if only a god could make you stand fast yourselves, tense with all your power, and command the rest of your men to stand fast too - then you could hurl him back from the deep-sea ships, hard as he hurls against you, even if Zeus himself impels the madman on.

Ajax. Ajax!
Both of you – fight to save the Achaean armies.
call up your courage, no cringing panic now!
At other points on the line I have no fear
of the Trojans’ hands, invincible as they seem –
troops who had stormed our massive wall in force –
our men-at-arms will hold them all at bay.
But here 1 fear the worst, I dread a breakthrough.
Here this firebrand, rabid Hector leads the charge,
claiming to be the son of high and mighty Zeus.
But the two of you, if only a god could make you
stand fast yourselves, tense with all your power,
and command the rest of your men to stand fast too –
then you could hurl him back from the deep-sea ships,
hard as he hurls against you, even if Zeus himself
impels the madman on.

– Homer

The Iliad, Book 13, lines 58-73. God of the sea Poseidon, who is on the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War, emerges from the sea disguised as the Greek seer Calchas. In this passage he urges Great Ajax and Little Ajax to fight to save the Achaean armies and stand strong against Hector, whom he calls a madman. Even if Zeus himself impels Hector on, they can hurl him back from the ships, Poseidon says.

Homer Quotes