§12.406χώρησεν δʼ ἄρα τυτθὸν ἐπάλξιος· οὐδʼ ὅ γε πάμπαν §12.407χάζετʼ, ἐπεί οἱ θυμὸς ἐέλπετο κῦδος ἀρέσθαι.
Sarpedon stepped back a little from the breastwork; yet he did not altogether shrink back, since his heart hoped to win glory.
§12.408κέκλετο δʼ ἀντιθέοισιν ἑλιξάμενος Λυκίοισιν· §12.409ὦ Λύκιοι τί τʼ ἄρʼ ὧδε μεθίετε θούριδος ἀλκῆς;
And he called, turning to the godlike Lycians: "O Lycians, why do you thus slacken in your impetuous valour?
§12.410ἀργαλέον δέ μοί ἐστι καὶ ἰφθίμῳ περ ἐόντι §12.411μούνῳ ῥηξαμένῳ θέσθαι παρὰ νηυσὶ κέλευθον· §12.412ἀλλʼ ἐφομαρτεῖτε· πλεόνων δέ τι ἔργον ἄμεινον. §12.413ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δὲ ἄνακτος ὑποδείσαντες ὁμοκλὴν §12.414μᾶλλον ἐπέβρισαν βουληφόρον ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα.
It is hard for me, strong though I am, alone to break through and make a path to the ships; but follow with me; the work of more men is better." So he spoke, and they, fearing the rebuke of their king, pressed on harder around their counselor king.
§12.415Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐκαρτύναντο φάλαγγας §12.416τείχεος ἔντοσθεν, μέγα δέ σφισι φαίνετο ἔργον· §12.417οὔτε γὰρ ἴφθιμοι Λύκιοι Δαναῶν ἐδύναντο §12.418τεῖχος ῥηξάμενοι θέσθαι παρὰ νηυσὶ κέλευθον, §12.419οὔτέ ποτʼ αἰχμηταὶ Δαναοὶ Λυκίους ἐδύναντο §12.420τείχεος ἂψ ὤσασθαι, ἐπεὶ τὰ πρῶτα πέλασθεν.
And the Argives on the other side strengthened their phalanxes within the wall, and it seemed to them a great task; for neither could the strong Lycians break through the wall of the Danaans and make a path to the ships, nor could the spearman Danaans thrust back the Lycians from the wall, once they had approached it.
§12.421ἀλλʼ ὥς τʼ ἀμφʼ οὔροισι δύʼ ἀνέρε δηριάασθον §12.422μέτρʼ ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες ἐπιξύνῳ ἐν ἀρούρῃ, §12.423ὥ τʼ ὀλίγῳ ἐνὶ χώρῳ ἐρίζητον περὶ ἴσης, §12.424ὣς ἄρα τοὺς διέεργον ἐπάλξιες· οἳ δʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτέων §12.425δῄουν ἀλλήλων ἀμφὶ στήθεσσι βοείας §12.426ἀσπίδας εὐκύκλους λαισήϊά τε πτερόεντα.
But as two men contend about boundaries with measuring rods in their hands, in a common field, who in a narrow space strive for their equal share; so did the breastworks keep them apart, and they over them were slashing the ox-hide shields around each other's breasts, the well-rounded shields and light fluttering bucklers.
§12.427πολλοὶ δʼ οὐτάζοντο κατὰ χρόα νηλέϊ χαλκῷ, §12.428ἠμὲν ὅτεῳ στρεφθέντι μετάφρενα γυμνωθείη §12.429μαρναμένων, πολλοὶ δὲ διαμπερὲς ἀσπίδος αὐτῆς.
And many were wounded in their flesh by the pitiless bronze, both when any of the fighters turned and his back was exposed, and many right through the shield itself.
Everywhere the towers and breastworks with the blood of men were sprinkled on both sides, from Trojans and Achaeans.
§12.432ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς ἐδύναντο φόβον ποιῆσαι Ἀχαιῶν, §12.433ἀλλʼ ἔχον ὥς τε τάλαντα γυνὴ χερνῆτις ἀληθής, §12.434ἥ τε σταθμὸν ἔχουσα καὶ εἴριον ἀμφὶς ἀνέλκει §12.435ἰσάζουσʼ, ἵνα παισὶν ἀεικέα μισθὸν ἄρηται·
Yet even so they could not put the Achaeans to flight, but they held their ground, as a scale is held by an honest woman who works with her hands, who, holding the weight and the wool, draws them up on either side balancing them, so that she may win a meager wage for her children.
§12.436ὣς μὲν τῶν ἐπὶ ἶσα μάχη τέτατο πτόλεμός τε, §12.437πρίν γʼ ὅτε δὴ Ζεὺς κῦδος ὑπέρτερον Ἕκτορι δῶκε §12.438Πριαμίδῃ, ὃς πρῶτος ἐσήλατο τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν.
So was their battle and war stretched evenly, until at last Zeus gave superior glory to Hector, son of Priam, who first leaped within the wall of the Achaeans.
§12.439ἤϋσεν δὲ διαπρύσιον Τρώεσσι γεγωνώς·
And he shouted in a piercing voice, calling out to the Trojans: "Rouse yourselves, horse-taming Trojans!
§12.440ὄρνυσθʼ ἱππόδαμοι Τρῶες, ῥήγνυσθε δὲ τεῖχος §12.441Ἀργείων καὶ νηυσὶν ἐνίετε θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ. §12.442ὣς φάτʼ ἐποτρύνων, οἳ δʼ οὔασι πάντες ἄκουον, §12.443ἴθυσαν δʼ ἐπὶ τεῖχος ἀολλέες·
Break the wall of the Argives, and cast wondrous-blazing fire upon the ships!" So he spoke, urging them on; and they all heard with their ears, and rushed straight at the wall in a crowd.
οἳ μὲν ἔπειτα §12.444κροσσάων ἐπέβαινον ἀκαχμένα δούρατʼ ἔχοντες, §12.445Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἁρπάξας λᾶαν φέρεν, ὅς ῥα πυλάων §12.446ἑστήκει πρόσθε πρυμνὸς παχύς, αὐτὰρ ὕπερθεν §12.447ὀξὺς ἔην· τὸν δʼ οὔ κε δύʼ ἀνέρε δήμου ἀρίστω §12.448ῥηϊδίως ἐπʼ ἄμαξαν ἀπʼ οὔδεος ὀχλίσσειαν, §12.449οἷοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσʼ· ὃ δέ μιν ῥέα πάλλε καὶ οἶος.
Then they scaled the pinnacles, holding sharp spears; and Hector snatched up a stone and carried it, which before the gates stood, thick at the base, but from above it was sharp; this not even two of the best men of the people could easily pry from the ground onto a wagon, such as mortals now are; but he swung it easily even alone.
§12.450τόν οἱ ἐλαφρὸν ἔθηκε Κρόνου πάϊς ἀγκυλομήτεω.
The son of crooked-counseling Cronos made it light for him.
§12.451ὡς δʼ ὅτε ποιμὴν ῥεῖα φέρει πόκον ἄρσενος οἰὸς §12.452χειρὶ λαβὼν ἑτέρῃ, ὀλίγον τέ μιν ἄχθος ἐπείγει, §12.453ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἰθὺς σανίδων φέρε λᾶαν ἀείρας, §12.454αἵ ῥα πύλας εἴρυντο πύκα στιβαρῶς ἀραρυίας §12.455δικλίδας ὑψηλάς· δοιοὶ δʼ ἔντοσθεν ὀχῆες §12.456εἶχον ἐπημοιβοί, μία δὲ κληῒς ἐπαρήρει.
And as when a shepherd easily carries the fleece of a ram, taking it in one hand, and but little does the weight burden him, so Hector lifted and carried the stone straight towards the door-leaves, which guarded the gates, closely and strongly fitted, double-folding and high; and two bars within secured them, crossing over each other, and a single key fastened them.
§12.457στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰών, καὶ ἐρεισάμενος βάλε μέσσας §12.458εὖ διαβάς, ἵνα μή οἱ ἀφαυρότερον βέλος εἴη, §12.459ῥῆξε δʼ ἀπʼ ἀμφοτέρους θαιρούς· πέσε δὲ λίθος εἴσω §12.460βριθοσύνῃ, μέγα δʼ ἀμφὶ πύλαι μύκον, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ὀχῆες §12.461ἐσχεθέτην, σανίδες δὲ διέτμαγεν ἄλλυδις ἄλλη §12.462λᾶος ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔσθορε φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ §12.463νυκτὶ θοῇ ἀτάλαντος ὑπώπια· λάμπε δὲ χαλκῷ §12.464σμερδαλέῳ, τὸν ἕεστο περὶ χροΐ, δοιὰ δὲ χερσὶ §12.465δοῦρʼ ἔχεν· οὔ κέν τίς μιν ἐρύκακεν ἀντιβολήσας §12.466νόσφι θεῶν ὅτʼ ἐσᾶλτο πύλας· πυρὶ δʼ ὄσσε δεδήει.
He went and stood very close, and planting himself, struck them in the middle, stepping well apart so that his cast might not be lacking in force, and he broke off both hinges; and the stone fell within by its weight, and the gates groaned aloud around it, nor did the bars hold, and the door-leaves were shattered this way and that under the impact of the stone; and glorious Hector leapt in, his face like swift night; and he gleamed with bronze terrible, which he wore about his body, and in his hands two spears he held; no one could have held him back, meeting him, save the gods, when he leapt within the gates; and his eyes blazed with fire.
§12.467κέκλετο δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἑλιξάμενος καθʼ ὅμιλον §12.468τεῖχος ὑπερβαίνειν· τοὶ δʼ ὀτρύνοντι πίθοντο.
And he called to the Trojans, turning to the throng, to scale the wall; and they obeyed his urging.
§12.469αὐτίκα δʼ οἳ μὲν τεῖχος ὑπέρβασαν, οἳ δὲ κατʼ αὐτὰς §12.470ποιητὰς ἐσέχυντο πύλας· Δαναοὶ δὲ φόβηθεν §12.471νῆας ἀνὰ γλαφυράς, ὅμαδος δʼ ἀλίαστος ἐτύχθη.
And straightway some scaled the wall, while others through the well-made gates poured in; and the Danaans fled in terror among the hollow ships, and a relentless din arose.