ἔνθά κε λευγαλέως νηῶν ἄπο καὶ κλισιάων
Τρῶες ἐχώρησαν προτὶ ΅Ιλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν,
εἰ μὴ Πουλυδάμας θρασὺν Ἕκτορα εἶπε παραστάς:
Ἕκτορ. ἀμήχανός ἐσσι παραρρητοῖσι πιθέσθαι:
οὕνεκά τοι περὶ δῶκε θεὸς πολεμήϊα ἔργα,
τούνεκα καὶ βουλῇ ἐθέλεις περιΐδμεναι ἄλλων.
ἂλλ' οὔ πως ἅμα πάντα δυνήσεαι αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι:
ἄλλω μὲν γὰρ ἔδωκε θεὸς πολεμήϊα ἔργα,
ἄλλω δ' ὀρχηστὺν. ἑτέρῳ κίθαριν καὶ ἀοιδήν:
ἄλλῳ δ' ἐν στήθεσσι τίθει νόον εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
ἐσθλὸν, τοῦ δέ τε πολλοὶ ἐπαυρίσκοντ' ἄνθρωποι:
καί τε πολεῖς ἐσάωσε, μάλιστα δέ κ'αὐτὸς ἀνέγνω:
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω, ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα:
πάντη γάρ σε περὶ στέφανος πολέμοιο δέδηε.
Τρῶες δὲ μεγάθυμοι ἐπεὶ κατα`τεῖχος ἔβησαν.
οἱ μὲν ἀφεστᾶσιν συν τεύχεσιν, οἱ δὲ μάχονται
παυρότεροι πλεόνεσσι κεδασθέντες κατὰ νῆας.
ἂλλ' ἀναχασσάμενος κάλει ἐνθάδε πάντας ἀρίστους:
ἔνθεν δ' ἂν μάλα πᾶσαν ἐπιφρασσαίμεθα βουλὴν,
ἤ κεν ἐνι νήεσσι πολυκλήϊσι πέσωμεν
αἴ κ' ἐθέλῃσι θεὸς δόμεναι κράτος, ἤ κεν ἔπειτα
παρ νηῶν ἔλθωμεν ἀπήμονες. ἦ γὰρ ἔγωγε
diple δείδω, μὴ τὸ χθιζὸν ἀποστήσωνται Ἀχαιοὶ
χρεῖος. ἐπεὶ παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀνὴρ ἆ̄τος πολέμοιο
μίμνει. ὃν οὐκετί πάγχυ μάχης σχήσεσθαι ὀΐω.
Then in sorry wise would the Trojans have given ground from the ships and huts unto windy Ilios, had not Polydamas drawn nigh to bold Hector, and said: "Hector, hard to deal with art thou, that thou shouldest hearken to words of persuasion. Forasmuch as god has given to thee as to none other works of war, therefore in counsel too art thou minded to have wisdom beyond all; but in no wise shalt thou be able of thine own self to compass all things. To one man hath God given works of war, to another the dance, to another the lyre and song, and in the breast of another Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, putteth a mind of understanding, wherefrom many men get profit, and many he saveth; but he knoweth it best himself. So will I speak what seemeth to me to be best. Behold all about thee blazeth a circle of war, and the great-souled Trojans, now that they have passed over the wall, are some of them standing aloof with their arms, and others are fighting, fewer men against more, scattered among the ships. Nay, fall thou back, and call hither all the bravest. Then shall we consider all manner of counsel, whether we shall fall upon the many-benched ships, if so be the god willeth to give us victory, or thereafter shall return unscathed back from the ships. Verily, for myself, I fear lest the Achaeans shall pay back the debt of yesterday, seeing there abideth by the ships a man insatiate of war, who no longer, methinks, will hold him utterly aloof from battle."
