ὄφρ' οἳ, τοὺς ἐνάριζον ἀπ' ἔντεα μαρμαίροντα.
τόφρ' οἳ Πουλυδάμαντι καὶ Ἕκτορι κοῦροι ἕποντο.
οἳ πλεῖστοι καὶ ἄριστοι ἔσαν, μέμασαν δὲ μάλιστα
τεῖχος τε ῥήξειν, καὶ ἐνιπρήσειν πυρὶ νῆας,
οἵ ῥ' ἔτι μερμήριζον ἐφεσταότες παρα τάφρῳ:
ὄρνις γάρ σφιν ἐπῆλθε περησέμεναι μεμαῶσιν
αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης ἐπ' ἀριστερὰ λαὸν ἐέργων
φοινήεντα δράκοντα φέρων ὀνύχεσσι πέλωρον:
ζωὸν: ἔτ' ἀσπαίροντα: καὶ οὔ πω λήθετο χάρμης:
κόψε γάρ αὐτόν ἔχοντα κατὰ στῆθος παρὰ δειρὴν
ἰδνωθεὶς ὀπίσω: ὁ δ' ἀπὸ έθεν ἧκε χαμᾶζε
ἀλγήσας ὀδύνῃσι: μέσῳ δ' ἐνι κάββαλ' ὁμίλῳ:
αὐτὸς δὲ κλάγξας πέτετο πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο.
Τρῶες δ' ἐρρίγησαν. ὅπως ἴ̈δον αἰόλον ὄφιν
κείμενον ἐν μέσσοισι. Διὸς τέρας αἰγιόχοιο:
αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης ἐπ' ἀριστερὰ λαὸν εέργων:
While they were stripping from these their shining arms, meanwhile the youths that followed with Polydamas and Hector, even they that were most in number and bravest, and that most were fain to break through the wall and burn the ships with fire, these still tarried in doubt, as they stood by the trench. For a bird had come upon them, as they were eager to cross over, an eagle of lofty flight, skirting the host on the left, and in its talons it bore a blood-red, monstrous snake, still alive as if struggling, nor was it yet forgetful of combat, it writhed backward, and smote him that held it on the breast beside the neck, till the eagle, stung with pain, cast it from him to the ground, and let it fall in the midst of the throng, and himself with a loud cry sped away down the blasts of the wind. And the Trojans shuddered when they saw the writhing snake lying in the midst of them, a portent of Zeus that beareth the aegis.
