
the Greeks, and on the men of Nestor, and first he slew Ereuthus, and
then attacked Nestor's young son, Antilochus, who, now that Patroclus had
fallen, was the dearest friend of Achilles. On him Memnon leaped, like a
lion on a kid, but Antilochus lifted a huge stone from the plain, a
pillar that had been set on the tomb of some great warrior long ago, and
the stone smote full on the helmet of Memnon, who reeled beneath the
stroke. But Memnon seized his heavy spear, and drove it through shield
and corselet of Antilochus, even into his heart, and he fell and died