ἔνθ' ἄλλοι Τρῶες, τηλεκλειτοί τ' ἐπίκουροι.
βουλῇ Πουλυδάμαντος ἀμωμήτοιο πίθοντο:
ἂλλ' οὐχ Υρτακίδης ἔθελ' Ἄσιος ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν
αὖθι λιπεῖν ἵππους τε καὶ ἡνίοχον θεράποντα:
ἀλλὰ σύν σὺν αὐτοῖσιν πέλασεν νήεσσι θοῇσι:
νήπιος, οὐδ' άρ' ἔμελλε κακὰς ὑπο κῆρας ἀλύξας.
ἵ̈πποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν ἀγαλλόμενος. παρὰ νηῶν
ὰψ ἀπονοστήσειν προτὶ Ἲ̈λιον ἠνεμόεσσαν:
πρόσθεν γάρ μιν μοῖρα δυσώνυμον ἀμφεκάλυψεν
ἔγχεϊ '̈Ιδομενῆος ἀγαυοῦ Δευκαλίδᾱο:
εἴσατο γὰρ νηῶν ἐπ' ἀριστερά, τῇ περ Ἀχαιοὶ
ἐκ πεδίου, νίσοντο σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφι.
τῇ ῥ' ἵ̈ππους τε καὶ ἅρμα διήλασεν, οὐδὲ πύλῃσιν
εὗρ' ἐπικεκλιμένας σανίδας καὶ μακρὸν ὀχῆα:
ἂλλ' ἀναπεπταμένας ἔχον ἀνέρες, εἴ τιν' ἑταίρων
ἐκ πολέμου φεύγοντα, σαώσειαν μετα νῆας:
τῇ ῥ' ἰ̈θὺς φρονέων ἵππους ἔχε, τοὶ δ' ἅμ' ἕποντο
ὀξέα κεκλήγοντες: ἔφαντο γὰρ οὐκ έτ' Ἀχαιοὺς
σχήσεσθ', ἂλλ' ἐν νηυσὶ μελαίνηισιν πεσέεσθαι:
νήπιοι: ἐν δὲ πύληισι δύ' ἀνέρας εὗρον ἀρίστους:
υἷας ὑπερθύμους Λαπιθάων αἰχμητάων:
τὸν μὲν Πειριθόου υἷα κρατερὸν Πολυποίτην.
τὸν δὲ Λεοντῆα βροτολοιγῶι ἶ̈σον Ἄρηϊ.
τὼ μὲν ἄρα προπάροιθε θυράων ὑψηλάων
ἕστασαν. ὡς ὅτε τε δρύες οὔρεσιν ὑψικάρηνοι:
αἵ τ' ἄνεμον μίμνουσι καὶ ὑετὸν ἤματα πάντα.
ῥίζηισιν μεγάληισι διηνεκέεσσ' ἀραρυῖαι:
ὡς ἄρα τὼ χείρεσσι πεποιθότες ἠδὲ βίηφι
μίμνον ἐπερχόμενον μέγαν Ἄσιον. οὐδὲ φέβοντο:
οἳ δ' ἰ̈θὺς πρὸς τεῖχος ἐΰδμητον, βόας αὔας
ὑψόσ' ἀνασχόμενοι. ἔκιον μεγάλωι ἀλαλητῷ.
Ἄ̄σιον ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα: καὶ Ἰ̈αμενὸν. καὶ Ὀρέστην.
Ἀσιάδην τ' Ἀδάμαντα. Θόωνά, τε Οἰνόμαόν τε:
οἳ δ' ἤτοι εἷος μὲν ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιοὺς
ὄρνυον ἔνδον ἐόντες ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ νηῶν:
αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ τεῖχος ἐπεσσυμένους ἐνόησαν
Τρῶας. ἀτὰρ Δαναῶν γένετο ἰαχή τε φόβος τε.
ἐκ δὲ τὼ ἀΐξαντε πυλάων πρόσθε μαχέσθην,
ἀγροτέροισι σύεσσιν ἐοικότε, τώ τ' ἐν ὄρεσσιν
ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ κυνῶν δέχαται κολοσυρτὸν ἰ̈όντα:
δοχμώ τ' ἀΐσσοντε. περὶ σφίσιν ἄγνυτον ὕλην
πρυμνὴν ἐκτάμνοντες. ὑπαὶ δέ τε κόμπος ὀδόντων
γίνεται. εἰς ό κε τίς τε βαλὼν ἐκ θυμὸν ἕληται:
ὡς τῶν κόμπει χαλκὸς ἐπὶ στήθεσσι φαεινὸς
ἄντην βαλλομένων. μάλα γὰρ κρατερῶς ἐμάχοντο.
αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης ἐπ' ἀριστερὰ λαὸν εέργων:
Then the rest of the Trojans and their far-famed allies obeyed the counsel of blameless Polydamas, but Asius, son of Hyrtacus, leader of men, was not minded to leave there his horses and his squire the charioteer, but chariot and all he drew nigh to the swift ships, fool that he was! for he was not to escape the evil fates, and return, glorying in horses and chariot, back from the ships to windy Ilios. Nay, ere that might be, fate, of evil name, enfolded him, by the spear of Idomeneus, the lordly son of Deucalion. For he made for the left wing of the ships, even where the Achaeans were wont to return from the plain with horses and chariots: there drave he through his horses and car, and at the gate he found not the doors shut nor the long bar drawn, but men were holding them flung wide open, if so be they might save any of their comrades fleeing from out the battle toward the ships. Thither of set purpose drave he his horses, and after him followed his men with shrill cries, for they deemed that they would no more be stayed of the Achaeans, but would fall upon the black ships—fools that they were! for at the gate they found two warriors most valiant, high-hearted sons of Lapith spearmen, the one stalwart Polypoetes, son of Peirithous, and the other Leonteus, peer of Ares the bane of men. These twain before the high gate stood firm even as oaks of lofty crest among the mountains, that ever abide the wind and rain day by day, firm fixed with roots great and long; even so these twain, trusting in the might of their arms, abode the oncoming of great Asius, and fled not. But their foes came straight against the well-built wall, lifting on high their shields of dry bull's-hide with loud shouting, round about king Asius, and Iamenus, and Orestes, and Adamas, son of Asius, and Thoön and Oenomaus. And the Lapiths for a time from within the wall had been rousing the well-greaved Achaeans to fight in defence of the ships; but when they saw the Trojans rushing upon the wall, while the Danaans with loud cries turned in flight, forth rushed the twain and fought in front of the gate like wild boars that amid the mountains abide the tumultuous throng of men and dogs that cometh against them, and charging from either side they crush the trees about them, cutting them at the root, and therefrom ariseth a clatter of tusks, till one smite them and take their life away: even so clattered the bright bronze about the breasts of the twain, as they were smitten with faces toward the foe; for . right hardily they fought, trusting in the host above them and in their own might.
