And on the Trojan Plain. 189 
This is exactly what appears to have been 
the case at the time of the Trojan war. 
Could any doubt remain of the actual po- 
sition of Hector, when he was “to the left of 
all the war beside Scamander,” it must be dis- 
sipated by an anecdote related of Machaon 
in the eleventh book. At the time alluded to, 
Machaon, being wounded not far from Hec- 
tor, is placed in the chariot, and carried off to 
the tent of Nestor, which, as we have already 
seen, lay between Rhateum and the centre of 
the fleet. On his route he passes close under 
the ships of Achilles, at Sigeum, for it is 
not at a distance that Achilles sees him 
whilst he crossed the plain, for he says, 
“Viewing him behind 
“I most believed him AMsculapius’ son, 
**Machaon, but his steeds so swiftly passed 
“My galley, that his face escaped my note. 
Iliad XT, 737. 
Had Machaon been wounded on the Grecian 
left, or towards Rhceteum, which is what 
most authors understand by “to the left of all 
the war,” the poet would not have sent him 
all across the plain to Sigeum on his way to 
the centre of the fleet, merely to show him 
to Achilles, and if he had done so, Achilles 
would have seen his face in coming towards 
him, before he viewed him from behind, 
when retreating. 
