ὡς εἰπὼν, ὁ μὲν αῦτις ἀπέσσυτο. τὸν δ' ὀρόθυνεν:
ἐκ δ' ἔθορε προμάχων: καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ
ἀμφὶ ἓ. παπτήνας: ὑπο δὲ Τρῶες κεκάδοντο
ἀνδρὸς ἀκοντίσσαντος. ὁ δ' οὐχ ἅλιον βέλος ἧκεν:
ἂλλ' Ἰ̈κετάονος υἱὸν ὑπέρθυμον Μελάνιππον
νῑσόμενον πόλεμον δὲ. βάλε στῆθος παρὰ μαζόν:
δούπησεν δὲ πεσὼν. τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψεν:
Ἀντίλοχος δ' ἐπόρουσε. κύων ὥς: ὅς τ' ἐπι νεβρῷ
βλημένῳ ἀΐξῃ, τόν τ' ἐξ εὐνῆφι θορόντα
θηρητὴρ ἐτύχησε βαλὼν. ὑπέλυσε δὲ γυῖα:
ὡς ἐπι σοὶ Μελάνιππε. θόρ' Ἀντίλοχος μενεχάρμης
τεύχεα συλήσων: ἂλλ' οὐ λάθεν Ἕκτορα δῖον.
ὅς ῥά οἱ ἀντίος ἦλθε θέων ἀνὰ δηϊοτῆτα:
Ἀντίλοχος δ' οὐ μεῖνε. θοὸς περ ἐὼν πολεμιστής:
ἀλλ' ὃ γ' ἄρ' ἔτρεσε, θηρὶ κακὸν ῥέξαντι ἐοικὼς.
ὅς τε κύνας κτείνας ἡ βουκόλον ἀμφι βόεσσι:
φεύγει, πρίν περ ὅμιλον ἀολλισθήμεναι ἀνδρῶν:
ὡς τρέσε, Νεστορίδης: ἐπὶ δὲ Τρῶές τε καὶ Ἕκτωρ
ηχῇ θεσπεσίῃ βέλεα στονόεντα χέοντο:
στῆ δὲ μεταστρεφθεὶς. ἐπεὶ ί̈κετο ἔθνος ἑταίρων:
He spake, and hasted back again himself, but aroused the other, and Antilochus leapt forth from amid the foremost fighters and, glancing warily about him, hurled with his bright spear, and back did the Trojans shrink from the warrior as he cast. Not in vain did he let fly his spear, but smote Hicetaon's son, Melanippus, high of heart, as he was coming to the battle, upon the breast beside the nipple; and he fell with a thud, and darkness enfolded his eyes. And Antilochus sprang upon him, as a hound that darteth upon a wounded fawn, that a hunter with sure aim hath smitten as it leapt from its lair, and hath loosed its limbs; even in such wise upon thee, O Melanippus, leapt Antilochus staunch in fight, to strip from thee thine armour. Howbeit he was not unseen of goodly Hector, who came running to meet him amid the battle; and Antilochus abode not, swift warrior though he was, but fled like a wild beast that hath wrought some mischief—one that hath slain a hound or a herdsman beside his kine, and fleeth before the throng of men be gathered together; even so fled the son of Nestor; and the Trojans and Hector with wondrous shouting poured forth upon him their darts fraught with groanings; but he turned and stood, when he had reached the host of his comrades.
