οὐ γὰρ ἔφαν φεύξεσθαι ὑπἐκ κακοῦ. ἀλλ’ ἐνοσίχθων
ῥεῖα μετεισάμενος. κρατερὰς ὄτρυνε φάλαγγας:
Τεῦκρον ἐπι πρῶτον καὶ Λήϊτον ἦλθε κελεύων.
Πηνέλεών θ’ ἥρωα. Θόαντά τε. Δηΐπυρόν τε.
Μηριόνην τὲ καὶ Ἀντίλοχον. μήστωρας ἀϋτῆς.
τοὺς ὅ γ’ ἐποτρύνων. ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα:
αἰδὼς Ἀργεῖοι. κοῦροι. νέοι: ὔμμιν ἔγωγε
μαρναμένοισι πέποιθα, σαωσέμεναι, νέας, ἁμάς:
εἰ δ’ ὑμεῖς πολέμοιο μεθήσετε λευγαλέοιο:
νῦν δὴ εἴδεται ἦμαρ ὑπο Τρώεσσι δαμῆναι:
ὦ πόποι: ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδ’ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι
δεινὸν. ὃ οὔ ποτ’ ἔγωγε τελευτήσεσθαι ἔφασκον.
Τρῶας ἐφ’ ἡμετέρας ,ἱέναι νέας. οἳ το πάρος περ
φυζακινῇς ἐλάφοισιν ἐοίκεσαν. αἵ τε καθ’ ὕλην.
θώων. πορδαλίων τε. λύκων τ’ ἤϊα πέλονται
ἅυτως ἠλάσκουσαι ἀνάλκιδες. οὐδ’ ἐπι χάρμηι:
ὡς Τρῶες τὸ πρίν γε μένος καὶ χεῖρας Ἀχαιῶν
μίμνειν οὐκ ἐθέλεσκον ἐναντίον οὐδ’ ἠβαιόν
νῦν δ'ἕκαθεν πόλιος, κοίλῃς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ μάχονται
ἡγεμόνος κακότητι. μεθημοσύνῃσί τε λᾱῶν.
οἳ κείνῳ ἐρίσαντες, ἀμυνέμεν. οὐκ ἐθέλουσι
νηῶν ὠκυπόρων. ἀλλὰ κτείνονται ἀν ἀυτάς:
ἀλλ’ εἰ δὴ καὶ πάμπαν ἐτήτυμον αἴτιός ἐστιν
ἥρως Ἀτρείδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων.
οὕνεκ’ ἀπητίμησε ποδώκεα Πηλείωνα.
ἡμέας γ’ οὔ πως ἐστὶ μεθιέμεναι πολέμοιο:
ἀλλ’ ἀκεώμεθα θᾶσσον: ἀκεσταί τοι φρένες ἐσθλῶν:
ὑμεῖς δ’ οὐκ ἔτι καλὰ μεθίετε θούριδος ἀλκῆς
πάντες ἄριστοι ἐόντες ἀνὰ στρατὸν: οὐδ’ ἂν ἔγωγε
ἀνδρὶ μαχεσσαίμην ὅς τις πολέμοιο μεθείει
λυγρὸς ἐών. ὑμῖν δὲ νεμεσσῶμαι περὶ κῆρι:
ὦ πέπονες. τάχα δή τι κακὸν ποιήσετε μεῖζον
τῇδε μεθημοσύνῃ: ἂλλ’ ἐν φρεσὶ θέσθε ἕκαστος
αἰδῶ. καὶ νέμεσιν. δὴ γὰρ μέγα νεῖκος ὄρωρεν:
Ἕκτωρ δὴ παρὰ νηυσὶ βοὴν ἀγαθὸς πολεμίζει.
καρτερός, ἔρρηξεν δὲ πύλας καὶ μακρὸν ὀχῆα:
But the Shaker of Earth, lightly passing among them, aroused their strong battalions. To Teucer first he came and to Leïtus, to bid them on, and to the warrior Peneleos, and Thoas and Deïpyrus, and Meriones and Antilochus, masters of the war-cry; to these he spake, spurring them on with winged words: "Shame, ye Argives, mere striplings! It was in your fighting that I trusted for the saving of our ships; but if ye are to flinch from grievous war, then of a surety hath the day now dawned for us to be vanquished beneath the Trojans. Out upon it! Verily a great marvel is this that mine eyes behold, a dread thing that I deemed should never be brought to pass: the Trojans are making way against our ships, they that heretofore were like panic-stricken hinds that in the woodland become the prey of jackals and pards and wolves, as they wander vainly in their cowardice, nor is there any fight in them. Even so the Trojans aforetime had never the heart to abide and face the might and the hands of the Achaeans, no not for a moment. But lo, now far from the city they are fighting at the hollow ships because of the baseness of our leader and the slackness of the folk, that, being at strife with him, have no heart to defend the swift-faring ships, but are slain in the midst of them. But if in very truth the warrior son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon, is the cause of all, for that he wrought dishonour on the swift-footed son of Peleus, yet may we in no wise prove slack in war. Nay, let us atone for the fault with speed: the hearts of good men admit of atonement. But it is no longer well that ye are slack in furious valour, all ye that are the best men in the host. Myself I would not quarrel with one that was slack in war, so he were but a sorry wight, but with you I am exceeding wroth at heart. Ye weaklings, soon ye shall cause yet greater evil by this slackness. Nay, take in your hearts, each man of you, shame and indignation; for in good sooth mighty is the conflict that has arisen. Hector, good at the war-cry, is fighting at the ships, strong in his might, and hath broken the gates and the long bar."
