around king Asius, and Iamenus, and Orestes, and Adamas son of Asius, and Thoon, and Oenomaus.
§12.141οἳ δʼ ἤτοι εἷος μὲν ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιοὺς §12.142ὄρνυον ἔνδον ἐόντες ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ νηῶν· §12.143αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῖχος ἐπεσσυμένους ἐνόησαν §12.144Τρῶας, ἀτὰρ Δαναῶν γένετο ἰαχή τε φόβος τε, §12.145ἐκ δὲ τὼ ἀΐξαντε πυλάων πρόσθε μαχέσθην §12.146ἀγροτέροισι σύεσσιν ἐοικότε, τώ τʼ ἐν ὄρεσσιν §12.147ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ κυνῶν δέχαται κολοσυρτὸν ἰόντα, §12.148δοχμώ τʼ ἀΐσσοντε περὶ σφίσιν ἄγνυτον ὕλην §12.149πρυμνὴν ἐκτάμνοντες, ὑπαὶ δέ τε κόμπος ὀδόντων §12.150γίγνεται εἰς ὅ κέ τίς τε βαλὼν ἐκ θυμὸν ἕληται· §12.151ὣς τῶν κόμπει χαλκὸς ἐπὶ στήθεσσι φαεινὸς §12.152ἄντην βαλλομένων· μάλα γὰρ κρατερῶς ἐμάχοντο §12.153λαοῖσιν καθύπερθε πεποιθότες ἠδὲ βίηφιν.
Indeed these, as long as they were inside, were urging the well-greaved Achaeans to fight in defense of the ships; but when they perceived the Trojans rushing against the wall, and there arose a cry and flight among the Danai, then those two darted out from the gates and fought in front of them, like wild boars, which in the mountains await the coming noisy crowd of men and dogs, and rushing sideways they break the wood around them, cutting it off at the root, and beneath there arises a clatter of tusks until someone, throwing a spear, takes away their life; so did the bright bronze clatter upon their breasts as they were struck face to face; for they fought very stoutly, trusting in the people above and in their own strength.
§12.154οἳ δʼ ἄρα χερμαδίοισιν ἐϋδμήτων ἀπὸ πύργων §12.155βάλλον ἀμυνόμενοι σφῶν τʼ αὐτῶν καὶ κλισιάων §12.156νηῶν τʼ ὠκυπόρων· νιφάδες δʼ ὡς πῖπτον ἔραζε, §12.157ἅς τʼ ἄνεμος ζαὴς νέφεα σκιόεντα δονήσας §12.158ταρφειὰς κατέχευεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ· §12.159ὣς τῶν ἐκ χειρῶν βέλεα ῥέον ἠμὲν Ἀχαιῶν §12.160ἠδὲ καὶ ἐκ Τρώων· κόρυθες δʼ ἀμφʼ αὖον ἀΰτευν §12.161βαλλομένων μυλάκεσσι καὶ ἀσπίδες ὀμφαλόεσσαι.
And they indeed threw handstones from the well-built towers, defending themselves and their huts and the swift-faring ships; and like snowflakes they fell to the ground, which a violent wind, having shaken the shadowy clouds, pours thick upon the nourishing earth; so from their hands did the missiles flow, both of the Achaeans and also from the Trojans; and the helmets rang dry around them, as they were struck by millstone-sized stones, as did the bossed shields.
§12.162δή ῥα τότʼ ᾤμωξεν καὶ ὣ πεπλήγετο μηρὼ §12.163Ἄσιος Ὑρτακίδης, καὶ ἀλαστήσας ἔπος ηὔδα· §12.164Ζεῦ πάτερ ἦ ῥά νυ καὶ σὺ φιλοψευδὴς ἐτέτυξο §12.165πάγχυ μάλʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγʼ ἐφάμην ἥρωας Ἀχαιοὺς §12.166σχήσειν ἡμέτερόν γε μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους.
Then indeed did Asius, son of Hyrtacus, groan and beat both his thighs, and in vexation he spoke a word: "Father Zeus, surely you too have become utterly fond of falsehoods, altogether so; for I did not think the heroic Achaeans would hold back our might and matchless hands.
§12.167οἳ δʼ, ὥς τε σφῆκες μέσον αἰόλοι ἠὲ μέλισσαι §12.168οἰκία ποιήσωνται ὁδῷ ἔπι παιπαλοέσσῃ, §12.169οὐδʼ ἀπολείπουσιν κοῖλον δόμον, ἀλλὰ μένοντες §12.170ἄνδρας θηρητῆρας ἀμύνονται περὶ τέκνων, §12.171ὣς οἵ γʼ οὐκ ἐθέλουσι πυλάων καὶ δύʼ ἐόντε §12.172χάσσασθαι πρίν γʼ ἠὲ κατακτάμεν ἠὲ ἁλῶναι. §12.173ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδὲ Διὸς πεῖθε φρένα ταῦτʼ ἀγορεύων· §12.174Ἕκτορι γάρ οἱ θυμὸς ἐβούλετο κῦδος ὀρέξαι.
But they, like wasps with slender waists or bees that have made their nests by a rugged path, and do not leave their hollow home, but remaining defend themselves against hunting men in behalf of their young, so these, though being but two, are not willing to withdraw from the gates until they either be slain or taken." So he spoke, but he did not persuade the mind of Zeus by saying these things; for his heart wished to grant glory to Hector.
§12.175ἄλλοι δʼ ἀμφʼ ἄλλῃσι μάχην ἐμάχοντο πύλῃσιν· §12.176ἀργαλέον δέ με ταῦτα θεὸν ὣς πάντʼ ἀγορεῦσαι·
And others were fighting the battle around the other gates; and it would be hard for me to tell all these things as if I were a god.
For everywhere around the stone wall arose a god-kindled fire; for it was of stone.
Ἀργεῖοι δὲ καὶ ἀχνύμενοί περ ἀνάγκῃ §12.179νηῶν ἠμύνοντο· θεοὶ δʼ ἀκαχήατο θυμὸν §12.180πάντες ὅσοι Δαναοῖσι μάχης ἐπιτάρροθοι ἦσαν.
And the Argives, though grieving, by necessity defended the ships; and the gods were vexed in heart, all those who were helpers of the Danai in battle.
§12.181σὺν δʼ ἔβαλον Λαπίθαι πόλεμον καὶ δηϊοτῆτα.
And the Lapiths joined battle and slaughter.
§12.182ἔνθʼ αὖ Πειριθόου υἱὸς κρατερὸς Πολυποίτης §12.183δουρὶ βάλεν Δάμασον κυνέης διὰ χαλκοπαρῄου· §12.184οὐδʼ ἄρα χαλκείη κόρυς ἔσχεθεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ πρὸ §12.185αἰχμὴ χαλκείη ῥῆξʼ ὀστέον, ἐγκέφαλος δὲ §12.186ἔνδον ἅπας πεπάλακτο· δάμασσε δέ μιν μεμαῶτα·
Then again the mighty son of Peirithous, Polypoetes, struck Damasus with his spear through the bronze-cheeked helmet; nor did the bronze helmet hold it off, but straight through the bronze point broke the bone, and the brain was all spattered inside; and he subdued him as he rushed on.
§12.187αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Πύλωνα καὶ Ὄρμενον ἐξενάριξεν.
And then he despoiled Pylon and Ormenus.
And Leonteus, branch of Ares, struck Hippomachus, son of Antimachus, with his spear, hitting him upon the belt.
§12.190αὖτις δʼ ἐκ κολεοῖο ἐρυσσάμενος ξίφος ὀξὺ §12.191Ἀντιφάτην μὲν πρῶτον ἐπαΐξας διʼ ὁμίλου §12.192πλῆξʼ αὐτοσχεδίην· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ὕπτιος οὔδει ἐρείσθη·
And next, drawing his sharp sword from its scabbard, first he rushed through the throng upon Antiphates and struck him hand to hand; and he was stretched on his back upon the ground.
§12.193αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Μένωνα καὶ Ἰαμενὸν καὶ Ὀρέστην §12.194πάντας ἐπασσυτέρους πέλασε χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ.
And then Menon, and Iamenus, and Orestes, all of them, one after another, he brought down to the nourishing earth.
§12.195ὄφρʼ οἳ τοὺς ἐνάριζον ἀπʼ ἔντεα μαρμαίροντα, §12.196τόφρʼ οἳ Πουλυδάμαντι καὶ Ἕκτορι κοῦροι ἕποντο, §12.197οἳ πλεῖστοι καὶ ἄριστοι ἔσαν, μέμασαν δὲ μάλιστα §12.198τεῖχός τε ῥήξειν καὶ ἐνιπρήσειν πυρὶ νῆας, §12.199οἵ ῥʼ ἔτι μερμήριζον ἐφεσταότες παρὰ τάφρῳ.
While these were stripping them of their shining armor, meanwhile the youths who followed Polydamas and Hector, who were the most numerous and the best, and were most eager to break through the wall and burn the ships with fire, still hesitated, standing by the edge of the ditch.
§12.200ὄρνις γάρ σφιν ἐπῆλθε περησέμεναι μεμαῶσιν §12.201αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ λαὸν ἐέργων §12.202φοινήεντα δράκοντα φέρων ὀνύχεσσι πέλωρον §12.203ζωὸν ἔτʼ ἀσπαίροντα, καὶ οὔ πω λήθετο χάρμης, §12.204κόψε γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔχοντα κατὰ στῆθος παρὰ δειρὴν §12.205ἰδνωθεὶς ὀπίσω· ὃ δʼ ἀπὸ ἕθεν ἧκε χαμᾶζε §12.206ἀλγήσας ὀδύνῃσι, μέσῳ δʼ ἐνὶ κάββαλʼ ὁμίλῳ,
For a bird had come upon them as they were eager to cross over, a high-flying eagle, skimming the left of the host, carrying in its talons a huge, blood-red serpent, still alive and gasping, nor had it yet forgotten fight; for it bit him who held it on the breast beside the neck, bending backward; and he let it drop from him to the ground in his agony of pain, and cast it down in the midst of the throng,