§17.70ἔνθά κε ῥεῖα φέροι κλυτὰ τεύχεα Πανθοΐδαο §17.71Ἀτρεΐδης, εἰ μή οἱ ἀγάσσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων, §17.72ὅς ῥά οἱ Ἕκτορʼ ἐπῶρσε θοῷ ἀτάλαντον Ἄρηϊ §17.73ἀνέρι εἰσάμενος Κικόνων ἡγήτορι Μέντῃ· §17.74καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §17.75Ἕκτορ νῦν σὺ μὲν ὧδε θέεις ἀκίχητα διώκων §17.76ἵππους Αἰακίδαο δαΐφρονος· οἳ δʼ ἀλεγεινοὶ §17.77ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι δαμήμεναι ἠδʼ ὀχέεσθαι §17.78ἄλλῳ γʼ ἢ Ἀχιλῆϊ, τὸν ἀθανάτη τέκε μήτηρ.
There easily would Atreus' son have carried off the glorious armor of Panthous' son, if Phoebus Apollo had not begrudged him, who roused against him Hector, peer of swift Ares, likening himself to a man, Mentes, leader of the Cicones; and speaking, he addressed him with winged words: "Hector, now you are running thus, pursuing what cannot be caught, the horses of wise Aeacides; but they are difficult for mortal men to subdue and to drive, for any other than Achilles, whom an immortal mother bore.
§17.79τόφρα δέ τοι Μενέλαος ἀρήϊος Ἀτρέος υἱὸς §17.80Πατρόκλῳ περιβὰς Τρώων τὸν ἄριστον ἔπεφνε §17.81Πανθοΐδην Εὔφορβον, ἔπαυσε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς. §17.82ὣς εἰπὼν ὃ μὲν αὖτις ἔβη θεὸς ἂμ πόνον ἀνδρῶν, §17.83Ἕκτορα δʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος πύκασε φρένας ἀμφὶ μελαίνας·
Meanwhile warlike Menelaus, son of Atreus, standing over Patroclus, has slain the best of the Trojans, Panthous' son Euphorbus, and has put an end to his impetuous valor." So saying, the god went back into the toil of men, and dreadful grief shrouded Hector's dark mind.
§17.84πάπτηνεν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα κατὰ στίχας, αὐτίκα δʼ ἔγνω §17.85τὸν μὲν ἀπαινύμενον κλυτὰ τεύχεα, τὸν δʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ §17.86κείμενον· ἔρρει δʼ αἷμα κατʼ οὐταμένην ὠτειλήν.
And he looked then along the ranks, and immediately recognized the one despoiling the glorious armor, and the other on the ground lying; and the blood was flowing down through the stabbed wound.
§17.87βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ §17.88ὀξέα κεκλήγων φλογὶ εἴκελος Ἡφαίστοιο §17.89ἀσβέστῳ· οὐδʼ υἱὸν λάθεν Ἀτρέος ὀξὺ βοήσας· §17.90ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν· §17.91ὤ μοι ἐγὼν εἰ μέν κε λίπω κάτα τεύχεα καλὰ §17.92Πάτροκλόν θʼ, ὃς κεῖται ἐμῆς ἕνεκʼ ἐνθάδε τιμῆς, §17.93μή τίς μοι Δαναῶν νεμεσήσεται ὅς κεν ἴδηται.
And he went through the foremost fighters, armed in flashing bronze, crying shrilly, like the unquenchable flame of Hephaestus; nor did he escape the notice of Atreus' son, crying out shrilly; and deeply moved, he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit: "Ah me, if I leave behind the beautiful armor and Patroclus, who lies here for the sake of my honor, lest some one of the Danaans be wroth with me, whoever sees it.
§17.94εἰ δέ κεν Ἕκτορι μοῦνος ἐὼν καὶ Τρωσὶ μάχωμαι §17.95αἰδεσθείς, μή πώς με περιστήωσʼ ἕνα πολλοί· §17.96Τρῶας δʼ ἐνθάδε πάντας ἄγει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.
But if, out of shame, I fight Hector and the Trojans alone, lest somehow they surround me, many against one; for Hector of the flashing helm is leading all the Trojans here.
§17.97ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;
But why does my own heart debate these things?
§17.98ὁππότʼ ἀνὴρ ἐθέλῃ πρὸς δαίμονα φωτὶ μάχεσθαι §17.99ὅν κε θεὸς τιμᾷ, τάχα οἱ μέγα πῆμα κυλίσθη.
Whenever a man wishes to fight against a god-favored warrior whom a god honors, swift disaster rolls upon him.
§17.100τώ μʼ οὔ τις Δαναῶν νεμεσήσεται ὅς κεν ἴδηται §17.101Ἕκτορι χωρήσαντʼ, ἐπεὶ ἐκ θεόφιν πολεμίζει.
Therefore no one of the Danaans will be wroth with me, whoever sees me giving way to Hector, since he fights with aid from a god.
§17.102εἰ δέ που Αἴαντός γε βοὴν ἀγαθοῖο πυθοίμην, §17.103ἄμφω κʼ αὖτις ἰόντες ἐπιμνησαίμεθα χάρμης §17.104καὶ πρὸς δαίμονά περ, εἴ πως ἐρυσαίμεθα νεκρὸν §17.105Πηλεΐδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ· κακῶν δέ κε φέρτατον εἴη. §17.106εἷος ὁ ταῦθʼ ὅρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν §17.107τόφρα δʼ ἐπὶ Τρώων στίχες ἤλυθον· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρʼ Ἕκτωρ.
But if I could hear the voice of Ajax, good at the war-cry, both of us going back would be mindful of battle, even against a god, if somehow we might save the corpse for Achilles, son of Peleus; that would be the best of evils." While he was pondering these things in his mind and heart, meanwhile the ranks of the Trojans came on; and Hector led them.
§17.108αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἐξοπίσω ἀνεχάζετο, λεῖπε δὲ νεκρὸν §17.109ἐντροπαλιζόμενος ὥς τε λὶς ἠϋγένειος, §17.110ὅν ῥα κύνες τε καὶ ἄνδρες ἀπὸ σταθμοῖο δίωνται §17.111ἔγχεσι καὶ φωνῇ· τοῦ δʼ ἐν φρεσὶν ἄλκιμον ἦτορ §17.112παχνοῦται, ἀέκων δέ τʼ ἔβη ἀπὸ μεσσαύλοιο· §17.113ὣς ἀπὸ Πατρόκλοιο κίε ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.
But he retreated backward, and left the corpse, turning about like a deep-maned lion, whom dogs and men drive from the fold with spears and shouting; and his brave heart in his breast is chilled, and unwillingly he goes from the farmyard; even so did fair-haired Menelaus go from Patroclus.
And he stood, having turned about, when he reached the crowd of his companions, looking about for great Ajax, son of Telamon.
§17.116τὸν δὲ μάλʼ αἶψʼ ἐνόησε μάχης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ πάσης §17.117θαρσύνονθʼ ἑτάρους καὶ ἐποτρύνοντα μάχεσθαι· §17.118θεσπέσιον γάρ σφιν φόβον ἔμβαλε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων· §17.119βῆ δὲ θέειν, εἶθαρ δὲ παριστάμενος ἔπος ηὔδα. §17.120Αἶαν δεῦρο πέπον, περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος §17.121σπεύσομεν, αἴ κε νέκυν περ Ἀχιλλῆϊ προφέρωμεν §17.122γυμνόν· ἀτὰρ τά γε τεύχεʼ ἔχει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ. §17.123ὣς ἔφατʼ, Αἴαντι δὲ δαΐφρονι θυμὸν ὄρινε· §17.124βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων, ἅμα δὲ ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.
And he noticed him very quickly on the left of the whole battle, encouraging his companions and urging them to fight; for Phoebus Apollo had cast a divine fear upon them; and he went running, and immediately standing near, spoke to him: "Ajax, hither, friend, let us hasten for dead Patroclus, if we may bring his corpse, bare though it be, to Achilles; but his armor is held by Hector of the flashing helm." So he spoke, and stirred the spirit of warlike Ajax; and he went through the foremost fighters, and with him fair-haired Menelaus.
§17.125Ἕκτωρ μὲν Πάτροκλον ἐπεὶ κλυτὰ τεύχεʼ ἀπηύρα, §17.126ἕλχʼ ἵνʼ ἀπʼ ὤμοιιν κεφαλὴν τάμοι ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ, §17.127τὸν δὲ νέκυν Τρῳῇσιν ἐρυσσάμενος κυσὶ δοίη.
Now Hector, when he had despoiled Patroclus of the glorious armor, was dragging him that he might cut off his head from his shoulders with the sharp bronze, and give the corpse to the dogs of Troy.
§17.128Αἴας δʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε φέρων σάκος ἠΰτε πύργον· §17.129Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἂψ ἐς ὅμιλον ἰὼν ἀνεχάζεθʼ ἑταίρων, §17.130ἐς δίφρον δʼ ἀνόρουσε· δίδου δʼ ὅ γε τεύχεα καλὰ §17.131Τρωσὶ φέρειν προτὶ ἄστυ, μέγα κλέος ἔμμεναι αὐτῷ.
But Ajax came near, bearing his shield like a tower; and Hector withdrew back into the throng of his companions, and leapt into his chariot; and he gave the beautiful armor to the Trojans to carry to the city, to be a great glory to him.
§17.132Αἴας δʼ ἀμφὶ Μενοιτιάδῃ σάκος εὐρὺ καλύψας §17.133ἑστήκει ὥς τίς τε λέων περὶ οἷσι τέκεσσιν, §17.134ᾧ ῥά τε νήπιʼ ἄγοντι συναντήσωνται ἐν ὕλῃ §17.135ἄνδρες ἐπακτῆρες· ὃ δέ τε σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνει,
And Ajax, covering the son of Menoetius with his broad shield, stood like a lion over his cubs, against whom, as he leads his young, in the forest huntsmen meet; and he rages in his might,