অধ্যায়] ক্ষত্রিয়বর্গ। S११ করিয়া যথাযোগ্য অস্ত্রহস্তে দণ্ডায়মান হইল । রণবাদ্য-নির্ঘোষে চতুর্দিক আন্দোলিত হইল। উভয়দিকে সিংহনাদ ধনুষ্টঙ্কার own soldiers, he hurls his spear against the enemy: sometimes indeed he will fight on foot and hand to hand, but the chariot is usully near to receive him if he chooses, or to ensure his retreat. The men of Greeks and Trojans coming forward to the charge, without any regular steps or evenly maintained line, making their attack in the same way by hurling their spears. Each chief wears habitually a long sword and a short dagger, besides his two spears to be launched forward—the spear being also used, if occasion serves, as a weapon or thrust. Every man is protected by shield, helmet, breastplate and greaves; but the armour of the chiefs is greatly superior to that of the common men, while they themselves are more strong and more expert in the use of their weapons. There are a few bowmen, as rare exceptions, but the general equipment and proceeding is as here described.”—Grote’s Greece. Wor . I, p. 494. এক্ষণে দেখিবে যে হোমরের বর্ণিত রণবৃত্তান্ত বাল্মীকির সহ কত সামান্য অন্তর। ফলতঃ জগতের সকল আদিম সভ্য বা অৰ্দ্ধসভ্য জাতির রণপাণ্ডিত্য প্রায় এইরূপ। খৃষ্টীয় ষোড়শ শতাব্দীর এক অৰ্দ্ধসভ্য জাতির রণবৃত্তান্তের সহ মিলাইয়া দেখ। দক্ষিণ আমেরিকার পেরু রাজ্যের আদিম অধিবাসীরা স্পানিয়ার্ডদের সঙ্গে যুদ্ধে প্রবৃত্ত হইতেছে —‘‘Many of the Indians were armed with lances headed with copper tempered almost to the hardness of steel, and with huge maces and battle-axes of the same metal. Their defensive armour, also, was in many respects excellent, consisting of stout doublets of quilted cotton, shields covered with skins, and casques richly ornamented with gold and jewels, or sometimes made like those of the Mexicans, in the fantastic shape of the heads of wild animals garnished with rows of teeth that grinned horribly above the visage of the warrior........the Spaniards were roused by the hideous clamour of conch, trumpet, and ২৩
