Τρῶες δὲ λείουσιν ἐοικότες ὠμοφάγοισι.
νηυσὶν ἐπεσσεύοντο. Διὸς δ' ἐτέλειον ἐφετμὰς.
ὅ, σφισιν αἰὲν ἔγειρε μένος μέγα. θέλγε δὲ θυμὸν
Ἀργείων, καὶ κῦδος ἀπαίνυτο, τοὺς δ' ορόθυνεν:
Ἕκτορι γάρ οἱ θυμὸς ἐβούλετο κῦδος ὀρέξαι
Πριαμίδῃ: ἵνα νηυσὶ κορωνίσι θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ
ἐμβάλῃ ἀκάματον, Θέτιδος δ' ἐξαίσιον ἀρὴν
πᾶσαν ἐπικρήνειε, τὸ γὰρ μένε μητίετα Ζεὺς.
νηὸς καιομένης σέλας ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰ̈δέσθαι.
ἐκ γὰρ δὴ τοῦ ἔμελλε παλίωξιν παρὰ νηῶν
θησέμεναι Τρώων. Δαναοῖσι δὲ κῦδος ὀρέξεαι:
τὰ, φρονέων. νήεσσιν ἐπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἔγειρεν
Ἕκτορα Πριαμίδην. μάλα περ μεμαῶτα καὶ αὐτόν:
μαίνετο δ' ὡς ὅτ' Ἄρης ἐγχέσπαλος ἠ ὀλοὸν πῦρ
ούρεσι μαίνηται, βαθέης ἐν τάρφεσιν ὕλης:
ἀφλοισμὸς δὲ περὶ στόμα γίγνετο, τὼ δέ οἱ, ὄσσε
λαμπέσθην βλοσυρῇσιν ὑπ' ὀφρυσιν, ἀμφὶ δὲ πήληξ
σμερδαλέον κροτάφοισι τινάσσετο. μαρναμένοιο
Ἕκτορος, αὐτὸς γὰρ γάρ οἱ, ἀπ' αἰθέρος ῆεν ἀμύντωρ
Ζεὺς. ὅς μιν πλεόνεσσι μετ' ἀνδράσι μοῦνον ἐόντα
τίμα καὶ κύδαινε, μινυνθάδιος γὰρ ἔμελλεν:
ἔσσεσθ', ήδη γάρ οἱ ἐπώρνυε μόρσιμον ἦμαρ
Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη ὑπο Πηλείδαο βίηφι
καί ῥ' ἔθελε ῥῆξαι στίχας ἀνδρῶν πειρητίζων.
ᾗ δὴ, πλεῖστον ὅμιλον ὅρα καὶ τεύχε' ἄριστα.
ἂλλ' οὐδ' ὡς δύνατο ῥῆξαι μάλα περ μενεαίνων:
ἴσχον γὰρ πυργηδὸν ἀρηρότες ἠΰτε πέτρη
ἠλίβατος μεγάλη. πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐγγὺς ἐοῦσα:
ἥ τε, μένει λιγέων ἀνέμων λαιψηρὰ κέλευθα:
κύματά τε τροφέοντα τά τε προσερεύγεται αὐτὴν:
ὡς Δαναοὶ Τρῶας μένον ἔμπεδον. οὐδεφέβοντο:
αὐτὰρ ὃ λαμπόμενος πυρὶ πάντοθεν ἔνθορ' ὁμίλῳ:
ἐν δ' έπεσ', ὡς ὅτε κῦμα θοῇ ἐν νηῒ πέσῃσι
λάβρον. ὑπαὶ νεφέων ἀνεμοτρεφὲς, ἣ δέ τε πᾶσα
ἄχνῃ ὑπεκρύφθη: ἀνὲμοιο ἀνέμοιο δὲ δεινὸς ἀήτη
ἱστίῳ ἐμβρέμεται: τρομέουσι δέ τε φρένα, ναῦται
δειδιότες, τυτθὸν γὰρ ὑπεκ θανάτοιο φέρονται:
ὡς ἐδαΐζετο θυμὸς ἐνι στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν:
αὐτὰρ ὅ γ' ὥς τε λέων ὀλοόφρων βουσὶν ἐπελθῶν ἐπελθὼν:
αἵ ῥά τ' ἐν εἱαμενῇ ἕλεος μεγάλοιο νέμονται
μυρίαι: ἐν δέ τε τῇσι, νομεὺς. οὔ πω σάφα εἰδὼς
θηρὶ μαχέσσασθαι ἕλικος βοὸς ἀμφι φονῇσιν:
ἤτοι ὁ μὲν πρώτῃσι καὶ ὑστατίῃσι βόεσσιν
αἰὲν ομοστιχάει: ὃ δέ τ' ἐν μέσσῃσιν ὀρούσας
βοῦν έδει: αἱ δέ τε πᾶσαι ὑπέτρεσαν. ὡς τότ' Ἀχαιοὶ
θεσπεσίως ἐφόβηθεν ὑφ' Ἕκτορι. καὶ Διὶ̈ πατρὶ
But the Trojans, like ravening lions, rushed upon the ships and were fulfilling the behests of Zeus, who ever roused great might in them, but made the hearts of the Argives to melt, and took away their glory, while he spurred on the others. For his heart was set on giving glory to Hector, son of Priam, to the end that he might cast upon the beaked ships unwearied, wondrous-blazing fire, and so fulfill to the uttermost the presumptuous prayer of Thetis. Even for this was Zeus the counsellor waiting, that his eyes might behold the glare of a burning ship; for from that time forth was he to ordain a driving-back of the Trojans from the ships, and to grant glory to the Danaans. With this intent he was rousing against the hollow ships Hector son of Priam, that was himself full eager. And he was raging like Ares, wielder of the spear, or as when consuming fire rageth among the mountains in the thickets of a deep wood; and foam came forth about his mouth, and his two eyes blazed beneath his dreadful brows, and round about his temples terribly shook the helm of Hector as he fought; for Zeus out of heaven was himself his defender, and vouchsafed him honour and glory, alone as he was amid so many warriors. For brief was his span of life to be, since even now Pallas Athene was hastening on the day of his doom beneath the might of the son of Peleus. But fain was he to break the ranks of men, making trial of them wheresoever he saw the greatest throng and the goodliest arms. Yet not even so did he avail to break them, for all he was so eager; for they abode firm-fixed as it were a wall, like a crag, sheer and great, hard by the grey sea, that abideth the swift paths of the shrill winds, and the swelling waves that belch forth against it; even so the Danaans withstood the Trojans steadfastly, and fled not. But Hector shining all about as with fire leapt among the throng, and fell upon them; even as when beneath the clouds a fierce-rushing wave, swollen by the winds, falleth upon a swift ship, and she is all hidden by the foam thereof, and the dread blast of the wind roareth against the sail, and the hearts of the sailors shudder in their fear, for that by little are they borne forth from death; even so were the hearts of the Achaeans rent within their breasts. But he fell upon them like a lion of baneful mind coming against kine, that are grazing in the bottom-land of a great marsh, and there is no counting them, and among them is a herdsman that is as yet unskilled to fight with a wild beast over the carcase of a sleek heifer that hath been slain: he verily walketh ever by their side, now abreast of the foremost of the kine, and now of the hindmost, but the lion leapeth upon the midmost, and devoureth a heifer, and thereat they all flee in terror; even so in wondrous wise were the Achaeans one and all then driven in wondrous rout by Hector and father Zeus.
