And on the Trojan Plain. 207 
with it to the fleet, and at sunset the Trojans 
again encamp on the same ground occu- 
pied by them at the commencement of the 
battle. 
As a farther circumstance to prove the 
confusion which exists in the foregoing his- 
tory, we may quote the speech of Thetis to 
Neptune, whom she implores to make a suit of 
armour for her son, in place of that stripped 
from the body of Patroclus by Hector. In 
describing how Patroclus had fallen a victim 
to his courage, and how obstinate had been 
the contest between the Grecian and Trojan 
armies, she says, | 
“‘ Before’ 
“The Scean gate, from morn to eve they 
fought, 
“« Andon that selfsame day had Ilium fallen—” 
Iliad, XVIII, 560. 
But so far from fighting all day before the 
Scean gate, the armies did not quit the 
Throsmos till noon, and the battle within 
the ramparts must have occupied many hours. 
It is very remarkable that after so much has 
been written about the duration of this battle, 
and the important inferences drawn from it, 
this confusion in the account has never been 
noticed by any one: had it been observed, we 
