ὡς ἔφατ'. οὐδ' ἄρα οἱ κῆρυξ ἀπίθησεν ἀκούσας:
βῆ δὲ θέειν παρὰ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
στῆ δὲ παρ' Αἰάντεσσι κιών. εἶθαρ δὲ προσηύδᾶ.
Αἴαντε'. Ἀργείων ἡγήτορε χαλκοχιτώνων:
ἠνώγει Πετεῶο διοτρεφέος φίλος υἱὸς
κεῖσ' ΐμεν. ὄφρα πόνοιο μίνυνθά περ ἀντιάσητον:
ἀμφοτέρω μὲν μᾶλλον. ὃ γάρ κ' όχ' άριστον ἁπάντων
εἴη. ἐπεὶ τάχα κεῖθι τετεύξεται αἰπὺς ὄλεθρος.
ὧδε γὰρ ἔβρισαν Λυκίων ἀγοί. οἳ τὸ πάρος περ
ζαχρηεῖς τελέθουσι κατὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας:
εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐνθάδε περ πόλεμος καὶ νεῖκος ὄρωρεν.
ἀλλά περ οἶος ἴ̈τω Τελαμώνιος ἄλκιμος Αἴᾶς:
καί οἱ Τεῦκρος ἅμα' σπέσθω τόξων εὖ εἰδώς:
So spake he, and the herald failed not to hearken as he heard, but set him to run beside the wall of the brazen-coated Achaeans, and he came and stood by the Aiantes, and straightway said: "Ye Aiantes twain, leaders of the brazen-coated Achaeans, the son of Peteos, nurtured of Zeus, biddeth you go thither, that, though it be but for a little space, ye may confront the toil of war—both of you, if so may be, for that were far best Of all, seeing that yonder will utter ruin soon be wrought. Hard upon them there press the leaders of the Lycians, who of old have ever been fierce in mighty conflicts. But if here too war and strife have arisen, yet at least let valiant Aias, son of Telamon, go alone, and let Teucer, that is well skilled with the bow, follow with him."
