THE ILIAD XV

Now when the Trojans, in their flight, had crossed the trench and the line of stakes, and many had been vanquished by the hands of the Danaans, the rest halted and held back by their chariots, pale with dread and struck with terror. It was then that Zeus awoke on the peaks of Ida, beside golden-throned Hera. He sprang to his feet and stood, and he saw the Trojans and Achaeans—the ones in turmoil, and the others, the Argives, driving them from behind, with Lord Poseidon in their midst. He saw Hector lying on the plain, his companions gathered about him, while he, senseless, struggled with agonizing gasps and vomited blood; for it was no feeble Achaean who had struck him. The father of men and gods saw him and was filled with pity. Then, casting a terrible, sidelong glance at Hera, he spoke these words: “Truly, Hera, your deceit is a wicked and masterful thing, you resourceful mischief-maker. You have driven noble Hector from the battle and thrown his armies into panic. I am not sure that you will not be the first to reap the rewards of this painful treachery, when I scourge you with my lightning lash. Do you not remember when you were hung from on high, with two anvils fastened to your feet and a bond of unbreakable gold about your hands? You dangled in the air and the clouds, and the gods on high Olympus were incensed, yet none could approach and set you free. For whomever I seized, I would grasp and hurl from the sacred threshold until he reached the earth, his strength all but gone. Not even then did my spirit find relief from its unending grief for godlike Heracles, whom you, having won over the North Wind Boreas, sent with your storms across the barren sea, plotting evils against him, until you drove him to the well-peopled land of Cos. But from there I rescued him and brought him back again to Argos, the land of horses, though he had suffered many trials. I will remind you of these things, so that you might cease your deceptions and see what good has come to you from the love and the bed you shared when you came to me from among the gods and tricked me.” So he spoke, and the ox-eyed lady Hera shuddered. And raising her voice, she addressed him with winged words: “Let the Earth be my witness now, and the broad Heaven above, and the down-flowing water of the Styx, which is the greatest and most terrible oath for the blessed gods; and I swear by your own sacred head, and by the marriage bed we two have shared—an oath I would never take in vain—that it is not by my will that Poseidon the Earth-Shaker brings harm to the Trojans and to Hector, and gives aid to their foes. It must be that his own heart stirs and compels him; he saw the Achaeans hard-pressed beside their ships and took pity on them. But even him I would counsel to follow the path where you, O cloud-gatherer, might lead.” So she spoke, and the father of men and gods smiled. Answering her, he spoke winged words: “If you, ox-eyed lady Hera, would hereafter sit among the immortals with a heart of one mind with my own, then Poseidon, however much his desires might pull him another way, would swiftly bend his will to yours and to mine. But if you are truly speaking with honesty and purpose, go now to the gathering of the gods and summon Iris to come here, and with her Apollo of the glorious bow. Iris shall go to the host of the bronze-clad Achaeans and bear a message to Lord Poseidon, that he must cease from the war and return to his own halls. And let Phoebus Apollo stir Hector to battle, breathing new strength into him, so that he may forget the pains that now afflict his heart. Let him drive the Achaeans back once more, rousing in them a spiritless panic, until they fall back in flight upon the many-benched ships of Achilles, son of Peleus. And Achilles will send forth his own companion, Patroclus, though glorious Hector will slay him with his spear before the walls of Ilium, after Patroclus himself has killed many other valiant youths, and among them my own son, noble Sarpedon. In his anger over Patroclus, noble Achilles will then slay Hector. And from that moment, I shall bring about a ceaseless turning of the tide from the ships, until the Achaeans, through the counsels of Athena, capture the steep citadel of Ilium. But until then, I will not quell my anger, nor will I allow any other immortal to aid the Danaans here, not until the wish of the son of Peleus is fulfilled, as I first promised and confirmed with the bowing of my head, on that day when the goddess Thetis clasped my knees, begging me to bring honor to Achilles, sacker of cities.” So he spoke, and the white-armed goddess Hera did not disobey. She went from the mountains of Ida to high Olympus. And just as the mind of a man darts forth, a man who has journeyed over much of the earth and thinks in his wise heart, “I would be here, or I would be there,” and his thoughts are many, so swiftly and eagerly did the lady Hera fly through the air. She came to steep Olympus and went among the immortal gods assembled in the house of Zeus. When they saw her, they all rose and greeted her with their cups. She ignored the others, but accepted a cup from Themis of the fair cheeks, for she was the first who came running to meet her. And raising her voice, she spoke to her with winged words: “Hera, why have you come? You look like one who is distraught. Surely the son of Cronos, your own husband, has terrified you.” Then the white-armed goddess Hera answered her: “Do not ask me these things, goddess Themis; you yourself know how overbearing and harsh is his spirit. But you, now, preside over the equal feast for the gods in these halls. You will hear soon enough, along with all the other immortals, what manner of evils Zeus reveals. I do not think it will bring delight to the hearts of all, neither mortals nor gods, even if some still feast now in good cheer.” Having spoken thus, the lady Hera sat down, and the gods throughout the hall of Zeus were troubled. Though she laughed with her lips, her forehead above her dark brows was not eased of its care. And filled with indignation, she spoke to them all: “Fools are we, who in our madness rage against Zeus! Still we are determined to restrain him, by going to him and using persuasion or force. But he sits apart and takes no notice, nor is he moved, for he declares that among the immortal gods he is incontestably supreme in might and in power. Therefore, you must each endure whatever sorrow he sends upon you. For I think a calamity has already befallen Ares; his son, the dearest of men to him, has perished in the fighting—Ascalaphus, whom mighty Ares claims as his own.” So she spoke, and Ares struck his sturdy thighs with the downturned palms of his hands, and in sorrow he spoke out: “Do not blame me now, you who dwell in the halls of Olympus, if I go to the ships of the Achaeans to avenge the murder of my son, even if it is my fate to be struck by the thunderbolt of Zeus and lie with the dead in blood and dust.” So he spoke, and he commanded Fear and Terror to yoke his horses, while he himself donned his shimmering armor. Then a greater and more grievous wrath and anger from Zeus would have been unleashed upon the immortals, had not Athena, seized with fear for all the gods, sprung from her throne and rushed through the doorway. She snatched the helmet from his head and the shield from his shoulders, and taking the bronze spear from his powerful hand, she set it aside. Then she assailed impetuous Ares with her words: “Madman, you are out of your senses, you are undone! Do you have ears only for show, and have your wits and your shame abandoned you? Do you not hear what the white-armed goddess Hera says, she who has just now come from the presence of Olympian Zeus? Or do you wish, after suffering many evils yourself, to be driven back to Olympus in sorrow and by force, and to sow the seeds of a great calamity for all the rest of us? For he will at once leave the proud Trojans and the Achaeans and come to Olympus to wreak havoc among us, and he will seize us one by one, the guilty and the innocent alike. Therefore, I command you now to abandon your anger for your son. Already some other, better than he in strength and skill, has been slain, or will be hereafter. It is a difficult thing to save the lineage and the offspring of all men.” With these words, she seated impetuous Ares upon his throne. Then Hera called Apollo from the house, and with him Iris, who is the messenger to the immortal gods. And raising her voice, she spoke to them winged words: “Zeus commands you both to go to Ida with all speed. And when you have arrived and looked upon the face of Zeus, you are to do whatever he urges and commands.” Having spoken thus, the lady Hera returned and took her seat upon her throne. And the two, leaping into the air, took flight. They came to Ida of the many springs, mother of wild beasts, and found the far-seeing son of Cronos seated upon the summit of Gargarus, a fragrant cloud encircling him like a crown. The two came and stood before cloud-gathering Zeus, and his heart was not angered when he saw them, for they had swiftly obeyed the words of his dear wife. To Iris first he spoke winged words: “Go now, swift Iris, and deliver all this message to Lord Poseidon; see that you are not a false messenger. Command him to cease from battle and from war, and to go to the assembly of the gods or into the bright sea. And if he will not obey my words but scorns them, let him then consider in his mind and heart, lest for all his strength he may not dare to withstand my coming against him. For I declare that I am far greater than he in might, and his elder in birth. Yet his own heart does not shrink from claiming to be my equal, though others tremble before me.” So he spoke, and swift Iris, with feet like the wind, did not disobey. She went down from the mountains of Ida toward sacred Ilium. And as a flurry of snow or hail flies from the clouds, driven by a blast of the North Wind born in the clear sky, so swiftly and eagerly did swift Iris fly. Standing near the glorious Earth-Shaker, she addressed him: “A message I bring to you, dark-haired Earth-Holder, having come from aegis-bearing Zeus. He commands you to cease from battle and from war and to go to the assembly of the gods or into the bright sea. And if you will not obey his words but scorn them, he threatens that he will come here himself to fight you face to face. He urges you to keep your hands from him, for he declares that he is far greater than you in might, and your elder in birth. Yet your own heart does not shrink from claiming to be his equal, though others tremble before him.” Greatly angered, the glorious Earth-Shaker answered her: “By the heavens! Though he is mighty, he has spoken with great arrogance if he thinks to subdue by force one who is his own equal in honor, against my will. For we are three brothers, born of Cronos, whom Rhea bore: Zeus and I, and Hades, the third, who is lord of the underworld. All things were divided in three, and each of us was allotted his own domain of honor. By lot I was given the gray sea to be my dwelling forever; Hades drew the misty darkness, and Zeus drew the wide heavens in the air and the clouds. But the earth and high Olympus are still common to us all. Therefore, I will not live by the will of Zeus. Let him remain in peace in his third portion, for all his strength. And let him not try to frighten me with his hands as if I were some coward. It would be better for him to assail with those terrible words the daughters and sons he himself has begotten, who must listen to his commands out of necessity.” Then swift Iris, with feet like the wind, answered him: “Is this then, dark-haired Earth-Holder, the harsh and unyielding message I am to carry to Zeus? Or will you reconsider? The minds of the noble are capable of change. You know that the Furies always attend the elder brother.” Poseidon the Earth-Shaker answered her in turn: “Goddess Iris, this is a word spoken most fittingly. It is a good thing when a messenger understands what is right. But a terrible grief comes upon my heart and soul whenever he chooses to rebuke with angry words one who is his equal in lot and destined to the same share. Yet for now, though I am indignant, I will yield. But I will tell you another thing, and I make this threat from my heart: if, without me, and without Athena the despoiler, without Hera and Hermes and Lord Hephaestus, he chooses to spare steep Ilium and refuses to sack it and grant great victory to the Argives, let him know this: between the two of us there will be an anger that can never be healed.” Having spoken, the Earth-Shaker left the Achaean host and plunged into the sea, and the Achaean heroes felt his loss. Then Zeus the cloud-gatherer spoke to Apollo: “Go now, dear Phoebus, to Hector of the bronze helm. For the Earth-Holder, he who shakes the land, has already departed into the bright sea, seeking to avoid our bitter wrath. It is well, for others would have heard the sound of our battle, even those gods who are in the depths beneath the earth, around Cronos. But this has proven far better, both for me and for him, that he yielded to my power before indignation could grow between us; for this matter would not have been settled without sweat. Now you, take in your hands the tasseled aegis, and shaking it mightily, strike terror into the Achaean heroes. And you yourself, Far-Shooter, must care for glorious Hector. Awaken his great strength until the Achaeans, in their flight, reach their ships and the Hellespont. From there, I myself shall devise a deed and a word so that the Achaeans may once again find respite from their toil.” So he spoke, and Apollo did not fail to obey his father. He went down from the mountains of Ida like a swift falcon, a slayer of doves, the fastest of all winged creatures. He found the son of wise Priam, noble Hector, sitting up, no longer lying down. He was newly gathering his senses, recognizing the companions around him. The gasping and the sweat had ceased, for the will of aegis-bearing Zeus had revived him. Standing close beside him, Apollo the Far-Striker spoke: “Hector, son of Priam, why do you sit here so far from the others, faint and weak? Has some sorrow come upon you?” With failing strength, Hector of the gleaming helm replied: “And who are you, noblest of gods, who questions me face to face? Did you not hear how, at the sterns of the Achaean ships, as I was slaying his companions, Ajax, good at the war cry, struck me in the chest with a great stone and put an end to my furious valor? Indeed, I thought that on this very day I would see the dead and the house of Hades, when I breathed out my life's spirit.” Then Lord Apollo the Far-Striker answered him again: “Take heart now, for the son of Cronos has sent such a helper to stand beside you and defend you from Ida—Phoebus Apollo of the golden sword, I who have long protected both you and your steep city. But come now, urge your many horsemen to drive their swift steeds toward the hollow ships. I will go before you and smooth the entire way for the horses, and I will turn the Achaean heroes to flight.” As he spoke, he breathed great strength into the shepherd of the people. And as a horse, stabled and well-fed at his manger, breaks his tether and gallops across the plain, his hooves pounding, accustomed to bathe in the fair-flowing river, exulting; he holds his head high, and his mane streams about his shoulders, and confident in his own splendor, his legs carry him swiftly to the familiar pastures of the mares; so did Hector ply his feet and knees with speed, urging on his horsemen, after he heard the voice of the god. And as when hounds and country men have pursued a horned stag or a wild goat, but a sheer cliff-face or a shadowy wood gives it refuge, and it is not their destiny to catch it; then at their clamor a bearded lion appears in their path and swiftly turns them all back, for all their eagerness; so for a time the Danaans advanced in a mass, ever thrusting with their swords and two-edged spears. But when they saw Hector moving among the ranks of men, they were seized with dread, and the spirit fell from the feet of them all. Then Thoas, son of Andraemon, spoke among them, by far the best of the Aetolians, skilled with the javelin and valiant in close combat; and in the assembly, few of the Achaeans could surpass him when the young men contended in debate. With wise counsel, he addressed them and said: “By the heavens, this is a great marvel that I see with my own eyes, how Hector has risen up again and escaped the fates. Truly, the heart in each of us had hoped that he had died beneath the hands of Ajax, son of Telamon. But some god has once more rescued and saved Hector, who has indeed undone the knees of many Danaans, as I believe he will do now; for not without the will of loud-thundering Zeus does he stand forth as a champion with such purpose. But come, let us all do as I say. Let us command the main host to retreat to the ships, but we ourselves, all who claim to be the best in the army, let us stand our ground and see if we can be the first to hold him off, our spears raised before us. I think that even in his fury, he will feel fear in his heart to plunge into the throng of the Danaans.” So he spoke, and they listened to him readily and obeyed. The chieftains around Ajax and Lord Idomeneus, around Teucer and Meriones and Meges, a man equal to Ares, marshaled their battle lines, summoning their best warriors to stand against Hector and the Trojans, while behind them the main host retreated to the Achaean ships. The Trojans pressed forward in a dense mass, and Hector led them, taking long strides. Before him went Phoebus Apollo, his shoulders wrapped in cloud, and he held the furious aegis, terrible, shaggy, and gleaming, which Hephaestus the smith had given to Zeus to carry for the terror of men. With this in his hands, he led the host. The Argives held their ground in a tight formation. A sharp cry rose from both sides. Arrows sprang from bowstrings, and many spears, hurled by bold hands, lodged themselves in the flesh of swift-faring youths, while many others fell short, before they could taste the white skin, and stuck in the earth, longing to sate themselves on flesh. As long as Phoebus Apollo held the aegis motionless in his hands, the missiles of both sides found their mark, and the men fell. But when he looked the swift-horsed Danaans in the face and shook it, and himself shouted a great cry, he bewitched the spirit in their breasts, and they forgot their furious valor. And they, like a herd of cattle or a great flock of sheep that two wild beasts stampede in the dead of black night, coming suddenly when the herdsman is not near, so were the Achaeans scattered in their weakness; for Apollo had sent panic among them, and he granted glory to the Trojans and to Hector. Then, as the battle line broke, man took man. Hector slew Stichius and Arcesilaus, the one a leader of the bronze-clad Boeotians, the other a faithful companion of great-hearted Menestheus. Aeneas despoiled Medon and Iasus. Medon was the bastard son of godlike Oileus and thus a brother of Ajax, but he lived in Phylace, away from his fatherland, for he had killed a kinsman of his stepmother Eriopis, whom Oileus had married. Iasus was a captain of the Athenians and was called the son of Sphelus, son of Bucolus. Polydamas slew Mecisteus, and Polites killed Echius in the first clash of battle, and noble Agenor slew Clonius. Paris struck Deiochus from behind in the lower shoulder as he fled among the champions, and the bronze drove straight through. While the Trojans were stripping the armor from these men, the Achaeans, stumbling into the dug trench and among the stakes, were driven this way and that, and were forced to retreat behind their wall. Then Hector called out to the Trojans, shouting aloud: “Press on to the ships, and leave the bloody spoils! Whomever I see holding back elsewhere, away from the ships, I will devise his death on the spot, and his kinsmen and kinswomen will not grant him the portion of fire after his death, but the dogs will tear him apart before our city.” So saying, he brought the lash down upon his horses' shoulders, calling to the Trojans along their ranks. And they all, with a single cry, drove their chariot-drawing horses alongside him with a terrible clamor. In front of them, Phoebus Apollo, with his feet, easily kicked down the banks of the deep trench, casting them into the middle and bridging a path both long and wide, as far as a spear-cast when a man tests his strength. Over this they poured forward, rank upon rank, and Apollo led them, holding the priceless aegis. He tore down the wall of the Achaeans with the greatest ease, as a child by the seashore, who, with innocent delight, builds structures in the sand, and then, just as playfully, scatters them again with his hands and feet. So did you, glorious Phoebus, confound the great toil and suffering of the Argives, and rouse panic among them. Thus the Achaeans were held back and halted beside their ships, calling out to one another and to all the gods, each man raising his hands in loud prayer. Gerenian Nestor, guardian of the Achaeans, prayed more than any, stretching his hands to the starry heavens: “Father Zeus, if ever anyone in Argos, rich in wheat, burning the fat thighs of an ox or a sheep, prayed to you for a safe return, and you promised and nodded your head in assent, remember these things now, Olympian, and ward off this pitiless day. Do not allow the Achaeans to be so vanquished by the Trojans.” So he spoke in prayer, and Zeus the counselor thundered loudly, hearing the supplications of the old son of Neleus. But the Trojans, when they heard the thunder of aegis-bearing Zeus, charged upon the Argives with greater fury and remembered the joy of battle. And as a great wave on the wide-pathed sea sweeps over the walls of a ship, driven by the violence of the wind, which most of all makes the waves swell, so the Trojans with a great cry came over the wall. They drove their horses in and fought at the ships' sterns hand-to-hand with two-edged spears, some from their chariots, and others from high on the black ships which they had boarded, fighting with long pikes that lay on the decks for sea-battles, joined and tipped with bronze. Now as long as the Achaeans and Trojans fought over the wall, outside the swift ships, Patroclus sat in the lodge of the valiant Eurypylus, delighting him with his stories and applying soothing herbs to his grievous wound to ease his dark pains. But when he saw the Trojans swarming over the wall, and a cry and panic arose among the Danaans, he groaned aloud and struck his thighs with the downturned palms of his hands, and in sorrow he spoke out: “Eurypylus, I can no longer remain here with you, much as you need me, for a great conflict has now arisen. Let your attendant comfort you, while I hasten to Achilles to urge him into battle. Who knows if, with a god's help, I might stir his heart with my pleading? The persuasion of a friend is a powerful thing.” His feet carried him away even as he spoke. Meanwhile, the Achaeans stood firm against the Trojan assault, yet they could not, though fewer in number, thrust them back from the ships; nor could the Trojans ever break through the Danaan phalanxes to make their way among the lodges and the ships. But as a measuring line in the hands of a skilled carpenter, one who knows all the arts of his craft through the teachings of Athena, keeps a ship's timber straight, so evenly was their battle and their warfare stretched. Different men fought around different ships, but Hector made straight for glorious Ajax. The two were locked in struggle over a single ship, and neither could prevail: one could not drive the other off and set the ship ablaze, nor could the other force him back, now that a god had brought him so near. Then glorious Ajax struck Caletor, son of Clytius, in the chest with his spear as he was carrying fire to the ship. He fell with a thud, and the torch dropped from his hand. When Hector saw with his own eyes his cousin fall in the dust before the black ship, he called out with a great cry to the Trojans and Lycians: “Trojans and Lycians and you Dardanians who fight hand-to-hand, do not yet give way from the battle in this narrow pass, but save the son of Clytius, lest the Achaeans strip his armor now that he has fallen in the contest for the ships.” So saying, he cast his shining spear at Ajax. He missed his mark, but struck Lycophron, son of Mastor, a squire of Ajax from Cythera, who lived with him since he had killed a man in sacred Cythera. He struck him on the head above the ear with the sharp bronze as he stood near Ajax. He fell backward from the ship's stern to the ground in the dust, and his limbs were unstrung. Ajax shuddered, and spoke to his brother: “Teucer, my dear friend, our faithful companion, the son of Mastor, has been slain, he whom we honored in our halls, though he came from Cythera, as much as our own dear parents. Great-hearted Hector has killed him. Where now are your death-bringing arrows and the bow that Phoebus Apollo gave you?” So he spoke, and Teucer understood. He ran and stood beside him, holding his back-sprung bow in his hand and his quiver full of arrows. And very swiftly he let fly his shafts at the Trojans. He struck Cleitus, the glorious son of Peisenor, companion of Polydamas, the noble son of Panthous, as he held the reins in his hands. He was occupied with his horses, for he was driving them where the most phalanxes were in turmoil, to do a favor for Hector and the Trojans. But swiftly disaster came upon him, one that none, for all their eagerness, could ward off. The woeful arrow struck him from behind in the neck. He fell from the chariot, and his horses shied away, rattling the empty car. Lord Polydamas saw this at once and was the first to run to the horses. He gave them to Astynous, son of Protiaon, and urged him to keep the horses nearby, within sight. Then he himself went back to mingle with the champions. Teucer took up another arrow for bronze-helmed Hector, and he would have stopped him from fighting at the Achaean ships had he struck him in his moment of glory and taken his life. But he did not escape the keen mind of Zeus, who was watching over Hector and who robbed Teucer, son of Telamon, of his glory. He broke the well-twisted bowstring on his peerless bow just as he was drawing it against his foe. The heavy-bronzed arrow was turned aside, and the bow fell from his hand. Teucer shuddered and spoke to his brother: “By the heavens! A god is surely thwarting all the plans of our battle, who has struck the bow from my hand and snapped the newly twisted string which I tied on it this morning, so that it might withstand the constant flight of my arrows.” Then great Telamonian Ajax answered him: “My dear friend, let your bow and your plentiful arrows lie, since a god, jealous of the Danaans, has confounded them. Take up a long spear in your hands and a shield on your shoulder and fight against the Trojans and urge on the other men. Let them not, even if they overcome us, take our well-benched ships without a struggle. Let us instead remember the joy of battle.” So he spoke, and Teucer put the bow away in his lodge. Then he placed a four-layered shield about his shoulders, and on his mighty head he set a well-made helmet with a horse-hair crest, and the plume nodded terribly from above. He took up a valiant spear tipped with sharp bronze and went forth, and running swiftly, he stood by the side of Ajax. When Hector saw that Teucer’s weapons had been thwarted, he called with a loud cry to the Trojans and Lycians: “Trojans and Lycians and you Dardanians who fight hand-to-hand, be men, my friends, and remember your furious valor among the hollow ships. For I have seen with my own eyes the weapons of a great champion thwarted by Zeus. And the aid of Zeus is easily recognized among men, both those to whom he grants superior glory, and those whom he diminishes and will not defend, just as he now diminishes the strength of the Argives and aids us. So fight on at the ships in a mass. And if any of you, struck by missile or blow, should meet his death and his fate, let him die. It is not unseemly for him to die defending his fatherland. His wife and children will be safe hereafter, and his house and his property will be unharmed, if only the Achaeans depart with their ships to their own dear native land.” With these words, he stirred the strength and spirit of every man. And Ajax, on the other side, called out to his own companions: “Shame, Argives! Now is the decisive moment: either to perish, or to be saved and drive disaster from our ships. Do you hope that if Hector of the gleaming helm takes our ships, you will each walk back to your native land? Do you not hear Hector urging on all his host, he who is burning to set our ships ablaze? He does not call them to a dance, but to battle. For us, there is no better plan or counsel than this: to join our hands and our strength in close combat. It is better to perish once and for all than to live, or to be worn down slowly in this dreadful conflict, here by the ships, at the hands of inferior men.” With these words, he stirred the strength and spirit of every man. Then Hector slew Schedius, son of Perimedes, a leader of the Phocians. And Ajax slew Laodamas, leader of the infantry, the glorious son of Antenor. Polydamas stripped Otus of Cyllene, a companion of Phyleus’ son, and captain of the great-hearted Epeians. Meges saw this and charged him, but Polydamas swerved aside, and Meges missed him; for Apollo would not allow the son of Panthous to be vanquished among the champions. But he did strike Croesmus full in the chest with his spear. He fell with a thud, and Meges began to strip the armor from his shoulders. At that moment Dolops charged him, a man well-skilled with the spear, the son of Lampus, whom Lampus, son of Laomedon, had begotten, a man of excellent strength and well-versed in furious valor. He then, rushing in close, thrust his spear at the middle of the shield of Phyleus’ son. But the stout corselet he wore protected him, its plates fitting snugly. Phyleus had brought it from Ephyra, from the river Selleis. His host, Euphetes, lord of men, had given it to him to wear in war as a defense against enemy men; and on that day it kept destruction from his son’s body. Meges, in turn, with his sharp-pointed spear, struck the socket of Dolops's bronze helmet with its horse-hair crest, and sheared off the horse-hair plume. It fell to the ground in the dust, all newly bright with its purple dye. While he fought on, holding his ground, still hoping for victory, warlike Menelaus came to his aid. He stood to the side, unseen, with his spear, and struck him from behind in the shoulder. The eager point drove through his chest, straining to get forward, and he fell face-first in the dust. The two rushed to strip the bronze armor from his shoulders. But Hector called out to all his kinsmen, and first he rebuked Hicetaon's son, strong Melanippus. As long as the enemy was far off, he had been tending his shambling cattle in Percote, but when the curved ships of the Danaans arrived, he returned to Ilium and was preeminent among the Trojans. He lived in the house of Priam, who honored him as he did his own children. It was he whom Hector rebuked, speaking his name: “Is this how we will stand aside, Melanippus? Does your own heart not feel for your slain kinsman? Do you not see how they are busy with Dolops’s armor? Follow me! There is no longer any fighting the Argives from a distance, not until we either kill them, or they take steep Ilium from its heights and slay her citizens.” So saying, he led the way, and the godlike man followed him. Then great Telamonian Ajax spurred on the Argives: “My friends, be men, and keep a sense of shame in your hearts. Respect one another in the midst of the mighty conflict. Of men who feel shame, more are saved than are slain; but for those who flee, there is neither glory nor safety.” So he spoke, and they themselves were eager to defend themselves. They took his words to heart and fenced in the ships with a wall of bronze. And against them Zeus stirred the Trojans. Then Menelaus, good at the war cry, spurred on Antilochus: “Antilochus, no other of the Achaeans is younger than you, nor swifter of foot, nor as valiant in the fight as you are. See if you can leap out and strike some Trojan man.” With these words he himself drew back, but he had roused the other. He sprang forth from the front lines, and glancing all around, he cast his shining spear. The Trojans shrank back as the hero cast. He did not let fly his weapon in vain, but struck Hicetaon’s proud son, Melanippus, in the chest beside the nipple as he was coming into battle. He fell with a thud, and darkness covered his eyes. Antilochus sprang upon him like a hound that darts upon a wounded fawn, which a hunter has shot as it leaped from its lair, and has unstrung its limbs. So upon you, Melanippus, did steadfast Antilochus spring to strip you of your armor. But he did not escape the notice of noble Hector, who came running toward him through the tumult of battle. Antilochus, swift though he was as a warrior, did not stand his ground, but fled like a wild beast that has done some evil thing—one that has killed a dog or a herdsman among his cattle and flees before a throng of men can gather. So fled the son of Nestor, and upon him the Trojans and Hector, with a terrible cry, poured their painful missiles. He turned and stood his ground when he reached the company of his comrades. The Trojans, like flesh-eating lions, swarmed toward the ships, fulfilling the command of Zeus, who ever roused great strength in them, while he bewitched the spirit of the Argives and denied them glory, spurring on the others. For his heart wished to grant glory to Hector, son of Priam, so that he might cast the terrible, unwearying fire upon the curved ships and bring to fulfillment the fateful prayer of Thetis. This was what Zeus the counselor was waiting for: to see with his eyes the glare of a burning ship. For from that moment he was fated to bring about a turning of the tide from the ships for the Trojans, and to grant glory to the Danaans. With this in mind, he roused Hector, son of Priam, against the hollow ships, though he himself was already full of fury. He raged like Ares with his spear, or like a destructive fire that rages in the mountains, in the depths of a dense forest. Foam formed about his mouth, and his two eyes blazed from beneath his grim brows, and the helmet on his temples shook terribly as Hector fought. For Zeus himself was his defender from the heavens, who among so many men honored and glorified him alone. For he was destined to be short-lived; already Pallas Athena was hastening the day of his doom beneath the might of the son of Peleus. And he wished to break the ranks of men, testing them where he saw the greatest throng and the finest armor. But not even so could he break through, for all his eagerness. For they held firm, arrayed like a tower, like a great sheer cliff near the gray sea, which withstands the swift paths of the shrieking winds and the swollen waves that break against it. So the Danaans stood firm against the Trojans and did not flee. But he, gleaming with fire from all sides, leaped into the throng and fell upon them as a violent wave, bred by the wind under the clouds, falls upon a swift ship; and the whole ship is hidden in foam, and a terrible blast of wind roars in the sail, and the sailors tremble in their hearts with fear, for they are carried but a little way from death. So was the spirit in the breasts of the Achaeans torn. And he, like a lion of baleful mind that comes upon cattle, which are grazing in the thousands in the wide meadow of a great marsh, and among them is a herdsman who as yet does not know how to fight a wild beast over the slaughter of a sleek cow; he for his part keeps pace with the first or the last of the cattle, but the lion leaps into the midst of them and devours a cow, and all the others scatter in terror. So then were all the Achaeans driven into a wondrous panic by Hector and by father Zeus; but he slew only one, Periphetes of Mycenae, the dear son of Copreus, who used to carry messages for King Eurystheus to the mighty Heracles. From a far inferior father was born a son superior in all virtues, both in fleetness of foot and in fighting, and in his mind he was among the first of the Mycenaeans. He it was who then bestowed greater glory upon Hector. For as he turned back, he tripped on the rim of the shield he himself carried, a shield that reached his feet and served as a defense against javelins. Stumbling on this, he fell backward, and the helmet around his temples rang out terribly as he fell. Hector saw it sharply, and running, he stood close to him and drove his spear into his chest, and killed him near his dear companions. And they, though grieving for their comrade, could do nothing to help him, for they themselves were in great fear of noble Hector. Now they were within the line of ships, and the outermost ships that were first drawn up enclosed them. The Trojans poured in. The Argives, out of necessity, gave way from the first line of ships, but they remained there by their lodges, gathered together, and did not scatter through the camp; for shame and fear held them. They called out to one another without cease. And Gerenian Nestor, guardian of the Achaeans, more than any other implored each man by his parents, falling to his knees before them: “My friends, be men, and hold in your hearts a sense of shame before other men. Remember, each of you, your children and your wives, your possessions and your parents, whether they be living or dead. For their sake, though they are not here, I beseech you to stand firm, and do not be turned to flight by fear.” With these words he stirred the strength and spirit of every man. And from their eyes Athena pushed away the wondrous cloud of mist, and a great light came upon them from both sides, from the ships and from the even-matched battle. They saw Hector, good at the war cry, and his companions, both those who had stood back and were not fighting, and those who waged the battle by the swift ships. No longer did it please the heart of great-hearted Ajax to stand where the other sons of the Achaeans had drawn back. He went along the decks of the ships, taking long strides, and he wielded in his hands a great sea-fighting pike, joined with rings, twenty-two cubits long. And as a man well-skilled in vaulting on horseback, who has chosen four horses from a great herd and drives them from the plain toward a great city along a public road, and many men and women marvel at him; and he, ever sure-footed and safe, leaps and switches from one to another as they fly along; so Ajax ranged over the many decks of the swift ships, taking long strides, and his voice reached the heavens as he shouted terribly, ever calling on the Danaans to defend their ships and their lodges. Nor did Hector remain in the throng of the heavily-armored Trojans. But as a fiery eagle swoops down upon a flock of winged birds feeding by a river—geese or cranes or long-necked swans—so did Hector make straight for a dark-prowed ship, rushing right at it. And Zeus pushed him from behind with his mighty hand and urged on the host with him. Again a sharp battle was fought by the ships. You would have said that they met each other in the war unwearied and unworn, so furiously did they fight. And this was the thought in the minds of the combatants: the Achaeans, for their part, did not think they would escape from the disaster, but would perish; while for the Trojans, the heart in each man's breast hoped to set fire to the ships and to slay the Achaean heroes. With these thoughts, they stood against one another. Hector laid hold of the stern of a sea-faring ship, a fair and swift-sailing vessel that had carried Protesilaus to Troy, but did not carry him back to his native land. Around his ship the Achaeans and Trojans were hewing at each other hand-to-hand. No longer did they wait for the distant flights of arrows nor of javelins, but standing close together and with one mind they fought with sharp battle-axes and hatchets, and with great swords and two-edged spears. Many fair swords, with black-riveted hilts, fell to the ground, some from the hands, others from the shoulders of the fighting men. The black earth ran with blood. But Hector, once he had seized the stern, would not let go, holding the stern-ornament in his hands and calling out to the Trojans: “Bring fire, and together raise the war cry with one voice! Now Zeus has given us a day that is worth all the others: to take the ships, which came here against the will of the gods and brought us many sorrows, all because of the cowardice of our elders, who held me back when I wished to fight at the ships' sterns, and restrained the army. But if far-seeing Zeus then blighted our minds, now he himself urges us on and commands us.” So he spoke, and they charged upon the Argives with even greater fury. Ajax could no longer hold his ground; he was driven back by the missiles. He retreated a little, thinking he would die, onto the seven-foot helmsman's bench, and left the deck of the well-balanced ship. There he stood on the lookout, and with his spear he constantly beat back any Trojan from the ships who brought unwearying fire. And ever with a terrible cry he called out to the Danaans: “My friends, Danaan heroes, servants of Ares, be men, my friends, and remember your furious valor! Do we think we have other helpers behind us, or some stronger wall to ward off ruin from our men? There is no city nearby, fortified with towers, where we might defend ourselves with a force to turn the tide. No, we are here on the plain of the heavily armored Trojans, backed against the sea, far from our native land. Therefore, our salvation lies in the strength of our hands, not in any softness in battle.” He spoke, and raging, he drove forward with his sharp spear. Any Trojan who, at Hector’s urging, brought blazing fire to the hollow ships, Ajax would meet and wound with his long spear. And he wounded twelve men hand-to-hand before the ships.

ἸΛΙΆΣ 15

Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ διά τε σκόλοπας καὶ τάφρον ἔβησαν
φεύγοντες, πολλοὶ δὲ δάμεν Δαναῶν ὑπὸ χερσίν,
οἱ μὲν δὴ παρ’ ὄχεσφιν ἐρητύοντο μένοντες,
χλωροὶ ὑπαὶ δείους, πεφοβημένοι· ἔγρετο δὲ Ζεὺς
Ἴδης ἐν κορυφῇσι παρὰ χρυσοθρόνου Ἥρης,
στῆ δ’ ἄρ’ ἀναΐξας, ἴδε δὲ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιούς,
τοὺς μὲν ὀρινομένους, τοὺς δὲ κλονέοντας ὄπισθεν
Ἀργείους, μετὰ δέ σφι Ποσειδάωνα ἄνακτα·
Ἕκτορα δ’ ἐν πεδίῳ ἴδε κείμενον, ἀμφὶ δ’ ἑταῖροι
ἥαθ’, ὁ δ’ ἀργαλέῳ ἔχετ’ ἄσθματι κῆρ ἀπινύσσων,
αἷμ’ ἐμέων, ἐπεὶ οὔ μιν ἀφαυρότατος βάλ’ Ἀχαιῶν.
τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ἐλέησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε,
δεινὰ δ’ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν Ἥρην πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·
«ἦ μάλα δὴ κακότεχνος, ἀμήχανε, σὸς δόλος, Ἥρη,
Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔπαυσε μάχης, ἐφόβησε δὲ λαούς.
οὐ μὰν οἶδ’ εἰ αὖτε κακορραφίης ἀλεγεινῆς
πρώτη ἐπαύρηαι καί σε πληγῇσιν ἱμάσσω.
ἦ οὐ μέμνῃ ὅτε τ’ ἐκρέμω ὑψόθεν, ἐκ δὲ ποδοῖιν
ἄκμονας ἧκα δύω, περὶ χερσὶ δὲ δεσμὸν ἴηλα
χρύσεον ἄρρηκτον; σὺ δ’ ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσιν

ἐκρέμω· ἠλάστεον δὲ θεοὶ κατὰ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον,
λῦσαι δ’ οὐκ ἐδύναντο παρασταδόν· ὃν δὲ λάβοιμι
ῥίπτασκον τεταγὼν ἀπὸ βηλοῦ ὄφρ’ ἂν ἵκηται
γῆν ὀλιγηπελέων· ἐμὲ δ’ οὐδ’ ὧς θυμὸν ἀνίει
ἀζηχὴς ὀδύνη Ἡρακλῆος θείοιο,
τὸν σὺ ξὺν Βορέῃ ἀνέμῳ πεπιθοῦσα θυέλλας
πέμψας ἐπ’ ἀτρύγετον πόντον κακὰ μητιόωσα,
καί μιν ἔπειτα Κόων δ’ εὖ ναιομένην ἀπένεικας.
τὸν μὲν ἐγὼν ἔνθεν ῥυσάμην καὶ ἀνήγαγον αὖτις
Ἄργος ἐς ἱππόβοτον καὶ πολλά περ ἀθλήσαντα.
τῶν σ’ αὖτις μνήσω ἵν’ ἀπολλήξῃς ἀπατάων,
ὄφρα ἴδῃ ἤν τοι χραίσμῃ φιλότης τε καὶ εὐνή,
ἣν ἐμίγης ἐλθοῦσα θεῶν ἄπο καί μ’ ἀπάτησας.»
Ὣς φάτο, ῥίγησεν δὲ βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη,
καί μιν φωνήσασ’ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
«ἴστω νῦν τόδε Γαῖα καὶ Οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθε
καὶ τὸ κατειβόμενον Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, ὅς τε μέγιστος
ὅρκος δεινότατός τε πέλει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσι,
σή θ’ ἱερὴ κεφαλὴ καὶ νωΐτερον λέχος αὐτῶν
κουρίδιον, τὸ μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ ποτε μὰψ ὀμόσαιμι·
μὴ δι’ ἐμὴν ἰότητα Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων
πημαίνει Τρῶάς τε καὶ Ἕκτορα, τοῖσι δ’ ἀρήγει,
ἀλλά που αὐτὸν θυμὸς ἐποτρύνει καὶ ἀνώγει,
τειρομένους δ’ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν ἰδὼν ἐλέησεν Ἀχαιούς.
αὐτάρ τοι καὶ κείνῳ ἐγὼ παραμυθησαίμην
τῇ ἴμεν ᾗ κεν δὴ σὺ κελαινεφὲς ἡγεμονεύῃς.»
Ὣς φάτο, μείδησεν δὲ πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε,
καί μιν ἀμειβόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

«εἰ μὲν δὴ σύ γ’ ἔπειτα βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη,
ἶσον ἐμοὶ φρονέουσα μετ’ ἀθανάτοισι καθίζοις,
τῶ κε Ποσειδάων γε, καὶ εἰ μάλα βούλεται ἄλλῃ,
αἶψα μεταστρέψειε νόον μετὰ σὸν καὶ ἐμὸν κῆρ.
ἀλλ’ εἰ δή ῥ’ ἐτεόν γε καὶ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύεις,
ἔρχεο νῦν μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν, καὶ δεῦρο κάλεσσον
Ἶρίν τ’ ἐλθέμεναι καὶ Ἀπόλλωνα κλυτότοξον,
ὄφρ’ ἡ μὲν μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
ἔλθῃ, καὶ εἴπῃσι Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι
παυσάμενον πολέμοιο τὰ ἃ πρὸς δώμαθ’ ἱκέσθαι,
Ἕκτορα δ’ ὀτρύνῃσι μάχην ἐς Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,
αὖτις δ’ ἐμπνεύσῃσι μένος, λελάθῃ δ’ ὀδυνάων
αἳ νῦν μιν τείρουσι κατὰ φρένας, αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς
αὖτις ἀποστρέψῃσιν ἀνάλκιδα φύζαν ἐνόρσας,
φεύγοντες δ’ ἐν νηυσὶ πολυκλήϊσι πέσωσι
Πηλεΐδεω Ἀχιλῆος· ὁ δ’ ἀνστήσει ὃν ἑταῖρον
Πάτροκλον· τὸν δὲ κτενεῖ ἔγχεϊ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
Ἰλίου προπάροιθε πολέας ὀλέσαντ’ αἰζηοὺς
τοὺς ἄλλους, μετὰ δ’ υἱὸν ἐμὸν Σαρπηδόνα δῖον.
τοῦ δὲ χολωσάμενος κτενεῖ Ἕκτορα δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.
ἐκ τοῦ δ’ ἄν τοι ἔπειτα παλίωξιν παρὰ νηῶν
αἰὲν ἐγὼ τεύχοιμι διαμπερές, εἰς ὅ κ’ Ἀχαιοὶ
Ἴλιον αἰπὺ ἕλοιεν Ἀθηναίης διὰ βουλάς.
τὸ πρὶν δ’ οὔτ’ ἄρ’ ἐγὼ παύω χόλον οὔτέ τιν’ ἄλλον
ἀθανάτων Δαναοῖσιν ἀμυνέμεν ἐνθάδ’ ἐάσω
πρίν γε τὸ Πηλεΐδαο τελευτηθῆναι ἐέλδωρ,
ὥς οἱ ὑπέστην πρῶτον, ἐμῷ δ’ ἐπένευσα κάρητι,
ἤματι τῷ ὅτ’ ἐμεῖο θεὰ Θέτις ἥψατο γούνων,

λισσομένη τιμῆσαι Ἀχιλλῆα πτολίπορθον.»
Ὣς ἔφατ’, οὐδ’ ἀπίθησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,
βῆ δ’ ἐξ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ἐς μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον.
ὡς δ’ ὅτ’ ἂν ἀΐξῃ νόος ἀνέρος, ὅς τ’ ἐπὶ πολλὴν
γαῖαν ἐληλουθὼς φρεσὶ πευκαλίμῃσι νοήσῃ,
ἔνθ’ εἴην ἢ ἔνθα, μενοινήῃσί τε πολλά,
ὣς κραιπνῶς μεμαυῖα διέπτατο πότνια Ἥρη·
ἵκετο δ’ αἰπὺν Ὄλυμπον, ὁμηγερέεσσι δ’ ἐπῆλθεν
ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι Διὸς δόμῳ· οἳ δὲ ἰδόντες
πάντες ἀνήϊξαν καὶ δεικανόωντο δέπασσιν.
ἡ δ’ ἄλλους μὲν ἔασε, Θέμιστι δὲ καλλιπαρῄῳ
δέκτο δέπας· πρώτη γὰρ ἐναντίη ἦλθε θέουσα,
καί μιν φωνήσασ’ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
«Ἥρη τίπτε βέβηκας; ἀτυζομένῃ δὲ ἔοικας·
ἦ μάλα δή σ’ ἐφόβησε Κρόνου πάϊς, ὅς τοι ἀκοίτης.»
Τὴν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη·
«μή με, θεὰ Θέμι, ταῦτα διείρεο· οἶσθα καὶ αὐτή,
οἷος κείνου θυμὸς ὑπερφίαλος καὶ ἀπηνής.
ἀλλὰ σύ γ’ ἄρχε θεοῖσι δόμοις ἔνι δαιτὸς ἐΐσης·
ταῦτα δὲ καὶ μετὰ πᾶσιν ἀκούσεαι ἀθανάτοισιν,
οἷα Ζεὺς κακὰ ἔργα πιφαύσκεται· οὐδέ τί φημι
πᾶσιν ὁμῶς θυμὸν κεχαρησέμεν, οὔτε βροτοῖσιν
οὔτε θεοῖς, εἴ πέρ τις ἔτι νῦν δαίνυται εὔφρων.»
Ἡ μὲν ἄρ’ ὣς εἰποῦσα καθέζετο πότνια Ἥρη,
ὄχθησαν δ’ ἀνὰ δῶμα Διὸς θεοί· ἣ δὲ γέλασσε
χείλεσιν, οὐδὲ μέτωπον ἐπ’ ὀφρύσι κυανέῃσιν
ἰάνθη· πᾶσιν δὲ νεμεσσηθεῖσα μετηύδα·

«νήπιοι οἳ Ζηνὶ μενεαίνομεν ἀφρονέοντες·
ἦ ἔτι μιν μέμαμεν καταπαυσέμεν ἆσσον ἰόντες
ἢ ἔπει ἠὲ βίῃ· ὁ δ’ ἀφήμενος οὐκ ἀλεγίζει
οὐδ’ ὄθεται· φησὶν γὰρ ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι
κάρτεΐ τε σθένεΐ τε διακριδὸν εἶναι ἄριστος.
τὼ ἔχεθ’ ὅττί κεν ὔμμι κακὸν πέμπῃσιν ἑκάστῳ.
ἤδη γὰρ νῦν ἔλπομ’ Ἄρηΐ γε πῆμα τετύχθαι·
υἱὸς γάρ οἱ ὄλωλε μάχῃ ἔνι φίλτατος ἀνδρῶν,
Ἀσκάλαφος, τόν φησιν ὃν ἔμμεναι ὄβριμος Ἄρης.»
Ὣς ἔφατ’, αὐτὰρ Ἄρης θαλερὼ πεπλήγετο μηρὼ
χερσὶ καταπρηνέσσ’, ὀλοφυρόμενος δ’ ἔπος ηὔδα·
«μὴ νῦν μοι νεμεσήσετ’ Ὀλύμπια δώματ’ ἔχοντες,
τείσασθαι φόνον υἷος ἰόντ’ ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν,
εἴ πέρ μοι καὶ μοῖρα Διὸς πληγέντι κεραυνῷ
κεῖσθαι ὁμοῦ νεκύεσσι μεθ’ αἵματι καὶ κονίῃσιν.»
Ὣς φάτο, καί ῥ’ ἵππους κέλετο Δεῖμόν τε Φόβον τε
ζευγνύμεν, αὐτὸς δ’ ἔντε’ ἐδύσετο παμφανόωντα.
ἔνθά κ’ ἔτι μείζων τε καὶ ἀργαλεώτερος ἄλλος
πὰρ Διὸς ἀθανάτοισι χόλος καὶ μῆνις ἐτύχθη,
εἰ μὴ Ἀθήνη πᾶσι περιδείσασα θεοῖσιν
ὦρτο διὲκ προθύρου, λίπε δὲ θρόνον ἔνθα θάασσε,
τοῦ δ’ ἀπὸ μὲν κεφαλῆς κόρυθ’ εἵλετο καὶ σάκος ὤμων,
ἔγχος δ’ ἔστησε στιβαρῆς ἀπὸ χειρὸς ἑλοῦσα
χάλκεον· ἡ δ’ ἐπέεσσι καθάπτετο θοῦρον Ἄρηα·
«μαινόμενε φρένας ἠλὲ διέφθορας· ἦ νύ τοι αὔτως
οὔατ’ ἀκουέμεν ἐστί, νόος δ’ ἀπόλωλε καὶ αἰδώς.
οὐκ ἀΐεις ἅ τέ φησι θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη
ἣ δὴ νῦν πὰρ Ζηνὸς Ὀλυμπίου εἰλήλουθεν;
ἦ ἐθέλεις αὐτὸς μὲν ἀναπλήσας κακὰ πολλὰ

ἂψ ἴμεν Οὔλυμπόνδε καὶ ἀχνύμενός περ ἀνάγκῃ,
αὐτὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοισι κακὸν μέγα πᾶσι φυτεῦσαι;
αὐτίκα γὰρ Τρῶας μὲν ὑπερθύμους καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς
λείψει, ὁ δ’ ἡμέας εἶσι κυδοιμήσων ἐς Ὄλυμπον,
μάρψει δ’ ἑξείης ὅς τ’ αἴτιος ὅς τε καὶ οὐκί.
τώ σ’ αὖ νῦν κέλομαι μεθέμεν χόλον υἷος ἑῆος·
ἤδη γάρ τις τοῦ γε βίην καὶ χεῖρας ἀμείνων
ἢ πέφατ’, ἢ καὶ ἔπειτα πεφήσεται· ἀργαλέον δὲ
πάντων ἀνθρώπων ῥῦσθαι γενεήν τε τόκον τε.»
Ὣς εἰποῦσ’ ἵδρυσε θρόνῳ ἔνι θοῦρον Ἄρηα.
Ἥρη δ’ Ἀπόλλωνα καλέσσατο δώματος ἐκτὸς
Ἶρίν θ’, ἥ τε θεοῖσι μετάγγελος ἀθανάτοισι,
καί σφεας φωνήσασ’ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
«Ζεὺς σφὼ εἰς Ἴδην κέλετ’ ἐλθέμεν ὅττι τάχιστα·
αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν ἔλθητε, Διός τ’ εἰς ὦπα ἴδησθε,
ἕρδειν ὅττί κε κεῖνος ἐποτρύνῃ καὶ ἀνώγῃ.»
Ἡ μὲν ἄρ’ ὣς εἰποῦσα πάλιν κίε πότνια Ἥρη,
ἕζετο δ’ εἰνὶ θρόνῳ· τὼ δ’ ἀΐξαντε πετέσθην.
Ἴδην δ’ ἵκανον πολυπίδακα μητέρα θηρῶν,
εὗρον δ’ εὐρύοπα Κρονίδην ἀνὰ Γαργάρῳ ἄκρῳ
ἥμενον· ἀμφὶ δέ μιν θυόεν νέφος ἐστεφάνωτο.
τὼ δὲ πάροιθ’ ἐλθόντε Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο
στήτην· οὐδέ σφωϊν ἰδὼν ἐχολώσατο θυμῷ,
ὅττί οἱ ὦκ’ ἐπέεσσι φίλης ἀλόχοιο πιθέσθην.
Ἶριν δὲ προτέρην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
«βάσκ’ ἴθι Ἶρι ταχεῖα, Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι
πάντα τάδ’ ἀγγεῖλαι, μὴ δὲ ψευδάγγελος εἶναι.
παυσάμενόν μιν ἄνωχθι μάχης ἠδὲ πτολέμοιο
ἔρχεσθαι μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν ἢ εἰς ἅλα δῖαν.
εἰ δέ μοι οὐκ ἐπέεσσ’ ἐπιπείσεται, ἀλλ’ ἀλογήσει,

φραζέσθω δὴ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,
μή μ’ οὐδὲ κρατερός περ ἐὼν ἐπιόντα ταλάσσῃ
μεῖναι, ἐπεί εὑ φημὶ βίῃ πολὺ φέρτερος εἶναι
καὶ γενεῇ πρότερος· τοῦ δ’ οὐκ ὄθεται φίλον ἦτορ
ἶσον ἐμοὶ φάσθαι, τόν τε στυγέουσι καὶ ἄλλοι.»
Ὣς ἔφατ’, οὐδ’ ἀπίθησε ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις,
βῆ δὲ κατ’ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων εἰς Ἴλιον ἱρήν.
ὡς δ’ ὅτ’ ἂν ἐκ νεφέων πτῆται νιφὰς ἠὲ χάλαζα
ψυχρὴ ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς αἰθρηγενέος Βορέαο,
ὣς κραιπνῶς μεμαυῖα διέπτατο ὠκέα Ἶρις,
ἀγχοῦ δ’ ἱσταμένη προσέφη κλυτὸν ἐννοσίγαιον·
«ἀγγελίην τινά τοι, γαιήοχε κυανοχαῖτα,
ἦλθον δεῦρο φέρουσα παραὶ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.
παυσάμενόν σ’ ἐκέλευσε μάχης ἠδὲ πτολέμοιο
ἔρχεσθαι μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν ἢ εἰς ἅλα δῖαν.
εἰ δέ οἱ οὐκ ἐπέεσσ’ ἐπιπείσεαι, ἀλλ’ ἀλογήσεις,
ἠπείλει καὶ κεῖνος ἐναντίβιον πολεμίξων
ἐνθάδ’ ἐλεύσεσθαι· σὲ δ’ ὑπεξαλέασθαι ἄνωγε
χεῖρας, ἐπεὶ σέο φησὶ βίῃ πολὺ φέρτερος εἶναι
καὶ γενεῇ πρότερος· σὸν δ’ οὐκ ὄθεται φίλον ἦτορ
ἶσόν οἱ φάσθαι, τόν τε στυγέουσι καὶ ἄλλοι.»
Τὴν δὲ μέγ’ ὀχθήσας προσέφη κλυτὸς ἐννοσίγαιος·
«ὢ πόποι, ἦ ῥ’ ἀγαθός περ ἐὼν ὑπέροπλον ἔειπεν,
εἴ μ’ ὁμότιμον ἐόντα βίῃ ἀέκοντα καθέξει.
τρεῖς γάρ τ’ ἐκ Κρόνου εἰμὲν ἀδελφεοὶ οὓς τέκετο Ῥέα
Ζεὺς καὶ ἐγώ, τρίτατος δ’ Ἀΐδης ἐνέροισιν ἀνάσσων.
τριχθὰ δὲ πάντα δέδασται, ἕκαστος δ’ ἔμμορε τιμῆς·
ἤτοι ἐγὼν ἔλαχον πολιὴν ἅλα ναιέμεν αἰεὶ
παλλομένων, Ἀΐδης δ’ ἔλαχε ζόφον ἠερόεντα,

Ζεὺς δ’ ἔλαχ’ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσι·
γαῖα δ’ ἔτι ξυνὴ πάντων καὶ μακρὸς Ὄλυμπος.
τώ ῥα καὶ οὔ τι Διὸς βέομαι φρεσίν, ἀλλὰ ἕκηλος
καὶ κρατερός περ ἐὼν μενέτω τριτάτῃ ἐνὶ μοίρῃ.
χερσὶ δὲ μή τί με πάγχυ κακὸν ὣς δειδισσέσθω·
θυγατέρεσσιν γάρ τε καὶ υἱάσι βέλτερον εἴη
ἐκπάγλοις ἐπέεσσιν ἐνισσέμεν οὓς τέκεν αὐτός,
οἵ ἑθεν ὀτρύνοντος ἀκούσονται καὶ ἀνάγκῃ.»
Τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις·
«οὕτω γὰρ δή τοι γαιήοχε κυανοχαῖτα,
τόνδε φέρω Διὶ μῦθον ἀπηνέα τε κρατερόν τε,
ἦ τι μεταστρέψεις; στρεπταὶ μέν τε φρένες ἐσθλῶν.
οἶσθ’ ὡς πρεσβυτέροισιν Ἐρινύες αἰὲν ἕπονται.»
Τὴν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων·
«Ἶρι θεὰ μάλα τοῦτο ἔπος κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες·
ἐσθλὸν καὶ τὸ τέτυκται ὅτ’ ἄγγελος αἴσιμα εἰδῇ.
ἀλλὰ τόδ’ αἰνὸν ἄχος κραδίην καὶ θυμὸν ἱκάνει,
ὁππότ’ ἂν ἰσόμορον καὶ ὁμῇ πεπρωμένον αἴσῃ
νεικείειν ἐθέλῃσι χολωτοῖσιν ἐπέεσσιν.
ἀλλ’ ἤτοι νῦν μέν κε νεμεσσηθεὶς ὑποείξω·
ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, καὶ ἀπειλήσω τό γε θυμῷ·
αἴ κεν ἄνευ ἐμέθεν καὶ Ἀθηναίης ἀγελείης,
Ἥρης Ἑρμείω τε καὶ Ἡφαίστοιο ἄνακτος,
Ἰλίου αἰπεινῆς πεφιδήσεται, οὐδ’ ἐθελήσει
ἐκπέρσαι, δοῦναι δὲ μέγα κράτος Ἀργείοισιν,
ἴστω τοῦθ’ ὅτι νῶϊν ἀνήκεστος χόλος ἔσται.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν λίπε λαὸν Ἀχαιϊκὸν ἐννοσίγαιος,
δῦνε δὲ πόντον ἰών, πόθεσαν δ’ ἥρωες Ἀχαιοί.

καὶ τότ’ Ἀπόλλωνα προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·
«ἔρχεο νῦν φίλε Φοῖβε μεθ’ Ἕκτορα χαλκοκορυστήν·
ἤδη μὲν γάρ τοι γαιήοχος ἐννοσίγαιος
οἴχεται εἰς ἅλα δῖαν ἀλευάμενος χόλον αἰπὺν
ἡμέτερον· μάλα γάρ κε μάχης ἐπύθοντο καὶ ἄλλοι,
οἵ περ ἐνέρτεροί εἰσι θεοὶ Κρόνον ἀμφὶς ἐόντες.
ἀλλὰ τόδ’ ἠμὲν ἐμοὶ πολὺ κέρδιον ἠδέ οἱ αὐτῷ
ἔπλετο, ὅττι πάροιθε νεμεσσηθεὶς ὑπόειξε
χεῖρας ἐμάς, ἐπεὶ οὔ κεν ἀνιδρωτί γ’ ἐτελέσθη.
ἀλλὰ σύ γ’ ἐν χείρεσσι λάβ’ αἰγίδα θυσσανόεσσαν,
τῇ μάλ’ ἐπισσείων φοβέειν ἥρωας Ἀχαιούς·
σοὶ δ’ αὐτῷ μελέτω ἑκατηβόλε φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·
τόφρα γὰρ οὖν οἱ ἔγειρε μένος μέγα, ὄφρ’ ἂν Ἀχαιοὶ
φεύγοντες νῆάς τε καὶ Ἑλλήσποντον ἵκωνται.
κεῖθεν δ’ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ φράσομαι ἔργον τε ἔπος τε,
ὥς κε καὶ αὖτις Ἀχαιοὶ ἀναπνεύσωσι πόνοιο.»
Ὣς ἔφατ’, οὐδ’ ἄρα πατρὸς ἀνηκούστησεν Ἀπόλλων,
βῆ δὲ κατ’ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ἴρηκι ἐοικὼς
ὠκέϊ φασσοφόνῳ, ὅς τ’ ὤκιστος πετεηνῶν.
εὗρ’ υἱὸν Πριάμοιο δαΐφρονος Ἕκτορα δῖον
ἥμενον, οὐδ’ ἔτι κεῖτο, νέον δ’ ἐσαγείρετο θυμόν,
ἀμφὶ ἓ γιγνώσκων ἑτάρους· ἀτὰρ ἆσθμα καὶ ἱδρὼς
παύετ’, ἐπεί μιν ἔγειρε Διὸς νόος αἰγιόχοιο.
ἀγχοῦ δ’ ἱστάμενος προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων·
«Ἕκτορ υἱὲ Πριάμοιο, τί ἢ δὲ σὺ νόσφιν ἀπ’ ἄλλων
ἧσ’ ὀλιγηπελέων; ἦ πού τί σε κῆδος ἱκάνει;»
Τὸν δ’ ὀλιγοδρανέων προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
«τίς δὲ σύ ἐσσι φέριστε θεῶν ὅς μ’ εἴρεαι ἄντην;
οὐκ ἀΐεις ὅ με νηυσὶν ἔπι πρυμνῇσιν Ἀχαιῶν

οὓς ἑτάρους ὀλέκοντα βοὴν ἀγαθὸς βάλεν Αἴας
χερμαδίῳ πρὸς στῆθος, ἔπαυσε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς;
καὶ δὴ ἔγωγ’ ἐφάμην νέκυας καὶ δῶμ’ Ἀΐδαο
ἤματι τῷδ’ ἵξεσθαι, ἐπεὶ φίλον ἄϊον ἦτορ.»
Τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων·
«θάρσει νῦν· τοῖόν τοι ἀοσσητῆρα Κρονίων
ἐξ Ἴδης προέηκε παρεστάμεναι καὶ ἀμύνειν,
Φοῖβον Ἀπόλλωνα χρυσάορον, ὅς σε πάρος περ
ῥύομ’, ὁμῶς αὐτόν τε καὶ αἰπεινὸν πτολίεθρον.
ἀλλ’ ἄγε νῦν ἱππεῦσιν ἐπότρυνον πολέεσσι
νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐλαυνέμεν ὠκέας ἵππους·
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ προπάροιθε κιὼν ἵπποισι κέλευθον
πᾶσαν λειανέω, τρέψω δ’ ἥρωας Ἀχαιούς.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν ἔμπνευσε μένος μέγα ποιμένι λαῶν.
ὡς δ’ ὅτε τις στατὸς ἵππος ἀκοστήσας ἐπὶ φάτνῃ,
δεσμὸν ἀποῤῥήξας θείῃ πεδίοιο κροαίνων,
εἰωθὼς λούεσθαι ἐϋῤῥεῖος ποταμοῖο,
κυδιόων· ὑψοῦ δὲ κάρη ἔχει, ἀμφὶ δὲ χαῖται
ὤμοις ἀΐσσονται· ὁ δ’ ἀγλαΐηφι πεποιθώς,
ῥίμφά ἑ γοῦνα φέρει μετά τ’ ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων·
ὣς Ἕκτωρ λαιψηρὰ πόδας καὶ γούνατ’ ἐνώμα
ὀτρύνων ἱππῆας, ἐπεὶ θεοῦ ἔκλυεν αὐδήν.
οἱ δ’ ὥς τ’ ἢ ἔλαφον κεραὸν ἢ ἄγριον αἶγα
ἐσσεύαντο κύνες τε καὶ ἀνέρες ἀγροιῶται·
τὸν μέν τ’ ἠλίβατος πέτρη καὶ δάσκιος ὕλη
εἰρύσατ’, οὐδ’ ἄρα τέ σφι κιχήμεναι αἴσιμον ἦεν·
τῶν δέ θ’ ὑπὸ ἰαχῆς ἐφάνη λὶς ἠϋγένειος
εἰς ὁδόν, αἶψα δὲ πάντας ἀπέτραπε καὶ μεμαῶτας·

ὣς Δαναοὶ εἷος μὲν ὁμιλαδὸν αἰὲν ἕποντο,
νύσσοντες ξίφεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισιν·
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ ἴδον Ἕκτορ’ ἐποιχόμενον στίχας ἀνδρῶν,
τάρβησαν, πᾶσιν δὲ παραὶ ποσὶ κάππεσε θυμός.
Τοῖσι δ’ ἔπειτ’ ἀγόρευε Θόας Ἀνδραίμονος υἱός,
Αἰτωλῶν ὄχ’ ἄριστος, ἐπιστάμενος μὲν ἄκοντι,
ἐσθλὸς δ’ ἐν σταδίῃ· ἀγορῇ δέ ἑ παῦροι Ἀχαιῶν
νίκων, ὁππότε κοῦροι ἐρίσσειαν περὶ μύθων·
ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·
«ὢ πόποι, ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδ’ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι,
οἷον δ’ αὖτ’ ἐξαῦτις ἀνέστη κῆρας ἀλύξας
Ἕκτωρ· ἦ θήν μιν μάλα ἔλπετο θυμὸς ἑκάστου
χερσὶν ὑπ’ Αἴαντος θανέειν Τελαμωνιάδαο.
ἀλλά τις αὖτε θεῶν ἐῤῥύσατο καὶ ἐσάωσεν
Ἕκτορ’, ὃ δὴ πολλῶν Δαναῶν ὑπὸ γούνατ’ ἔλυσεν,
ὡς καὶ νῦν ἔσσεσθαι ὀΐομαι· οὐ γὰρ ἄτερ γε
Ζηνὸς ἐριγδούπου πρόμος ἵσταται ὧδε μενοινῶν.
ἀλλ’ ἄγεθ’ ὡς ἂν ἐγὼν εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες.
πληθὺν μὲν ποτὶ νῆας ἀνώξομεν ἀπονέεσθαι·
αὐτοὶ δ’, ὅσσοι ἄριστοι ἐνὶ στρατῷ εὐχόμεθ’ εἶναι,
στήομεν, εἴ κεν πρῶτον ἐρύξομεν ἀντιάσαντες,
δούρατ’ ἀνασχόμενοι· τὸν δ’ οἴω καὶ μεμαῶτα
θυμῷ δείσεσθαι Δαναῶν καταδῦναι ὅμιλον.»
Ὣς ἔφαθ’, οἱ δ’ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδ’ ἐπίθοντο·
οἳ μὲν ἄρ’ ἀμφ’ Αἴαντα καὶ Ἰδομενῆα ἄνακτα,
Τεῦκρον Μηριόνην τε Μέγην τ’ ἀτάλαντον Ἄρηϊ,
ὑσμίνην ἤρτυνον ἀριστῆας καλέσαντες
Ἕκτορι καὶ Τρώεσσιν ἐναντίον· αὐτὰρ ὀπίσσω
ἣ πληθὺς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν ἀπονέοντο.
Τρῶες δὲ προὔτυψαν ἀολλέες, ἦρχε δ’ ἄρ’ Ἕκτωρ
μακρὰ βιβάς· πρόσθεν δὲ κί’ αὐτοῦ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων

εἱμένος ὤμοιιν νεφέλην, ἔχε δ’ αἰγίδα θοῦριν,
δεινὴν ἀμφιδάσειαν ἀριπρεπέ’, ἣν ἄρα χαλκεὺς
Ἥφαιστος Διὶ δῶκε φορήμεναι ἐς φόβον ἀνδρῶν·
τὴν ἄρ’ ὅ γ’ ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχων ἡγήσατο λαῶν.
Ἀργεῖοι δ’ ὑπέμειναν ἀολλέες, ὦρτο δ’ ἀϋτὴ
ὀξεῖ’ ἀμφοτέρωθεν, ἀπὸ νευρῆφι δ’ ὀϊστοὶ
θρῷσκον· πολλὰ δὲ δοῦρα θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν
ἄλλα μὲν ἐν χροῒ πήγνυτ’ ἀρηϊθόων αἰζηῶν,
πολλὰ δὲ καὶ μεσσηγὺ πάρος χρόα λευκὸν ἐπαυρεῖν
ἐν γαίῃ ἵσταντο λιλαιόμενα χροὸς ἆσαι.
ὄφρα μὲν αἰγίδα χερσὶν ἔχ’ ἀτρέμα Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,
τόφρα μάλ’ ἀμφοτέρων βέλε’ ἥπτετο, πῖπτε δὲ λαός.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατ’ ἐνῶπα ἰδὼν Δαναῶν ταχυπώλων
σεῖσ’, ἐπὶ δ’ αὐτὸς ἄϋσε μάλα μέγα, τοῖσι δὲ θυμὸν
ἐν στήθεσσιν ἔθελξε, λάθοντο δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς.
οἱ δ’ ὥς τ’ ἠὲ βοῶν ἀγέλην ἢ πῶϋ μέγ’ οἰῶν
θῆρε δύω κλονέωσι μελαίνης νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ,
ἐλθόντ’ ἐξαπίνης σημάντορος οὐ παρεόντος,
ὣς ἐφόβηθεν Ἀχαιοὶ ἀνάλκιδες· ἐν γὰρ Ἀπόλλων
ἧκε φόβον, Τρωσὶν δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορι κῦδος ὄπαζεν.
Ἔνθα δ’ ἀνὴρ ἕλεν ἄνδρα κεδασθείσης ὑσμίνης.
Ἕκτωρ μὲν Στιχίον τε καὶ Ἀρκεσίλαον ἔπεφνε,
τὸν μὲν Βοιωτῶν ἡγήτορα χαλκοχιτώνων,
τὸν δὲ Μενεσθῆος μεγαθύμου πιστὸν ἑταῖρον·
Αἰνείας δὲ Μέδοντα καὶ Ἴασον ἐξενάριξεν.
ἤτοι ὁ μὲν νόθος υἱὸς Ὀϊλῆος θείοιο
ἔσκε Μέδων, Αἴαντος ἀδελφεός· αὐτὰρ ἔναιεν
ἐν Φυλάκῃ γαίης ἄπο πατρίδος ἄνδρα κατακτάς,
γνωτὸν μητρυιῆς Ἐριώπιδος, ἣν ἔχ’ Ὀϊλεύς·
Ἴασος αὖτ’ ἀρχὸς μὲν Ἀθηναίων ἐτέτυκτο,

υἱὸς δὲ Σφήλοιο καλέσκετο Βουκολίδαο.
Μηκιστῆ δ’ ἕλε Πουλυδάμας, Ἐχίον δὲ Πολίτης
πρώτῃ ἐν ὑσμίνῃ, Κλονίον δ’ ἕλε δῖος Ἀγήνωρ.
Δηΐοχον δὲ Πάρις βάλε νείατον ὦμον ὄπισθε
φεύγοντ’ ἐν προμάχοισι, διὰ πρὸ δὲ χαλκὸν ἔλασσεν.
Ὄφρ’ οἱ τοὺς ἐνάριζον ἀπ’ ἔντεα, τόφρα δ’ Ἀχαιοὶ
τάφρῳ καὶ σκολόπεσσιν ἐνιπλήξαντες ὀρυκτῇ
ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα φέβοντο, δύοντο δὲ τεῖχος ἀνάγκῃ.
Ἕκτωρ δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·
«νηυσὶν ἐπισσεύεσθαι, ἐᾶν δ’ ἔναρα βροτόεντα·
ὃν δ’ ἂν ἐγὼν ἀπάνευθε νεῶν ἑτέρωθι νοήσω,
αὐτοῦ οἱ θάνατον μητίσομαι, οὐδέ νυ τόν γε
γνωτοί τε γνωταί τε πυρὸς λελάχωσι θανόντα,
ἀλλὰ κύνες ἐρύουσι πρὸ ἄστεος ἡμετέροιο.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν μάστιγι κατωμαδὸν ἤλασεν ἵππους,
κεκλόμενος Τρώεσσι κατὰ στίχας· οἱ δὲ σὺν αὐτῷ
πάντες ὁμοκλήσαντες ἔχον ἐρυσάρματας ἵππους
ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ· προπάροιθε δὲ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων
ῥεῖ’ ὄχθας καπέτοιο βαθείης ποσσὶν ἐρείπων
ἐς μέσσον κατέβαλλε, γεφύρωσεν δὲ κέλευθον
μακρὴν ἠδ’ εὐρεῖαν, ὅσον τ’ ἐπὶ δουρὸς ἐρωὴ
γίγνεται, ὁππότ’ ἀνὴρ σθένεος πειρώμενος ᾗσι.
τῇ ῥ’ οἵ γε προχέοντο φαλαγγηδόν, πρὸ δ’ Ἀπόλλων
αἰγίδ’ ἔχων ἐρίτιμον· ἔρειπε δὲ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν
ῥεῖα μάλ’, ὡς ὅτε τις ψάμαθον πάϊς ἄγχι θαλάσσης,
ὅς τ’ ἐπεὶ οὖν ποιήσῃ ἀθύρματα νηπιέῃσιν
ἂψ αὖτις συνέχευε ποσὶν καὶ χερσὶν ἀθύρων.
ὥς ῥα σὺ ἤϊε Φοῖβε πολὺν κάματον καὶ ὀϊζὺν
σύγχεας Ἀργείων, αὐτοῖσι δὲ φύζαν ἐνῶρσας.
Ὣς οἳ μὲν παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐρητύοντο μένοντες,
ἀλλήλοισί τε κεκλόμενοι καὶ πᾶσι θεοῖσι

χεῖρας ἀνίσχοντες μεγάλ’ εὐχετόωντο ἕκαστος·
Νέστωρ αὖτε μάλιστα Γερήνιος, οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν,
εὔχετο, χεῖρ’ ὀρέγων εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα·
«Ζεῦ πάτερ, εἴ ποτέ τίς τοι ἐν Ἄργεΐ περ πολυπύρῳ
ἢ βοὸς ἢ οἰὸς κατὰ πίονα μηρία καίων
εὔχετο νοστῆσαι, σὺ δ’ ὑπέσχεο καὶ κατένευσας,
τῶν μνῆσαι καὶ ἄμυνον, Ὀλύμπιε, νηλεὲς ἦμαρ,
μηδ’ οὕτω Τρώεσσιν ἔα δάμνασθαι Ἀχαιούς.»
Ὣς ἔφατ’ εὐχόμενος, μέγα δ’ ἔκτυπε μητίετα Ζεύς,
ἀράων ἀΐων Νηληϊάδαο γέροντος.
Τρῶες δ’ ὡς ἐπύθοντο Διὸς κτύπον αἰγιόχοιο,
μᾶλλον ἐπ’ Ἀργείοισι θόρον, μνήσαντο δὲ χάρμης.
οἱ δ’ ὥς τε μέγα κῦμα θαλάσσης εὐρυπόροιο
νηὸς ὑπὲρ τοίχων καταβήσεται, ὁππότ’ ἐπείγῃ
ἲς ἀνέμου· ἡ γάρ τε μάλιστά γε κύματ’ ὀφέλλει·
ὣς Τρῶες μεγάλῃ ἰαχῇ κατὰ τεῖχος ἔβαινον,
ἵππους δ’ εἰσελάσαντες ἐπὶ πρύμνῃσι μάχοντο
ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοις αὐτοσχεδόν, οἳ μὲν ἀφ’ ἵππων,
οἱ δ’ ἀπὸ νηῶν ὕψι μελαινάων ἐπιβάντες
μακροῖσι ξυστοῖσι, τά ῥά σφ’ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν ἔκειτο
ναύμαχα κολλήεντα, κατὰ στόμα εἱμένα χαλκῷ.
Πάτροκλος δ’ εἷος μὲν Ἀχαιοί τε Τρῶές τε
τείχεος ἀμφεμάχοντο θοάων ἔκτοθι νηῶν,
τόφρ’ ὅ γ’ ἐνὶ κλισίῃ ἀγαπήνορος Εὐρυπύλοιο
ἧστό τε καὶ τὸν ἔτερπε λόγοις, ἐπὶ δ’ ἕλκεϊ λυγρῷ
φάρμακ’ ἀκέσματ’ ἔπασσε μελαινάων ὀδυνάων.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῖχος ἐπεσσυμένους ἐνόησε
Τρῶας, ἀτὰρ Δαναῶν γένετο ἰαχή τε φόβος τε,
ᾤμωξέν τ’ ἄρ’ ἔπειτα καὶ ὣ πεπλήγετο μηρὼ
χερσὶ καταπρηνέσσ’, ὀλοφυρόμενος δ’ ἔπος ηὔδα·

«Εὐρύπυλ’,; οὐκ ἔτι τοι δύναμαι χατέοντί περ’ ἔμπης
ἐνθάδε παρμενέμεν· δὴ γὰρ μέγα νεῖκος ὄρωρεν·
ἀλλὰ σὲ μὲν θεράπων ποτιτερπέτω, αὐτὰρ ἔγωγε
σπεύσομαι εἰς Ἀχιλῆα, ἵν’ ὀτρύνω πολεμίζειν.
τίς δ’ οἶδ’ εἴ κέν οἱ σὺν δαίμονι θυμὸν ὀρίνω
παρειπών; ἀγαθὴ δὲ παραίφασίς ἐστιν ἑταίρου.»
Τὸν μὲν ἄρ’ ὣς εἰπόντα πόδες φέρον· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ
Τρῶας ἐπερχομένους μένον ἔμπεδον, οὐδὲ δύναντο
παυροτέρους περ ἐόντας ἀπώσασθαι παρὰ νηῶν·
οὐδέ ποτε Τρῶες Δαναῶν ἐδύναντο φάλαγγας
ῥηξάμενοι κλισίῃσι μιγήμεναι ἠδὲ νέεσσιν.
ἀλλ’ ὥς τε στάθμη δόρυ νήϊον ἐξιθύνει
τέκτονος ἐν παλάμῃσι δαήμονος, ὅς ῥά τε πάσης
εὖ εἰδῇ σοφίης ὑποθημοσύνῃσιν Ἀθήνης,
ὣς μὲν τῶν ἐπὶ ἶσα μάχη τέτατο πτόλεμός τε·
ἄλλοι δ’ ἀμφ’ ἄλλῃσι μάχην ἐμάχοντο νέεσσιν,
Ἕκτωρ δ’ ἄντ’ Αἴαντος ἐείσατο κυδαλίμοιο.
τὼ δὲ μιῆς περὶ νηὸς ἔχον πόνον, οὐδὲ δύναντο
οὔθ’ ὁ τὸν ἐξελάσαι καὶ ἐνιπρῆσαι πυρὶ νῆα
οὔθ’ ὁ τὸν ἂψ ὤσασθαι, ἐπεί ῥ’ ἐπέλασσέ γε δαίμων.
ἔνθ’ υἷα Κλυτίοιο Καλήτορα φαίδιμος Αἴας
πῦρ ἐς νῆα φέροντα κατὰ στῆθος βάλε δουρί.
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, δαλὸς δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρός.
Ἕκτωρ δ’ ὡς ἐνόησεν ἀνεψιὸν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν
ἐν κονίῃσι πεσόντα νεὸς προπάροιθε μελαίνης,
Τρωσί τε καὶ Λυκίοισιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·
«Τρῶες καὶ Λύκιοι καὶ Δάρδανοι ἀγχιμαχηταί,
μὴ δή πω χάζεσθε μάχης ἐν στείνεϊ τῷδε,
ἀλλ’ υἷα Κλυτίοιο σαώσατε, μή μιν Ἀχαιοὶ
τεύχεα συλήσωσι νεῶν ἐν ἀγῶνι πεσόντα.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν Αἴαντος ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ.

τοῦ μὲν ἅμαρθ’, ὁ δ’ ἔπειτα Λυκόφρονα Μάστορος υἱόν,
Αἴαντος θεράποντα Κυθήριον, ὅς ῥα παρ’ αὐτῷ
ναῖ’, ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα κατέκτα Κυθήροισι ζαθέοισι,
τόν ῥ’ ἔβαλεν κεφαλὴν ὑπὲρ οὔατος ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,
ἑσταότ’ ἄγχ’ Αἴαντος· ὃ δ’ ὕπτιος ἐν κονίῃσι
νηὸς ἄπο πρυμνῆς χαμάδις πέσε, λύντο δὲ γυῖα.
Αἴας δ’ ἐῤῥίγησε, κασίγνητον δὲ προσηύδα·
«Τεῦκρε πέπον, δὴ νῶϊν ἀπέκτατο πιστὸς ἑταῖρος
Μαστορίδης, ὃν νῶϊ Κυθηρόθεν ἔνδον ἐόντα
ἶσα φίλοισι τοκεῦσιν ἐτίομεν ἐν μεγάροισι·
τὸν δ’ Ἕκτωρ μεγάθυμος ἀπέκτανε. ποῦ νύ τοι ἰοὶ
ὠκύμοροι καὶ τόξον ὅ τοι πόρε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων;»
Ὣς φάθ’, ὁ δὲ ξυνέηκε, θέων δέ οἱ ἄγχι παρέστη,
τόξον ἔχων ἐν χειρὶ παλίντονον ἠδὲ φαρέτρην
ἰοδόκον· μάλα δ’ ὦκα βέλεα Τρώεσσιν ἐφίει.
καί ῥ’ ἔβαλε Κλεῖτον Πεισήνορος ἀγλαὸν υἱόν,
Πουλυδάμαντος ἑταῖρον ἀγαυοῦ Πανθοΐδαο,
ἡνία χερσὶν ἔχοντα· ὃ μὲν πεπόνητο καθ’ ἵππους·
τῇ γὰρ ἔχ’ ᾗ ῥα πολὺ πλεῖσται κλονέοντο φάλαγγες,
Ἕκτορι καὶ Τρώεσσι χαριζόμενος· τάχα δ’ αὐτῷ
ἦλθε κακόν, τό οἱ οὔ τις ἐρύκακεν ἱεμένων περ.
αὐχένι γάρ οἱ ὄπισθε πολύστονος ἔμπεσεν ἰός·
ἤριπε δ’ ἐξ ὀχέων, ὑπερώησαν δέ οἱ ἵπποι
κείν’ ὄχεα κροτέοντες. ἄναξ δ’ ἐνόησε τάχιστα
Πουλυδάμας, καὶ πρῶτος ἐναντίος ἤλυθεν ἵππων.
τοὺς μὲν ὅ γ’ Ἀστυνόῳ Προτιάονος υἱέϊ δῶκε,
πολλὰ δ’ ἐπότρυνε σχεδὸν ἴσχειν εἰσορόωντα
ἵππους· αὐτὸς δ’ αὖτις ἰὼν προμάχοισιν ἐμίχθη.
Τεῦκρος δ’ ἄλλον ὀϊστὸν ἐφ’ Ἕκτορι χαλκοκορυστῇ
αἴνυτο, καί κεν ἔπαυσε μάχης ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν,

εἴ μιν ἀριστεύοντα βαλὼν ἐξείλετο θυμόν.
ἀλλ’ οὐ λῆθε Διὸς πυκινὸν νόον, ὅς ῥ’ ἐφύλασσεν
Ἕκτορ’, ἀτὰρ Τεῦκρον Τελαμώνιον εὖχος ἀπηύρα,
ὅς οἱ ἐϋστρεφέα νευρὴν ἐν ἀμύμονι τόξῳ
ῥῆξ’ ἐπὶ τῷ ἐρύοντι· παρεπλάγχθη δέ οἱ ἄλλῃ
ἰὸς χαλκοβαρής, τόξον δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρός.
Τεῦκρος δ’ ἐῤῥίγησε, κασίγνητον δὲ προσηύδα·
«ὢ πόποι, ἦ δὴ πάγχυ μάχης ἐπὶ μήδεα κείρει
δαίμων ἡμετέρης, ὅ τέ μοι βιὸν ἔκβαλε χειρός,
νευρὴν δ’ ἐξέρρηξε νεόστροφον, ἣν ἐνέδησα
πρώϊον, ὄφρ’ ἀνέχοιτο θαμὰ θρῴσκοντας ὀϊστούς.»
Τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας·
«ὦ πέπον, ἀλλὰ βιὸν μὲν ἔα καὶ ταρφέας ἰοὺς
κεῖσθαι, ἐπεὶ συνέχευε θεὸς Δαναοῖσι μεγήρας·
αὐτὰρ χερσὶν ἑλὼν δολιχὸν δόρυ καὶ σάκος ὤμῳ
μάρναό τε Τρώεσσι καὶ ἄλλους ὄρνυθι λαούς.
μὴ μὰν ἀσπουδί γε δαμασσάμενοί περ ἕλοιεν
νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους, ἀλλὰ μνησώμεθα χάρμης.»
Ὣς φάθ’, ὁ δὲ τόξον μὲν ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἔθηκεν,
αὐτὰρ ὅ γ’ ἀμφ’ ὤμοισι σάκος θέτο τετραθέλυμνον,
κρατὶ δ’ ἐπ’ ἰφθίμῳ κυνέην εὔτυκτον ἔθηκεν,
ἵππουριν, δεινὸν δὲ λόφος καθύπερθεν ἔνευεν·
εἵλετο δ’ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος ἀκαχμένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,
βῆ δ’ ἰέναι, μάλα δ’ ὦκα θέων Αἴαντι παρέστη.
Ἕκτωρ δ’ ὡς εἶδεν Τεύκρου βλαφθέντα βέλεμνα,
Τρωσί τε καὶ Λυκίοισιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·
«Τρῶες καὶ Λύκιοι καὶ Δάρδανοι ἀγχιμαχηταί,
ἀνέρες ἔστε φίλοι, μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς
νῆας ἀνὰ γλαφυράς· δὴ γὰρ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν
ἀνδρὸς ἀριστῆος Διόθεν βλαφθέντα βέλεμνα.
ῥεῖα δ’ ἀρίγνωτος Διὸς ἀνδράσι γίγνεται ἀλκή,

ἠμὲν ὁτέοισιν κῦδος ὑπέρτερον ἐγγυαλίξῃ,
ἠδ’ ὅτινας μινύθῃ τε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλῃσιν ἀμύνειν,
ὡς νῦν Ἀργείων μινύθει μένος, ἄμμι δ’ ἀρήγει.
ἀλλὰ μάχεσθ’ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν ἀολλέες· ὃς δέ κεν ὕμεων
βλήμενος ἠὲ τυπεὶς θάνατον καὶ πότμον ἐπίσπῃ,
τεθνάτω· οὔ οἱ ἀεικὲς ἀμυνομένῳ περὶ πάτρης
τεθνάμεν· ἀλλ’ ἄλοχός τε σόη καὶ παῖδες ὀπίσσω,
καὶ οἶκος καὶ κλῆρος ἀκήρατος, εἴ κεν Ἀχαιοὶ
οἴχωνται σὺν νηυσὶ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.
Αἴας δ’ αὖθ’ ἑτέρωθεν ἐκέκλετο οἷς ἑτάροισιν·
«αἰδὼς Ἀργεῖοι· νῦν ἄρκιον ἢ ἀπολέσθαι
ἠὲ σαωθῆναι καὶ ἀπώσασθαι κακὰ νηῶν.
ἦ ἔλπεσθ’ ἢν νῆας ἕλῃ κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ,
ἐμβαδὸν ἵξεσθαι ἣν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἕκαστος;
ἦ οὐκ ὀτρύνοντος ἀκούετε λαὸν ἅπαντα
Ἕκτορος, ὃς δὴ νῆας ἐνιπρῆσαι μενεαίνει;
οὐ μὰν ἔς γε χορὸν κέλετ’ ἐλθέμεν, ἀλλὰ μάχεσθαι.
ἡμῖν δ’ οὔ τις τοῦδε νόος καὶ μῆτις ἀμείνων,
ἢ αὐτοσχεδίῃ μῖξαι χεῖράς τε μένος τε.
βέλτερον ἢ ἀπολέσθαι ἕνα χρόνον ἠὲ βιῶναι,
ἢ δηθὰ στρεύγεσθαι ἐν αἰνῇ δηϊοτῆτι
ὧδ’ αὔτως παρὰ νηυσὶν ὑπ’ ἀνδράσι χειροτέροισιν.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.
ἔνθ’ Ἕκτωρ μὲν ἕλε Σχεδίον, Περιμήδεος υἱόν,
ἀρχὸν Φωκήων, Αἴας δ’ ἕλε Λαοδάμαντα
ἡγεμόνα πρυλέων, Ἀντήνορος ἀγλαὸν υἱόν·
Πουλυδάμας δ’ Ὦτον Κυλλήνιον ἐξενάριξε,
Φυλεΐδεω ἕταρον, μεγαθύμων ἀρχὸν Ἐπειῶν.

τῷ δὲ Μέγης ἐπόρουσεν ἰδών· ὃ δ’ ὕπαιθα λιάσθη
Πουλυδάμας· καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἀπήμβροτεν· οὐ γὰρ Ἀπόλλων
εἴα Πάνθου υἱὸν ἐνὶ προμάχοισι δαμῆναι·
αὐτὰρ ὅ γε Κροίσμου στῆθος μέσον οὔτασε δουρί.
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών· ὁ δ’ ἀπ’ ὤμων τεύχε’ ἐσύλα.
τόφρα δὲ τῷ ἐπόρουσε Δόλοψ αἰχμῆς ἐῢ εἰδώς,
Λαμπετίδης, ὃν Λάμπος ἐγείνατο φέρτατον υἱόν,
Λαομεδοντιάδης, εὖ εἰδότα θούριδος ἀλκῆς,
ὃς τότε Φυλεΐδαο μέσον σάκος οὔτασε δουρὶ
ἐγγύθεν ὁρμηθείς· πυκινὸς δέ οἱ ἤρκεσε θώρηξ,
τόν ῥ’ ἐφόρει γυάλοισιν ἀρηρότα· τόν ποτε Φυλεὺς
ἤγαγεν ἐξ Ἐφύρης, ποταμοῦ ἄπο Σελλήεντος.
ξεῖνος γάρ οἱ ἔδωκεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Εὐφήτης
ἐς πόλεμον φορέειν δηΐων ἀνδρῶν ἀλεωρήν·
ὅς οἱ καὶ τότε παιδὸς ἀπὸ χροὸς ἤρκεσ’ ὄλεθρον.
τοῦ δὲ Μέγης κόρυθος χαλκήρεος ἱπποδασείης
κύμβαχον ἀκρότατον νύξ’ ἔγχεϊ ὀξυόεντι,
ῥῆξε δ’ ἀφ’ ἵππειον λόφον αὐτοῦ· πᾶς δὲ χαμᾶζε
κάππεσεν ἐν κονίῃσι νέον φοίνικι φαεινός.
ἧος ὁ τῷ πολέμιζε μένων, ἔτι δ’ ἔλπετο νίκην,
τόφρα δέ οἱ Μενέλαος ἀρήϊος ἦλθεν ἀμύντωρ,
στῆ δ’ εὐρὰξ σὺν δουρὶ λαθών, βάλε δ’ ὦμον ὄπισθεν·
αἰχμὴ δὲ στέρνοιο διέσσυτο μαιμώωσα,
πρόσσω ἱεμένη· ὃ δ’ ἄρα πρηνὴς ἐλιάσθη.
τὼ μὲν ἐεισάσθην χαλκήρεα τεύχε’ ἀπ’ ὤμων
συλήσειν· Ἕκτωρ δὲ κασιγνήτοισι κέλευσε
πᾶσι μάλα, πρῶτον δ’ Ἱκεταονίδην ἐνένιπεν,
ἴφθιμον Μελάνιππον. ὁ δ’ ὄφρα μὲν εἰλίποδας βοῦς
βόσκ’ ἐν Περκώτῃ, δηΐων ἀπὸ νόσφιν ἐόντων·
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Δαναῶν νέες ἤλυθον ἀμφιέλισσαι,

ἂψ εἰς Ἴλιον ἦλθε, μετέπρεπε δὲ Τρώεσσι,
ναῖε δὲ πὰρ Πριάμῳ, ὁ δέ μιν τίεν ἶσα τέκεσσι·
τόν ῥ’ Ἕκτωρ ἐνένιπεν ἔπος τ’ ἔφατ’ ἔκ τ’ ὀνόμαζεν·
«οὕτω δή, Μελάνιππε μεθήσομεν; οὐδέ νυ σοί περ
ἐντρέπεται φίλον ἦτορ ἀνεψιοῦ κταμένοιο;
οὐχ ὁράᾳς οἷον Δόλοπος περὶ τεύχε’ ἕπουσιν;
ἀλλ’ ἕπευ· οὐ γὰρ ἔτ’ ἔστιν ἀποσταδὸν Ἀργείοισι
μάρνασθαι, πρίν γ’ ἠὲ κατακτάμεν ἠὲ κατ’ ἄκρης
Ἴλιον αἰπεινὴν ἑλέειν κτάσθαι τε πολίτας.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν ὁ μὲν ἦρχ’, ὁ δ’ ἅμ’ ἕσπετο ἰσόθεος φώς·
Ἀργείους δ’ ὄτρυνε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας·
«ὦ φίλοι ἀνέρες ἔστε, καὶ αἰδῶ θέσθ’ ἐνὶ θυμῷ,
ἀλλήλους τ’ αἰδεῖσθε κατὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας.
αἰδομένων δ’ ἀνδρῶν πλέονες σόοι ἠὲ πέφανται·
φευγόντων δ’ οὔτ’ ἂρ κλέος ὄρνυται οὔτέ τις ἀλκή.»
Ὣς ἔφαθ’, οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀλέξασθαι μενέαινον,
ἐν θυμῷ δ’ ἐβάλοντο ἔπος, φράξαντο δὲ νῆας
ἕρκεϊ χαλκείῳ· ἐπὶ δὲ Ζεὺς Τρῶας ἔγειρεν.
Ἀντίλοχον δ’ ὄτρυνε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος·
«Ἀντίλοχ’, οὔ τις σεῖο νεώτερος ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν,
οὔτε ποσὶν θάσσων οὔτ’ ἄλκιμος ὡς σὺ μάχεσθαι·
εἴ τινά που Τρώων ἐξάλμενος ἄνδρα βάλοισθα.»
Ὣς εἰπὼν ὁ μὲν αὖτις ἀπέσσυτο, τὸν δ’ ὀρόθυνεν·
ἐκ δ’ ἔθορε προμάχων, καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ
ἀμφὶ ἓ παπτήνας· ὑπὸ δὲ Τρῶες κεκάδοντο
ἀνδρὸς ἀκοντίσσαντος· ὁ δ’ οὐχ ἅλιον βέλος ἧκεν,
ἀλλ’ Ἱκετάονος υἱόν, ὑπέρθυμον Μελάνιππον,
νισόμενον πόλεμον δὲ βάλε στῆθος παρὰ μαζόν.
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψεν.

Ἀντίλοχος δ’ ἐπόρουσε κύων ὥς, ὅς τ’ ἐπὶ νεβρῷ
βλημένῳ ἀΐξῃ, τόν τ’ ἐξ εὐνῆφι θορόντα
θηρητὴρ ἐτύχησε βαλών, ὑπέλυσε δὲ γυῖα·
ὣς ἐπὶ σοὶ Μελάνιππε θόρ’ Ἀντίλοχος μενεχάρμης
τεύχεα συλήσων· ἀλλ’ οὐ λάθεν Ἕκτορα δῖον,
ὅς ῥά οἱ ἀντίος ἦλθε θέων ἀνὰ δηϊοτῆτα.
Ἀντίλοχος δ’ οὐ μεῖνε θοός περ ἐὼν πολεμιστής,
ἀλλ’ ὅ γ’ ἄρ’ ἔτρεσε θηρὶ κακὸν ῥέξαντι ἐοικώς,
ὅς τε κύνα κτείνας ἢ βουκόλον ἀμφὶ βόεσσι
φεύγει πρίν περ ὅμιλον ἀολλισθήμεναι ἀνδρῶν·
ὣς τρέσε Νεστορίδης, ἐπὶ δὲ Τρῶές τε καὶ Ἕκτωρ
ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ βέλεα στονόεντα χέοντο·
στῆ δὲ μεταστρεφθείς, ἐπεὶ ἵκετο ἔθνος ἑταίρων.
Τρῶες δὲ λείουσιν ἐοικότες ὠμοφάγοισι
νηυσὶν ἐπεσσεύοντο, Διὸς δ’ ἐτέλειον ἐφετμάς,
ὅ σφισιν αἰὲν ἔγειρε μένος μέγα, θέλγε δὲ θυμὸν
Ἀργείων καὶ κῦδος ἀπαίνυτο, τοὺς δ’ ὀρόθυνεν.
Ἕκτορι γάρ οἱ θυμὸς ἐβούλετο κῦδος ὀρέξαι
Πριαμίδῃ, ἵνα νηυσὶ κορωνίσι θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ
ἐμβάλοι ἀκάματον, Θέτιδος δ’ ἐξαίσιον ἀρὴν
πᾶσαν ἐπικρήνειε· τὸ γὰρ μένε μητίετα Ζεύς,
νηὸς καιομένης σέλας ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδέσθαι.
ἐκ γὰρ δὴ τοῦ μέλλε παλίωξιν παρὰ νηῶν
θησέμεναι Τρώων, Δαναοῖσι δὲ κῦδος ὀρέξειν.
τὰ φρονέων νήεσσιν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἔγειρεν
Ἕκτορα Πριαμίδην, μάλα περ μεμαῶτα καὶ αὐτόν.
μαίνετο δ’ ὡς ὅτ’ Ἄρης ἐγχέσπαλος ἢ ὀλοὸν πῦρ
οὔρεσι μαίνηται, βαθέης ἐν τάρφεσιν ὕλης·
ἀφλοισμὸς δὲ περὶ στόμα γίγνετο, τὼ δέ οἱ ὄσσε
λαμπέσθην βλοσυρῇσιν ὑπ’ ὀφρύσιν, ἀμφὶ δὲ πήληξ
σμερδαλέον κροτάφοισι τινάσσετο μαρναμένοιο

Ἕκτορος· αὐτὸς γάρ οἱ ἀπ’ αἰθέρος ἦεν ἀμύντωρ
Ζεύς, ὅς μιν πλεόνεσσι μετ’ ἀνδράσι μοῦνον ἐόντα
τίμα καὶ κύδαινε. μινυνθάδιος γὰρ ἔμελλεν
ἔσσεσθ’· ἤδη γάρ οἱ ἐπόρνυε μόρσιμον ἦμαρ
Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη ὑπὸ Πηλεΐδαο βίηφιν.
καί ῥ’ ἔθελεν ῥῆξαι στίχας ἀνδρῶν πειρητίζων,
ᾗ δὴ πλεῖστον ὅμιλον ὅρα καὶ τεύχε’ ἄριστα·
ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ὧς δύνατο ῥῆξαι μάλα περ μενεαίνων·
ἴσχον γὰρ πυργηδὸν ἀρηρότες, ἠΰτε πέτρη
ἠλίβατος μεγάλη πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐγγὺς ἐοῦσα,
ἥ τε μένει λιγέων ἀνέμων λαιψηρὰ κέλευθα
κύματά τε τροφόεντα, τά τε προσερεύγεται αὐτήν·
ὣς Δαναοὶ Τρῶας μένον ἔμπεδον οὐδὲ φέβοντο.
αὐτὰρ ὁ λαμπόμενος πυρὶ πάντοθεν ἔνθορ’ ὁμίλῳ,
ἐν δ’ ἔπεσ’ ὡς ὅτε κῦμα θοῇ ἐν νηῒ πέσῃσι
λάβρον ὑπαὶ νεφέων ἀνεμοτρεφές· ἡ δέ τε πᾶσα
ἄχνῃ ὑπεκρύφθη, ἀνέμοιο δὲ δεινὸς ἀήτης
ἱστίῳ ἐμβρέμεται, τρομέουσι δέ τε φρένα ναῦται
δειδιότες· τυτθὸν γὰρ ὑπ’ ἐκ θανάτοιο φέρονται·
ὣς ἐδαΐζετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.
αὐτὰρ ὅ γ’ ὥς τε λέων ὀλοόφρων βουσὶν ἐπελθών,
αἵ ῥά τ’ ἐν εἱαμενῇ ἕλεος μεγάλοιο νέμονται
μυρίαι, ἐν δέ τε τῇσι νομεὺς οὔ πω σάφα εἰδὼς
θηρὶ μαχέσσασθαι ἕλικος βοὸς ἀμφὶ φονῇσιν·
ἤτοι ὁ μὲν πρώτῃσι καὶ ὑστατίῃσι βόεσσιν
αἰὲν ὁμοστιχάει, ὃ δέ τ’ ἐν μέσσῃσιν ὀρούσας
βοῦν ἔδει, αἳ δέ τε πᾶσαι ὑπέτρεσαν· ὣς τότ’ Ἀχαιοὶ
θεσπεσίως ἐφόβηθεν ὑφ’ Ἕκτορι καὶ Διὶ πατρὶ
πάντες, ὃ δ’ οἶον ἔπεφνε Μυκηναῖον Περιφήτην,

Κοπρῆος φίλον υἱόν, ὃς Εὐρυσθῆος ἄνακτος
ἀγγελίης οἴχνεσκε βίῃ Ἡρακληείῃ.
τοῦ γένετ’ ἐκ πατρὸς πολὺ χείρονος υἱὸς ἀμείνων
παντοίας ἀρετάς, ἠμὲν πόδας ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι,
καὶ νόον ἐν πρώτοισι Μυκηναίων ἐτέτυκτο·
ὅς ῥα τόθ’ Ἕκτορι κῦδος ὑπέρτερον ἐγγυάλιξε.
στρεφθεὶς γὰρ μετόπισθεν ἐν ἀσπίδος ἄντυγι πάλτο,
τὴν αὐτὸς φορέεσκε ποδηνεκέ’, ἕρκος ἀκόντων·
τῇ ὅ γ’ ἐνὶ βλαφθεὶς πέσεν ὕπτιος, ἀμφὶ δὲ πήληξ
σμερδαλέον κονάβησε περὶ κροτάφοισι πεσόντος.
Ἕκτωρ δ’ ὀξὺ νόησε, θέων δέ οἱ ἄγχι παρέστη,
στήθεϊ δ’ ἐν δόρυ πῆξε, φίλων δέ μιν ἐγγὺς ἑταίρων
κτεῖν’· οἱ δ’ οὐκ ἐδύναντο καὶ ἀχνύμενοί περ ἑταίρου
χραισμεῖν· αὐτοὶ γὰρ μάλα δείδισαν Ἕκτορα δῖον.
Εἰσωποὶ δ’ ἐγένοντο νεῶν, περὶ δ’ ἔσχεθον ἄκραι
νῆες ὅσαι πρῶται εἰρύατο· τοὶ δ’ ἐπέχυντο.
Ἀργεῖοι δὲ νεῶν μὲν ἐχώρησαν καὶ ἀνάγκῃ
τῶν πρωτέων, αὐτοῦ δὲ παρὰ κλισίῃσιν ἔμειναν
ἁθρόοι, οὐδὲ κέδασθεν ἀνὰ στρατόν· ἴσχε γὰρ αἰδὼς
καὶ δέος· ἀζηχὲς γὰρ ὁμόκλεον ἀλλήλοισι.
Νέστωρ αὖτε μάλιστα Γερήνιος οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν,
λίσσεθ’ ὑπὲρ τοκέων γουνούμενος ἄνδρα ἕκαστον·
«ὦ φίλοι, ἀνέρες ἔστε, καὶ αἰδῶ θέσθ’ ἐνὶ θυμῷ
ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων, ἐπὶ δὲ μνήσασθε ἕκαστος
παίδων ἠδ’ ἀλόχων καὶ κτήσιος ἠδὲ τοκήων,
ἠμὲν ὅτεῳ ζώουσι καὶ ᾧ κατατεθνήκασι·
τῶν ὕπερ ἐνθάδ’ ἐγὼ γουνάζομαι οὐ παρεόντων
ἑστάμεναι κρατερῶς, μὴ δὲ τρωπᾶσθε φόβονδε.»

Ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.
τοῖσι δ’ ἀπ’ ὀφθαλμῶν νέφος ἀχλύος ὦσεν Ἀθήνη
θεσπέσιον· μάλα δέ σφι φόως γένετ’ ἀμφοτέρωθεν,
ἠμὲν πρὸς νηῶν καὶ ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο.
Ἕκτορα δὲ φράσσαντο βοὴν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἑταίρους,
ἠμὲν ὅσοι μετόπισθεν ἀφέστασαν οὐδὲ μάχοντο,
ἠδ’ ὅσσοι παρὰ νηυσὶ μάχην ἐμάχοντο θοῇσιν.
Οὐδ’ ἄρ’ ἔτ’ Αἴαντι μεγαλήτορι ἥνδανε θυμῷ
ἑστάμεν ἔνθά περ ἄλλοι ἀφέστασαν υἷες Ἀχαιῶν·
ἀλλ’ ὅ γε νηῶν ἴκρι’ ἐπῴχετο μακρὰ βιβάσθων,
νώμα δὲ ξυστὸν μέγα ναύμαχον ἐν παλάμῃσι,
κολλητὸν βλήτροισι δυωκαιεικοσίπηχυ.
ὡς δ’ ὅτ’ ἀνὴρ ἵπποισι κελητίζειν ἐῢ εἰδώς,
ὅς τ’ ἐπεὶ ἐκ πολέων πίσυρας συναείρεται ἵππους,
σεύας ἐκ πεδίοιο μέγα προτὶ ἄστυ δίηται
λαοφόρον καθ’ ὁδόν· πολέες τέ ἑ θηήσαντο
ἀνέρες ἠδὲ γυναῖκες· ὁ δ’ ἔμπεδον ἀσφαλὲς αἰεὶ
θρῴσκων ἄλλοτ’ ἐπ’ ἄλλον ἀμείβεται, οἳ δὲ πέτονται·
ὣς Αἴας ἐπὶ πολλὰ θοάων ἴκρια νηῶν
φοίτα μακρὰ βιβάς, φωνὴ δέ οἱ αἰθέρ’ ἵκανεν,
αἰεὶ δὲ σμερδνὸν βοόων Δαναοῖσι κέλευε
νηυσί τε καὶ κλισίῃσιν ἀμυνέμεν. οὐδὲ μὲν Ἕκτωρ
μίμνεν ἐνὶ Τρώων ὁμάδῳ πύκα θωρηκτάων·
ἀλλ’ ὥς τ’ ὀρνίθων πετεηνῶν αἰετὸς αἴθων
ἔθνος ἐφορμᾶται ποταμὸν πάρα βοσκομενάων,
χηνῶν ἢ γεράνων ἢ κύκνων δουλιχοδείρων,
ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἴθυσε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο
ἀντίος ἀΐξας· τὸν δὲ Ζεὺς ὦσεν ὄπισθε
χειρὶ μάλα μεγάλῃ, ὄτρυνε δὲ λαὸν ἅμ’ αὐτῷ.

Αὖτις δὲ δριμεῖα μάχη παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐτύχθη·
φαίης κ’ ἀκμῆτας καὶ ἀτειρέας ἀλλήλοισιν
ἄντεσθ’ ἐν πολέμῳ, ὡς ἐσσυμένως ἐμάχοντο.
τοῖσι δὲ μαρναμένοισιν ὅδ’ ἦν νόος· ἤτοι Ἀχαιοὶ
οὐκ ἔφασαν φεύξεσθαι ὑπ’ ἐκ κακοῦ, ἀλλ’ ὀλέεσθαι,
Τρωσὶν δ’ ἔλπετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἑκάστου
νῆας ἐνιπρήσειν κτενέειν θ’ ἥρωας Ἀχαιούς.
οἱ μὲν τὰ φρονέοντες ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισιν·
Ἕκτωρ δὲ πρυμνῆς νεὸς ἥψατο ποντοπόροιο,
καλῆς ὠκυάλου, ἣ Πρωτεσίλαον ἔνεικεν
ἐς Τροίην, οὐδ’ αὖτις ἀπήγαγε πατρίδα γαῖαν.
τοῦ περ δὴ περὶ νηὸς Ἀχαιοί τε Τρῶές τε
δῄουν ἀλλήλους αὐτοσχεδόν· οὐδ’ ἄρα τοί γε
τόξων ἀϊκὰς ἀμφὶς μένον οὐδ’ ἔτ’ ἀκόντων,
ἀλλ’ οἵ γ’ ἐγγύθεν ἱστάμενοι ἕνα θυμὸν ἔχοντες,
ὀξέσι δὴ πελέκεσσι καὶ ἀξίνῃσι μάχοντο
καὶ ξίφεσιν μεγάλοισι καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισι.
πολλὰ δὲ φάσγανα καλὰ μελάνδετα κωπήεντα
ἄλλα μὲν ἐκ χειρῶν χαμάδις πέσον, ἄλλα δ’ ἀπ’ ὤμων
ἀνδρῶν μαρναμένων· ῥέε δ’ αἵματι γαῖα μέλαινα.
Ἕκτωρ δὲ πρύμνηθεν ἐπεὶ λάβεν οὐχὶ μεθίει,
ἄφλαστον μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχων, Τρωσὶν δὲ κέλευεν·
«οἴσετε πῦρ, ἅμα δ’ αὐτοὶ ἀολλέες ὄρνυτ’ ἀϋτήν·
νῦν ἡμῖν πάντων Ζεὺς ἄξιον ἦμαρ ἔδωκε,
νῆας ἑλεῖν, αἳ δεῦρο θεῶν ἀέκητι μολοῦσαι
ἡμῖν πήματα πολλὰ θέσαν, κακότητι γερόντων,
οἵ μ’ ἐθέλοντα μάχεσθαι ἐπὶ πρυμνῇσι νέεσσιν
αὐτόν τ’ ἰσχανάασκον ἐρητύοντό τε λαόν·
ἀλλ’ εἰ δή ῥα τότε βλάπτε φρένας εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
ἡμετέρας, νῦν αὐτὸς ἐποτρύνει καὶ ἀνώγει.»
Ὣς ἔφαθ’, οἱ δ’ ἄρα μᾶλλον ἐπ’ Ἀργείοισιν ὄρουσαν.

Αἴας δ’ οὐκέτ’ ἔμιμνε· βιάζετο γὰρ βελέεσσιν·
ἀλλ’ ἀνεχάζετο τυτθόν, ὀϊόμενος θανέεσθαι,
θρῆνυν ἐφ’ ἑπταπόδην, λίπε δ’ ἴκρια νηὸς ἐΐσης.
ἔνθ’ ἄρ’ ὅ γ’ ἑστήκει δεδοκημένος, ἔγχεϊ δ’ αἰεὶ
Τρῶας ἄμυνε νεῶν, ὅς τις φέροι ἀκάματον πῦρ·
αἰεὶ δὲ σμερδνὸν βοόων Δαναοῖσι κέλευε·
«ὦ φίλοι ἥρωες Δαναοί, θεράποντες Ἄρηος,
ἀνέρες ἔστε, φίλοι, μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς.
ἠέ τινάς φαμεν εἶναι ἀοσσητῆρας ὀπίσσω,
ἦέ τι τεῖχος ἄρειον, ὅ κ’ ἀνδράσι λοιγὸν ἀμύναι;
οὐ μέν τι σχεδόν ἐστι πόλις πύργοις ἀραρυῖα,
ᾗ κ’ ἀπαμυναίμεσθ’ ἑτεραλκέα δῆμον ἔχοντες·
ἀλλ’ ἐν γὰρ Τρώων πεδίῳ πύκα θωρηκτάων
πόντῳ κεκλιμένοι ἑκὰς ἥμεθα πατρίδος αἴης·
τὼ ἐν χερσὶ φόως, οὐ μειλιχίῃ πολέμοιο.»
Ἦ, καὶ μαιμώων ἔφεπ’ ἔγχεϊ ὀξυόεντι.
ὅς τις δὲ Τρώων κοίλῃς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ φέροιτο
σὺν πυρὶ κηλείῳ, χάριν Ἕκτορος ὀτρύναντος,
τὸν δ’ Αἴας οὔτασκε δεδεγμένος ἔγχεϊ μακρῷ·
δώδεκα δὲ προπάροιθε νεῶν αὐτοσχεδὸν οὖτα.


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