ὣς εἰπὼν ὤτρυνε μὲνος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου:
ἔνθ' αὖ Σαρπηδὼν μάλα νείκεσεν Ἕκτορα δῖον
Ἕκτορ: πῆ δή τοι μένος οἴχεται ὃ πρὶν ἔχεσκες:
φής που ἄτερ λαῶν πόλιν ἑξέμεν ἠδ' ἐπικούρων:
οἶος σὺν γαμβροῖσι κασιγνήτοισί τε σοῖσι:
τῶν νῦν οὔ τιν ἐγὼν ἰδέειν δύναμ' οὐδὲ νοῆσαι
ἀλλὰ καταπτώσσουσι κύνες ὣς ἀμφὶ λέοντα
ἡμεῖς δ' αὖ μαχόμεσθ' οἵ περ τ' ἐπίκουροι ἔνειμεν
καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπίκουρος ἐὼν μάλα τηλόθεν ἥκω:
τηλοῦ γὰρ Λυκίη Ξάνθῳ ἐπὶ δινήεντι:
ἔνθ' ἄλοχόν τε φίλην ἔλιπον καὶ νήπιον υἱόν
καδ δὲ κτήματα πολλὰ: τάτ' ἔλδεται ὅς τ' ἐπιδευής:
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς Λυκίους ὀτρύνω καὶ μέμον' αὐτός:
ἀνδρὶ μαχέσσασθαι: ἀτὰρ οὔτι μοι ἐνθαδε τοῖον
οἷον κ' ἠὲ φέροιεν Ἀχαιοὶ ἤ κεν ἄγοιεν:
τύνη δ' ἕστηκας ἀτὰρ οὐδ' ἄλλοισι κελεύεις
λαοῖσι μενέμεν καὶ ἀμυνέμεναι ὤρεσσι
μή πως ὡς ἁψῖσιν λίνου ἁλόντε παναγρου:
ἀνδράσι δυσμενὲεσσιν ἕλωρ καὶ κῦρμα γένησθε:
οἵ δὲ ταχ' ἐκπέρσουσιν εὖ ναιομένην πόλιν ὑμήν:
σοὶ δὲ χρὴ τάδε πάντα μέλειν νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ:
ἀρχούς λισσομένῳ τηλεκλητῶν ἐπικούρων:
νωλεμεώς ἐχέμεν: χαλεπὴν δ' ἀποθέσθαι ἐνιπήν:
So saying he aroused the strength and spirit of every man. And Sarpedon moreover sternly chid goodly Hector, saying: "Hector, where now is the strength gone that aforetime thou hadst? Thou saidst forsooth that without hosts and allies thou wouldst hold the city alone with the aid of thy sisters' husbands and thy brothers; howbeit of these can I now neither behold nor mark anyone, but they cower as dogs about a lion; and it is we that fight, we that are but allies among you. For I that am but an ally am come from very far; afar is Lycia by eddying Xanthus, where I left my dear wife and infant son, and my great wealth the which every man that is in lack coveteth. Yet even so urge I on the Lycians, and am fain myself to fight my man, though here is naught of mine such as the Achaeans might bear away or drive; whereas thou standest and dost not even urge thy hosts to abide and defend their wives. Beware lest thou and they, as if caught in the meshes of all-ensnaring flax, become a prey and spoil unto your foemen; and they shall anon lay waste your well-peopled city. On thee should all these cares rest by night and day, and thou shouldest beseech the captains of thy far-famed allies to hold their ground unflinchingly, and so put away from thee strong rebukings."
