(Il. 6. 38–41, 11. 159–62, 15. 452; MBh. 6. 84. 12; 7. 88. 49, 93. 28). A horse
may itself be wounded or killed (Il. 8. 81, 16. 467, Pind. Pyth. 6. 32; MBh. 5.
- 29).
In a favourable case the warrior stranded by the failure of his transport
may be rescued by another chariot (Il. 8. 90–115; MBh. 8. 32. 66, 44. 45). If
his vehicle escapes mishap, the wounded or swooning warrior can be driven
away to a calmer spot to recover (Il. 14. 429–32; MBh. 3. 19. 3; 5. 181. 15; 6. 54.
16 f., 79. 51 f.; 7. 39. 12, etc.). But in the overall picture, chariot losses loom
large.
Many were the proud-necked horses
rattling empty chariots along the causeways of battle,
in want of their good drivers, who lay on the ground
more attractive to the vultures than to their wives. (Il. 11. 159, cf. 179)
Many the chariots that [.. .] in the dust,
many the bright-eyed [lads] trampled... (Alc. 283. 15 f.)
Many were the elephants there deprived of their standards,
and many car-warriors also deprived of their steeds...... others deprived of their cars. (MBh. 6. 51. 23 f., cf. 113. 13 f.)
Single combatNothing is more characteristic of heroic narrative than accounts of armed
encounters between individuals, whether as independent events or within
the framework of a battle. A typical sequence is: aggressive speeches from
each combatant (sometimes preceded by an arming scene); attack with
throwing-spears or other missiles, which are stopped by the opponent’s
shield; close combat with swords.^108 If heroes of the highest calibre are
involved, the gods may be gathered to watch (Il. 22. 166; Rm. 6. 94. 13).
On occasion a champion may step forward and challenge anyone from the
enemy side to fight him. So Hector does in the Iliad, Duryodhana in the
Maha ̄bha ̄rata, Ashkabus in the Sha ̄h-na ̄ma, and an unnamed Slav in Saxo.^109
In some cases it is agreed that the outcome of a single combat will settle the
war. So it is with the duel of Paris and Menelaus (Il. 3. 67–75); the agreement
is solemnized with sacrifices and oaths, and if the gods (that is, the poet) had
not intervened to prevent the combat from coming to a clear conclusion,
(^108) Cf. e.g. Il. 3. 326–80, 7. 206–82, 22. 248–330; Sha ̄h-na ̄ma, Levy (1967), 72 f.; Hildebrands-
lied 1–68; Battle of Maldon 134–42.
(^109) Il. 7. 38–91; MBh. 9. 31. 9ff.; Levy (1967), 134; Saxo 3. 5. 6 p. 74. The Biblical story of
Goliath (1 Sam. 17. 8–10) is of the same kind; cf. West (1997), 214 f.
486 12. Arms and the Man