This man, next to Achilles, breaker of ranks, Patroclus honored most, because he was most faithful to him to await his command in battle.
§16.148τῷ δὲ καὶ Αὐτομέδων ὕπαγε ζυγὸν ὠκέας ἵππους §16.149Ξάνθον καὶ Βαλίον, τὼ ἅμα πνοιῇσι πετέσθην, §16.150τοὺς ἔτεκε Ζεφύρῳ ἀνέμῳ Ἅρπυια Ποδάργη §16.151βοσκομένη λειμῶνι παρὰ ῥόον Ὠκεανοῖο.
For him Automedon led under the yoke the swift horses, Xanthus and Balius, who flew swift as the blasts of the wind, whom the Harpy Podarge bore to the West Wind Zephyrus, while she grazed in the meadow beside the stream of Oceanus.
§16.152ἐν δὲ παρηορίῃσιν ἀμύμονα Πήδασον ἵει, §16.153τόν ῥά ποτʼ Ἠετίωνος ἑλὼν πόλιν ἤγαγʼ Ἀχιλλεύς, §16.154ὃς καὶ θνητὸς ἐὼν ἕπεθʼ ἵπποις ἀθανάτοισι.
And in the side-traces he put noble Pedasus, whom Achilles brought away when he took the city of Eetion, who, though being mortal, kept pace with the immortal horses.
§16.155Μυρμιδόνας δʼ ἄρʼ ἐποιχόμενος θώρηξεν Ἀχιλλεὺς §16.156πάντας ἀνὰ κλισίας σὺν τεύχεσιν· οἳ δὲ λύκοι ὣς §16.157ὠμοφάγοι, τοῖσίν τε περὶ φρεσὶν ἄσπετος ἀλκή, §16.158οἵ τʼ ἔλαφον κεραὸν μέγαν οὔρεσι δῃώσαντες §16.159δάπτουσιν· πᾶσιν δὲ παρήϊον αἵματι φοινόν· §16.160καί τʼ ἀγεληδὸν ἴασιν ἀπὸ κρήνης μελανύδρου §16.161λάψοντες γλώσσῃσιν ἀραιῇσιν μέλαν ὕδωρ §16.162ἄκρον ἐρευγόμενοι φόνον αἵματος· ἐν δέ τε θυμὸς §16.163στήθεσιν ἄτρομός ἐστι, περιστένεται δέ τε γαστήρ· §16.164τοῖοι Μυρμιδόνων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες §16.165ἀμφʼ ἀγαθὸν θεράποντα ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο §16.166ῥώοντʼ· ἐν δʼ ἄρα τοῖσιν ἀρήϊος ἵστατʼ Ἀχιλλεύς, §16.167ὀτρύνων ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας.
Then Achilles went to and fro and armed all the Myrmidons throughout the huts with their armor; and they, like wolves that eat raw flesh, in whose hearts is boundless courage, and who have slain a great horned stag in the mountains and devour it; and the jaws of all of them are red with blood; and they go in a pack from a dark-water spring to lap the dark water with their slender tongues, belching out the gore of blood from their mouths; and the heart in their breasts is fearless, and their bellies are gorged; such were the leaders and rulers of the Myrmidons bustling about the brave squire of the swift-footed grandson of Aeacus; and among them stood warlike Achilles, arousing both the horses and the shield-bearing men.
§16.168πεντήκοντʼ ἦσαν νῆες θοαί, ᾗσιν Ἀχιλλεὺς §16.169ἐς Τροίην ἡγεῖτο Διῒ φίλος· ἐν δὲ ἑκάστῃ §16.170πεντήκοντʼ ἔσαν ἄνδρες ἐπὶ κληῗσιν ἑταῖροι· §16.171πέντε δʼ ἄρʼ ἡγεμόνας ποιήσατο τοῖς ἐπεποίθει §16.172σημαίνειν· αὐτὸς δὲ μέγα κρατέων ἤνασσε.
Fifty were the swift ships with which Achilles, dear to Zeus, led his men to Troy; and in each were fifty men, his companions on the benches; and five leaders he made, in whom he trusted to command; and he himself ruled with great power.
§16.173τῆς μὲν ἰῆς στιχὸς ἦρχε Μενέσθιος αἰολοθώρηξ §16.174υἱὸς Σπερχειοῖο διιπετέος ποταμοῖο· §16.175ὃν τέκε Πηλῆος θυγάτηρ καλὴ Πολυδώρη §16.176Σπερχειῷ ἀκάμαντι γυνὴ θεῷ εὐνηθεῖσα, §16.177αὐτὰρ ἐπίκλησιν Βώρῳ Περιήρεος υἷι, §16.178ὅς ῥʼ ἀναφανδὸν ὄπυιε πορὼν ἀπερείσια ἕδνα.
Of the first rank Menesthius of the gleaming breastplate was leader, the son of Spercheius, the river flowing from Zeus; whom the beautiful Polydora, daughter of Peleus, bore to tireless Spercheius, a woman couched with a god, but nominally to Borus, son of Perieres, who wedded her openly, giving countless bride-gifts.
§16.179τῆς δʼ ἑτέρης Εὔδωρος ἀρήϊος ἡγεμόνευε §16.180παρθένιος, τὸν ἔτικτε χορῷ καλὴ Πολυμήλη §16.181Φύλαντος θυγάτηρ· τῆς δὲ κρατὺς ἀργεϊφόντης §16.182ἠράσατʼ, ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδὼν μετὰ μελπομένῃσιν §16.183ἐν χορῷ Ἀρτέμιδος χρυσηλακάτου κελαδεινῆς.
And of the second rank warlike Eudorus was leader, born of an unwedded mother, whom the beautiful Polymele, daughter of Phylas, bore in the dance; of her the strong slayer of Argus became enamored, when he saw her with his eyes among the singing maidens in the dance of Artemis of the golden distaff, the goddess of the sounding chase.
§16.184αὐτίκα δʼ εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀναβὰς παρελέξατο λάθρῃ §16.185Ἑρμείας ἀκάκητα, πόρεν δέ οἱ ἀγλαὸν υἱὸν §16.186Εὔδωρον πέρι μὲν θείειν ταχὺν ἠδὲ μαχητήν.
And straightway going up into her upper chamber, secretly lay beside her Hermes the helper, and she gave him a glorious son, Eudorus, swift beyond measure to run and a warrior too.
§16.187αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τόν γε μογοστόκος Εἰλείθυια §16.188ἐξάγαγε πρὸ φόως δὲ καὶ ἠελίου ἴδεν αὐγάς, §16.189τὴν μὲν Ἐχεκλῆος κρατερὸν μένος Ἀκτορίδαο §16.190ἠγάγετο πρὸς δώματʼ, ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα, §16.191τὸν δʼ ὃ γέρων Φύλας εὖ ἔτρεφεν ἠδʼ ἀτίταλλεν §16.192ἀμφαγαπαζόμενος ὡς εἴ θʼ ἑὸν υἱὸν ἐόντα.
But when Eileithyia, goddess of the birth-pangs, brought him forth to the light, and he saw the rays of the sun, her the strong might of Echecles, son of Actor, led to his home, when he had given countless bride-gifts, and the boy the old man Phylas reared well and cherished, loving him dearly as if he were his own son.
§16.193τῆς δὲ τρίτης Πείσανδρος ἀρήϊος ἡγεμόνευε §16.194Μαιμαλίδης, ὃς πᾶσι μετέπρεπε Μυρμιδόνεσσιν §16.195ἔγχεϊ μάρνασθαι μετὰ Πηλεΐωνος ἑταῖρον.
And of the third rank warlike Peisander was leader, son of Maemalus, who excelled all the Myrmidons in fighting with the spear, after the companion of Peleus' son.
§16.196τῆς δὲ τετάρτης ἦρχε γέρων ἱππηλάτα Φοῖνιξ, §16.197πέμπτης δʼ Ἀλκιμέδων Λαέρκεος υἱὸς ἀμύμων.
And of the fourth rank the old horseman Phoenix was leader, and of the fifth Alcimedon, the noble son of Laerces.
§16.198αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντας ἅμʼ ἡγεμόνεσσιν Ἀχιλλεὺς §16.199στῆσεν ἐῢ κρίνας, κρατερὸν δʼ ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλε· §16.200Μυρμιδόνες μή τίς μοι ἀπειλάων λελαθέσθω, §16.201ἃς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ θοῇσιν ἀπειλεῖτε Τρώεσσι §16.202πάνθʼ ὑπὸ μηνιθμόν, καί μʼ ᾐτιάασθε ἕκαστος· §16.203σχέτλιε Πηλέος υἱὲ χόλῳ ἄρα σʼ ἔτρεφε μήτηρ, §16.204νηλεές, ὃς παρὰ νηυσὶν ἔχεις ἀέκοντας ἑταίρους· §16.205οἴκαδέ περ σὺν νηυσὶ νεώμεθα ποντοπόροισιν §16.206αὖτις, ἐπεί ῥά τοι ὧδε κακὸς χόλος ἔμπεσε θυμῷ. §16.207ταῦτά μʼ ἀγειρόμενοι θάμʼ ἐβάζετε· νῦν δὲ πέφανται §16.208φυλόπιδος μέγα ἔργον, ἕης τὸ πρίν γʼ ἐράασθε.
But when Achilles had set them all in order with their leaders, having chosen them well, he laid a stern command upon them: "Myrmidons, let no man of you forget the threats with which you threatened the Trojans beside the swift ships throughout all the time of my wrath, and you each accused me, saying: 'Cruel son of Peleus, surely on wrath your mother reared you, pitiless man, who keep your companions by the ships against their will; home let us go again with our seafaring ships, since such evil wrath has fallen upon your heart.' These things you often said to me, gathering in groups; but now is appeared a great work of battle, of which before you were desirous.
Therefore let him who has a brave heart fight against the Trojans." So speaking, he aroused the strength and spirit of each man.
§16.211μᾶλλον δὲ στίχες ἄρθεν, ἐπεὶ βασιλῆος ἄκουσαν.
And their ranks were closed yet more when they heard the king.
§16.212ὡς δʼ ὅτε τοῖχον ἀνὴρ ἀράρῃ πυκινοῖσι λίθοισι §16.213δώματος ὑψηλοῖο βίας ἀνέμων ἀλεείνων, §16.214ὣς ἄραρον κόρυθές τε καὶ ἀσπίδες ὀμφαλόεσσαι.
And as when a man fits together the wall of a high house with close-set stones, to avoid the force of the winds, so closely were fitted their helmets and bossed shields.
§16.215ἀσπὶς ἄρʼ ἀσπίδʼ ἔρειδε, κόρυς κόρυν, ἀνέρα δʼ ἀνήρ· §16.216ψαῦον δʼ ἱππόκομοι κόρυθες λαμπροῖσι φάλοισι §16.217νευόντων, ὡς πυκνοὶ ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισι.
Shield pressed on shield, helmet on helmet, and man on man; and the horse-hair crests of the gleaming helmets touched as they nodded, so closely stood they one to another.