§12.1ὣς ὃ μὲν ἐν κλισίῃσι Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱὸς §12.2ἰᾶτʼ Εὐρύπυλον βεβλημένον· οἳ δὲ μάχοντο §12.3Ἀργεῖοι καὶ Τρῶες ὁμιλαδόν· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλε §12.4τάφρος ἔτι σχήσειν Δαναῶν καὶ τεῖχος ὕπερθεν §12.5εὐρύ, τὸ ποιήσαντο νεῶν ὕπερ, ἀμφὶ δὲ τάφρον §12.6ἤλασαν· οὐδὲ θεοῖσι δόσαν κλειτὰς ἑκατόμβας· §12.7ὄφρά σφιν νῆάς τε θοὰς καὶ ληΐδα πολλὴν §12.8ἐντὸς ἔχον ῥύοιτο· θεῶν δʼ ἀέκητι τέτυκτο §12.9ἀθανάτων· τὸ καὶ οὔ τι πολὺν χρόνον ἔμπεδον ἦεν.
Thus he, the brave son of Menoetius, in the huts was healing wounded Eurypylus; but they were fighting, the Argives and Trojans in close throng; nor indeed was the ditch longer destined to hold them back, nor the wide wall above, the wide one which they had built for the ships, and around the ditch they had driven it; nor did they give to the gods glorious hecatombs, so that it might keep within and protect their swift ships and much booty; but it was built against the will of the immortal gods; therefore it remained steadfast for no long time.
§12.10ὄφρα μὲν Ἕκτωρ ζωὸς ἔην καὶ μήνιʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς §12.11καὶ Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος ἀπόρθητος πόλις ἔπλεν, §12.12τόφρα δὲ καὶ μέγα τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν ἔμπεδον ἦεν.
As long as Hector was alive, and Achilles cherished his wrath, and the city of king Priam remained unsacked, so long also the great wall of the Achaeans stood firm.
§12.13αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μὲν Τρώων θάνον ὅσσοι ἄριστοι, §12.14πολλοὶ δʼ Ἀργείων οἳ μὲν δάμεν, οἳ δὲ λίποντο, §12.15πέρθετο δὲ Πριάμοιο πόλις δεκάτῳ ἐνιαυτῷ, §12.16Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ἐν νηυσὶ φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἔβησαν, §12.17δὴ τότε μητιόωντο Ποσειδάων καὶ Ἀπόλλων §12.18τεῖχος ἀμαλδῦναι ποταμῶν μένος εἰσαγαγόντες. §12.19ὅσσοι ἀπʼ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ἅλα δὲ προρέουσι, §12.20Ῥῆσός θʼ Ἑπτάπορός τε Κάρησός τε Ῥοδίος τε §12.21Γρήνικός τε καὶ Αἴσηπος δῖός τε Σκάμανδρος §12.22καὶ Σιμόεις, ὅθι πολλὰ βοάγρια καὶ τρυφάλειαι §12.23κάππεσον ἐν κονίῃσι καὶ ἡμιθέων γένος ἀνδρῶν· §12.24τῶν πάντων ὁμόσε στόματʼ ἔτραπε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων, §12.25ἐννῆμαρ δʼ ἐς τεῖχος ἵει ῥόον· ὗε δʼ ἄρα Ζεὺς §12.26συνεχές, ὄφρά κε θᾶσσον ἁλίπλοα τείχεα θείη.
But when all the bravest of the Trojans had died, and many of the Argives were vanquished, while some were left, and the city of Priam was sacked in the tenth year, and the Argives went in their ships to their beloved native land, then indeed Poseidon and Apollo took counsel to sweep away the wall, bringing against it the strength of all the rivers that flow from the Idaean mountains into the sea: Rhesus and Heptaporus and Caresus and Rhodius, Grenicus and Aesepus, and divine Scamander, and Simois, where many ox-hide shields and helmets fell in the dust, and the race of demigods; of all these Phoebus Apollo turned the mouths together, and for nine days he directed their flood against the wall; and Zeus rained continuously, so that he might the sooner lay the wall under the sea.
§12.27αὐτὸς δʼ ἐννοσίγαιος ἔχων χείρεσσι τρίαιναν §12.28ἡγεῖτʼ, ἐκ δʼ ἄρα πάντα θεμείλια κύμασι πέμπε §12.29φιτρῶν καὶ λάων, τὰ θέσαν μογέοντες Ἀχαιοί, §12.30λεῖα δʼ ἐποίησεν παρʼ ἀγάρροον Ἑλλήσποντον, §12.31αὖτις δʼ ἠϊόνα μεγάλην ψαμάθοισι κάλυψε §12.32τεῖχος ἀμαλδύνας· ποταμοὺς δʼ ἔτρεψε νέεσθαι §12.33κὰρ ῥόον, ᾗ περ πρόσθεν ἵεν καλλίρροον ὕδωρ.
And the Earth-shaker himself, holding the trident in his hands, led the way, and sent into the waves all the foundations of logs and stones, which the Achaeans had laid with toil, and made all smooth along the strong-flowing Hellespont, and again covered the great beach with sand, having swept away the wall; and the rivers he turned to flow in their courses, where before they poured their fair-flowing water.
§12.34ὣς ἄρʼ ἔμελλον ὄπισθε Ποσειδάων καὶ Ἀπόλλων §12.35θησέμεναι· τότε δʼ ἀμφὶ μάχη ἐνοπή τε δεδήει §12.36τεῖχος ἐΰδμητον, κανάχιζε δὲ δούρατα πύργων §12.37βαλλόμενʼ· Ἀργεῖοι δὲ Διὸς μάστιγι δαμέντες §12.38νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐελμένοι ἰσχανόωντο §12.39Ἕκτορα δειδιότες, κρατερὸν μήστωρα φόβοιο· §12.40αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ὡς τὸ πρόσθεν ἐμάρνατο ἶσος ἀέλλῃ·
Thus indeed were Poseidon and Apollo destined to do in aftertime; but then around the well-built wall battle and clamor were burning, and the logs of the towers rattled as they were struck with missiles; and the Argives, subdued by the whip of Zeus, were penned in by their hollow ships and held back, fearing Hector, the mighty author of dread; but he fought as before, like a whirlwind.
§12.41ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἔν τε κύνεσσι καὶ ἀνδράσι θηρευτῇσι §12.42κάπριος ἠὲ λέων στρέφεται σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνων· §12.43οἳ δέ τε πυργηδὸν σφέας αὐτοὺς ἀρτύναντες §12.44ἀντίον ἵστανται καὶ ἀκοντίζουσι θαμειὰς §12.45αἰχμὰς ἐκ χειρῶν· τοῦ δʼ οὔ ποτε κυδάλιμον κῆρ §12.46ταρβεῖ οὐδὲ φοβεῖται, ἀγηνορίη δέ μιν ἔκτα· §12.47ταρφέα τε στρέφεται στίχας ἀνδρῶν πειρητίζων· §12.48ὅππῃ τʼ ἰθύσῃ τῇ εἴκουσι στίχες ἀνδρῶν· §12.49ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἰὼν ἐλλίσσεθʼ ἑταίρους §12.50τάφρον ἐποτρύνων διαβαινέμεν·
And as when, among dogs and huntsmen, a wild boar or a lion turns about, glaring in his strength; and they, drawing themselves up in a wall-like line, stand against him and hurl frequent javelins from their hands; but his glorious heart never fears nor is dismayed, and his bravery is his death; and repeatedly he turns about, testing the ranks of men, and wherever he charges, there the ranks of men give way— so Hector went through the throng and entreated his comrades, urging them to cross the ditch.
οὐδέ οἱ ἵπποι §12.51τόλμων ὠκύποδες, μάλα δὲ χρεμέτιζον ἐπʼ ἄκρῳ §12.52χείλει ἐφεσταότες· ἀπὸ γὰρ δειδίσσετο τάφρος §12.53εὐρεῖʼ, οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ὑπερθορέειν σχεδὸν οὔτε περῆσαι §12.54ῥηϊδίη· κρημνοὶ γὰρ ἐπηρεφέες περὶ πᾶσαν §12.55ἕστασαν ἀμφοτέρωθεν, ὕπερθεν δὲ σκολόπεσσιν §12.56ὀξέσιν ἠρήρει, τοὺς ἵστασαν υἷες Ἀχαιῶν §12.57πυκνοὺς καὶ μεγάλους δηΐων ἀνδρῶν ἀλεωρήν.
But his swift-footed horses dared not do so, but neighed loudly, standing on the very edge of the lip; for the wide ditch frightened them, being neither easy to leap across from close at hand, nor to traverse; for overhanging cliffs stood all around on both sides, and from above it was set with sharp palisades, which the sons of the Achaeans had set close and great, as a defense against hostile men.
There not easily could a horse, pulling a well-wheeled chariot, enter, but the infantry eagerly minded if they might accomplish it.
§12.60δὴ τότε Πουλυδάμας θρασὺν Ἕκτορα εἶπε παραστάς· §12.61Ἕκτορ τʼ ἠδʼ ἄλλοι Τρώων ἀγοὶ ἠδʼ ἐπικούρων §12.62ἀφραδέως διὰ τάφρον ἐλαύνομεν ὠκέας ἵππους· §12.63ἣ δὲ μάλʼ ἀργαλέη περάαν· σκόλοπες γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ §12.64ὀξέες ἑστᾶσιν, ποτὶ δʼ αὐτοὺς τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν, §12.65ἔνθʼ οὔ πως ἔστιν καταβήμεναι οὐδὲ μάχεσθαι §12.66ἱππεῦσι· στεῖνος γάρ, ὅθι τρώσεσθαι ὀΐω.
Then indeed Polydamas came near and spoke to bold Hector: "Hector and you other leaders of the Trojans and allies, foolishly do we drive our swift horses through the ditch; but it is very hard to cross; for in it sharp palisades stand, and against them is the wall of the Achaeans, where there is no way for horsemen to dismount and fight; for it is a narrow space, where I think we shall be wounded.