ὡς έφατ', Ἀργείοισι δ' άχος γένετ' εὐξαμένοιο
Αἴαντι δὲ μάλιστα δαΐφρονι θυμὸν ὄρινε
τῷ Τελαμωνιάδῃ. τοῦ γὰρ πέσεν ἄγχι μάλιστα:
καρπαλίμως δ' ἀπιόντος ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ:
Πουλυδάμας δ' αὐτὸς μὲν ἀλεύατο κῆρα μέλαιναν
λικριφὶς, ἀΐξας. κόμισεν δ' Ἀντήνορος υἱὸς
Ἀρχέλοχος, τῷ γάρ ῥα θεοὶ. βούλευσαν. ὄλεθρον.
τόν ῥ' ἔβαλεν κεφαλῆς τὲ καὶ αὐχένος ἐν συνεοχμῷ
νείατον ἀστράγαλον. ἀπο δ' ἄμφω κέρσε τένοντε:
τοῦ δὲ πολὺ προτέρη κεφαλὴ; στόμα τε ῥῖνές τε
οὔδεϊ πλῆντ'. ἤ περ κνῆμαι καὶ γοῦνα πεσόντος:
Αἴας δ' αὖτ', ἐγέγωνεν ἀμύμονι Πουλυδάμαντι:
φράζεο Πουλυδάμα: καί μοι νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες.
ῆ ῥ' οὐχ οὗτος ἀνὴρ Προθοήνορος ἀντι πεφᾶσθαι:
ἄξιος. οὐ μέν μοι κακὸς εἴδεται, οὐδὲ κακῶν ἔξ.
ἀλλα κασίγνητος Ἀντήνορος ἱπποδάμοιο
ἠ παῖς: αὐτῷ γὰρ γενεὴν ἄγχιστα ἐῴκει:
So spake he, but upon the Argives came sorrow by reason of his exulting, and beyond all did he stir the soul of Aias, wise of heart, the son of Telamon, for closest to him did the man fall. Swiftly then he cast with his bright spear at the other, even as he was drawing back. And Polydamas himself escaped black fate, springing to one side; but Archelochus, son of Antenor, received the spear; for to him the gods purposed death. Him the spear smote at the joining of head and neck on the topmost joint of the spine, and it shore off both the sinews. And far sooner did his head and mouth and nose reach the earth as he fell, than his legs and knees. Then Aias in his turn called aloud to peerless Polydamas: "Bethink thee, Polydamas, and tell me in good sooth, was not this man worthy to be slain in requital for Prothoënor? No mean man seemeth he to me, nor of mean descent, but a brother of Antenor, tamer of horses, or haply a son; for he is most like to him in build."
