§23.692ὡς δʼ ὅθʼ ὑπὸ φρικὸς Βορέω ἀναπάλλεται ἰχθὺς §23.693θίνʼ ἐν φυκιόεντι, μέλαν δέ ἑ κῦμα κάλυψεν, §23.694ὣς πληγεὶς ἀνέπαλτʼ· αὐτὰρ μεγάθυμος Ἐπειὸς §23.695χερσὶ λαβὼν ὤρθωσε· φίλοι δʼ ἀμφέσταν ἑταῖροι, §23.696οἵ μιν ἄγον διʼ ἀγῶνος ἐφελκομένοισι πόδεσσιν §23.697αἷμα παχὺ πτύοντα κάρη βάλλονθʼ ἑτέρωσε· §23.698κὰδ δʼ ἀλλοφρονέοντα μετὰ σφίσιν εἷσαν ἄγοντες, §23.699αὐτοὶ δʼ οἰχόμενοι κόμισαν δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον.
And as when a fish leaps up under the ripple of the North Wind on the seaweedy beach, and then the dark wave covers it, so he leapt up when struck; but great-hearted Epeius took him in his hands and set him upright; and his dear companions stood around him, and led him through the ring with trailing feet, spitting thick blood and letting his head droop to one side; they led him away senseless and seated him among them, and they themselves went and brought back the double-handled cup.
§23.700Πηλεΐδης δʼ αἶψʼ ἄλλα κατὰ τρίτα θῆκεν ἄεθλα §23.701δεικνύμενος Δαναοῖσι παλαισμοσύνης ἀλεγεινῆς, §23.702τῷ μὲν νικήσαντι μέγαν τρίποδʼ ἐμπυριβήτην, §23.703τὸν δὲ δυωδεκάβοιον ἐνὶ σφίσι τῖον Ἀχαιοί· §23.704ἀνδρὶ δὲ νικηθέντι γυναῖκʼ ἐς μέσσον ἔθηκε, §23.705πολλὰ δʼ ἐπίστατο ἔργα, τίον δέ ἑ τεσσαράβοιον.
Then the son of Peleus straightway set forth other, third prizes, showing them to the Danaans, for the painful wrestling match: for the winner a great tripod to stand upon the fire, which the Achaeans valued among themselves at twelve oxen; and for the loser he set a woman in the midst, skilled in many works, and they valued her at four oxen.
§23.706στῆ δʼ ὀρθὸς καὶ μῦθον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔειπεν· §23.707ὄρνυσθʼ οἳ καὶ τούτου ἀέθλου πειρήσεσθον. §23.708ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὦρτο δʼ ἔπειτα μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας, §23.709ἂν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς πολύμητις ἀνίστατο κέρδεα εἰδώς.
He stood upright and spoke a word among the Argives: “Arise, you two who will make trial of this contest as well.” So he spoke, and straightway arose great Telamonian Ajax, and up rose wise Odysseus, full of wiles.
§23.710ζωσαμένω δʼ ἄρα τώ γε βάτην ἐς μέσσον ἀγῶνα, §23.711ἀγκὰς δʼ ἀλλήλων λαβέτην χερσὶ στιβαρῇσιν §23.712ὡς ὅτʼ ἀμείβοντες, τούς τε κλυτὸς ἤραρε τέκτων §23.713δώματος ὑψηλοῖο βίας ἀνέμων ἀλεείνων.
Then, having girded themselves, the two went into the midst of the ring, and clasped each other in their arms with strong hands, like rafters which a famous carpenter joins for a high house, to avoid the violence of the winds.
§23.714τετρίγει δʼ ἄρα νῶτα θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν §23.715ἑλκόμενα στερεῶς· κατὰ δὲ νότιος ῥέεν ἱδρώς, §23.716πυκναὶ δὲ σμώδιγγες ἀνὰ πλευράς τε καὶ ὤμους §23.717αἵματι φοινικόεσσαι ἀνέδραμον· οἳ δὲ μάλʼ αἰεὶ §23.718νίκης ἱέσθην τρίποδος πέρι ποιητοῖο· §23.719οὔτʼ Ὀδυσεὺς δύνατο σφῆλαι οὔδει τε πελάσσαι, §23.720οὔτʼ Αἴας δύνατο, κρατερὴ δʼ ἔχεν ἲς Ὀδυσῆος.
And their backs creaked under the pull of their strong hands, strained mightily; and the wet sweat flowed down, and many a wale, purple with blood, started up along their sides and shoulders; yet they ever strove ever for victory for the sake of the well-wrought tripod; neither could Odysseus trip Ajax and bring him to the ground, nor could Ajax, for the strong might of Odysseus held him.
§23.721ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἀνίαζον ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς, §23.722δὴ τότε μιν προσέειπε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας· §23.723διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ §23.724ἤ μʼ ἀνάειρʼ, ἢ ἐγὼ σέ· τὰ δʼ αὖ Διὶ πάντα μελήσει. §23.725ὣς εἰπὼν ἀνάειρε· δόλου δʼ οὐ λήθετʼ Ὀδυσσεύς· §23.726κόψʼ ὄπιθεν κώληπα τυχών, ὑπέλυσε δὲ γυῖα, §23.727κὰδ δʼ ἔβαλʼ ἐξοπίσω· ἐπὶ δὲ στήθεσσιν Ὀδυσσεὺς §23.728κάππεσε· λαοὶ δʼ αὖ θηεῦντό τε θάμβησάν τε.
But when they began to weary the well-greaved Achaeans, then great Telamonian Ajax spoke to him: “Heaven-born son of Laertes, Odysseus of many wiles, lift me, or let me lift you; and all the rest shall be for Zeus to care.” So saying, he lifted him; but Odysseus did not forget his cunning; he struck him behind the knee, hitting the mark, and loosed his limbs, and threw him backward; and Odysseus fell upon his chest; and the people looked on and were amazed.
§23.729δεύτερος αὖτʼ ἀνάειρε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §23.730κίνησεν δʼ ἄρα τυτθὸν ἀπὸ χθονός, οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἄειρεν, §23.731ἐν δὲ γόνυ γνάμψεν· ἐπὶ δὲ χθονὶ κάππεσον ἄμφω §23.732πλησίοι ἀλλήλοισι, μιάνθησαν δὲ κονίῃ.
Next, much-enduring noble Odysseus tried to lift him in turn, and he moved him slightly from the ground, but could not lift him further, and bent his knee; and so both fell to the ground close to each other, and were soiled with dust.
§23.733καί νύ κε τὸ τρίτον αὖτις ἀναΐξαντʼ ἐπάλαιον, §23.734εἰ μὴ Ἀχιλλεὺς αὐτὸς ἀνίστατο καὶ κατέρυκε· §23.735μηκέτʼ ἐρείδεσθον, μὴ δὲ τρίβεσθε κακοῖσι·
And now they would have leapt up and wrestled for the third time, had not Achilles himself stood up and held them back: “Strive no longer, nor wear yourselves out with pain.
§23.736νίκη δʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν· ἀέθλια δʼ ἶσʼ ἀνελόντες §23.737ἔρχεσθʼ, ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλοι ἀεθλεύωσιν Ἀχαιοί. §23.738ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδὲ πίθοντο, §23.739καί ῥʼ ἀπομορξαμένω κονίην δύσαντο χιτῶνας.
Victory is to both; take equal prizes and go, that the other Achaeans may also compete.” So he spoke, and they readily heard and obeyed him; and wiping off the dust, they put on their tunics.
§23.740Πηλεΐδης δʼ αἶψʼ ἄλλα τίθει ταχυτῆτος ἄεθλα §23.741ἀργύρεον κρητῆρα τετυγμένον· ἓξ δʼ ἄρα μέτρα §23.742χάνδανεν, αὐτὰρ κάλλει ἐνίκα πᾶσαν ἐπʼ αἶαν §23.743πολλόν, ἐπεὶ Σιδόνες πολυδαίδαλοι εὖ ἤσκησαν, §23.744Φοίνικες δʼ ἄγον ἄνδρες ἐπʼ ἠεροειδέα πόντον, §23.745στῆσαν δʼ ἐν λιμένεσσι, Θόαντι δὲ δῶρον ἔδωκαν· §23.746υἷος δὲ Πριάμοιο Λυκάονος ὦνον ἔδωκε §23.747Πατρόκλῳ ἥρωϊ Ἰησονίδης Εὔνηος.
And straightway the son of Peleus set forth other prizes for speed: a mixing bowl of wrought silver; six measures it held, and in beauty it was far the best in all the earth, since skilled Sidonians had wrought it well, and Phoenician men had carried it over the misty sea and set it in harbors, and gave it as a gift to Thoas; and Euneus, son of Jason, had given it to the hero Patroclus as ransom for Lycaon, son of Priam.
§23.748καὶ τὸν Ἀχιλλεὺς θῆκεν ἄεθλον οὗ ἑτάροιο, §23.749ὅς τις ἐλαφρότατος ποσσὶ κραιπνοῖσι πέλοιτο· §23.750δευτέρῳ αὖ βοῦν θῆκε μέγαν καὶ πίονα δημῷ, §23.751ἡμιτάλαντον δὲ χρυσοῦ λοισθήϊʼ ἔθηκε.
And this Achilles set up as a prize in honor of his companion, for whoever should prove lightest with swift feet; for the second, again, he set a great ox rich with fat, and for the last, half a talent of gold.
§23.752στῆ δʼ ὀρθὸς καὶ μῦθον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔειπεν· §23.753ὄρνυσθʼ οἳ καὶ τούτου ἀέθλου πειρήσεσθε. §23.754ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὄρνυτο δʼ αὐτίκʼ Ὀϊλῆος ταχὺς Αἴας, §23.755ἂν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς πολύμητις, ἔπειτα δὲ Νέστορος υἱὸς §23.756Ἀντίλοχος· ὃ γὰρ αὖτε νέους ποσὶ πάντας ἐνίκα.
He stood upright and spoke a word among the Argives: “Arise, you who will make trial of this contest as well.” So he spoke, and straightway arose swift Ajax, son of Oileus, and up rose wise Odysseus, and then Nestor's son Antilochus; for he again defeated all the young men in speed.
§23.757στὰν δὲ μεταστοιχί· σήμηνε δὲ τέρματʼ Ἀχιλλεύς.
They stood in a row, and Achilles showed them the goal.
§23.758τοῖσι δʼ ἀπὸ νύσσης τέτατο δρόμος· ὦκα δʼ ἔπειτα §23.759ἔκφερʼ Ὀϊλιάδης· ἐπὶ δʼ ὄρνυτο δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς §23.760ἄγχι μάλʼ, ὡς ὅτε τίς τε γυναικὸς ἐϋζώνοιο
Then their race was stretched from the starting-point; and straightway the son of Oileus shot ahead; and noble Odysseus rushed after him very close, as when some well-girdled woman...