In the rush of fear-filled energy that had suffused me, seeing aught but what lay in front of me became extremely difficult. My stomach tightened in terror as I swung my shield to face the Cypriot onslaught.  They were everywhere.  On our decks, sailors, rowers, and marines were locked in a titanic struggle to the death with swarms of the foe.  Where had they all come from? This could not be just one ship!

 

At that moment, I felt a great presence to my left, and even as I pressed forward, this time to Hippocrotes' right, I could sense yet another calamity.  The deck sprung and shifted beneath me and the ship was thrown upward, heaving to larboard and groaning horribly.  I lost my footing and was flung to the right, landing with a thud.  Hippocrotes rolled on top of me. 

 

We had been rammed.

 

Hippocrotes pushed himself off, engraged. "The gods be damned!" he shouted.  "Enough is enough!"

With that, he flung himself into battle, jumping over those  still off-balance and wading into the Cypriots like a rabid animal, plunging his spear into the hearts of the enemy with reckless abandon.

 

 

"Hippocrotes!"  I shouted. "Rally to Hippocrotes!"

 

Scrambling up, I leapt behind him into the fray.  Behind me, I could hear old Patrocles.

"Form line, men!" he said. "Keep your heads now!"

 

But there was no room to form line.  There was no chance.  The decks on either side of the center passageway were filled with hacking, slashing bodies.  Our rowers had been flushed from the hold and, armed with whatever they could get their hands on, were laying into the foe with unbridled ferocity.  I hacked my way through to where Hippocrotes raged nearly amidships and, turning my back to him, began my defense.

 

"I'm here!" I shouted through the cacophony.  "I'm here, Hippocrotes.  I'm at your back!"

 

"I've got you, Lysis!" he replied.  "Just stay with me!"