§12.207αὐτὸς δὲ κλάγξας πέτετο πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο.
and the eagle itself, with a loud clang, flew away on the blasts of the wind.
And the Trojans shuddered when they saw the writhing serpent lying in their midst, a portent of aegis-bearing Zeus.
§12.210δὴ τότε Πουλυδάμας θρασὺν Ἕκτορα εἶπε παραστάς· §12.211Ἕκτορ ἀεὶ μέν πώς μοι ἐπιπλήσσεις ἀγορῇσιν §12.212ἐσθλὰ φραζομένῳ, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδὲ ἔοικε §12.213δῆμον ἐόντα παρὲξ ἀγορευέμεν, οὔτʼ ἐνὶ βουλῇ §12.214οὔτέ ποτʼ ἐν πολέμῳ, σὸν δὲ κράτος αἰὲν ἀέξειν· §12.215νῦν αὖτʼ ἐξερέω ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα.
Then indeed Polydamas stood beside bold Hector and spoke: "Hector, you always somehow rebuke me in the assemblies, even when I counsel well, since it is not indeed fitting for one who is of the common people to speak contrary to you, either in council or ever in war, but always to increase your authority; yet now again I will speak as it seems to me to be best.
§12.216μὴ ἴομεν Δαναοῖσι μαχησόμενοι περὶ νηῶν.
Let us not go to fight with the Danai for the sake of the ships.
§12.217ὧδε γὰρ ἐκτελέεσθαι ὀΐομαι, εἰ ἐτεόν γε §12.218Τρωσὶν ὅδʼ ὄρνις ἦλθε περησέμεναι μεμαῶσιν §12.219αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ λαὸν ἐέργων §12.220φοινήεντα δράκοντα φέρων ὀνύχεσσι πέλωρον §12.221ζωόν· ἄφαρ δʼ ἀφέηκε πάρος φίλα οἰκίʼ ἱκέσθαι, §12.222οὐδʼ ἐτέλεσσε φέρων δόμεναι τεκέεσσιν ἑοῖσιν.
For thus I think it will turn out, if indeed in truth this bird came upon the Trojans 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; but it let it go immediately before reaching its own home, and did not succeed in carrying it to give to its young.
§12.223ὣς ἡμεῖς, εἴ πέρ τε πύλας καὶ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν §12.224ῥηξόμεθα σθένεϊ μεγάλῳ, εἴξωσι δʼ Ἀχαιοί, §12.225οὐ κόσμῳ παρὰ ναῦφιν ἐλευσόμεθʼ αὐτὰ κέλευθα· §12.226πολλοὺς γὰρ Τρώων καταλείψομεν, οὕς κεν Ἀχαιοὶ §12.227χαλκῷ δῃώσωσιν ἀμυνόμενοι περὶ νηῶν.
So we, even if we should break the gates and the wall of the Achaeans with great might, and the Achaeans should give way, we shall not return in good order by the same paths from the ships; for we shall leave behind many of the Trojans, whom the Achaeans will slay with the bronze while defending themselves in defense of the ships.
§12.228ὧδέ χʼ ὑποκρίναιτο θεοπρόπος, ὃς σάφα θυμῷ §12.229εἰδείη τεράων καί οἱ πειθοίατο λαοί. §12.230τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ· §12.231Πουλυδάμα, σὺ μὲν οὐκ ἔτʼ ἐμοὶ φίλα ταῦτʼ ἀγορεύεις· §12.232οἶσθα καὶ ἄλλον μῦθον ἀμείνονα τοῦδε νοῆσαι.
Thus would a seer interpret, who in his mind knew portents clearly, and whom the people believed." Then indeed, looking at him darkly, Hector of the flashing helmet addressed him: "Polydamas, these things you say are no longer pleasing to me; you know how to devise another counsel better than this.
§12.233εἰ δʼ ἐτεὸν δὴ τοῦτον ἀπὸ σπουδῆς ἀγορεύεις, §12.234ἐξ ἄρα δή τοι ἔπειτα θεοὶ φρένας ὤλεσαν αὐτοί, §12.235ὃς κέλεαι Ζηνὸς μὲν ἐριγδούποιο λαθέσθαι §12.236βουλέων, ἅς τέ μοι αὐτὸς ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσε·
But if indeed you speak this in earnest, then indeed the gods themselves have destroyed your senses, who bid me to forget the counsels of loud-thundering Zeus, which he himself promised me and confirmed with a nod.
§12.237τύνη δʼ οἰωνοῖσι τανυπτερύγεσσι κελεύεις §12.238πείθεσθαι, τῶν οὔ τι μετατρέπομʼ οὐδʼ ἀλεγίζω §12.239εἴτʼ ἐπὶ δεξίʼ ἴωσι πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε, §12.240εἴτʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ τοί γε ποτὶ ζόφον ἠερόεντα.
And you bid me to obey long-winged birds, of which I take no heed nor care at all, whether they go to the right toward the dawn and the sun, or to the left toward the misty darkness.
Let us rather obey the counsel of great Zeus, who rules over all mortals and immortals.
§12.243εἷς οἰωνὸς ἄριστος ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ πάτρης.
One omen is best: to fight for one's country.
§12.244τίπτε σὺ δείδοικας πόλεμον καὶ δηϊοτῆτα;
Why do you fear war and battle?
§12.245εἴ περ γάρ τʼ ἄλλοι γε περὶ κτεινώμεθα πάντες §12.246νηυσὶν ἐπʼ Ἀργείων, σοὶ δʼ οὐ δέος ἔστʼ ἀπολέσθαι· §12.247οὐ γάρ τοι κραδίη μενεδήϊος οὐδὲ μαχήμων.
For even if all the rest of us should be slain at the ships of the Argives, you have no fear of perishing; for your heart is not steadfast in battle nor warlike.
§12.248εἰ δὲ σὺ δηϊοτῆτος ἀφέξεαι, ἠέ τινʼ ἄλλον §12.249παρφάμενος ἐπέεσσιν ἀποτρέψεις πολέμοιο, §12.250αὐτίκʼ ἐμῷ ὑπὸ δουρὶ τυπεὶς ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσεις. §12.251ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἡγήσατο, τοὶ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕποντο §12.252ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ· ἐπὶ δὲ Ζεὺς τερπικέραυνος §12.253ὦρσεν ἀπʼ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ἀνέμοιο θύελλαν, §12.254ἥ ῥʼ ἰθὺς νηῶν κονίην φέρεν· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιῶν §12.255θέλγε νόον, Τρωσὶν δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορι κῦδος ὄπαζε.
But if you hold back from battle, or if you turn any other away from war, beguiling them with your words, straightway, struck by my spear, you shall lose your life." Having thus spoken, he led the way, and they followed him with a wondrous clamor; and Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt roused from the mountains of Ida a storm of wind, which carried the dust straight against the ships; and he bewildered the mind of the Achaeans, but to the Trojans and Hector he granted glory.
Trusting indeed in his portents and in their own might, they tried to break the great wall of the Achaeans.
§12.258κρόσσας μὲν πύργων ἔρυον, καὶ ἔρειπον ἐπάλξεις, §12.259στήλας τε προβλῆτας ἐμόχλεον, ἃς ἄρʼ Ἀχαιοὶ §12.260πρώτας ἐν γαίῃ θέσαν ἔμμεναι ἔχματα πύργων.
They dragged down the battlements of the towers and tore down the breastworks, and pried up with levers the projecting buttresses, which the Achaeans had first set in the earth to be supports for the towers.
§12.261τὰς οἵ γʼ αὐέρυον, ἔλποντο δὲ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν §12.262ῥήξειν· οὐδέ νύ πω Δαναοὶ χάζοντο κελεύθου, §12.263ἀλλʼ οἵ γε ῥινοῖσι βοῶν φράξαντες ἐπάλξεις §12.264βάλλον ἀπʼ αὐτάων δηΐους ὑπὸ τεῖχος ἰόντας.
These they dragged out, and hoped to break the wall of the Achaeans; yet the Danai did not yet yield the path, but closing the breastworks with hides of oxen, they cast from them upon the enemy who were coming up under the wall.
§12.265ἀμφοτέρω δʼ Αἴαντε κελευτιόωντʼ ἐπὶ πύργων §12.266πάντοσε φοιτήτην μένος ὀτρύνοντες Ἀχαιῶν. §12.267ἄλλον μειλιχίοις, ἄλλον στερεοῖς ἐπέεσσι §12.268νείκεον, ὅν τινα πάγχυ μάχης μεθιέντα ἴδοιεν· §12.269ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ὅς τʼ ἔξοχος ὅς τε μεσήεις §12.270ὅς τε χερειότερος, ἐπεὶ οὔ πω πάντες ὁμοῖοι §12.271ἀνέρες ἐν πολέμῳ, νῦν ἔπλετο ἔργον ἅπασι· §12.272καὶ δʼ αὐτοὶ τόδε που γιγνώσκετε.
And the two Ajaxes, giving orders along the towers, went everywhere, urging on the might of the Achaeans, rebuking one with mild words, another with harsh, whomever they saw utterly slacking from battle: "O friends, whoever of the Argives is preeminent, whoever is average, and whoever is inferior—since indeed not all men are equal in war—now there is work for all; and you yourselves surely know this.