Ἕκτωρ Αἴαντος δόρυ μείλινον ἄγχι παραστὰς
πλῆξ' ἄορι μεγάλῳ. αἰχμῆς παρὰ καυλὸν ὄπισθεν:
ἀντικρὺ δ' ἀπάραξε: τὸ μὲν Τελαμώνιος Αἴας
πῆλ' αύτως ἐν χειρὶ κόλον δόρυ, τῆλε δ' ἀπ' αὐτοῦ
αἰχμὴ χαλκείη χαμάδις βόμβησε πεσοῦσα:
γνῶ δ' Αἴας κατὰ θυμὸν ἀμύμονα: ῥίγησέν τε.
ἔργα θεῶν. ὅ, ῥα, πάγχυ μάχης ἐπι μήδεα κεῖρε
Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης. Τρώεσσι δὲ βούλετο νίκην.
χάζετο δ' ἐκ βελέων. τοὶ δ' ἔμβαλον ἀκάματον πῦρ
νηῒ θοῇ: τῆς δ' αῖψα κατ' ασβέστη κέχυτο φλόξ:
ὡς τὴν μὲν πρυμνὴν πῦρ. ἄμφεπεν: αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
μηρὼ πληξάμενος. Πατροκλῆα προσέειπεν:
ὄρσεο διογενὲς Πατρόκλεεἶς ἱπποκέλευθε,
λεύσσω δὴ παρὰ νηυσὶ πυρὸς δηΐοιο ἰ¨ωήν.
μὴ δὴ νῆας ἕλωσι καὶ οὐκέτι φυλακτὰ πέλωνται:
δύσεο τεύχεα θᾶσσον. ἐγὼ δέ κε λαὸν ἀγείρω:
It was Hector that drew nigh to Aias and smote his ashen spear with his great sword hard by the socket, at the base ot the point, and shore it clean away, so that Telamonian Aias brandished all vainly a pointless spear, and far from him the head of bronze fell ringing to the ground. And Aias knew in his noble heart, and shuddered at the deeds of the gods, how that Zeus, who thundereth on high, brought utterly to naught the counsels of his battle, and would have victory for the Trojans. Then he gave ground from out the darts; and the Trojans cast upon the swift ship unwearied fire, and over her forthwith streamed a flame that might not be quenched. So then was the ship's stern wreathed about with fire, but Achilles smote both his thighs and spake to Patroclus: "Up now, Zeus-born Patroclus, master of horsemen. Lo, I see by the ships the rush of consuming fire. Let it not be that they take the ships and there be no more escaping! Do on my armour with all haste, and I will gather the host."
