Πάτροκλος δὲ πρῶτος ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ
ἀντικρὺ κατα μέσσον. ὅθι πλεῖστοι κλονέοντο.
νηῒ παρα πρύμνῃ μεγαθύμου Πρωτεσιλάου
καὶ βάλε Πυραίχμην. ὃς Παίονας ἱπποκορυστὰς
ἤγαγεν ἐξ Ἀμυδῶνος ἀπ' Ἀξιοῦ εὐρὺ ῥέοντος:
τὸν βάλε δεξιὸν ὦμον. ὁ δ' ὕπτιος ἐν κονίῃσι
κάππεσεν οἰμώξας, ἕταροι δέ μιν ἀμφεφόβηθεν
Παιόνες. ἐν γὰρ Πάτροκλος φόβον ἧκεν ἅπασιν.
ἡγεμόνα κτείνας. ὃς ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι:
ἐκ νηῶν δ' έλασεν, κατὰ δ' ἔσβεσεν αἰθόμενον πῦρ:
ἡμιδαὴς δ' ἄρα νηῦ^ς λίπετ' αὐτόθι τοὶ δὲ εφόβηθεν
Τρῶες θεσπεσίω ὁμάδῳ. Δαναοὶ δ' ἐπέχυντο
νῆας ἀνὰ γλαφυρὰς. ὅμαδος δ' ἀλίαστος ἐτύχθη.
ὡς δ' ὅτ' ἀφ' ὑψηλῆς κορυφῆς ὄρεος μεγάλοιο
κινήσῃ πυκινὴν νεφέλην στεροπηγερέτα Ζεύς.
ἔκ τ' ἔφανεν πᾶσαι σκοπιαὶ: καὶ πρώονες ἄκροι.
καὶ νά^παι. οὐρανόθεν δ' ἂρ ὑπερράγη ἄσπετος αἰθὴρ.
ὡς Δαναοὶ. νηῶν μὲν ἀπωσάμενοι δήϊον πῦρ.
τυτθὸν ἀνέπνευσαν. πολέμου δ’ οὐ γίνετ’ ἐρωή:
οὐ γάρ πώ τι Τρῶες ἀρηϊφίλων ὑπ’ Ἀχαιῶν
προτροπάδην φοβέοντο μελαινάων ἀπὸ νηῶν.
ἂλλ’ ἔτ’ ἂρ, ἀνθίσταντο, νεῶν δ’ ὑποεῖκον ἀνάγκῃ:
Then Patroclus was first to cast with his bright spear straight into the midst where men thronged the thickest, even by the stern of the ship of great-souled Protesilaus, and smote Pyraechmes, that had led the Paeonians, lords of chariots, out of Amydon, from the wide-flowing Axius. Him he smote on the right shoulder, and backward in the dust he fell with a groan, and about him his comrades were driven in rout, even the Paeonians, for upon them all had Patroclus sent panic, when he slew their leader that was pre-eminent in fight. From out the ships then he drave them, and quenched the blazing fire. And half-burnt the ship was left there, but the Trojans were driven in rout with a wondrous din, and the Danaans poured in among the hollow ships, and a ceaseless din arose. And as when from the high crest of a great mountain Zeus, that gathereth the lightnings, moveth a dense cloud away, and forth to view appear all mountain peaks, and high headlands, and glades, and from heaven breaketh open the infinite air; even so the Danaans, when they had thrust back from the ships consuming fire, had respite for a little time; howbeit there was no ceasing from war. For not yet were the Trojans driven in headlong rout by the Achaeans, dear to Ares, from the black ships, but still they sought to withstand them, and gave ground from the ships perforce.
