Ὡς δ’ ὅτ’ ἀπ’ Οὐλύμπου νέφος ἔρχεται οὐρανὸν εἴσω,
αἰθέρος ἐκ δῑ´ης. ὅτε τε Ζεὺς λαίλαπα τείνῃ.
ὡς τῶν ἐκ νηῶν γένετο ἰ¨αχή τε φόβος τε:
οὐδὲ κατὰ μοῖραν πέραον πάλιν: Ἕκτορα δ’ ἵ¨πποι
ἔκφερον ὠκύποδες σὺν τεύχεσι: λεῖπε δὲ λαὸν
Τρωϊκὸν. οὓς ἀἕκοντας ὀρυκτὴ τάφρος ἔρυκε:
πολλοὶ δ’ ἐν τάφρῳ ἐρυσάρματες ὠκέες ἵπποι.
άξαντ’ ἐν πρώτῳ ῥυμῷ. λίπον ἅρματ’ ἀνάκτων:
Πάτροκλος δ’ ἕπετο, σφεδανὸν Δαναοῖσι κελεύων:
Τρωσὶ κακὰ φρονέων: οἱ δὲ ἰ¨αχῇ τε φόβῳ τε
πάσᾱς πλῆσαν ὁδοὺς ἐπεὶ ὰρ τμάγεν: ὕψι δ’ ἀέλλη
σκίδναθ’ ὑπαὶ νεφέων. τανύοντο δὲ μώνυχες ἵ¨πποι
ἄψορρον προτὶ ἄστυ νεῶν ἄπο καὶ κλισιάων.
Πάτροκλος δ’ ᾗ πλεῖστον ὀρινόμενον ἴ¨δε λαὸν.
τῇ ῥ’ ἔχ’ ὁμοκλήσας. ὑπὸ δ’ άξοσι φῶτες ἔπιπτον
πρηνέες ἐξ ὀχέων. δίφροι δ’ ἀνακυμβαλίαζον:
ἀντικρὺ δ’ ἄρα τάφρον ὑπέρθορον ὠκέες ἵ¨πποι
πρόσσω ἱ¨έμενοι. ἐπι δ’ Ἕκτορι κέκλετο θυμὸς:
ΐετο γὰρ βαλέειν. τὸν δ’ ἔκφερον ὠκέες ἵπποι:
ὡς δ’ ὑπὸ λαίλαπι πᾶσα κελαινὴ βέβριθε χθὼν
ήματ’ ὀπωρινῷ. ὅτε λαβρότατον χέει ὑδωρ
Ζεὺς, ὅτε δὴ ἄνδρεσσι κοτεσσάμενος χαλεπήνῃ.
οἳ βίῃ εἰν ἀγορῇ σκολιὰς κρίνωσι θέμιστας:
ἐκ δὲ δίκην ἐλάσωσι. θεῶν όπιν οὐκ λέγοντες.
τῶν δέ τε πάντες μὲν ποταμοὶ πλήθουσι ῥέοντες:
πολλὰς δὲ κλιτῦ`ς τότ’ ἀποτμήγουσι χαράδραι.
ἐς δ’ ἅλα πορφυρέην μεγάλα στενάχουσι ῥέουσαι.
ἐξ ορέων ἐπικάρ. μινύθει δέ τε ἔργ’ ἀνω¯ν:
ὡς ἵ¨πποι Τρῳαὶ μεγάλα στενάχοντο θέουσαι:
And as when from Olympus a cloud fareth toward heaven out of the bright air, when Zeus spreadeth forth the tempest, even so from the ships came the shouting and the rout of these; nor was it in good order that they crossed the trench again. Hector verily did his swift-footed horses bear forth with his battle-gear, and he left tbe hosts of Troy, whom the digged trench held back against their will. And in the trench many pairs of swift horses, drawers of chariots, brake the pole at the end, and left the chariots of their lords. But Patroclus followed after, calling fiercely to the Danaans, with purpose of evil toward the Trojans, while they with shouting and in flight filled all the ways, now that their ranks were broken; and on high a cloud of dust was spread up beneath the clouds, and the single-hoofed horses strained back toward the city from the ships and the huts. And Patroclus, wheresoever he saw the greatest throng huddled in rout, thither would with shouting; and beneath his axle-trees men kept falling headlong from their cars, and the chariots were overturned. And straight over the trench leapt the swift horses—the immortal horses that the gods gave as glorious gifts to Peleus—in their onward flight, and against Hector did the heart of Patroclus urge him on, for he was fain to smite him; but his swift horses ever bare Hector forth. And even as beneath a tempest the whole black earth is oppressed, on a day in harvest-time, when Zeus poureth forth rain most violently, whenso in anger he waxeth wroth against men that by violence give crooked judgments in the place of gathering, and drive justice out, recking not of the vengeance of the gods; and all their rivers flow in flood, and many a hillside do the torrents furrow deeply, and down to the dark sea they rush headlong from the mountains with a mighty roar, and the tilled fields of men are wasted; even so mighty was the roar of the mares of Troy as they sped on.
