§3.1αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κόσμηθεν ἅμʼ ἡγεμόνεσσιν ἕκαστοι, §3.2Τρῶες μὲν κλαγγῇ τʼ ἐνοπῇ τʼ ἴσαν ὄρνιθες ὣς §3.3ἠΰτε περ κλαγγὴ γεράνων πέλει οὐρανόθι πρό· §3.4αἵ τʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν χειμῶνα φύγον καὶ ἀθέσφατον ὄμβρον §3.5κλαγγῇ ταί γε πέτονται ἐπʼ ὠκεανοῖο ῥοάων §3.6ἀνδράσι Πυγμαίοισι φόνον καὶ κῆρα φέρουσαι· §3.7ἠέριαι δʼ ἄρα ταί γε κακὴν ἔριδα προφέρονται.
But when they were marshaled, each company with its leaders, the Trojans indeed came on with clamor and shouting like birds, even as the clamor of cranes arises before the face of heaven; which, when they have fled from winter and unspeakable rain, fly with clamor toward the streams of Ocean, bringing slaughter and death to the Pygmy men; and in the early morning they bring evil strife.
But the Achaeans went in silence, breathing courage, eager in their hearts to bring aid to one another.
§3.10εὖτʼ ὄρεος κορυφῇσι Νότος κατέχευεν ὀμίχλην §3.11ποιμέσιν οὔ τι φίλην, κλέπτῃ δέ τε νυκτὸς ἀμείνω, §3.12τόσσόν τίς τʼ ἐπιλεύσσει ὅσον τʼ ἐπὶ λᾶαν ἵησιν· §3.13ὣς ἄρα τῶν ὑπὸ ποσσὶ κονίσαλος ὄρνυτʼ ἀελλὴς §3.14ἐρχομένων· μάλα δʼ ὦκα διέπρησσον πεδίοιο.
Just as when the South Wind pours a mist over the peaks of a mountain, in no wise loved by shepherds, but better than night for a thief, and one can see only as far as he can cast a stone; so then arose a dense cloud of dust from beneath their feet as they went; and very swiftly they made their way across the plain.
§3.15οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες, §3.16Τρωσὶν μὲν προμάχιζεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς §3.17παρδαλέην ὤμοισιν ἔχων καὶ καμπύλα τόξα §3.18καὶ ξίφος· αὐτὰρ δοῦρε δύω κεκορυθμένα χαλκῷ §3.19πάλλων Ἀργείων προκαλίζετο πάντας ἀρίστους §3.20ἀντίβιον μαχέσασθαι ἐν αἰνῇ δηϊοτῆτι.
But when they were now near, coming against one another, godlike Alexander championed the Trojans, having on his shoulders a panther skin and a curved bow and a sword; but brandishing two spears tipped with bronze, he challenged all the best of the Argives to fight face to face in dread combat.
§3.21τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος §3.22ἐρχόμενον προπάροιθεν ὁμίλου μακρὰ βιβάντα, §3.23ὥς τε λέων ἐχάρη μεγάλῳ ἐπὶ σώματι κύρσας §3.24εὑρὼν ἢ ἔλαφον κεραὸν ἢ ἄγριον αἶγα §3.25πεινάων· μάλα γάρ τε κατεσθίει, εἴ περ ἂν αὐτὸν §3.26σεύωνται ταχέες τε κύνες θαλεροί τʼ αἰζηοί· §3.27ὣς ἐχάρη Μενέλαος Ἀλέξανδρον θεοειδέα §3.28ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδών· φάτο γὰρ τίσεσθαι ἀλείτην· §3.29αὐτίκα δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων σὺν τεύχεσιν ἆλτο χαμᾶζε.
But when Menelaus, dear to Ares, marked him coming before the host with long strides, even as a lion is glad when he lights upon a great carcass, having found either a horned stag or a wild goat, when he is hungry; for greedily he devours it, even though swift hounds and lusty youths pursue him; so Menelaus was glad when his eyes beheld godlike Alexander; for he thought he would take vengeance on the sinner; and straightway he leaped from his chariot in his armor to the ground.
§3.30τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς §3.31ἐν προμάχοισι φανέντα, κατεπλήγη φίλον ἦτορ, §3.32ἂψ δʼ ἑτάρων εἰς ἔθνος ἐχάζετο κῆρʼ ἀλεείνων.
But when godlike Alexander marked him appearing among the champions, he was stricken in his dear heart, and shrank back into the company of his comrades, avoiding death.
§3.33ὡς δʼ ὅτε τίς τε δράκοντα ἰδὼν παλίνορσος ἀπέστη §3.34οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς, ὑπό τε τρόμος ἔλλαβε γυῖα, §3.35ἂψ δʼ ἀνεχώρησεν, ὦχρός τέ μιν εἷλε παρειάς, §3.36ὣς αὖτις καθʼ ὅμιλον ἔδυ Τρώων ἀγερώχων §3.37δείσας Ἀτρέος υἱὸν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής.
And as when a man sees a serpent in the glades of a mountain and starts back, and trembling seizes his limbs, and he withdraws back, and paleness takes hold of his cheeks; so did godlike Alexander shrink back into the throng of the lordly Trojans, fearing the son of Atreus.
But Hector saw him and upbraided him with shameful words: "Evil Paris, most fair in form, mad after women, deceiver!
§3.40αἴθʼ ὄφελες ἄγονός τʼ ἔμεναι ἄγαμός τʼ ἀπολέσθαι·
Would that you had never been born, or had perished unwed!
This indeed I would wish, and it would have been far better than thus to be a mockery and an object of suspicion to others.
§3.43ἦ που καγχαλόωσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ §3.44φάντες ἀριστῆα πρόμον ἔμμεναι, οὕνεκα καλὸν §3.45εἶδος ἔπʼ, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστι βίη φρεσὶν οὐδέ τις ἀλκή.
Surely, I think, the long-haired Achaeans laugh aloud, saying that a prince is our champion only because a fair form is his, but there is no strength in his heart, nor any courage.
§3.46ἦ τοιόσδε ἐὼν ἐν ποντοπόροισι νέεσσι §3.47πόντον ἐπιπλώσας, ἑτάρους ἐρίηρας ἀγείρας, §3.48μιχθεὶς ἀλλοδαποῖσι γυναῖκʼ εὐειδέʼ ἀνῆγες §3.49ἐξ ἀπίης γαίης νυὸν ἀνδρῶν αἰχμητάων §3.50πατρί τε σῷ μέγα πῆμα πόληΐ τε παντί τε δήμῳ, §3.51δυσμενέσιν μὲν χάρμα, κατηφείην δὲ σοὶ αὐτῷ;
Was it as such a man that you sailed over the sea in deep-going ships, having gathered trusty comrades, and, mingling with foreigners, carried off a fair woman from a distant land, a daughter-in-law of spear-armed men, a great bane to your father and city and all the people, a joy to your enemies, and a hanging of the head to yourself?
§3.52οὐκ ἂν δὴ μείνειας ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον;
Could you not indeed abide Menelaus, dear to Ares?
§3.53γνοίης χʼ οἵου φωτὸς ἔχεις θαλερὴν παράκοιτιν·
Then would you have known what kind of warrior he is whose lovely wife you hold.
§3.54οὐκ ἄν τοι χραίσμῃ κίθαρις τά τε δῶρʼ Ἀφροδίτης §3.55ἥ τε κόμη τό τε εἶδος ὅτʼ ἐν κονίῃσι μιγείης.
Your lyre will not help you, nor the gifts of Aphrodite, nor your hair nor your comeliness, when you are mingled with the dust.
§3.56ἀλλὰ μάλα Τρῶες δειδήμονες· ἦ τέ κεν ἤδη §3.57λάϊνον ἕσσο χιτῶνα κακῶν ἕνεχʼ ὅσσα ἔοργας. §3.58τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής· §3.59Ἕκτορ ἐπεί με κατʼ αἶσαν ἐνείκεσας οὐδʼ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν· §3.60αἰεί τοι κραδίη πέλεκυς ὥς ἐστιν ἀτειρὴς §3.61ὅς τʼ εἶσιν διὰ δουρὸς ὑπʼ ἀνέρος ὅς ῥά τε τέχνῃ §3.62νήϊον ἐκτάμνῃσιν, ὀφέλλει δʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐρωήν· §3.63ὣς σοὶ ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἀτάρβητος νόος ἐστί·
But the Trojans are very cowardly; else indeed by now you would have donned a coat of stone because of all the evils you have wrought." And to him godlike Alexander made answer, saying: "Hector, since you have chided me fairly, and not beyond measure— always is your heart untiring, like an axe which goes through timber at the hand of a man who by art shapes a ship's timber, and it increases the man's force; so is the mind in your breast undaunted.