§18.137τεύχεα καλὰ φέρουσα παρʼ Ἡφαίστοιο ἄνακτος.
bringing beautiful armor from lord Hephaestus.
§18.138ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα πάλιν τράπεθʼ υἷος ἑοῖο, §18.139καὶ στρεφθεῖσʼ ἁλίῃσι κασιγνήτῃσι μετηύδα· §18.140ὑμεῖς μὲν νῦν δῦτε θαλάσσης εὐρέα κόλπον §18.141ὀψόμεναί τε γέρονθʼ ἅλιον καὶ δώματα πατρός, §18.142καί οἱ πάντʼ ἀγορεύσατʼ· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐς μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον §18.143εἶμι παρʼ Ἥφαιστον κλυτοτέχνην, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσιν §18.144υἱεῖ ἐμῷ δόμεναι κλυτὰ τεύχεα παμφανόωντα. §18.145ὣς ἔφαθʼ, αἳ δʼ ὑπὸ κῦμα θαλάσσης αὐτίκʼ ἔδυσαν· §18.146ἣ δʼ αὖτʼ Οὔλυμπον δὲ θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα §18.147ἤϊεν ὄφρα φίλῳ παιδὶ κλυτὰ τεύχεʼ ἐνείκαι.
Having spoken thus, she turned away from her son, and turning to her sisters of the sea she spoke: "Do you now plunge into the wide bosom of the sea to see the old man of the sea and the dwellings of our father, and tell him everything; but I am going to high Olympus, to Hephaestus, famous for his art, if he might be willing to give to my son glorious, all-gleaming armor." So she spoke, and they straightway plunged beneath the wave of the sea; but she, the silver-footed goddess Thetis, went to Olympus that she might bring glorious armor for her dear son.
§18.148τὴν μὲν ἄρʼ Οὔλυμπον δὲ πόδες φέρον· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ §18.149θεσπεσίῳ ἀλαλητῷ ὑφʼ Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο §18.150φεύγοντες νῆάς τε καὶ Ἑλλήσποντον ἵκοντο.
Her feet indeed bore her to Olympus; but the Achaeans, with wondrous shouting, before man-slaying Hector, fleeing reached the ships and the Hellespont.
§18.151οὐδέ κε Πάτροκλόν περ ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ §18.152ἐκ βελέων ἐρύσαντο νέκυν θεράποντʼ Ἀχιλῆος· §18.153αὖτις γὰρ δὴ τόν γε κίχον λαός τε καὶ ἵπποι §18.154Ἕκτωρ τε Πριάμοιο πάϊς φλογὶ εἴκελος ἀλκήν.
Nor would the well-greaved Achaeans have dragged the corpse of Patroclus, the dead squire of Achilles, out from among the missiles; for again indeed the infantry and the horses overtook him, and Hector, Priam's son, like a flame in his strength, overtook him.
§18.155τρὶς μέν μιν μετόπισθε ποδῶν λάβε φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ §18.156ἑλκέμεναι μεμαώς, μέγα δὲ Τρώεσσιν ὁμόκλα· §18.157τρὶς δὲ δύʼ Αἴαντες θοῦριν ἐπιειμένοι ἀλκὴν §18.158νεκροῦ ἀπεστυφέλιξαν· ὃ δʼ ἔμπεδον ἀλκὶ πεποιθὼς §18.159ἄλλοτʼ ἐπαΐξασκε κατὰ μόθον, ἄλλοτε δʼ αὖτε §18.160στάσκε μέγα ἰάχων· ὀπίσω δʼ οὐ χάζετο πάμπαν.
Thrice did illustrious Hector seize him from behind by the feet, eager to drag him, and shouted mightily to the Trojans; and thrice the two Aiantes, clad in impetuous strength, beat him back from the corpse; but he, trusting firmly in his strength, at one time would rush upon them into the tumult, and at another again would stand crying aloud; but he retreated not at all backward.
§18.161ὡς δʼ ἀπὸ σώματος οὔ τι λέοντʼ αἴθωνα δύνανται §18.162ποιμένες ἄγραυλοι μέγα πεινάοντα δίεσθαι, §18.163ὥς ῥα τὸν οὐκ ἐδύναντο δύω Αἴαντε κορυστὰ §18.164Ἕκτορα Πριαμίδην ἀπὸ νεκροῦ δειδίξασθαι.
And as shepherds dwelling in the fields cannot drive a tawny lion from a carcass when he is sore hungry, even so the two armored Aiantes could not frighten Hector, Priam's son, away from the corpse.
§18.165καί νύ κεν εἴρυσσέν τε καὶ ἄσπετον ἤρατο κῦδος, §18.166εἰ μὴ Πηλεΐωνι ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις §18.167ἄγγελος ἦλθε θέουσʼ ἀπʼ Ὀλύμπου θωρήσσεσθαι §18.168κρύβδα Διὸς ἄλλων τε θεῶν· πρὸ γὰρ ἧκέ μιν Ἥρη.
And now indeed he would have dragged it and won unspeakable glory, if wind-footed swift Iris had not come running to the son of Peleus as a messenger from Olympus, bidding him arm himself, secretly from Zeus and the other gods; for Hera sent her forth.
And standing near she spoke to him winged words: "Arise, son of Peleus, most dread of all men!
§18.171Πατρόκλῳ ἐπάμυνον, οὗ εἵνεκα φύλοπις αἰνὴ §18.172ἕστηκε πρὸ νεῶν· οἳ δʼ ἀλλήλους ὀλέκουσιν §18.173οἳ μὲν ἀμυνόμενοι νέκυος πέρι τεθνηῶτος, §18.174οἳ δὲ ἐρύσσασθαι ποτὶ Ἴλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν §18.175Τρῶες ἐπιθύουσι·
Defend Patroclus, for whose sake a terrible battle stands before the ships; and they are slaying one another, some defending the dead body, and others, the Trojans, eager to drag him to windy Ilios.
μάλιστα δὲ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ §18.176ἑλκέμεναι μέμονεν· κεφαλὴν δέ ἑ θυμὸς ἄνωγε §18.177πῆξαι ἀνὰ σκολόπεσσι ταμόνθʼ ἁπαλῆς ἀπὸ δειρῆς.
And especially illustrious Hector is eager to drag him; and his spirit bids him cut the head from the tender neck and impale it upon the stakes.
§18.178ἀλλʼ ἄνα μηδʼ ἔτι κεῖσο· σέβας δέ σε θυμὸν ἱκέσθω §18.179Πάτροκλον Τρῳῇσι κυσὶν μέλπηθρα γενέσθαι· §18.180σοὶ λώβη, αἴ κέν τι νέκυς ᾐσχυμμένος ἔλθῃ. §18.181τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς· §18.182Ἶρι θεὰ τίς γάρ σε θεῶν ἐμοὶ ἄγγελον ἧκε; §18.183τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις· §18.184Ἥρη με προέηκε Διὸς κυδρὴ παράκοιτις· §18.185οὐδʼ οἶδε Κρονίδης ὑψίζυγος οὐδέ τις ἄλλος §18.186ἀθανάτων, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἀγάννιφον ἀμφινέμονται.
But arise, lie here no longer; and let awe enter your heart that Patroclus should become a plaything for the dogs of Troy; it is a shame to you, if the corpse comes to suffer any outrage." Then swift-footed noble Achilles answered her: "Goddess Iris, which of the gods sent you as a messenger to me?" And to him again spoke wind-footed swift Iris: "Hera sent me forth, the glorious wife of Zeus; nor does the high-throned son of Cronos know of it, nor any other of the immortals who dwell about snowy Olympus." And answering her, swift-footed Achilles spoke: "But how shall I go into the fight?
§18.187τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς· §18.188πῶς τὰρ ἴω μετὰ μῶλον; ἔχουσι δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐκεῖνοι· §18.189μήτηρ δʼ οὔ με φίλη πρίν γʼ εἴα θωρήσσεσθαι §18.190πρίν γʼ αὐτὴν ἐλθοῦσαν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδωμαι· §18.191στεῦτο γὰρ Ἡφαίστοιο πάρʼ οἰσέμεν ἔντεα καλά.
For they have my armor; and my dear mother would not suffer me to arm myself until I see her with my own eyes coming hither; for she promised to bring beautiful arms from Hephaestus.
And I know of no other man whose glorious armor I might put on, unless it be the shield of Ajax, son of Telamon.
§18.194ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὅ γʼ ἔλπομʼ ἐνὶ πρώτοισιν ὁμιλεῖ §18.195ἔγχεϊ δηϊόων περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος. §18.196τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις· §18.197εὖ νυ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν ὅ τοι κλυτὰ τεύχεʼ ἔχονται· §18.198ἀλλʼ αὔτως ἐπὶ τάφρον ἰὼν Τρώεσσι φάνηθι, §18.199αἴ κέ σʼ ὑποδείσαντες ἀπόσχωνται πολέμοιο §18.200Τρῶες, ἀναπνεύσωσι δʼ ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν §18.201τειρόμενοι· ὀλίγη δέ τʼ ἀνάπνευσις πολέμοιο. §18.202ἣ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἀπέβη πόδας ὠκέα Ἶρις, §18.203αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς ὦρτο Διῒ φίλος· ἀμφὶ δʼ Ἀθήνη §18.204ὤμοις ἰφθίμοισι βάλʼ αἰγίδα θυσσανόεσσαν, §18.205ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κεφαλῇ νέφος ἔστεφε δῖα θεάων
But he himself, I trust, is mingling among the foremost, slaying with his spear around dead Patroclus." And to him again spoke wind-footed swift Iris: "Well indeed do we also know that your glorious armor is held; but even as you are, go to the trench and show yourself to the Trojans, in hope that the Trojans, seized with fear of you, may hold back from battle, and the warlike sons of the Achaeans may have a breathing space in their weariness; and short is the breathing space in war." Having spoken thus, wind-footed swift Iris departed; but Achilles arose, dear to Zeus; and Athena cast around his mighty shoulders her tasseled aegis, and around his head the goddess divine crowned a cloud