§23.347Ἀδρήστου ταχὺν ἵππον, ὃς ἐκ θεόφιν γένος ἦεν, §23.348ἢ τοὺς Λαομέδοντος, οἳ ἐνθάδε γʼ ἔτραφεν ἐσθλοί.
the swift horse of Adrastus, which was of divine descent, or those of Laomedon, which were noble horses bred here.
So saying, Neleian Nestor sat down again in his place, when he had told his son the sum of every matter.
§23.351Μηριόνης δʼ ἄρα πέμπτος ἐΰτριχας ὁπλίσαθʼ ἵππους.
And Meriones was the fifth to harness his fair-maned horses.
§23.352ἂν δʼ ἔβαν ἐς δίφρους, ἐν δὲ κλήρους ἐβάλοντο· §23.353πάλλʼ Ἀχιλεύς, ἐκ δὲ κλῆρος θόρε Νεστορίδαο §23.354Ἀντιλόχου· μετὰ τὸν δʼ ἔλαχε κρείων Εὔμηλος· §23.355τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ Ἀτρεΐδης δουρὶ κλειτὸς Μενέλαος, §23.356τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ Μηριόνης λάχʼ ἐλαυνέμεν· ὕστατος αὖτε §23.357Τυδεΐδης ὄχʼ ἄριστος ἐὼν λάχʼ ἐλαυνέμεν ἵππους.
Then they climbed into their chariot-seats and cast in their lots; Achilles shook them, and out leapt the lot of Antilochus, son of Nestor; and after him the lord Eumelus drew his place; and after him Atreus' son, Menelaus, famous with the spear, and after him Meriones drew his place to drive; and last of all the son of Tydeus, though far the best, drew his place to drive his horses.
§23.358στὰν δὲ μεταστοιχί, σήμηνε δὲ τέρματʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς §23.359τηλόθεν ἐν λείῳ πεδίῳ· παρὰ δὲ σκοπὸν εἷσεν §23.360ἀντίθεον Φοίνικα ὀπάονα πατρὸς ἑοῖο, §23.361ὡς μεμνέῳτο δρόμους καὶ ἀληθείην ἀποείποι.
They stood in a row, and Achilles showed them the turning-post far off in the smooth plain; and beside it he seated as a watchman godlike Phoenix, the follower of his own father, that he might keep the race in mind and report the truth.
§23.362οἳ δʼ ἅμα πάντες ἐφʼ ἵπποιιν μάστιγας ἄειραν, §23.363πέπληγόν θʼ ἱμᾶσιν, ὁμόκλησάν τʼ ἐπέεσσιν §23.364ἐσσυμένως· οἳ δʼ ὦκα διέπρησσον πεδίοιο §23.365νόσφι νεῶν ταχέως· ὑπὸ δὲ στέρνοισι κονίη §23.366ἵστατʼ ἀειρομένη ὥς τε νέφος ἠὲ θύελλα, §23.367χαῖται δʼ ἐρρώοντο μετὰ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο.
Then they all together lifted their whips over their horses, and struck them with the reins, and called to them with words eagerly; and they swiftly covered the plain, speeding far from the ships; and beneath their chests the dust stood rising like a cloud or a whirlwind, and their manes flew streaming in the breath of the wind.
§23.368ἅρματα δʼ ἄλλοτε μὲν χθονὶ πίλνατο πουλυβοτείρῃ, §23.369ἄλλοτε δʼ ἀΐξασκε μετήορα· τοὶ δʼ ἐλατῆρες §23.370ἕστασαν ἐν δίφροισι, πάτασσε δὲ θυμὸς ἑκάστου §23.371νίκης ἱεμένων· κέκλοντο δὲ οἷσιν ἕκαστος §23.372ἵπποις, οἳ δʼ ἐπέτοντο κονίοντες πεδίοιο.
And the chariots at one time would graze the bountiful earth, and at another would leap high into the air; and the drivers stood in their chariot-seats, and the heart of each of them beat fast as they yearned for victory; and each called to his own horses, and they flew along, raising the dust of the plain.
§23.373ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πύματον τέλεον δρόμον ὠκέες ἵπποι §23.374ἂψ ἐφʼ ἁλὸς πολιῆς, τότε δὴ ἀρετή γε ἑκάστου §23.375φαίνετʼ, ἄφαρ δʼ ἵπποισι τάθη δρόμος·
But when the swift horses were finishing the last part of the course, back towards the grey sea, then indeed the prowess of each was shown, and at once the pace of the horses was strained to the utmost.
ὦκα δʼ ἔπειτα §23.376αἳ Φηρητιάδαο ποδώκεες ἔκφερον ἵπποι.
And quickly then the swift-footed mares of the grandson of Pheres began to pull ahead.
§23.377τὰς δὲ μετʼ ἐξέφερον Διομήδεος ἄρσενες ἵπποι §23.378Τρώϊοι, οὐδέ τι πολλὸν ἄνευθʼ ἔσαν, ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἐγγύς· §23.379αἰεὶ γὰρ δίφρου ἐπιβησομένοισιν ἐΐκτην, §23.380πνοιῇ δʼ Εὐμήλοιο μετάφρενον εὐρέε τʼ ὤμω §23.381θέρμετʼ· ἐπʼ αὐτῷ γὰρ κεφαλὰς καταθέντε πετέσθην.
And after them the male Trojan horses of Diomedes pressed close, nor were they far off at all, but very near; for they seemed always about to step onto Eumelus' chariot, and with their breath the back and broad shoulders of Eumelus grew warm; for they flew along with their heads leaning right over him.
§23.382καί νύ κεν ἢ παρέλασσʼ ἢ ἀμφήριστον ἔθηκεν, §23.383εἰ μὴ Τυδέος υἷϊ κοτέσσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων, §23.384ὅς ῥά οἱ ἐκ χειρῶν ἔβαλεν μάστιγα φαεινήν.
And now he would have passed him or made the issue doubtful, had not Phoebus Apollo been angry with the son of Tydeus, and struck the shining whip from his hands.
§23.385τοῖο δʼ ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν χύτο δάκρυα χωομένοιο, §23.386οὕνεκα τὰς μὲν ὅρα ἔτι καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἰούσας, §23.387οἳ δέ οἱ ἐβλάφθησαν ἄνευ κέντροιο θέοντες.
From his eyes ran tears in his anger, because he saw the mares going even far faster, while his own horses were slowed, running without a goad.
§23.388οὐδʼ ἄρʼ Ἀθηναίην ἐλεφηράμενος λάθʼ Ἀπόλλων §23.389Τυδεΐδην, μάλα δʼ ὦκα μετέσσυτο ποιμένα λαῶν, §23.390δῶκε δέ οἱ μάστιγα, μένος δʼ ἵπποισιν ἐνῆκεν·
But Apollo did not escape the notice of Athena as he harmed the son of Tydeus, and very quickly she sped after the shepherd of the people, and gave him back his whip, and put strength into his horses.
§23.391ἣ δὲ μετʼ Ἀδμήτου υἱὸν κοτέουσʼ ἐβεβήκει, §23.392ἵππειον δέ οἱ ἦξε θεὰ ζυγόν· αἳ δέ οἱ ἵπποι §23.393ἀμφὶς ὁδοῦ δραμέτην, ῥυμὸς δʼ ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἐλύσθη.
Then she went in anger after the son of Admetus, and the goddess broke the yoke of his horses; and his mares ran to either side of the way, and the pole slipped to the ground.
§23.394αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ δίφροιο παρὰ τροχὸν ἐξεκυλίσθη, §23.395ἀγκῶνάς τε περιδρύφθη στόμα τε ῥῖνάς τε, §23.396θρυλίχθη δὲ μέτωπον ἐπʼ ὀφρύσι· τὼ δέ οἱ ὄσσε §23.397δακρυόφι πλῆσθεν, θαλερὴ δέ οἱ ἔσχετο φωνή.
And he himself was rolled from the chariot-seat beside the wheel, and his elbows were torn all around, and his mouth and nose, and his forehead was bruised above his brows; and both his eyes were filled with tears, and his strong voice was checked.
§23.398Τυδεΐδης δὲ παρατρέψας ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους, §23.399πολλὸν τῶν ἄλλων ἐξάλμενος· ἐν γὰρ Ἀθήνη §23.400ἵπποις ἧκε μένος καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ κῦδος ἔθηκε.
Then the son of Tydeus turned his single-hoofed horses aside and drove them on, leaping far ahead of the others; for Athena had put strength into his horses and given glory to him.
§23.401τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ Ἀτρεΐδης εἶχε ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.
And after him blond Menelaus, son of Atreus, held his course.
But Antilochus called to the horses of his father: "Go forward, you two as well!
τιταίνετον ὅττι τάχιστα.
Stretch yourselves to the utmost speed.
§23.404ἤτοι μὲν κείνοισιν ἐριζέμεν οὔ τι κελεύω §23.405Τυδεΐδεω ἵπποισι δαΐφρονος, οἷσιν Ἀθήνη §23.406νῦν ὤρεξε τάχος καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ κῦδος ἔθηκεν· §23.407ἵππους δʼ Ἀτρεΐδαο κιχάνετε, μὴ δὲ λίπησθον, §23.408καρπαλίμως, μὴ σφῶϊν ἐλεγχείην καταχεύῃ §23.409Αἴθη θῆλυς ἐοῦσα·
Indeed, I do not bid you strive with those, the horses of wise Tydeus' son, to which Athena has now given speed and to him granted glory; but catch up with the horses of Atreus' son, and do not be left behind, quickly, lest Aethe pour shame upon you two, though she is a female.
τί ἢ λείπεσθε φέριστοι;
Why are you left behind, brave ones?
§23.410ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, καὶ μὴν τετελεσμένον ἔσται· §23.411οὐ σφῶϊν κομιδὴ παρὰ Νέστορι ποιμένι λαῶν §23.412ἔσσεται, αὐτίκα δʼ ὔμμε κατακτενεῖ ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ, §23.413αἴ κʼ ἀποκηδήσαντε φερώμεθα χεῖρον ἄεθλον.
For thus I will speak out, and surely it will be fulfilled: there will be no care for you two with Nestor, shepherd of the people, but he will straightway slay you with the sharp bronze, if through your negligence we bring back the worse prize.