§21.544ἔνθά κεν ὑψίπυλον Τροίην ἕλον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν, §21.545εἰ μὴ Ἀπόλλων Φοῖβος Ἀγήνορα δῖον ἀνῆκε §21.546φῶτʼ Ἀντήνορος υἱὸν ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε.
Then indeed would the sons of the Achaeans have taken high-gated Troy, had not Phoebus Apollo roused noble Agenor, a man, Antenor's son, both blameless and strong.
§21.547ἐν μέν οἱ κραδίῃ θάρσος βάλε, πὰρ δέ οἱ αὐτὸς §21.548ἔστη, ὅπως θανάτοιο βαρείας χεῖρας ἀλάλκοι §21.549φηγῷ κεκλιμένος· κεκάλυπτο δʼ ἄρʼ ἠέρι πολλῇ.
Into his heart he cast courage, and he himself by his side stood, that he might ward off the heavy hands of death, leaning against the oak; and he was wrapped in thick mist.
§21.550αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ὡς ἐνόησεν Ἀχιλλῆα πτολίπορθον §21.551ἔστη, πολλὰ δέ οἱ κραδίη πόρφυρε μένοντι· §21.552ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν· §21.553ὤ μοι ἐγών· εἰ μέν κεν ὑπὸ κρατεροῦ Ἀχιλῆος §21.554φεύγω, τῇ περ οἱ ἄλλοι ἀτυζόμενοι κλονέονται, §21.555αἱρήσει με καὶ ὧς, καὶ ἀνάλκιδα δειροτομήσει.
But when he perceived Achilles, sacker of cities, he stood, and many things did his heart ponder as he waited; and deeply moved he spoke to his own great-hearted soul: "Ah me, if on the one hand I flee before mighty Achilles, where the others are being routed in panic, he will catch me even so, and will cut my throat like a coward.
§21.556εἰ δʼ ἂν ἐγὼ τούτους μὲν ὑποκλονέεσθαι ἐάσω §21.557Πηλεΐδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ, ποσὶν δʼ ἀπὸ τείχεος ἄλλῃ §21.558φεύγω πρὸς πεδίον Ἰλήϊον, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκωμαι §21.559Ἴδης τε κνημοὺς κατά τε ῥωπήϊα δύω· §21.560ἑσπέριος δʼ ἂν ἔπειτα λοεσσάμενος ποταμοῖο §21.561ἱδρῶ ἀποψυχθεὶς προτὶ Ἴλιον ἀπονεοίμην· §21.562ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;
But if on the other hand I leave these to be routed by Achilles, son of Peleus, and flee on my feet elsewhere away from the wall toward the Ileian plain, until I reach the spurs of Ida and enter the thickets; then in the evening, having bathed in the river and cooled myself of sweat, I might return to Ilios— yet why does my heart debate these things?
Let him not perceive me as I depart from the city toward the plain, and darting after me, overtake me with his swift feet.
§21.565οὐκέτʼ ἔπειτʼ ἔσται θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξαι· §21.566λίην γὰρ κρατερὸς περὶ πάντων ἔστʼ ἀνθρώπων.
Then indeed it will no longer be possible to escape death and the fates; for he is exceedingly strong beyond all men.
§21.567εἰ δέ κέ οἱ προπάροιθε πόλεος κατεναντίον ἔλθω·
But what if I go to meet him face to face in front of the city?
§21.568καὶ γάρ θην τούτῳ τρωτὸς χρὼς ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ, §21.569ἐν δὲ ἴα ψυχή, θνητὸν δέ ἕ φασʼ ἄνθρωποι §21.570ἔμμεναι· αὐτάρ οἱ Κρονίδης Ζεὺς κῦδος ὀπάζει. §21.571ὣς εἰπὼν Ἀχιλῆα ἀλεὶς μένεν, ἐν δέ οἱ ἦτορ §21.572ἄλκιμον ὁρμᾶτο πτολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι.
For surely his flesh too may be wounded by sharp bronze, and there is but one life within, and mortal do men say he is; yet Zeus, son of Kronos, grants him glory." So saying, he gathered himself and waited for Achilles, and within him his brave heart was eager to fight and do battle.
§21.573ἠΰτε πάρδαλις εἶσι βαθείης ἐκ ξυλόχοιο §21.574ἀνδρὸς θηρητῆρος ἐναντίον, οὐδέ τι θυμῷ §21.575ταρβεῖ οὐδὲ φοβεῖται, ἐπεί κεν ὑλαγμὸν ἀκούσῃ· §21.576εἴ περ γὰρ φθάμενός μιν ἢ οὐτάσῃ ἠὲ βάλῃσιν, §21.577ἀλλά τε καὶ περὶ δουρὶ πεπαρμένη οὐκ ἀπολήγει §21.578ἀλκῆς, πρίν γʼ ἠὲ ξυμβλήμεναι ἠὲ δαμῆναι· §21.579ὣς Ἀντήνορος υἱὸς ἀγαυοῦ δῖος Ἀγήνωρ §21.580οὐκ ἔθελεν φεύγειν, πρὶν πειρήσαιτʼ Ἀχιλῆος.
Even as a leopard goes forth from a deep thicket to meet a huntsman, nor in her heart is she afraid or frightened when she hears the baying; for even if he prevent her and wound or strike her, yet even though pierced with the spear she does not cease from her courage, until she either close with him or be subdued; so the son of noble Antenor, illustrious Agenor, would not flee until he should make trial of Achilles.
§21.581ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἄρʼ ἀσπίδα μὲν πρόσθʼ ἔσχετο πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην, §21.582ἐγχείῃ δʼ αὐτοῖο τιτύσκετο, καὶ μέγʼ ἀΰτει· §21.583ἦ δή που μάλʼ ἔολπας ἐνὶ φρεσὶ φαίδιμʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ §21.584ἤματι τῷδε πόλιν πέρσειν Τρώων ἀγερώχων §21.585νηπύτιʼ·
But he held before him his shield, equal on every side, and aimed at him with his spear, and shouted aloud: "Surely, I suppose, you hoped in your heart, glorious Achilles, on this day to sack the city of the lordly Trojans, fool!
ἦ τʼ ἔτι πολλὰ τετεύξεται ἄλγεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ.
Truly many griefs shall yet be wrought over it.
§21.586ἐν γάρ οἱ πολέες τε καὶ ἄλκιμοι ἀνέρες εἰμέν, §21.587οἳ καὶ πρόσθε φίλων τοκέων ἀλόχων τε καὶ υἱῶν §21.588Ἴλιον εἰρυόμεσθα· σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδε πότμον ἐφέψεις §21.589ὧδʼ ἔκπαγλος ἐὼν καὶ θαρσαλέος πολεμιστής. §21.590ἦ ῥα, καὶ ὀξὺν ἄκοντα βαρείης χειρὸς ἀφῆκε, §21.591καί ῥʼ ἔβαλε κνήμην ὑπὸ γούνατος οὐδʼ ἀφάμαρτεν.
For within it we are many and valiant men, who in front of our dear parents and wives and sons guard Ilios; but you shall here meet your doom, terrible and bold warrior though you are." He spoke, and let fly the sharp spear from his heavy hand, and struck his shin below the knee, nor did he miss.
§21.592ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κνημὶς νεοτεύκτου κασσιτέροιο §21.593σμερδαλέον κονάβησε· πάλιν δʼ ἀπὸ χαλκὸς ὄρουσε §21.594βλημένου, οὐδʼ ἐπέρησε, θεοῦ δʼ ἠρύκακε δῶρα.
And around him the greave of newly wrought tin rang terribly; and back from him leapt the bronze of the one struck, nor did it pierce, for the gifts of the god warded it off.
§21.595Πηλεΐδης δʼ ὁρμήσατʼ Ἀγήνορος ἀντιθέοιο §21.596δεύτερος· οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἔασεν Ἀπόλλων κῦδος ἀρέσθαι, §21.597ἀλλά μιν ἐξήρπαξε, κάλυψε δʼ ἄρʼ ἠέρι πολλῇ, §21.598ἡσύχιον δʼ ἄρα μιν πολέμου ἔκπεμπε νέεσθαι.
Then the son of Peleus rushed next upon godlike Agenor; but Apollo did not suffer him to win glory, snatched him away, and wrapped him in thick mist, and sent him to go peacefully out of the war.
§21.599αὐτὰρ ὃ Πηλεΐωνα δόλῳ ἀποέργαθε λαοῦ· §21.600αὐτῷ γὰρ ἑκάεργος Ἀγήνορι πάντα ἐοικὼς §21.601ἔστη πρόσθε ποδῶν, ὃ δʼ ἐπέσσυτο ποσσὶ διώκειν·
But he kept the son of Peleus away from the people by guile; for making himself in all things like Agenor, the worker from afar stood before his feet, and Achilles rushed to pursue him with his feet.
§21.602εἷος ὃ τὸν πεδίοιο διώκετο πυροφόροιο §21.603τρέψας πὰρ ποταμὸν βαθυδινήεντα Σκάμανδρον §21.604τυτθὸν ὑπεκπροθέοντα· δόλῳ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔθελγεν Ἀπόλλων §21.605ὡς αἰεὶ ἔλποιτο κιχήσεσθαι ποσὶν οἷσι· §21.606τόφρʼ ἄλλοι Τρῶες πεφοβημένοι ἦλθον ὁμίλῳ §21.607ἀσπάσιοι προτὶ ἄστυ, πόλις δʼ ἔμπλητο ἀλέντων.
While he pursued him over the wheat-bearing plain, turning him along the deep-eddying river Scamander as he ran but a little way before; and by guile Apollo beguiled him, so that he always hoped to overtake him with his feet; meanwhile the other Trojans in panic came in a crowd gladly to the city, and the city was filled with those gathered together.
§21.608οὐδʼ ἄρα τοί γʼ ἔτλαν πόλιος καὶ τείχεος ἐκτὸς §21.609μεῖναι ἔτʼ ἀλλήλους, καὶ γνώμεναι ὅς τε πεφεύγοι §21.610ὅς τʼ ἔθανʼ ἐν πολέμῳ· ἀλλʼ ἐσσυμένως ἐσέχυντο §21.611ἐς πόλιν, ὅν τινα τῶν γε πόδες καὶ γοῦνα σαώσαι.
Nor did they dare to remain outside the city and the wall to wait for one another, and to know who had escaped and who had died in the battle; but eagerly they poured into the city, whosoever of them his feet and knees saved.