§22.323καλά, τὰ Πατρόκλοιο βίην ἐνάριξε κατακτάς·
the beautiful armor, which he had stripped when he slew the strength of Patroclus.
But his throat was exposed, where the collarbones hold the neck from the shoulders, where is the quickest destruction of life.
§22.326τῇ ῥʼ ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαῶτʼ ἔλασʼ ἔγχεϊ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς, §22.327ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἁπαλοῖο διʼ αὐχένος ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκή·
There noble Achilles drove his spear as Hector charged upon him, and the point went straight through his tender neck.
§22.328οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ ἀσφάραγον μελίη τάμε χαλκοβάρεια, §22.329ὄφρά τί μιν προτιείποι ἀμειβόμενος ἐπέεσσιν.
Yet the heavy bronze-weighted ashen spear did not cut through his windpipe, so that he might yet speak some words and answer him.
§22.330ἤριπε δʼ ἐν κονίῃς· ὃ δʼ ἐπεύξατο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς· §22.331Ἕκτορ ἀτάρ που ἔφης Πατροκλῆʼ ἐξεναρίζων §22.332σῶς ἔσσεσθʼ, ἐμὲ δʼ οὐδὲν ὀπίζεο νόσφιν ἐόντα §22.333νήπιε·
He fell in the dust, and noble Achilles triumphed over him: "Hector, surely you thought, when you were stripping Patroclus, that you would be safe, and you cared nothing for me who was far away, fool!
τοῖο δʼ ἄνευθεν ἀοσσητὴρ μέγʼ ἀμείνων §22.334νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐγὼ μετόπισθε λελείμμην, §22.335ὅς τοι γούνατʼ ἔλυσα·
Far from him, a helper far mightier, I was left behind at the hollow ships, I who have loosed your knees.
σὲ μὲν κύνες ἠδʼ οἰωνοὶ §22.336ἑλκήσουσʼ ἀϊκῶς, τὸν δὲ κτεριοῦσιν Ἀχαιοί. §22.337τὸν δʼ ὀλιγοδρανέων προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ· §22.338λίσσομʼ ὑπὲρ ψυχῆς καὶ γούνων σῶν τε τοκήων §22.339μή με ἔα παρὰ νηυσὶ κύνας καταδάψαι Ἀχαιῶν, §22.340ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν χαλκόν τε ἅλις χρυσόν τε δέδεξο §22.341δῶρα τά τοι δώσουσι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ, §22.342σῶμα δὲ οἴκαδʼ ἐμὸν δόμεναι πάλιν, ὄφρα πυρός με §22.343Τρῶες καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι λελάχωσι θανόντα. §22.344τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεὺς· §22.345μή με κύον γούνων γουνάζεο μὴ δὲ τοκήων·
You shall dogs and birds tear ingloriously, but him shall the Achaeans bury." Then, growing faint, Hector of the flashing helm spoke to him: "I entreat you by your life and knees and your own parents, leave me not for dogs to devour by the ships of the Achaeans; but accept bronze and gold in abundance, gifts that my father and lady mother will give you, and give my body back to my home, so that of fire the Trojans and the wives of the Trojans may give me my share when dead." Then, looking at him grimly, swift-footed Achilles addressed him: "Entreat me not, dog, by knees nor by parents.
§22.346αἲ γάρ πως αὐτόν με μένος καὶ θυμὸς ἀνήη §22.347ὤμʼ ἀποταμνόμενον κρέα ἔδμεναι, οἷα ἔοργας, §22.348ὡς οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὃς σῆς γε κύνας κεφαλῆς ἀπαλάλκοι, §22.349οὐδʼ εἴ κεν δεκάκις τε καὶ εἰκοσινήριτʼ ἄποινα §22.350στήσωσʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἄγοντες, ὑπόσχωνται δὲ καὶ ἄλλα, §22.351οὐδʼ εἴ κέν σʼ αὐτὸν χρυσῷ ἐρύσασθαι ἀνώγοι §22.352Δαρδανίδης Πρίαμος· οὐδʼ ὧς σέ γε πότνια μήτηρ §22.353ἐνθεμένη λεχέεσσι γοήσεται ὃν τέκεν αὐτή, §22.354ἀλλὰ κύνες τε καὶ οἰωνοὶ κατὰ πάντα δάσονται. §22.355τὸν δὲ καταθνῄσκων προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ· §22.356ἦ σʼ εὖ γιγνώσκων προτιόσσομαι, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον §22.357πείσειν·
Would that my anger and my soul might drive me to carve your flesh and eat it raw, for the things you have done, as surely as there is no man who shall ward off the dogs from your head; not even if they should bring here and weigh out ten- or twenty-fold ransom, and promise yet more besides; not even if Priam, son of Dardanus, should bid pay your weight in gold; not even so shall your lady mother lay you on a bed and weep for him whom she herself bore; but dogs and birds shall tear you all to pieces." Then, as he died, Hector of the flashing helm spoke to him: "Indeed, I know you well and look upon you, nor was I destined to persuade you; for surely the heart in your breast is of iron.
ἦ γὰρ σοί γε σιδήρεος ἐν φρεσὶ θυμός. §22.358φράζεο νῦν, μή τοί τι θεῶν μήνιμα γένωμαι §22.359ἤματι τῷ ὅτε κέν σε Πάρις καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων §22.360ἐσθλὸν ἐόντʼ ὀλέσωσιν ἐνὶ Σκαιῇσι πύλῃσιν. §22.361ὣς ἄρα μιν εἰπόντα τέλος θανάτοιο κάλυψε, §22.362ψυχὴ δʼ ἐκ ῥεθέων πταμένη Ἄϊδος δὲ βεβήκει §22.363ὃν πότμον γοόωσα λιποῦσʼ ἀνδροτῆτα καὶ ἥβην.
Bethink you now, lest I become a cause of gods' wrath to you on that day when Paris and Phoebus Apollo shall slay you, brave though you are, at the Scaean gates." Even as he spoke, the end of death enfolded him, and his soul flitting from his limbs went down to the house of Hades, mourning its fate, leaving manliness and youth behind.
§22.364τὸν καὶ τεθνηῶτα προσηύδα δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς· §22.365τέθναθι· κῆρα δʼ ἐγὼ τότε δέξομαι ὁππότε κεν δὴ §22.366Ζεὺς ἐθέλῃ τελέσαι ἠδʼ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι. §22.367ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἐκ νεκροῖο ἐρύσσατο χάλκεον ἔγχος, §22.368καὶ τό γʼ ἄνευθεν ἔθηχʼ, ὃ δʼ ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα §22.369αἱματόεντʼ· ἄλλοι δὲ περίδραμον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν, §22.370οἳ καὶ θηήσαντο φυὴν καὶ εἶδος ἀγητὸν §22.371Ἕκτορος· οὐδʼ ἄρα οἵ τις ἀνουτητί γε παρέστη.
And noble Achilles spoke to him, dead though he was: "Lie dead; as for my fate, I shall accept it whensoever Zeus and the other immortal gods are pleased to bring it to pass." He spoke, and from the corpse drew out his bronze spear, and laid it aside, and stripped from his shoulders the armor, stained with blood; and the other sons of the Achaeans ran up around, who gazed with wonder at the stature and fair form of Hector; nor did any man stand by without inflicting a wound.
§22.372ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν ἰδὼν ἐς πλησίον ἄλλον· §22.373ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ μαλακώτερος ἀμφαφάασθαι §22.374Ἕκτωρ ἢ ὅτε νῆας ἐνέπρησεν πυρὶ κηλέῳ. §22.375ὣς ἄρα τις εἴπεσκε καὶ οὐτήσασκε παραστάς.
And thus would one look at his neighbor and say: "Ah, indeed, Hector is far softer to handle now than when he burned the ships with blazing fire." Thus would one speak, and standing by would deal a wound.
§22.376τὸν δʼ ἐπεὶ ἐξενάριξε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς, §22.377στὰς ἐν Ἀχαιοῖσιν ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευεν· §22.378ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες §22.379ἐπεὶ δὴ τόνδʼ ἄνδρα θεοὶ δαμάσασθαι ἔδωκαν, §22.380ὃς κακὰ πόλλʼ ἔρρεξεν ὅσʼ οὐ σύμπαντες οἱ ἄλλοι, §22.381εἰ δʼ ἄγετʼ ἀμφὶ πόλιν σὺν τεύχεσι πειρηθῶμεν, §22.382ὄφρά κʼ ἔτι γνῶμεν Τρώων νόον ὅν τινʼ ἔχουσιν, §22.383ἢ καταλείψουσιν πόλιν ἄκρην τοῦδε πεσόντος, §22.384ἦε μένειν μεμάασι καὶ Ἕκτορος οὐκέτʼ ἐόντος.
But when swift-footed noble Achilles had stripped him, he stood among the Achaeans and spoke winged words: "Friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives, since the gods have granted us to vanquish this man, who has done much more evil than all the others together, come, let us make trial about the city in our armor, that we may yet know what mind the Trojans have, whether they will leave the high city now that he has fallen, or whether they purpose to remain even though Hector is no more.
§22.385ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;
But why does my heart within me hold debate on this?"