Thus they fought like a blazing fire; but Antilochus, swift of foot, came as a messenger to Achilles.
He found him before the ships with upright horns, foreboding in his heart those very things which were now indeed accomplished.
§18.5ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν· §18.6ὤ μοι ἐγώ, τί τʼ ἄρʼ αὖτε κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ §18.7νηυσὶν ἔπι κλονέονται ἀτυζόμενοι πεδίοιο;
Deeply moved, he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit: "Ah, woe is me, why are the long-haired Achaeans again driven in rout over the plain and crowding toward the ships?
§18.8μὴ δή μοι τελέσωσι θεοὶ κακὰ κήδεα θυμῷ, §18.9ὥς ποτέ μοι μήτηρ διεπέφραδε καί μοι ἔειπε §18.10Μυρμιδόνων τὸν ἄριστον ἔτι ζώοντος ἐμεῖο §18.11χερσὶν ὕπο Τρώων λείψειν φάος ἠελίοιο.
May the gods not have brought to pass grim sorrows for my heart, even as my mother once declared to me and said that while I yet lived, the best of the Myrmidons should leave the light of the sun under the hands of the Trojans.
Surely indeed the brave son of Menoetius is dead, headstrong man!
ἦ τʼ ἐκέλευον ἀπωσάμενον δήϊον πῦρ §18.14ἂψ ἐπὶ νῆας ἴμεν, μηδʼ Ἕκτορι ἶφι μάχεσθαι. §18.15εἷος ὃ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν, §18.16τόφρά οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθεν ἀγαυοῦ Νέστορος υἱὸς §18.17δάκρυα θερμὰ χέων, φάτο δʼ ἀγγελίην ἀλεγεινήν· §18.18ὤ μοι Πηλέος υἱὲ δαΐφρονος ἦ μάλα λυγρῆς §18.19πεύσεαι ἀγγελίης, ἣ μὴ ὤφελλε γενέσθαι.
And yet I bid him, when he had driven off the consuming fire, to come back to the ships, and not to fight with Hector in main might." While he was pondering these things in his mind and heart, meanwhile the son of lordly Nestor came near to him, shedding hot tears, and spoke the grievous tidings: "Ah, woe is me, son of wise Peleus, surely a right bitter message you must hear, which would that it had never been.
§18.20κεῖται Πάτροκλος, νέκυος δὲ δὴ ἀμφιμάχονται §18.21γυμνοῦ· ἀτὰρ τά γε τεύχεʼ ἔχει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ. §18.22ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ ἄχεος νεφέλη ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα·
Patroclus lies low, and they are fighting around his body, naked as it is; but his armor is held by Hector of the flashing helm." So he spoke, and a black cloud of grief enfolded Achilles.
§18.23ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἑλὼν κόνιν αἰθαλόεσσαν §18.24χεύατο κὰκ κεφαλῆς, χαρίεν δʼ ᾔσχυνε πρόσωπον· §18.25νεκταρέῳ δὲ χιτῶνι μέλαινʼ ἀμφίζανε τέφρη.
With both his hands he took the soot-stained dust and poured it over his head, and defiled his comely face; and on his fragrant tunic the black ashes settled.
§18.26αὐτὸς δʼ ἐν κονίῃσι μέγας μεγαλωστὶ τανυσθεὶς §18.27κεῖτο, φίλῃσι δὲ χερσὶ κόμην ᾔσχυνε δαΐζων.
And he himself, massive in his bulk, lay outstretched in the dust, and with his own hands he tore and disfigured his hair.
§18.28δμῳαὶ δʼ ἃς Ἀχιλεὺς ληΐσσατο Πάτροκλός τε §18.29θυμὸν ἀκηχέμεναι μεγάλʼ ἴαχον, ἐκ δὲ θύραζε §18.30ἔδραμον ἀμφʼ Ἀχιλῆα δαΐφρονα, χερσὶ δὲ πᾶσαι §18.31στήθεα πεπλήγοντο, λύθεν δʼ ὑπὸ γυῖα ἑκάστης.
And the handmaidens whom Achilles and Patroclus had taken as booty shrieked aloud in grief of heart, and ran out of the doors around wise Achilles, and all beat their breasts with their hands, and the limbs of each one were loosed.
§18.32Ἀντίλοχος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ὀδύρετο δάκρυα λείβων §18.33χεῖρας ἔχων Ἀχιλῆος· ὃ δʼ ἔστενε κυδάλιμον κῆρ· §18.34δείδιε γὰρ μὴ λαιμὸν ἀπαμήσειε σιδήρῳ.
And Antilochus on the other side wailed and shed tears, holding the hands of Achilles; and he groaned in his noble heart, for Antilochus feared lest he should cut his throat with the iron blade.
§18.35σμερδαλέον δʼ ᾤμωξεν· ἄκουσε δὲ πότνια μήτηρ §18.36ἡμένη ἐν βένθεσσιν ἁλὸς παρὰ πατρὶ γέροντι, §18.37κώκυσέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα· θεαὶ δέ μιν ἀμφαγέροντο §18.38πᾶσαι ὅσαι κατὰ βένθος ἁλὸς Νηρηΐδες ἦσαν.
Terribly did Achilles cry aloud, and his lady mother heard him as she sat in the depths of the sea beside her ancient father, and she wiled then; and the goddesses gathered about her, all the Nereids that were in the deep of the sea.
§18.39ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ἔην Γλαύκη τε Θάλειά τε Κυμοδόκη τε §18.40Νησαίη Σπειώ τε Θόη θʼ Ἁλίη τε βοῶπις §18.41Κυμοθόη τε καὶ Ἀκταίη καὶ Λιμνώρεια §18.42καὶ Μελίτη καὶ Ἴαιρα καὶ Ἀμφιθόη καὶ Ἀγαυὴ §18.43Δωτώ τε Πρωτώ τε Φέρουσά τε Δυναμένη τε §18.44Δεξαμένη τε καὶ Ἀμφινόμη καὶ Καλλιάνειρα §18.45Δωρὶς καὶ Πανόπη καὶ ἀγακλειτὴ Γαλάτεια §18.46Νημερτής τε καὶ Ἀψευδὴς καὶ Καλλιάνασσα· §18.47ἔνθα δʼ ἔην Κλυμένη Ἰάνειρά τε καὶ Ἰάνασσα §18.48Μαῖρα καὶ Ὠρείθυια ἐϋπλόκαμός τʼ Ἀμάθεια §18.49ἄλλαι θʼ αἳ κατὰ βένθος ἁλὸς Νηρηΐδες ἦσαν.
There were Glauce and Thaleia and Cymodoce, Nesaea and Speio and Thoe and ox-eyed Halie, Cymothoe and Actaea and Limnoreia, and Melite and Iaera and Amphithoe and Agave, Doto and Proto and Pherusa and Dynamene, Dexamene and Amphinome and Callianeira, Doris and Panope and glorious Galatea, Nemertes and Apseudes and Callianassa; there were Clymene and Ianeira and Ianassa, Maera and Orithyia and fair-tressed Amathia, and other Nereids that were in the deep of the sea.
§18.50τῶν δὲ καὶ ἀργύφεον πλῆτο σπέος· αἳ δʼ ἅμα πᾶσαι §18.51στήθεα πεπλήγοντο, Θέτις δʼ ἐξῆρχε γόοιο· §18.52κλῦτε κασίγνηται Νηρηΐδες, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ πᾶσαι §18.53εἴδετʼ ἀκούουσαι ὅσʼ ἐμῷ ἔνι κήδεα θυμῷ.
With them the silvery cave was filled; and they all together beat their breasts, and Thetis led the lament: "Hear me, sister Nereids, so that you all may well know, as you listen, what sorrows are in my heart.
§18.54ὤ μοι ἐγὼ δειλή, ὤ μοι δυσαριστοτόκεια,
Ah, woe is me, wretched, ah, woe is me, who to my sorrow bore the best of men!
For after I had borne a son, peerless and strong, preeminent among heroes; and he shot up like a young sapling.
§18.57τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ θρέψασα φυτὸν ὣς γουνῷ ἀλωῆς §18.58νηυσὶν ἐπιπροέηκα κορωνίσιν Ἴλιον εἴσω §18.59Τρωσὶ μαχησόμενον· τὸν δʼ οὐχ ὑποδέξομαι αὖτις §18.60οἴκαδε νοστήσαντα δόμον Πηλήϊον εἴσω.
I nurtured him like a plant on the fertile slope of an orchard, and sent him forth in the curved ships to Ilium, to fight with the Trojans; but I shall never welcome him back again returning home to the house of Peleus.
And while he yet lives for me and beholds the light of the sun, he suffers grief, nor can I aid him at all though I go to him.
§18.63ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ, ὄφρα ἴδωμι φίλον τέκος, ἠδʼ ἐπακούσω §18.64ὅττί μιν ἵκετο πένθος ἀπὸ πτολέμοιο μένοντα. §18.65ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα λίπε σπέος· αἳ δὲ σὺν αὐτῇ §18.66δακρυόεσσαι ἴσαν, περὶ δέ σφισι κῦμα θαλάσσης §18.67ῥήγνυτο· ταὶ δʼ ὅτε δὴ Τροίην ἐρίβωλον ἵκοντο §18.68ἀκτὴν εἰσανέβαινον ἐπισχερώ, ἔνθα θαμειαὶ §18.69Μυρμιδόνων εἴρυντο νέες ταχὺν ἀμφʼ Ἀχιλῆα.
Yet I will go, that I may see my dear child, and hear what grief has come upon him as he holds aloof from the war." So saying, she left the cave; and they went with her weeping, and around them the wave of the sea was broken; and when they came to fertile Troy, they went up on the beach one after another, where close together the many ships of the Myrmidons were drawn up around swift Achilles.