Nor did it escape the notice of Atreus' son, Menelaus dear to Ares, that Patroclus had been slain by the Trojans in the fight.
§17.3βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ, §17.4ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῷ βαῖνʼ ὥς τις περὶ πόρτακι μήτηρ §17.5πρωτοτόκος κινυρὴ οὐ πρὶν εἰδυῖα τόκοιο· §17.6ὣς περὶ Πατρόκλῳ βαῖνε ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.
He went through the foremost fighters, armed in flashing bronze, and stood over him as a mother cow over her calf, having brought forth her first-born, uttering plaintive cries, not having known birth before; so did fair-haired Menelaus stand over Patroclus.
§17.7πρόσθε δέ οἱ δόρυ τʼ ἔσχε καὶ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην, §17.8τὸν κτάμεναι μεμαὼς ὅς τις τοῦ γʼ ἀντίος ἔλθοι.
And before him he held his spear and his shield equal on all sides, ready to slay whoever should come against him.
§17.9οὐδʼ ἄρα Πάνθου υἱὸς ἐϋμμελίης ἀμέλησε §17.10Πατρόκλοιο πεσόντος ἀμύμονος· ἄγχι δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτοῦ §17.11ἔστη, καὶ προσέειπεν ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον· §17.12Ἀτρεΐδη Μενέλαε διοτρεφὲς ὄρχαμε λαῶν §17.13χάζεο, λεῖπε δὲ νεκρόν, ἔα δʼ ἔναρα βροτόεντα· §17.14οὐ γάρ τις πρότερος Τρώων κλειτῶν τʼ ἐπικούρων §17.15Πάτροκλον βάλε δουρὶ κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην·
Nor indeed did the son of Panthous, of the good ashen spear, neglect the fallen peerless Patroclus; but he stood near him and spoke to Menelaus dear to Ares: "Menelaus, son of Atreus, nurtured by Zeus, leader of the people, give way, and leave the corpse, and let be the bloody spoils; for no one before me of the Trojans and their famous allies struck Patroclus with the spear in the mighty combat.
§17.16τώ με ἔα κλέος ἐσθλὸν ἐνὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρέσθαι, §17.17μή σε βάλω, ἀπὸ δὲ μελιηδέα θυμὸν ἕλωμαι. §17.18τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος· §17.19Ζεῦ πάτερ οὐ μὲν καλὸν ὑπέρβιον εὐχετάασθαι.
Therefore let me win noble glory among the Trojans, lest I strike you and take away your honey-sweet life." Then greatly moved, fair-haired Menelaus spoke to him: "Father Zeus, surely it is not good to boast beyond measure.
§17.20οὔτʼ οὖν παρδάλιος τόσσον μένος οὔτε λέοντος §17.21οὔτε συὸς κάπρου ὀλοόφρονος, οὗ τε μέγιστος §17.22θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι περὶ σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνει, §17.23ὅσσον Πάνθου υἷες ἐϋμμελίαι φρονέουσιν.
Neither is the strength of a leopard so great, nor of a lion, nor of a destructive wild boar, whose mighty spirit rages in his breast with strength, as the pride of the sons of Panthous, of the good ashen spear.
§17.24οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδὲ βίη Ὑπερήνορος ἱπποδάμοιο §17.25ἧς ἥβης ἀπόνηθʼ, ὅτε μʼ ὤνατο καί μʼ ὑπέμεινε §17.26καί μʼ ἔφατʼ ἐν Δαναοῖσιν ἐλέγχιστον πολεμιστὴν §17.27ἔμμεναι· οὐδέ ἕ φημι πόδεσσί γε οἷσι κιόντα §17.28εὐφρῆναι ἄλοχόν τε φίλην κεδνούς τε τοκῆας.
Yet indeed not even the strength of horse-taming Hyperenor had the enjoyment of his youth, when he mocked me and withstood me, and said that I was the most contemptible warrior among the Danaans; yet I say he did not return on his own feet to gladden his dear wife and his revered parents.
§17.29ὥς θην καὶ σὸν ἐγὼ λύσω μένος εἴ κέ μευ ἄντα §17.30στήῃς· ἀλλά σʼ ἔγωγʼ ἀναχωρήσαντα κελεύω §17.31ἐς πληθὺν ἰέναι, μηδʼ ἀντίος ἵστασʼ ἐμεῖο §17.32πρίν τι κακὸν παθέειν· ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω. §17.33ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ οὐ πεῖθεν· ἀμειβόμενος δὲ προσηύδα· §17.34νῦν μὲν δὴ Μενέλαε διοτρεφὲς ἦ μάλα τείσεις §17.35γνωτὸν ἐμὸν τὸν ἔπεφνες, ἐπευχόμενος δʼ ἀγορεύεις, §17.36χήρωσας δὲ γυναῖκα μυχῷ θαλάμοιο νέοιο, §17.37ἀρητὸν δὲ τοκεῦσι γόον καὶ πένθος ἔθηκας.
So indeed I will undo your strength too, if you stand against me; but I bid you draw back into the multitude, and do not stand against me before you suffer some harm; once a thing is done, even a fool understands it." So he spoke, but did not persuade him; and replying he spoke to him: "Now indeed, Menelaus nurtured by Zeus, you shall pay for my brother whom you slew, and you speak exultingly, and you made his wife a widow in the chamber of her new bridal room, and brought accursed mourning and grief to his parents.
§17.38ἦ κέ σφιν δειλοῖσι γόου κατάπαυμα γενοίμην §17.39εἴ κεν ἐγὼ κεφαλήν τε τεὴν καὶ τεύχεʼ ἐνείκας §17.40Πάνθῳ ἐν χείρεσσι βάλω καὶ Φρόντιδι δίῃ.
Surely I would be a cessation of grief to those wretched ones, if I should carry your head and your armor and place them in the hands of Panthous and noble Phrontis.
§17.41ἀλλʼ οὐ μὰν ἔτι δηρὸν ἀπείρητος πόνος ἔσται §17.42οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἀδήριτος ἤτʼ ἀλκῆς ἤτε φόβοιο. §17.43ὣς εἰπὼν οὔτησε κατʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην· §17.44οὐδʼ ἔρρηξεν χαλκός, ἀνεγνάμφθη δέ οἱ αἰχμὴ §17.45ἀσπίδʼ ἐνὶ κρατερῇ·
But indeed no longer shall the struggle be untried, nor uncontested, whether it be for strength or for fear." So saying, he struck his shield equal on all sides; but the bronze did not break through, and his spear-point was bent in the strong shield.
ὃ δὲ δεύτερος ὄρνυτο χαλκῷ §17.46Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἐπευξάμενος Διὶ πατρί· §17.47ἂψ δʼ ἀναχαζομένοιο κατὰ στομάχοιο θέμεθλα §17.48νύξʼ, ἐπὶ δʼ αὐτὸς ἔρεισε βαρείῃ χειρὶ πιθήσας· §17.49ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἁπαλοῖο διʼ αὐχένος ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκή,
Then next Atreus' son, Menelaus, rushed on with his bronze spear, praying to father Zeus; and as he drew back, he stabbed him at the base of the throat, and pressed upon the spear himself, trusting in his heavy hand; and clean through his tender neck went the point.
§17.50δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.
He fell with a thud, and his armor clattered upon him.
With blood his hair was wet, beautiful as the Graces, and his locks that were bound with gold and silver.
§17.53οἷον δὲ τρέφει ἔρνος ἀνὴρ ἐριθηλὲς ἐλαίης §17.54χώρῳ ἐν οἰοπόλῳ, ὅθʼ ἅλις ἀναβέβροχεν ὕδωρ, §17.55καλὸν τηλεθάον· τὸ δέ τε πνοιαὶ δονέουσι §17.56παντοίων ἀνέμων, καί τε βρύει ἄνθεϊ λευκῷ· §17.57ἐλθὼν δʼ ἐξαπίνης ἄνεμος σὺν λαίλαπι πολλῇ §17.58βόθρου τʼ ἐξέστρεψε καὶ ἐξετάνυσσʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ· §17.59τοῖον Πάνθου υἱὸν ἐϋμμελίην Εὔφορβον §17.60Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἐπεὶ κτάνε τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα.
And as a man rears a lusty shoot of an olive tree in a lonely place, where water wells up abundantly, fair and flourishing; and the breaths of all kinds of winds shake it, and it bursts into white blossom; but suddenly a wind comes with a great tempest, and tears it from its trench, and stretches it out upon the earth; even so did Menelaus, son of Atreus, despoil Euphorbus, son of Panthous, of the good ashen spear, when he had slain him.
§17.61ὡς δʼ ὅτε τίς τε λέων ὀρεσίτροφος ἀλκὶ πεποιθὼς §17.62βοσκομένης ἀγέλης βοῦν ἁρπάσῃ ἥ τις ἀρίστη· §17.63τῆς δʼ ἐξ αὐχένʼ ἔαξε λαβὼν κρατεροῖσιν ὀδοῦσι §17.64πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δέ θʼ αἷμα καὶ ἔγκατα πάντα λαφύσσει §17.65δῃῶν· ἀμφὶ δὲ τόν γε κύνες τʼ ἄνδρές τε νομῆες §17.66πολλὰ μάλʼ ἰύζουσιν ἀπόπροθεν οὐδʼ ἐθέλουσιν §17.67ἀντίον ἐλθέμεναι· μάλα γὰρ χλωρὸν δέος αἱρεῖ· §17.68ὣς τῶν οὔ τινι θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐτόλμα §17.69ἀντίον ἐλθέμεναι Μενελάου κυδαλίμοιο.
And as when a mountain-bred lion, trusting in his might, seizes from a grazing herd a cow which is the best; her neck he breaks first, seizing it with his strong teeth, and then gulps down the blood and all the entrails, tearing her; while around him dogs and herdsmen clamor loudly from afar, but are not willing to go against him; for pale fear seizes them; even so the heart in the breast of none of them dared to go against glorious Menelaus.