The Argonautica

when the surge strives to roll inside the vessel's walls--

so he chased Tyndareus' son, seeking to drive him backward,

never giving him pause; but always unstruck, by cunning,

he slipped each rush, and quickly read the savage boxing:

where Amycus' force was resistless, yet where he was weaker.

Then he stood unwavering, matching hand against hand.

As shipwrights fit the opposing planks with pointed pegs,

laying course upon course and driving each one inward,

they strike with hammers; thud after thud goes flying,

in one full din; so on both sides the fighters' cheeks

and jaws kept crashing; boundless clatter rose from teeth.

They never stopped, but stood and struck at close quarters,

until a deadly gasp of breath had mastered both combatants.

Standing a little apart, they wiped from both their foreheads

abundant sweat, while they blew out exhausted breath.

Then back they rushed together, facing, bull against bull,

two angry rivals fighting for a grazing cow.

Then Amycus rose high to the utmost tips of his toes,

like an ox-butcher, stretched at full height, swinging his heavy

hand down at him; but his rival swerved from the sudden onrush,

turned his head, and took the forearm lightly on his shoulder;

then, close beside him, slipped his knee past the other's knee

and drove in above the ear and broke the bones within.

In agony Amycus fell to his knees; the Minyans shouted,