§4.138ἥ οἱ πλεῖστον ἔρυτο· διὰ πρὸ δὲ εἴσατο καὶ τῆς.
This protected him the most; yet through even this the arrow made its way.
§4.139ἀκρότατον δʼ ἄρʼ ὀϊστὸς ἐπέγραψε χρόα φωτός·
Then the arrow grazed the outermost flesh of the man.
§4.140αὐτίκα δʼ ἔρρεεν αἷμα κελαινεφὲς ἐξ ὠτειλῆς.
and straightway dark-clouded blood flowed from the wound.
§4.141ὡς δʼ ὅτε τίς τʼ ἐλέφαντα γυνὴ φοίνικι μιήνῃ §4.142Μῃονὶς ἠὲ Κάειρα παρήϊον ἔμμεναι ἵππων· §4.143κεῖται δʼ ἐν θαλάμῳ, πολέες τέ μιν ἠρήσαντο §4.144ἱππῆες φορέειν· βασιλῆϊ δὲ κεῖται ἄγαλμα, §4.145ἀμφότερον κόσμός θʼ ἵππῳ ἐλατῆρί τε κῦδος· §4.146τοῖοί τοι Μενέλαε μιάνθην αἵματι μηροὶ §4.147εὐφυέες κνῆμαί τε ἰδὲ σφυρὰ κάλʼ ὑπένερθε.
As when some Maeonian or Carian woman stains ivory with purple to be a cheek-piece for horses; and it lies in a store-chamber, and many horsemen pray to wear it; but it lies as a treasure for a king, both an ornament for the horse and a glory for the driver; even so, Menelaus, were your well-shapen thighs stained with blood, and your shins and your fair ankles beneath.
§4.148ῥίγησεν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων §4.149ὡς εἶδεν μέλαν αἷμα καταρρέον ἐξ ὠτειλῆς· §4.150ῥίγησεν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος.
Then Agamemnon, lord of men, shuddered when he saw the dark blood flowing down from the wound; and warlike Menelaus himself also shuddered.
But when he saw that the string and the barbs were outside, back again his spirit was gathered into his breast.
§4.153τοῖς δὲ βαρὺ στενάχων μετέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων §4.154χειρὸς ἔχων Μενέλαον, ἐπεστενάχοντο δʼ ἑταῖροι· §4.155φίλε κασίγνητε θάνατόν νύ τοι ὅρκιʼ ἔταμνον §4.156οἶον προστήσας πρὸ Ἀχαιῶν Τρωσὶ μάχεσθαι, §4.157ὥς σʼ ἔβαλον Τρῶες, κατὰ δʼ ὅρκια πιστὰ πάτησαν.
Among them spoke lord Agamemnon, groaning heavily, holding Menelaus by the hand, and his companions groaned with him: "Dear brother, it was then your death for which I made the treaty, setting you forward alone before the Achaeans to fight with the Trojans, since the Trojans have struck you, and trampled underfoot the trustworthy treaty.
Yet in no wise is an oath of no effect, and the blood of lambs, and drink-offerings of unmixed wine, and the right hands in which we trusted.
§4.160εἴ περ γάρ τε καὶ αὐτίκʼ Ὀλύμπιος οὐκ ἐτέλεσσεν, §4.161ἔκ τε καὶ ὀψὲ τελεῖ, σύν τε μεγάλῳ ἀπέτισαν §4.162σὺν σφῇσιν κεφαλῇσι γυναιξί τε καὶ τεκέεσσιν.
For even if the Olympian does not bring it to pass immediately, yet late does he bring it to pass, and they pay a heavy price, even with their own heads and their wives and their children.
§4.163εὖ γὰρ ἐγὼ τόδε οἶδα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν· §4.164ἔσσεται ἦμαρ ὅτʼ ἄν ποτʼ ὀλώλῃ Ἴλιος ἱρὴ §4.165καὶ Πρίαμος καὶ λαὸς ἐϋμμελίω Πριάμοιο, §4.166Ζεὺς δέ σφι Κρονίδης ὑψίζυγος αἰθέρι ναίων §4.167αὐτὸς ἐπισσείῃσιν ἐρεμνὴν αἰγίδα πᾶσι §4.168τῆσδʼ ἀπάτης κοτέων·
For of this I am well assured in my mind and in my heart: the day will come when sacred Ilios shall perish, and Priam, and the people of Priam of the good ashen spear, and Zeus, son of Cronos, enthroned on high, dwelling in the ether, shall himself shake his dark aegis over them all, wroth at this deceit.
τὰ μὲν ἔσσεται οὐκ ἀτέλεστα· §4.169ἀλλά μοι αἰνὸν ἄχος σέθεν ἔσσεται ὦ Μενέλαε §4.170αἴ κε θάνῃς καὶ πότμον ἀναπλήσῃς βιότοιο.
These things shall not fail of fulfillment; but I shall have dread grief for you, Menelaus, if you should die and fill up the measure of your life.
§4.171καί κεν ἐλέγχιστος πολυδίψιον Ἄργος ἱκοίμην· §4.172αὐτίκα γὰρ μνήσονται Ἀχαιοὶ πατρίδος αἴης· §4.173κὰδ δέ κεν εὐχωλὴν Πριάμῳ καὶ Τρωσὶ λίποιμεν §4.174Ἀργείην Ἑλένην· σέο δʼ ὀστέα πύσει ἄρουρα §4.175κειμένου ἐν Τροίῃ ἀτελευτήτῳ ἐπὶ ἔργῳ.
And I should return to thirsty Argos as one most despised; for straightway the Achaeans will remember their native land; and we should leave Argive Helen as a boast to Priam and the Trojans; and your bones shall rot in the earth as you lie in Troy with your task unaccomplished.
§4.176καί κέ τις ὧδʼ ἐρέει Τρώων ὑπερηνορεόντων §4.177τύμβῳ ἐπιθρῴσκων Μενελάου κυδαλίμοιο· §4.178αἴθʼ οὕτως ἐπὶ πᾶσι χόλον τελέσειʼ Ἀγαμέμνων, §4.179ὡς καὶ νῦν ἅλιον στρατὸν ἤγαγεν ἐνθάδʼ Ἀχαιῶν, §4.180καὶ δὴ ἔβη οἶκον δὲ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν §4.181σὺν κεινῇσιν νηυσὶ λιπὼν ἀγαθὸν Μενέλαον. §4.182ὥς ποτέ τις ἐρέει· τότε μοι χάνοι εὐρεῖα χθών. §4.183τὸν δʼ ἐπιθαρσύνων προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος· §4.184θάρσει, μηδέ τί πω δειδίσσεο λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν· §4.185οὐκ ἐν καιρίῳ ὀξὺ πάγη βέλος, ἀλλὰ πάροιθεν §4.186εἰρύσατο ζωστήρ τε παναίολος ἠδʼ ὑπένερθε §4.187ζῶμά τε καὶ μίτρη, τὴν χαλκῆες κάμον ἄνδρες. §4.188τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων· §4.189αἲ γὰρ δὴ οὕτως εἴη φίλος ὦ Μενέλαε· §4.190ἕλκος δʼ ἰητὴρ ἐπιμάσσεται ἠδʼ ἐπιθήσει §4.191φάρμαχʼ ἅ κεν παύσῃσι μελαινάων ὀδυνάων. §4.192ἦ καὶ Ταλθύβιον θεῖον κήρυκα προσηύδα· §4.193Ταλθύβιʼ ὅττι τάχιστα Μαχάονα δεῦρο κάλεσσον §4.194φῶτʼ Ἀσκληπιοῦ υἱὸν ἀμύμονος ἰητῆρος, §4.195ὄφρα ἴδῃ Μενέλαον ἀρήϊον Ἀτρέος υἱόν, §4.196ὅν τις ὀϊστεύσας ἔβαλεν τόξων ἐῢ εἰδὼς §4.197Τρώων ἢ Λυκίων, τῷ μὲν κλέος, ἄμμι δὲ πένθος. §4.198ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἄρα οἱ κῆρυξ ἀπίθησεν ἀκούσας, §4.199βῆ δʼ ἰέναι κατὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων §4.200παπταίνων ἥρωα Μαχάονα· τὸν δὲ νόησεν §4.201ἑσταότʼ· ἀμφὶ δέ μιν κρατεραὶ στίχες ἀσπιστάων §4.202λαῶν, οἵ οἱ ἕποντο Τρίκης ἐξ ἱπποβότοιο.
And thus will one of the overbearing Trojans speak, leaping upon the tomb of glorious Menelaus: "Would that Agamemnon might thus fulfill his wrath on all, even as now he led hither an army of the Achaeans in vain, and lo, he has gone home to his dear native land with empty ships, leaving brave Menelaus behind." Thus will some man speak; on that day let the wide earth yawn for me." But fair-haired Menelaus spoke, encouraging him: "Be of good courage, and do not in any wise frighten the host of the Achaeans; the sharp missile is not fixed in a vital part, but before that the flashing belt protected me, and beneath it the kilt and the mitre which bronze-smiths fashioned." And lord Agamemnon spoke in answer to him: "Would that it indeed were so, dear Menelaus; and a healer shall search the wound, and apply herbs that shall make an end of your dark pains." He spoke, and addressed Talthybius, the divine herald: "Talthybius, with all speed call Machaon hither, the hero, son of Asclepius, the blameless healer, so that he may see warlike Menelaus, the son of Atreus, whom some archer, well skilled in bowmanship, has struck with an arrow, whether of the Trojans or the Lycians, winning glory for himself but leaving grief for us." So he spoke, and the herald did not disobey as he heard him, but went his way through the host of the bronze-clad Achaeans, looking around for the hero Machaon; and he noticed him standing, and around him were the strong ranks of shield-bearing people who followed him from horse-pasturing Tricca.
Standing near him, he spoke winged words: "Rouse yourself, son of Asclepius!
§4.205ὄφρα ἴδῃς Μενέλαον ἀρήϊον ἀρχὸν Ἀχαιῶν,
Lord Agamemnon calls you, so that you may see warlike Menelaus, leader of the Achaeans,"