§11.781ἦρχον ἐγὼ μύθοιο κελεύων ὔμμʼ ἅμʼ ἕπεσθαι· §11.782σφὼ δὲ μάλʼ ἠθέλετον, τὼ δʼ ἄμφω πόλλʼ ἐπέτελλον.
I was the first to speak, bidding you both to follow with us; and you two were right willing, and they both gave you many charges.
§11.783Πηλεὺς μὲν ᾧ παιδὶ γέρων ἐπέτελλʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ §11.784αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν καὶ ὑπείροχον ἔμμεναι ἄλλων· §11.785σοὶ δʼ αὖθʼ ὧδʼ ἐπέτελλε Μενοίτιος Ἄκτορος υἱός· §11.786τέκνον ἐμὸν γενεῇ μὲν ὑπέρτερός ἐστιν Ἀχιλλεύς, §11.787πρεσβύτερος δὲ σύ ἐσσι· βίῃ δʼ ὅ γε πολλὸν ἀμείνων.
The old man Peleus charged his son Achilles ever to be preeminent and to be outstanding above all others; but to you in turn Menoetius, son of Actor, gave this charge: "My child, in birth indeed Achilles is superior, but you are the elder; and in might he is by far the better.
§11.788ἀλλʼ εὖ οἱ φάσθαι πυκινὸν ἔπος ἠδʼ ὑποθέσθαι §11.789καί οἱ σημαίνειν· ὃ δὲ πείσεται εἰς ἀγαθόν περ. §11.790ὣς ἐπέτελλʼ ὃ γέρων, σὺ δὲ λήθεαι· ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν §11.791ταῦτʼ εἴποις Ἀχιλῆϊ δαΐφρονι αἴ κε πίθηται.
Yet speak to him well with wise words, and advise him, and direct him; and he will obey you for his own good." Thus the old man charged, but you forget; yet even now speak thus to wise-hearted Achilles, if perchance he may obey.
Who knows if, with a god's help, you might rouse his spirit by persuasion?
ἀγαθὴ δὲ παραίφασίς ἐστιν ἑταίρου.
Good is the persuasion of a comrade.
§11.794εἰ δέ τινα φρεσὶν ᾗσι θεοπροπίην ἀλεείνει §11.795καί τινά οἱ πὰρ Ζηνὸς ἐπέφραδε πότνια μήτηρ, §11.796ἀλλὰ σέ περ προέτω, ἅμα δʼ ἄλλος λαὸς ἑπέσθω §11.797Μυρμιδόνων, αἴ κέν τι φόως Δαναοῖσι γένηαι· §11.798καί τοι τεύχεα καλὰ δότω πόλεμον δὲ φέρεσθαι, §11.799αἴ κέ σε τῷ εἴσκοντες ἀπόσχωνται πολέμοιο §11.800Τρῶες, ἀναπνεύσωσι δʼ ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν §11.801τειρόμενοι· ὀλίγη δέ τʼ ἀνάπνευσις πολέμοιο.
But if in his heart he is avoiding some oracle, and his lady mother has told him something from Zeus, let him at least send you forth, and let the rest of the host of the Myrmidons follow with you, if perchance you may be a light of safety to the Danaans; and let him give you his beautiful armor to bear into war, if perchance the Trojans, taking you for him, may hold back from battle, and the warlike sons of the Achaeans may take breath, worn out as they are; for brief is the breathing-space in war.
And easily might you who are unwearied drive weary men back to the city, away from the ships and huts, with your war-cry.
§11.804ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὄρινε, §11.805βῆ δὲ θέειν παρὰ νῆας ἐπʼ Αἰακίδην Ἀχιλῆα.
So he spoke, and stirred the spirit within Patroclus' breast, and he started to run along the ships to Achilles, grandson of Aeacus.
§11.806ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ κατὰ νῆας Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο §11.807ἷξε θέων Πάτροκλος, ἵνά σφʼ ἀγορή τε θέμις τε §11.808ἤην, τῇ δὴ καί σφι θεῶν ἐτετεύχατο βωμοί, §11.809ἔνθά οἱ Εὐρύπυλος βεβλημένος ἀντεβόλησε §11.810διογενὴς Εὐαιμονίδης κατὰ μηρὸν ὀϊστῷ §11.811σκάζων ἐκ πολέμου· κατὰ δὲ νότιος ῥέεν ἱδρὼς §11.812ὤμων καὶ κεφαλῆς, ἀπὸ δʼ ἕλκεος ἀργαλέοιο §11.813αἷμα μέλαν κελάρυζε· νόος γε μὲν ἔμπεδος ἦεν.
But when in his running Patroclus reached the ships of noble Odysseus, where their assembly and place of justice were, and where also their altars of the gods were built, there Eurypylus met him, wounded with an arrow in the thigh, the noble son of Evaemon, limping out of the battle; and the moist sweat ran down from his shoulders and head, and from his grievous wound the black blood gushed; yet his mind was steadfast.
§11.814τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ᾤκτειρε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱός, §11.815καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §11.816ἆ δειλοὶ Δαναῶν ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες §11.817ὣς ἄρʼ ἐμέλλετε τῆλε φίλων καὶ πατρίδος αἴης §11.818ἄσειν ἐν Τροίῃ ταχέας κύνας ἀργέτι δημῷ.
The brave son of Menoetius saw him and pitied him, and with lamentation spoke winged words to him: "Ah, wretched leaders and rulers of the Danaans, were you then destined, far from your friends and native land, to glut the swift dogs in Troy with your white fat?
§11.819ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ διοτρεφὲς Εὐρύπυλʼ ἥρως, §11.820ἤ ῥʼ ἔτι που σχήσουσι πελώριον Ἕκτορʼ Ἀχαιοί, §11.821ἦ ἤδη φθίσονται ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δουρὶ δαμέντες; §11.822τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Εὐρύπυλος βεβλημένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §11.823οὐκέτι διογενὲς Πατρόκλεες ἄλκαρ Ἀχαιῶν §11.824ἔσσεται, ἀλλʼ ἐν νηυσὶ μελαίνῃσιν πεσέονται.
But come, tell me this, hero Eurypylus, nurtured of Zeus, will the Achaeans still hold back huge Hector anywhere, or will they now perish, vanquished by his spear?" To him again the wounded Eurypylus spoke in turn: "No longer, noble Patroclus, will there be any defense for the Achaeans, but they will fall among the black ships.
§11.825οἳ μὲν γὰρ δὴ πάντες, ὅσοι πάρος ἦσαν ἄριστοι, §11.826ἐν νηυσὶν κέαται βεβλημένοι οὐτάμενοί τε §11.827χερσὶν ὕπο Τρώων· τῶν δὲ σθένος ὄρνυται αἰέν.
For indeed all those who before were the bravest lie among the ships, hit by arrows or wounded by spears at the hands of the Trojans; and their strength rises evermore.
§11.828ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ μὲν σὺ σάωσον ἄγων ἐπὶ νῆα μέλαιναν, §11.829μηροῦ δʼ ἔκταμʼ ὀϊστόν, ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ δʼ αἷμα κελαινὸν §11.830νίζʼ ὕδατι λιαρῷ, ἐπὶ δʼ ἤπια φάρμακα πάσσε §11.831ἐσθλά, τά σε προτί φασιν Ἀχιλλῆος δεδιδάχθαι, §11.832ὃν Χείρων ἐδίδαξε δικαιότατος Κενταύρων.
But do you save me, leading me to my black ship, and cut the arrow from my thigh, and wash the black blood from it with warm water, and sprinkle gentle remedies of good power, which they say you were taught by Achilles, whom Chiron taught, the most righteous of the Centaurs.
§11.833ἰητροὶ μὲν γὰρ Ποδαλείριος ἠδὲ Μαχάων §11.834τὸν μὲν ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ὀΐομαι ἕλκος ἔχοντα §11.835χρηΐζοντα καὶ αὐτὸν ἀμύμονος ἰητῆρος §11.836κεῖσθαι· ὃ δʼ ἐν πεδίῳ Τρώων μένει ὀξὺν Ἄρηα. §11.837τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱός·
For as for the healers, Podaleirius and Machaon, one, I think, lies with a wound in the huts, himself in need of a good healer, and the other in the plain awaits the sharp battle of the Trojans." To him again the brave son of Menoetius spoke: "How indeed can these things be?
§11.838πῶς τὰρ ἔοι τάδε ἔργα; τί ῥέξομεν Εὐρύπυλʼ ἥρως;
What shall we do, hero Eurypylus?
§11.839ἔρχομαι ὄφρʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ δαΐφρονι μῦθον ἐνίσπω §11.840ὃν Νέστωρ ἐπέτελλε Γερήνιος οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν· §11.841ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς περ σεῖο μεθήσω τειρομένοιο. §11.842ἦ, καὶ ὑπὸ στέρνοιο λαβὼν ἄγε ποιμένα λαῶν §11.843ἐς κλισίην· θεράπων δὲ ἰδὼν ὑπέχευε βοείας.
I am going that I may speak a word to wise-hearted Achilles, which Gerenian Nestor, the guardian of the Achaeans, charged me with; yet even so I will not neglect you in your distress." He spoke, and holding the shepherd of the host under his breast, led him to his hut; and his squire, seeing them, spread ox-hides.
§11.844ἔνθά μιν ἐκτανύσας ἐκ μηροῦ τάμνε μαχαίρῃ §11.845ὀξὺ βέλος περιπευκές, ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ δʼ αἷμα κελαινὸν §11.846νίζʼ ὕδατι λιαρῷ, ἐπὶ δὲ ῥίζαν βάλε πικρὴν §11.847χερσὶ διατρίψας ὀδυνήφατον, ἥ οἱ ἁπάσας §11.848ἔσχʼ ὀδύνας· τὸ μὲν ἕλκος ἐτέρσετο, παύσατο δʼ αἷμα.
There Patroclus laid him at full length, and cut with a knife from his thigh the sharp, biting arrow, and washed the black blood from it with warm water, and applied a bitter root, rubbing it between his hands, a pain-killing root, which stayed all his pains; and the wound dried, and the blood ceased.