§17.487ἐς πόλεμον προφανέντε σὺν ἡνιόχοισι κακοῖσι·
appearing in the battle with poor charioteers.
§17.488τώ κεν ἐελποίμην αἱρησέμεν, εἰ σύ γε θυμῷ §17.489σῷ ἐθέλεις, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐφορμηθέντε γε νῶϊ §17.490τλαῖεν ἐναντίβιον στάντες μαχέσασθαι Ἄρηϊ. §17.491ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησεν ἐῢς πάϊς Ἀγχίσαο.
Therefore I should hope to capture them, if you in your heart are willing; for they would not dare, when we two charge against them, endure to stand against us and fight in battle." So he spoke, and the brave son of Anchises did not disobey.
The two went straight forward, their shoulders wrapped in ox-hides, dry and tough; and much bronze had been beaten upon them.
§17.494τοῖσι δʼ ἅμα Χρομίος τε καὶ Ἄρητος θεοειδὴς §17.495ἤϊσαν ἀμφότεροι· μάλα δέ σφισιν ἔλπετο θυμὸς §17.496αὐτώ τε κτενέειν ἐλάαν τʼ ἐριαύχενας ἵππους §17.497νήπιοι, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον ἀναιμωτί γε νέεσθαι §17.498αὖτις ἀπʼ Αὐτομέδοντος.
And with them Chromius and godlike Aretus both went; and their hearts hoped greatly to slay those two and drive off the high-necked horses— fools! for they were not to return without blood back from Automedon.
ὃ δʼ εὐξάμενος Διὶ πατρὶ §17.499ἀλκῆς καὶ σθένεος πλῆτο φρένας ἀμφὶ μελαίνας· §17.500αὐτίκα δʼ Ἀλκιμέδοντα προσηύδα πιστὸν ἑταῖρον· §17.501Ἀλκίμεδον μὴ δή μοι ἀπόπροθεν ἰσχέμεν ἵππους, §17.502ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἐμπνείοντε μεταφρένῳ· οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγε §17.503Ἕκτορα Πριαμίδην μένεος σχήσεσθαι ὀΐω, §17.504πρίν γʼ ἐπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος καλλίτριχε βήμεναι ἵππω §17.505νῶϊ κατακτείναντα, φοβῆσαί τε στίχας ἀνδρῶν §17.506Ἀργείων, ἤ κʼ αὐτὸς ἐνὶ πρώτοισιν ἁλοίη. §17.507ὣς εἰπὼν Αἴαντε καλέσσατο καὶ Μενέλαον· §17.508Αἴαντʼ Ἀργείων ἡγήτορε καὶ Μενέλαε §17.509ἤτοι μὲν τὸν νεκρὸν ἐπιτράπεθʼ οἵ περ ἄριστοι §17.510ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ βεβάμεν καὶ ἀμύνεσθαι στίχας ἀνδρῶν, §17.511νῶϊν δὲ ζωοῖσιν ἀμύνετε νηλεὲς ἦμαρ· §17.512τῇδε γὰρ ἔβρισαν πόλεμον κάτα δακρυόεντα §17.513Ἕκτωρ Αἰνείας θʼ, οἳ Τρώων εἰσὶν ἄριστοι.
But he, praying to father Zeus, was filled with courage and strength in his dark heart; and straightway he spoke to Alcimedon, his faithful comrade: "Alcimedon, do not keep the horses far from me, but let them breathe right on my back; for I do not think Hector, son of Priam, will refrain from his fury, before he mounts the fair-maned horses of Achilles, having slain us two, and puts to flight the ranks of Argive men, or himself be slain among the foremost." So saying, he called to the two Ajaxes and Menelaus: "Ajaxes, leaders of the Argives, and Menelaus, leave the dead body to those who are bravest to stand around it and ward off the ranks of men, but from us two who are alive ward off the pitiless day; for here Hector and Aeneas, who are the best of the Trojans, press hard through the tearful battle.
§17.514ἀλλʼ ἤτοι μὲν ταῦτα θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται· §17.515ἥσω γὰρ καὶ ἐγώ, τὰ δέ κεν Διὶ πάντα μελήσει. §17.516ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος, §17.517καὶ βάλεν Ἀρήτοιο κατʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην· §17.518ἣ δʼ οὐκ ἔγχος ἔρυτο, διὰ πρὸ δὲ εἴσατο χαλκός, §17.519νειαίρῃ δʼ ἐν γαστρὶ διὰ ζωστῆρος ἔλασσεν.
Yet surely these things lie on the knees of the gods; for I too will cast, and all will be a care to Zeus." He spoke, and poising his far-shadowing spear, he hurled it, and struck upon the shield of Aretus, equal on all sides; and it did not ward off the spear, but the bronze went right through, and drove through his belt into his lower belly.
§17.520ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ὀξὺν ἔχων πέλεκυν αἰζήϊος ἀνὴρ §17.521κόψας ἐξόπιθεν κεράων βοὸς ἀγραύλοιο §17.522ἶνα τάμῃ διὰ πᾶσαν, ὃ δὲ προθορὼν ἐρίπῃσιν, §17.523ὣς ἄρʼ ὅ γε προθορὼν πέσεν ὕπτιος· ἐν δέ οἱ ἔγχος §17.524νηδυίοισι μάλʼ ὀξὺ κραδαινόμενον λύε γυῖα.
And as when a strong man with a sharp axe strikes behind the horns of an ox of the field so as to cut through the whole sinew, and it leaps forward and falls; so he leapt forward and fell on his back; and the sharp spear in his belly, still quivering, loosened his limbs.
§17.525Ἕκτωρ δʼ Αὐτομέδοντος ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ· §17.526ἀλλʼ ὃ μὲν ἄντα ἰδὼν ἠλεύατο χάλκεον ἔγχος· §17.527πρόσσω γὰρ κατέκυψε, τὸ δʼ ἐξόπιθεν δόρυ μακρὸν §17.528οὔδει ἐνισκίμφθη, ἐπὶ δʼ οὐρίαχος πελεμίχθη §17.529ἔγχεος· ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀφίει μένος ὄβριμος Ἄρης.
And Hector cast at Automedon with his bright spear; but he, looking face to face, avoided the bronze spear; for he bent forward, and the long spear behind him was fixed in the ground, and the butt-end of the spear quivered; and there then mighty Ares spent its force.
§17.530καί νύ κε δὴ ξιφέεσσʼ αὐτοσχεδὸν ὁρμηθήτην §17.531εἰ μή σφωʼ Αἴαντε διέκριναν μεμαῶτε, §17.532οἵ ῥʼ ἦλθον καθʼ ὅμιλον ἑταίρου κικλήσκοντος·
And now they would have rushed at each other close hand with swords, had not the two Ajaxes parted them in their fury, who came through the throng at the call of their comrade.
§17.533τοὺς ὑποταρβήσαντες ἐχώρησαν πάλιν αὖτις §17.534Ἕκτωρ Αἰνείας τʼ ἠδὲ Χρομίος θεοειδής, §17.535Ἄρητον δὲ κατʼ αὖθι λίπον δεδαϊγμένον ἦτορ §17.536κείμενον· Αὐτομέδων δὲ θοῷ ἀτάλαντος Ἄρηϊ §17.537τεύχεά τʼ ἐξενάριξε καὶ εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηὔδα· §17.538ἦ δὴ μὰν ὀλίγον γε Μενοιτιάδαο θανόντος §17.539κῆρ ἄχεος μεθέηκα χερείονά περ καταπέφνων. §17.540ὣς εἰπὼν ἐς δίφρον ἑλὼν ἔναρα βροτόεντα §17.541θῆκʼ, ἂν δʼ αὐτὸς ἔβαινε πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ὕπερθεν §17.542αἱματόεις ὥς τίς τε λέων κατὰ ταῦρον ἐδηδώς.
Fearing them, they drew back again, Hector and Aeneas and godlike Chromius, but Aretus they left there, pierced through his heart, lying; and Automedon, equal to swift Ares, stripped him of his armor, and boasting spoke: "Verily indeed a little have I eased my heart of grief for the dead son of Menoetius, though slaying a worse man." So saying, he took the bloody spoils and placed them in the chariot, and himself mounted, his feet and hands above bloody, like a lion that has devoured a bull.
§17.543ἂψ δʼ ἐπὶ Πατρόκλῳ τέτατο κρατερὴ ὑσμίνη §17.544ἀργαλέη πολύδακρυς, ἔγειρε δὲ νεῖκος Ἀθήνη §17.545οὐρανόθεν καταβᾶσα· προῆκε γὰρ εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς §17.546ὀρνύμεναι Δαναούς· δὴ γὰρ νόος ἐτράπετʼ αὐτοῦ.
And back over Patroclus was stretched the mighty fight, painful and tearful; and Athena roused the strife, having come down from heaven; for far-seeing Zeus had sent her to urge on the Danaan; for indeed his mind had turned.
§17.547ἠΰτε πορφυρέην ἶριν θνητοῖσι τανύσσῃ §17.548Ζεὺς ἐξ οὐρανόθεν τέρας ἔμμεναι ἢ πολέμοιο §17.549ἢ καὶ χειμῶνος δυσθαλπέος, ὅς ῥά τε ἔργων §17.550ἀνθρώπους ἀνέπαυσεν ἐπὶ χθονί, μῆλα δὲ κήδει, §17.551ὣς ἣ πορφυρέῃ νεφέλῃ πυκάσασα ἓ αὐτὴν §17.552δύσετʼ Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνος, ἔγειρε δὲ φῶτα ἕκαστον.
Just as Zeus stretches a purple rainbow for mortals from heaven, to be a portent either of war or of a chilly storm, which makes men cease from their labor upon the earth, and troubles the sheep, so she, wrapping herself in a purple cloud, entered the throng of the Achaeans, and stirred up every man.
§17.553πρῶτον δʼ Ἀτρέος υἱὸν ἐποτρύνουσα προσηύδα §17.554ἴφθιμον Μενέλαον· ὃ γάρ ῥά οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦεν· §17.555εἰσαμένη Φοίνικι δέμας καὶ ἀτειρέα φωνήν· §17.556σοὶ μὲν δὴ Μενέλαε κατηφείη καὶ ὄνειδος §17.557ἔσσεται εἴ κʼ Ἀχιλῆος ἀγαυοῦ πιστὸν ἑταῖρον
And first she spoke to urge on the son of Atreus, mighty Menelaus; for he was near her; likening herself in form and tireless voice to Phoenix: "To you indeed, Menelaus, will shame and disgrace be, if the faithful comrade of noble Achilles"