ἐλθὼν σὺν πλεόνεσσι: τό οἱ καὶ ῥίγιον ἔσται:
ὡς εἰπὼν προΐει: κρατερὸν δ' ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλε:
τωδ`' ἀέκοντε βάτην παρὰ θῖν' ἁλὸς ἀτρυγέτοιο:
Μυρμιδόνων δ' ἐπί τε κλισίας καὶ νῆας ἱκέσθην:
τὸν δ`' εὗρον παρά τε κλισίῃ καὶ νηῒ μελαίνῃ
ἥμενον: οὐδ' άρα τώ γε ἰδὼν γήθησεν Ἀχιλλεύς.
τὼ μὲν ταρβήσαντε καὶ αἰδομένω βασιλῆα
στήτην. οὐδ΄ έτι μιν προσεφώνεον οὐδ' ἐρέοντο:
αὐτὰρ ὃ, ἔγνω ᾗσιν ἐνι φρεσὶ φώνησέν τε:
χαίρετε κήρυκες Διὸς ἄγγελοι ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν:
ἄσσον ΐτ', οὔ τί μοι ὕμμες ἐπαίτιοι: ἀλλ' Ἀγαμέμνων
ὃ, σφῶϊν προΐει Βρισηΐδος εἵνεκα κούρης:
ἀλλ' ἄγε διογενὲς Πατρόκλεις ἔξαγε κούρην.
καί σφωϊν δὸς ἄγειν: τὼ δ' αὐτὼ μάρτυροι ἔστων.
πρός τε θεῶν μακάρων. πρός τε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων.
καὶ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλῆος ἀπηνέος εἴ ποτε δ' αὖτε
χρειὼ ἐμεῖο γένηται ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι
τοῖς ἄλλοις. ἦ γὰρ ὅ γ' ὀλοιῇσι φρεσὶ θύει:
οὐδέ τι οἶδε νοῆσαι ἅμα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω
ὅππως οἱ παρὰ νηυσὶ σόοι μαχέοιντο Ἀχαιοί:
So saying he sent them forth, and laid upon them a stern command. Unwilling went the two along the shore of the barren sea, and came to the tents and the ships of the Myrmidons. Him they found sitting beside his tent and his black ship; and Achilles was not glad at sight of them. The two, seized with dread and in awe of the king, stood, and spoke no word to him, nor made question; but he knew in his heart, and spoke: "Hail, heralds, messengers of Zeus and men, draw near. It is not you who are guilty in my sight, but Agamemnon, who sent you forth for the sake of the girl, Briseis. But come, Patroclus, sprung from Zeus, bring forth the girl, and give her to them to lead away. However, let these two themselves be witnesses before the blessed gods and mortal men, and before him, that ruthless king, if hereafter there shall be need of me to ward off shameful ruin from the host. Truly he rages with baneful mind, and knows not at all to look both before and after, that his Achaeans might wage war in safety beside their ships."
