§23.1ὣς οἳ μὲν στενάχοντο κατὰ πτόλιν· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ §23.2ἐπεὶ δὴ νῆάς τε καὶ Ἑλλήσποντον ἵκοντο, §23.3οἳ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐσκίδναντο ἑὴν ἐπὶ νῆα ἕκαστος,
So they made lamentation through the city; but the Achaeans, when they were come to the ships and the Hellespont, scattered each one to his own ship.
§23.4Μυρμιδόνας δʼ οὐκ εἴα ἀποσκίδνασθαι Ἀχιλλεύς, §23.5ἀλλʼ ὅ γε οἷς ἑτάροισι φιλοπτολέμοισι μετηύδα· §23.6Μυρμιδόνες ταχύπωλοι ἐμοὶ ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι §23.7μὴ δή πω ὑπʼ ὄχεσφι λυώμεθα μώνυχας ἵππους, §23.8ἀλλʼ αὐτοῖς ἵπποισι καὶ ἅρμασιν ἆσσον ἰόντες §23.9Πάτροκλον κλαίωμεν·
But the Myrmidons Achilles would not suffer to scatter, but spoke among his war-loving companions: "Myrmidons of the fleet steeds, my trusty companions, let us not yet loose our whole-hooved horses from their chariots, but with horses and chariots themselves let us go near and mourn Patroclus; for this is the due of the dead.
ὃ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ θανόντων. §23.10αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κʼ ὀλοοῖο τεταρπώμεσθα γόοιο, §23.11ἵππους λυσάμενοι δορπήσομεν ἐνθάδε πάντες. §23.12ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ᾤμωξαν ἀολλέες, ἦρχε δʼ Ἀχιλλεύς.
But when we have had our fill of grievous wailing, we will loose our horses and all sup here." So he spoke, and they wailed in a body, and Achilles led them.
§23.13οἳ δὲ τρὶς περὶ νεκρὸν ἐΰτριχας ἤλασαν ἵππους §23.14μυρόμενοι· μετὰ δέ σφι Θέτις γόου ἵμερον ὦρσε.
And thrice about the corpse they drove their fair-maned horses, mourning; and among them Thetis aroused desire for wailing.
Wet was the sand, and wet were the armor of the men with tears; for so great a master of rout they missed.
§23.17τοῖσι δὲ Πηλεΐδης ἁδινοῦ ἐξῆρχε γόοιο §23.18χεῖρας ἐπʼ ἀνδροφόνους θέμενος στήθεσσιν ἑταίρου· §23.19χαῖρέ μοι ὦ Πάτροκλε καὶ εἰν Ἀΐδαο δόμοισι· §23.20πάντα γὰρ ἤδη τοι τελέω τὰ πάροιθεν ὑπέστην §23.21Ἕκτορα δεῦρʼ ἐρύσας δώσειν κυσὶν ὠμὰ δάσασθαι, §23.22δώδεκα δὲ προπάροιθε πυρῆς ἀποδειροτομήσειν §23.23Τρώων ἀγλαὰ τέκνα σέθεν κταμένοιο χολωθείς. §23.24ἦ ῥα καὶ Ἕκτορα δῖον ἀεικέα μήδετο ἔργα §23.25πρηνέα πὰρ λεχέεσσι Μενοιτιάδαο τανύσσας §23.26ἐν κονίῃς·
And among them the son of Peleus led the vehement wailing, laying his manslaying hands upon the breast of his comrade: "Hail to you, Patroclus, even in the house of Hades; for now I am bringing to fulfillment all that I promised you before, that I would drag Hector here to give to dogs to devour raw, and that before your pyre I would cut the throats of twelve glorious children of the Trojans, in my wrath for your slaying." He spoke, and devised shameful treatment for noble Hector, stretching him prone in the dust beside the bier of the son of Menoetius.
οἳ δʼ ἔντεʼ ἀφωπλίζοντο ἕκαστος §23.27χάλκεα μαρμαίροντα, λύον δʼ ὑψηχέας ἵππους, §23.28κὰδ δʼ ἷζον παρὰ νηῒ ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο §23.29μυρίοι· αὐτὰρ ὃ τοῖσι τάφον μενοεικέα δαίνυ.
And they put off, each one of them, their gleaming armor of bronze, and loosed their loud-neighing horses, and sat down by the ship of the swift-footed son of Aeacus, in their thousands; and he feasted them with an abundant funeral feast.
§23.30πολλοὶ μὲν βόες ἀργοὶ ὀρέχθεον ἀμφὶ σιδήρῳ §23.31σφαζόμενοι, πολλοὶ δʼ ὄϊες καὶ μηκάδες αἶγες· §23.32πολλοὶ δʼ ἀργιόδοντες ὕες θαλέθοντες ἀλοιφῇ §23.33εὑόμενοι τανύοντο διὰ φλογὸς Ἡφαίστοιο· §23.34πάντῃ δʼ ἀμφὶ νέκυν κοτυλήρυτον ἔρρεεν αἷμα.
Many sleek bulls bellowed about the iron knife as they were slaughtered, and many sheep and bleating goats; and many white-tusked swine, rich with fat, were singed and stretched across the flame of Hephaestus; and everywhere about the corpse the blood ran in cupfuls.
§23.35αὐτὰρ τόν γε ἄνακτα ποδώκεα Πηλεΐωνα §23.36εἰς Ἀγαμέμνονα δῖον ἄγον βασιλῆες Ἀχαιῶν §23.37σπουδῇ παρπεπιθόντες ἑταίρου χωόμενον κῆρ.
But the king, the swift-footed son of Peleus, the kings of the Achaeans led to noble Agamemnon, hardly persuading him, angered at heart as he was for his comrade.
§23.38οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ κλισίην Ἀγαμέμνονος ἷξον ἰόντες, §23.39αὐτίκα κηρύκεσσι λιγυφθόγγοισι κέλευσαν §23.40ἀμφὶ πυρὶ στῆσαι τρίποδα μέγαν, εἰ πεπίθοιεν §23.41Πηλεΐδην λούσασθαι ἄπο βρότον αἱματόεντα.
And when they were come to the hut of Agamemnon, straightway they bade the clear-voiced heralds set a great tripod on the fire, if they might persuade the son of Peleus to wash away the bloody gore.
§23.42αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἠρνεῖτο στερεῶς, ἐπὶ δʼ ὅρκον ὄμοσσεν· §23.43οὐ μὰ Ζῆνʼ, ὅς τίς τε θεῶν ὕπατος καὶ ἄριστος, §23.44οὐ θέμις ἐστὶ λοετρὰ καρήατος ἆσσον ἱκέσθαι §23.45πρίν γʼ ἐνὶ Πάτροκλον θέμεναι πυρὶ σῆμά τε χεῦαι §23.46κείρασθαί τε κόμην, ἐπεὶ οὔ μʼ ἔτι δεύτερον ὧδε §23.47ἵξετʼ ἄχος κραδίην ὄφρα ζωοῖσι μετείω.
But he refused stubbornly, and swore an oath thereto: "No, by Zeus, who is highest and best of gods, it is not right that water for washing should come near my head until I have laid Patroclus on the fire, and heaped him a barrow, and shorn my hair; for never again shall a second grief like this reach my heart while I remain among the living.
§23.48ἀλλʼ ἤτοι νῦν μὲν στυγερῇ πειθώμεθα δαιτί·
But for now let us yield to the loathsome feast.
§23.49ἠῶθεν δʼ ὄτρυνον ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον §23.50ὕλην τʼ ἀξέμεναι παρά τε σχεῖν ὅσσʼ ἐπιεικὲς §23.51νεκρὸν ἔχοντα νέεσθαι ὑπὸ ζόφον ἠερόεντα, §23.52ὄφρʼ ἤτοι τοῦτον μὲν ἐπιφλέγῃ ἀκάματον πῦρ §23.53θᾶσσον ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν, λαοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ ἔργα τράπωνται. §23.54ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδὲ πίθοντο.
And with the dawn, king of men Agamemnon, give orders to bring wood, and to provide all that is fitting for a dead man to have as he goes beneath the murky gloom, so that tireless fire may burn him quickly out of our sight, and the people may turn to their tasks." So he spoke, and they readily heard him and obeyed.
§23.55ἐσσυμένως δʼ ἄρα δόρπον ἐφοπλίσσαντες ἕκαστοι §23.56δαίνυντʼ, οὐδέ τι θυμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης.
Then with speed they made ready each their supper and feasted, nor did their hearts lack anything of the equal feast.
§23.57αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο, §23.58οἳ μὲν κακκείοντες ἔβαν κλισίην δὲ ἕκαστος, §23.59Πηλεΐδης δʼ ἐπὶ θινὶ πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης §23.60κεῖτο βαρὺ στενάχων πολέσιν μετὰ Μυρμιδόνεσσιν §23.61ἐν καθαρῷ, ὅθι κύματʼ ἐπʼ ἠϊόνος κλύζεσκον·
But when they had put away from them the desire for drink and food, they went each to his hut to lie down, but the son of Peleus on the shore of the loud-resounding sea lay groaning heavily, among the many Myrmidons, in a clean place where the waves washed against the shore.
§23.62εὖτε τὸν ὕπνος ἔμαρπτε λύων μελεδήματα θυμοῦ §23.63νήδυμος ἀμφιχυθείς· μάλα γὰρ κάμε φαίδιμα γυῖα §23.64Ἕκτορʼ ἐπαΐσσων προτὶ Ἴλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν· §23.65ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ Πατροκλῆος δειλοῖο §23.66πάντʼ αὐτῷ μέγεθός τε καὶ ὄμματα κάλʼ ἐϊκυῖα §23.67καὶ φωνήν, καὶ τοῖα περὶ χροῒ εἵματα ἕστο· §23.68στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν· §23.69εὕδεις, αὐτὰρ ἐμεῖο λελασμένος ἔπλευ Ἀχιλλεῦ.
When sleep seized him, loosening the cares of his heart, sweet sleep poured all about him; for his glorious limbs were sore weary with chasing Hector toward windy Ilios; then there came to him the spirit of unhappy Patroclus, in all things like him, in stature and fair eyes and voice, and like garments were those he wore about his body; and he stood above his head and spoke to him, saying: "You sleep, Achilles, and have forgotten me.