τοῖσι δ' ἔπειτ' ἀγόρευε Θόας Ἀνδραίμονος υἱὸς
Αἰτωλῶν όχ' ἄριστος. ἐπιστάμενος μὲν ἄκοντι:
ἐσθλὸς δ' ἐν σταδίῃ. ἀγορῇ δέ ἑ, παῦροι Ἀχαιῶν
νίκων. ὁππότε κοῦροι ἐρίσσειαν περι μύθων:
ὅ σφιν ἔϋ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν:
ὦ πόποι. ῆ μέγα θαῦμα τόδ' ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι:
οἷον δ' αὒτ' ἐξαῦτις ἀνέστη κῆρας ἀλύξας
Ἕκτωρ, ῆ θήν μιν μάλα ἔλπετο θυμὸς ἑκάστου
χερσὶν ὑπ' Αἴαντος θανέειν Τελαμωνιάδαο:
ἀλλά τις αὖτε θεῶν ἐρρύσατο καὶ ἐσάωσεν
Ἕκτορ'. ὃ δὴ πολλῶν Δαναῶν ὑπο γούνατ' ἔλυσεν:
ὡς καὶ νῦν ἔσσεσθαι ὀΐομαι: οὐ γὰρ ἄτερ γε
Ζηνὸς ἐριγδούπου πρόμος ἵ̈σταται. ὧδε μενοινῶν:
ἂλλ' άγεθ' ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες:
πληθὺν μὲν ποτὶ νῆας ἀνώξομεν ἀπονέεσθαι:
αὐτοὶ δ'. ὅσσοι ἄριστοι ἐνι στρατῷ εὐχόμεθ' εἶναι
στείομεν, ὥς κεν πρῶτον ἐρύξομεν ἀντιάσαντες:
δούρατ' ἀνασχόμενοι: τὸν δ' οἴω καὶ μεμαῶτα
θυμῷ δείσεσθαι Δαναῶν καταδῦναι ὅμιλον:
Then among them spake Thoas, son of Andraemon, far the best of the Aetolians, well-skilled in throwing the javelin, but a good man too in close fight, and in the place of assembly could but few of the Achaeans surpass him, when the young men were striving in debate. He with good intent addressed their gathering, and spake among them: "Now look you, verily a great marvel is this that mine eyes behold, how that now he is risen again and hath avoided the fates, even Hector. In sooth the heart of each man of us hoped that he had died beneath the hands of Aias, son of Telamon. But lo, some one of the gods hath again delivered and saved Hector, who verily hath loosed the knees of many Danaans, as, I deem, will befall even now, since not without the will of loud-thundering Zeus doth he stand forth thus eagerly as a champion. Nay come, even as I shall bid, let us all obey. The multitude let us bid return to the ships, but ourselves, all we that declare us to be the the best in the host, let us take our stand, if so be we first may face him, and thrust him back with our outstretched spears; methinks, for all his eagerness he will fear at heart to enter into the throng of the Danaans."
