ὡς ἔφαθ'. οἱ δ' ἄρα μᾶλλον ἐπ' Ἀργείοισιν ὄρουσαν:
Αἴας δ' οὐκέτ' ἔμιμνε: βιάζετο γὰρ βελέεσσιν:
ἂλλ' ἀνεχάζετο τυτθὸν, ὀϊόμενος θανέεσθαι.
θρῆνυν ἐφ' ἑπταπόδην: λί̆πε δ' ΐκρια νηὸς ἐΐσης.
ἔνθ' ὰρ' ὅ γ' ἑστήκει δεδοκημένος. ἔγχεϊ δ' αἰεὶ
Τρῶας ἄμυνε, νεῶν. ὅς τις φέροι ἀκάματον πῦρ:
αἰεὶ δὲ σμερδνὸν βοόων Δαναοῖσι κέλευεν:
ὦ φίλοι. ἥρωες. Δαναοὶ θεράποντες Ἄρηος.
ἀνέρες ἔστε φίλοι. μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς:
ἠέ τινας φαμὲν εἶναι ἀοσσητῆρας ὀπίσσω.
ἠέτι. τεῖχος ἄρειον. ὅ κ' ἀνδράσι λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι.
οὐ μέν τις. σχεδόν ἐστι πόλις πύργοις ἀραρυῖα.
ᾗ κ' ἀπαμυναίμεσθ'ἑπαμυναίμεσθ', ἑτεραλκέα δῆμον ἔχοντες:
ἂλλ' ἐν γὰρ Τρώων πεδίῳ πύκα θωρηκτάων
πόντῳ κεκλιμένοι. ἑκὰς, ήμεθα πατρίδος αἴης:
τῶ ἐν χερσὶ φόως, οὐ μειλιχίῃ πολέμοιο.
So spake he, and they leapt the more upon the Argives. But Aias no longer abode, for he was sore beset with darts, but, ever foreboding death, gave ground a little along the bridge of seven feet in height, and left the deck of the shapely ship. There stood he on the watch, and with his spear he ever warded from the ship whosoever of the Trojans sought to bring unwearied fire; and ever with terrible cries he called to the Danaans: "Friends, Danaan warriors, squires of Ares, be men, my friends, and bethink you of furious might. Do we haply deem that there are other helpers at our backs, or some stronger wall to ward off ruin from men? In no wise is there hard at hand a city fenced with walls, whereby we might defend ourselves, having a host to turn the tide of battle; nay, it is in the plain of the mail-clad Trojans that we are set, with naught to support us but the sea, and far from our native land. Therefore in the might of our hands is the light of deliverance, and not in slackness in fight."
