Ajax struck him in the belt; the spear pierced the lower part of his belly, and he fell heavily to the ground.

Then Ajax ran towards him to strip him of his armour, but the Trojans rained spears upon him, many of which fell upon his shield.

He planted his heel upon the body and drew out his spear, but the darts pressed so heavily upon him that he could not strip the goodly armour from his shoulders.

The Trojan chieftains, moreover, many and valiant, came about him with their spears, so that he dared not stay; great, brave and valiant though he was, they drove him from them and he was beaten back.
Thus, then, did the battle rage between them.

Presently the strong hand of fate impelled Tlepolemus, the son of Hercules, a man both brave and of great stature, to fight Sarpedon; so the two, son and grandson of great Jove, drew near to one another, and Tlepolemus spoke first.
"Sarpedon," said he, "councillor of the Lycians, why should you come skulking here you who are a man of peace?
They lie who call you son of aegis-bearing Jove, for you are little like those who were of old his children.