§8.70ἐν δʼ ἐτίθει δύο κῆρε τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο §8.71Τρώων θʼ ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων, §8.72ἕλκε δὲ μέσσα λαβών· ῥέπε δʼ αἴσιμον ἦμαρ Ἀχαιῶν.
In it he placed two fates of death that brings long woe, both of the horse-taming Trojans and of the bronze-clad Achaeans, and he took the scales by the middle and lifted them; and the fateful day of the Achaeans sank.
The fates of the Achaeans settled down upon the bountiful earth, while those of the Trojans were lifted up toward the wide heaven.
§8.75αὐτὸς δʼ ἐξ Ἴδης μεγάλʼ ἔκτυπε, δαιόμενον δὲ §8.76ἧκε σέλας μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν· οἳ δὲ ἰδόντες §8.77θάμβησαν, καὶ πάντας ὑπὸ χλωρὸν δέος εἷλεν.
And he himself thundered aloud from Ida, and sent a burning flash among the host of the Achaeans; and they, when they saw it, were amazed, and pale fear seized them all.
§8.78ἔνθʼ οὔτʼ Ἰδομενεὺς τλῆ μίμνειν οὔτʼ Ἀγαμέμνων, §8.79οὔτε δύʼ Αἴαντες μενέτην θεράποντες Ἄρηος·
Then neither Idomeneus dared to remain, nor Agamemnon, nor did the two Aiantes remain, attendants of Ares.
§8.80Νέστωρ οἶος ἔμιμνε Γερήνιος οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν §8.81οὔ τι ἑκών, ἀλλʼ ἵππος ἐτείρετο, τὸν βάλεν ἰῷ §8.82δῖος Ἀλέξανδρος Ἑλένης πόσις ἠϋκόμοιο §8.83ἄκρην κὰκ κορυφήν, ὅθι τε πρῶται τρίχες ἵππων §8.84κρανίῳ ἐμπεφύασι, μάλιστα δὲ καίριόν ἐστιν.
Gerenian Nestor alone remained, the guardian of the Achaeans, not at all by his own will, but his horse was distressed, which noble Alexandros, husband of fair-haired Helen, had struck with an arrow on the very crown of the head, where the first hairs of horses grow on the skull, and where it is most deadly.
§8.85ἀλγήσας δʼ ἀνέπαλτο, βέλος δʼ εἰς ἐγκέφαλον δῦ, §8.86σὺν δʼ ἵππους ἐτάραξε κυλινδόμενος περὶ χαλκῷ.
And in pain the horse leaped up, for the arrow sank into his brain, and he threw the other horses into confusion as he writhed around the bronze.
§8.87ὄφρʼ ὁ γέρων ἵπποιο παρηορίας ἀπέταμνε §8.88φασγάνῳ ἀΐσσων, τόφρʼ Ἕκτορος ὠκέες ἵπποι §8.89ἦλθον ἀνʼ ἰωχμὸν θρασὺν ἡνίοχον φορέοντες §8.90Ἕκτορα· καί νύ κεν ἔνθʼ ὁ γέρων ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὄλεσσεν §8.91εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ὀξὺ νόησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
While the old man was cutting away the trace-horse with his sword, striking quickly, meanwhile the swift horses of Hector came through the tumult, bearing their bold charioteer, Hector; and now indeed the old man would have lost his life there, if Diomedes, good at the war-cry, had not quickly noticed.
§8.92σμερδαλέον δʼ ἐβόησεν ἐποτρύνων Ὀδυσῆα· §8.93διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ §8.94πῇ φεύγεις μετὰ νῶτα βαλὼν κακὸς ὣς ἐν ὁμίλῳ;
And he shouted terribly, urging on Odysseus: "O Zeus-born son of Laertes, Odysseus of many devices, whither do you flee, turning your back like a coward in the crowd?
§8.95μή τίς τοι φεύγοντι μεταφρένῳ ἐν δόρυ πήξῃ·
Let no one plant a spear in your back as you flee.
§8.96ἀλλὰ μένʼ ὄφρα γέροντος ἀπώσομεν ἄγριον ἄνδρα. §8.97ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἐσάκουσε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §8.98ἀλλὰ παρήϊξεν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
But stay, so that we may drive back the wild man from the old man." Thus he spoke, but much-enduring noble Odysseus did not hear him, but dashed past toward the hollow ships of the Achaeans.
§8.99Τυδεΐδης δʼ αὐτός περ ἐὼν προμάχοισιν ἐμίχθη, §8.100στῆ δὲ πρόσθʼ ἵππων Νηληϊάδαο γέροντος, §8.101καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §8.102ὦ γέρον ἦ μάλα δή σε νέοι τείρουσι μαχηταί, §8.103σὴ δὲ βίη λέλυται, χαλεπὸν δέ σε γῆρας ὀπάζει, §8.104ἠπεδανὸς δέ νύ τοι θεράπων, βραδέες δέ τοι ἵπποι.
Yet the son of Tydeus, though he was alone, mingled with the foremost fighters, and stood before the horses of the old man, the son of Neleus, and addressing him, spoke winged words: "O old man, surely young fighters are pressing you hard, and your strength is spent, and grievous old age attends you, and your squire is feeble, and your horses are slow.
§8.105ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐμῶν ὀχέων ἐπιβήσεο, ὄφρα ἴδηαι §8.106οἷοι Τρώϊοι ἵπποι ἐπιστάμενοι πεδίοιο §8.107κραιπνὰ μάλʼ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διωκέμεν ἠδὲ φέβεσθαι, §8.108οὕς ποτʼ ἀπʼ Αἰνείαν ἑλόμην μήστωρε φόβοιο.
But come, mount my chariot, so that you may see what kind of horses are those of Troy, knowing well how swiftly to pursue and to flee this way and that over the plain, which once I took from Aeneas, deviser of terror.
§8.109τούτω μὲν θεράποντε κομείτων, τώδε δὲ νῶϊ §8.110Τρωσὶν ἐφʼ ἱπποδάμοις ἰθύνομεν, ὄφρα καὶ Ἕκτωρ §8.111εἴσεται εἰ καὶ ἐμὸν δόρυ μαίνεται ἐν παλάμῃσιν. §8.112ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ.
Let our squires tend those horses of yours, but these two let us direct against the horse-taming Trojans, so that Hector too may know whether my spear also rages in my hands." Thus he spoke, and Gerenian horseman Nestor did not disobey.
§8.113Νεστορέας μὲν ἔπειθʼ ἵππους θεράποντε κομείτην §8.114ἴφθιμοι Σθένελός τε καὶ Εὐρυμέδων ἀγαπήνωρ.
Then the two strong squires, Sthenelus and kindly Eurymedon, tended the horses of Nestor.
§8.115τὼ δʼ εἰς ἀμφοτέρω Διομήδεος ἅρματα βήτην· §8.116Νέστωρ δʼ ἐν χείρεσσι λάβʼ ἡνία σιγαλόεντα, §8.117μάστιξεν δʼ ἵππους· τάχα δʼ Ἕκτορος ἄγχι γένοντο.
And the other two mounted both upon the chariot of Diomedes; and Nestor took the shining reins in his hands, and whipped the horses; and soon they came near Hector.
§8.118τοῦ δʼ ἰθὺς μεμαῶτος ἀκόντισε Τυδέος υἱός· §8.119καὶ τοῦ μέν ῥʼ ἀφάμαρτεν, ὃ δʼ ἡνίοχον θεράποντα §8.120υἱὸν ὑπερθύμου Θηβαίου Ἠνιοπῆα §8.121ἵππων ἡνίʼ ἔχοντα βάλε στῆθος παρὰ μαζόν.
At him, as he rushed straight on, the son of Tydeus cast his spear; and him indeed he missed, but his squire and charioteer, Eniopeus, son of high-hearted Thebaeus, as he was holding the reins of the horses, he struck in the breast beside the nipple.
And he fell from the chariot, and the swift-footed horses swerved aside; and there his life and strength were loosed.
§8.124Ἕκτορα δʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος πύκασε φρένας ἡνιόχοιο· §8.125τὸν μὲν ἔπειτʼ εἴασε καὶ ἀχνύμενός περ ἑταίρου §8.126κεῖσθαι, ὃ δʼ ἡνίοχον μέθεπε θρασύν· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτι δὴν §8.127ἵππω δευέσθην σημάντορος· αἶψα γὰρ εὗρεν §8.128Ἰφιτίδην Ἀρχεπτόλεμον θρασύν, ὅν ῥα τόθʼ ἵππων §8.129ὠκυπόδων ἐπέβησε, δίδου δέ οἱ ἡνία χερσίν.
And dread grief veiled the mind of Hector for his charioteer; yet he let him lie there, though grieving for his comrade, and went in search of a bold charioteer; nor indeed did his horses long lack a guider, for quickly he found bold Archeptolemus, son of Iphitus, whom then he made mount the swift-footed horses, and gave the reins into his hands.
§8.130ἔνθά κε λοιγὸς ἔην καὶ ἀμήχανα ἔργα γένοντο, §8.131καί νύ κε σήκασθεν κατὰ Ἴλιον ἠΰτε ἄρνες, §8.132εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ὀξὺ νόησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε· §8.133βροντήσας δʼ ἄρα δεινὸν ἀφῆκʼ ἀργῆτα κεραυνόν, §8.134κὰδ δὲ πρόσθʼ ἵππων Διομήδεος ἧκε χαμᾶζε· §8.135δεινὴ δὲ φλὸξ ὦρτο θεείου καιομένοιο, §8.136τὼ δʼ ἵππω δείσαντε καταπτήτην ὑπʼ ὄχεσφι· §8.137Νέστορα δʼ ἐκ χειρῶν φύγον ἡνία σιγαλόεντα, §8.138δεῖσε δʼ ὅ γʼ ἐν θυμῷ, Διομήδεα δὲ προσέειπε· §8.139Τυδεΐδη ἄγε δʼ αὖτε φόβον δʼ ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους.
Then indeed there would have been ruin and undoing, and they would have been penned in Ilium like lambs, if the father of men and gods had not quickly noticed; and thundering terribly, he sent down his bright lightning, and cast it to the ground in front of the horses of Diomedes; and a terrible flame arose of burning sulfur, and the two horses, terrified, cowered beneath the chariot; and the shining reins slipped from the hands of Nestor, and he feared in his heart, and spoke to Diomedes: "Son of Tydeus, come now, turn your whole-hoofed horses to flight!"