§7.206ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν, Αἴας δὲ κορύσσετο νώροπι χαλκῷ.
So they spoke, and Ajax clothed himself in flashing bronze.
§7.207αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντα περὶ χροῒ ἕσσατο τεύχεα, §7.208σεύατʼ ἔπειθʼ οἷός τε πελώριος ἔρχεται Ἄρης, §7.209ὅς τʼ εἶσιν πόλεμον δὲ μετʼ ἀνέρας οὕς τε Κρονίων §7.210θυμοβόρου ἔριδος μένεϊ ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι.
But when he had put all his armor upon his body, then he rushed forward even as giant Ares goes, who goes to war amid men whom the son of Cronos has joined together to fight in the fury of soul-devouring strife.
§7.211τοῖος ἄρʼ Αἴας ὦρτο πελώριος ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν §7.212μειδιόων βλοσυροῖσι προσώπασι· νέρθε δὲ ποσσὶν §7.213ἤϊε μακρὰ βιβάς, κραδάων δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος.
Such then rose giant Ajax, the bulwark of the Achaeans, with a smile on his grim face; and beneath him with his feet he went with long strides, brandishing his far-shadowing spear.
§7.214τὸν δὲ καὶ Ἀργεῖοι μὲν ἐγήθεον εἰσορόωντες, §7.215Τρῶας δὲ τρόμος αἰνὸς ὑπήλυθε γυῖα ἕκαστον, §7.216Ἕκτορί τʼ αὐτῷ θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι πάτασσεν· §7.217ἀλλʼ οὔ πως ἔτι εἶχεν ὑποτρέσαι οὐδʼ ἀναδῦναι §7.218ἂψ λαῶν ἐς ὅμιλον, ἐπεὶ προκαλέσσατο χάρμῃ.
And the Argives for their part rejoiced as they looked upon him, but dread trembling came upon the Trojans, upon the limbs of each one, and even to Hector's own self the heart beat fast within his breast; yet in no way could he now shrink back or withdraw into the crowd of the host, since he himself had challenged to the fight.
§7.219Αἴας δʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε φέρων σάκος ἠΰτε πύργον §7.220χάλκεον ἑπταβόειον, ὅ οἱ Τυχίος κάμε τεύχων §7.221σκυτοτόμων ὄχʼ ἄριστος Ὕλῃ ἔνι οἰκία ναίων, §7.222ὅς οἱ ἐποίησεν σάκος αἰόλον ἑπταβόειον §7.223ταύρων ζατρεφέων, ἐπὶ δʼ ὄγδοον ἤλασε χαλκόν.
And Ajax came near, carrying his shield that was like a tower, a shield of bronze and sevenfold bull's hide, which Tychius had wrought with toil, far the best of workers in hide, who had his home in Hyle, who made for him his flashing sevenfold shield of well-fed bulls, and over it welded an eighth layer of bronze.
§7.224τὸ πρόσθε στέρνοιο φέρων Τελαμώνιος Αἴας §7.225στῆ ῥα μάλʼ Ἕκτορος ἐγγύς, ἀπειλήσας δὲ προσηύδα· §7.226Ἕκτορ νῦν μὲν δὴ σάφα εἴσεαι οἰόθεν οἶος §7.227οἷοι καὶ Δαναοῖσιν ἀριστῆες μετέασι §7.228καὶ μετʼ Ἀχιλλῆα ῥηξήνορα θυμολέοντα.
This before his breast Telamonian Ajax carried and came and stood very near to Hector, and spoke with threat: "Hector, now indeed you shall know clearly, man to man, what manner of chieftains there are also among the Danaans, even after Achilles, breaker of the ranks of men, lion-hearted.
§7.229ἀλλʼ ὃ μὲν ἐν νήεσσι κορωνίσι ποντοπόροισι §7.230κεῖτʼ ἀπομηνίσας Ἀγαμέμνονι ποιμένι λαῶν· §7.231ἡμεῖς δʼ εἰμὲν τοῖοι οἳ ἂν σέθεν ἀντιάσαιμεν
But he lies beside his curved, seafaring ships, nursing his wrath against Agamemnon, shepherd of the host; yet we are such as can face you, yea, and many of us.
§7.232καὶ πολέες· ἀλλʼ ἄρχε μάχης ἠδὲ πτολέμοιο. §7.233τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ· §7.234Αἶαν διογενὲς Τελαμώνιε κοίρανε λαῶν §7.235μή τί μευ ἠΰτε παιδὸς ἀφαυροῦ πειρήτιζε §7.236ἠὲ γυναικός, ἣ οὐκ οἶδεν πολεμήϊα ἔργα.
But begin the battle and the war." To him then spoke great Hector of the flashing helmet: "Ajax, sprung from Zeus, Telamonian, lord of the host, try not to make trial of me as though I were some feeble boy or a woman who knows not deeds of war.
§7.237αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν εὖ οἶδα μάχας τʼ ἀνδροκτασίας τε· §7.238οἶδʼ ἐπὶ δεξιά, οἶδʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ νωμῆσαι βῶν §7.239ἀζαλέην, τό μοι ἔστι ταλαύρινον πολεμίζειν· §7.240οἶδα δʼ ἐπαΐξαι μόθον ἵππων ὠκειάων· §7.241οἶδα δʼ ἐνὶ σταδίῃ δηΐῳ μέλπεσθαι Ἄρηϊ.
For I know well battles and slaughter of men; I know how to wield to the right, and I know how to wield to the left my shield of dry hide, which is to me the essence of tough-shielded fighting; and I know how to charge into the clash of swift chariots; and I know how in close combat to dance to the tune of grim Ares.
§7.242ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ σʼ ἐθέλω βαλέειν τοιοῦτον ἐόντα §7.243λάθρῃ ὀπιπεύσας, ἀλλʼ ἀμφαδόν, αἴ κε τύχωμι. §7.244ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος, §7.245καὶ βάλεν Αἴαντος δεινὸν σάκος ἑπταβόειον §7.246ἀκρότατον κατὰ χαλκόν, ὃς ὄγδοος ἦεν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.
Yet I do not wish to strike you, being such a man as you are, by watching you by stealth, but openly, if so be I may hit you." He spoke, and poised and hurled his far-shadowing spear, and struck the dread sevenfold shield of Ajax upon the outermost bronze, which was the eighth layer upon it.
Through six layers went the stubborn bronze, tearing through them, but in the seventh hide it was held.
δεύτερος αὖτε §7.249Αἴας διογενὴς προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος, §7.250καὶ βάλε Πριαμίδαο κατʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην.
Then next Ajax, sprung from Zeus, hurled his far-shadowing spear, and struck the shield of Priam's son, balanced on every side.
§7.251διὰ μὲν ἀσπίδος ἦλθε φαεινῆς ὄβριμον ἔγχος, §7.252καὶ διὰ θώρηκος πολυδαιδάλου ἠρήρειστο· §7.253ἀντικρὺ δὲ παραὶ λαπάρην διάμησε χιτῶνα §7.254ἔγχος· ὃ δʼ ἐκλίνθη καὶ ἀλεύατο κῆρα μέλαιναν.
Through the bright shield went the mighty spear, and through the richly wrought corselet it pressed on; and straight on beside the flank the spear shore through his tunic; but he bent aside and escaped black death.
§7.255τὼ δʼ ἐκσπασσαμένω δολίχʼ ἔγχεα χερσὶν ἅμʼ ἄμφω §7.256σύν ῥʼ ἔπεσον λείουσιν ἐοικότες ὠμοφάγοισιν §7.257ἢ συσὶ κάπροισιν, τῶν τε σθένος οὐκ ἀλαπαδνόν.
Then the two together with their hands drew out their long spears and fell to, like raw-eating lions or wild boars whose strength is not easily weakened.
§7.258Πριαμίδης μὲν ἔπειτα μέσον σάκος οὔτασε δουρί, §7.259οὐδʼ ἔρρηξεν χαλκός, ἀνεγνάμφθη δέ οἱ αἰχμή.
Then the son of Priam struck the middle of the shield with his spear, yet the bronze did not break, but his spear-point was bent.
§7.260Αἴας δʼ ἀσπίδα νύξεν ἐπάλμενος· ἣ δὲ διαπρὸ §7.261ἤλυθεν ἐγχείη, στυφέλιξε δέ μιν μεμαῶτα, §7.262τμήδην δʼ αὐχένʼ ἐπῆλθε, μέλαν δʼ ἀνεκήκιεν αἷμα,
But Ajax leapt upon him and pierced his shield; and the spear went clean through, and thrust him back as he rushed on, and came upon his neck with a grazing cut, so that dark blood welled up.
§7.263ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς ἀπέληγε μάχης κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ, §7.264ἀλλʼ ἀναχασσάμενος λίθον εἵλετο χειρὶ παχείῃ §7.265κείμενον ἐν πεδίῳ μέλανα τρηχύν τε μέγαν τε· §7.266τῷ βάλεν Αἴαντος δεινὸν σάκος ἑπταβόειον §7.267μέσσον ἐπομφάλιον· περιήχησεν δʼ ἄρα χαλκός.
Yet even so Hector of the flashing helmet ceased not from battle, but drawing back, he seized with his stout hand a stone lying upon the plain, black and rough and great; with this he struck Ajax's dread sevenfold shield right upon the middle of the boss; and the bronze rang out.
§7.268δεύτερος αὖτʼ Αἴας πολὺ μείζονα λᾶαν ἀείρας §7.269ἧκʼ ἐπιδινήσας, ἐπέρεισε δὲ ἶνʼ ἀπέλεθρον, §7.270εἴσω δʼ ἀσπίδʼ ἔαξε βαλὼν μυλοειδέϊ πέτρῳ, §7.271βλάψε δέ οἱ φίλα γούναθʼ· ὃ δʼ ὕπτιος ἐξετανύσθη §7.272ἀσπίδι ἐγχριμφθείς· τὸν δʼ αἶψʼ ὤρθωσεν Ἀπόλλων.
Then next Ajax lifted a stone far greater, and swung and hurled it, putting into it infinite strength, and broke the shield inward, striking with the stone like a millstone, and harmed his knees; and Hector was stretched on his back, clasped by his shield; but Apollo straightway raised him up.
§7.273καί νύ κε δὴ ξιφέεσσʼ αὐτοσχεδὸν οὐτάζοντο, §7.274εἰ μὴ κήρυκες Διὸς ἄγγελοι ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν §7.275ἦλθον, ὃ μὲν Τρώων, ὃ δʼ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων,
And now they would have been wounding each other with swords in close combat, had not the heralds, messengers of Zeus and of men, come, one from the Trojans and one from the bronze-clad Achaeans,