ὡς ἔφατ' ἐποτρύνων. οἱ δ' ούασι πάντες ἄκουον
ἴ̈θυσαν δ' ἐπὶ τεῖχος ἀολλέες: οἱ μὲν ἔπειτα
κροσσάων ἐπέβαινον, ἀκαχμένα δούρατ' ἔχοντες:
Ἕκτωρ δ' ἁρπάξας λᾶαν φέρεν. ὅς ρα πυλάων
ειστήκει πρόσθε. πρυμνὸς παχὺς. αὐτὰρ ὕπερθεν
ὀξὺς ἔην. τὸν δ' οὔ κε δύ' ἀνέρε δήμου ἀρίστω
ῥηϊδίως ἐπ' άμαξαν ἀπ' οὔδεος ὀχλίσσειαν
οἷοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσ', ὁ δέ μιν ῥέα πάλλε καὶ οἶος:
τόν οἱ ἐλαφρὸν ἔθηκε Κρόνου παῖς ἀγκυλομήτεω:
ὡς δ' ὅτε ποιμὴν ῥεῖα φέρει πόκον ἄρσενος οἰὸς
χειρὶ λαβὼν ἑτέρῃ. ὀλίγον τέ μιν ἄχθος ἐπείγει.
ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἰ̈θὺς σανίδων φέρε λᾶαν ἀείρας:
αἵ ῥα πύλας εἴρυντο. πύκα στιβαρῶς ἀραρυίας:
δικλίδας. ὑψηλάς. δοιοὶ δ' ἔντοσθεν ὀχῆες
εἶχον ἐπημοιβοὶ, μία δὲ κληῒς ἐπαρήρει:
στῆ δὲ μάλ' ἐγγὺς ἰ̈ὼν: καὶ ἐρεισάμενος βάλε μέσσας:
εὖ διαβὰς, ἵνα μή οἱ ἀφαυρότερον βέλος εἴη:
ῥῆξε δ' ἀπ' ἀμφοτέρους θαιροὺς: πέσε δε λίθος εἴσω
βριθοσύνῃ: μέγα δ' ἀμφὶ πύλαι μύκον: οὐδ' ἄρ' ὀχῆες
ἐσχεθέτην. σανίδες δὲ διέτμαγεν ἄλλυδις ἄλλη:
λᾶος ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς: ὁ δ' ἀρ' ἔσθορε φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
νυκτὶ θοῇ ἀτάλαντος ὑπώπια: λάμπε δὲ χαλκῷ
σμερδαλέῳ: τὸν ἕεστο περι χροΐ. δοιὰ δὲ χερσὶ
δοῦρ' ἔχεν, οὔ κάν τίς μιν ἐρυκάκοι ἀντιβολήσας:
νόσφι θεῶν, ὅτ' ἐσᾶλτο πύλας: πυρὶ δ' ὄσσε δεδήει:
κέκλετο δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἐλιξάμενος καθ' ὅμιλον
τεῖχος ὑπερβαίνειν: τοὶ δ' ὀτρύνοντι πίθοντο:
αὐτίκα δ' οἱ μὲν τεῖχος ὑπέρβασαν. οἱ δὲ κατ' αὐτὰς
ποιητὰς ἐσέχυντο πύλας: Δαναοὶ δ' ἐφόβηθεν
νῆας ἀνα γλαφυρὰς. ὅμαδος δ' ἀλίαστος ἐτύχθη ⁑
So spake he, urging them on, and they all heard with their ears, and rushed straight upon the wall in one mass, and with sharp spears in their hands mounted upon the pinnets. And Hector grasped and bore a stone that lay before the gate, thick at the base, but sharp at the point; not easily might two men, the mightiest of the folk, have upheaved it from the ground upon a wain—men, such as mortals now are—yet lightly did he wield it even alone; and the son of crooked-counselling Cronos made it light for him. And as when a shepherd easily beareth the fleece of a ram, taking it in one hand, and but little doth the weight thereof burden him; even so Hector lifted up the stone and bare it straight against the doors that guarded the close and strongly fitted gates—double gates they were, and high, and two cross bars held them within, and a single bolt fastened them. He came and stood hard by, and planting himself smote them full in the midst, setting his feet well apart that his cast might lack no strength; and he brake off both the hinges, and the stone fell within by its own weight, and loudly groaned the gates on either side, nor did the bars hold fast, but the doors were dashed apart this way and that beneath the onrush of the stone. And glorious Hector leapt within, his face like sudden night; and he shone in terrible bronze wherewith his body was clothed about, and in his hands he held two spears. None that met him could have held him back, none save the gods, when once he leapt within the gates; and his two eyes blazed with fire. And he wheeled him about in the throng, and called to the Trojans to climb over the wall; and they hearkened to his urging. Forthwith some clomb over the wall, and others poured in by the strong-built gate, and the Danaans were driven in rout among the hollow ships, and a ceaseless din arose.
