Πάτροκλος δὲ θεοῦ πληγῇ καὶ δουρὶ δαμασθεὶς.
ὰψ ἑτάρων εἰς ἔθνος ἐχάζετο κῆρ' ἀλεείνων:
Ἕκτωρ δ' ὡς εἶδεν Πατροκλῆα μεγάθυμον
ὰψ ἀναχαζόμενον βεβλημένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ.
ἀγχίμολόν ῥά οἱ ἦλθε κατὰ στίχας. οῦ ταδὲ δουρὶ
νείατον ἐς κενεῶνα. δια πρὸ δὲ χαλκὸν ἔλασσε:
δούπησεν δὲ πεσὼν. μέγα δ' ἤκαχε λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν:
ὡς δ' ὅτε σῦν ἀκάμαντα λέων ἐβιῄσατο ἐβιήσατοχάρμῃ.
ὥ τ' ὄρεος κορυφῇσι μέγα φρονεόντε μάχεσθον
πίδακος ἀμφ' ὀλίγης. ἐθέλουσι δὲ πιέμεν ἄμφω:
πολλὰ δέ τ' ἀσθμαίνοντα λέων ἐδάμασσε βίηφιν.
ὡς πολέας πέφνοντα Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμον υἱὸν
ἝκτωρΠριαμίδης. σχεδὸν ἔγχεϊ θυμὸν ἀπηύρα:
καί οἱ ἐπευχόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα:
Πάτροκλ'. ῆ που ἔφησθα πόλιν κεραϊζέμεν ἁ_μήν.
Τρωϊάδας δὲ γυναῖκας ἐλεύθερον ἦμαρ ἀπούρας.
ἄξειν ἐν νήεσσι φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν:
νήπιε: τάων δὲ πρόσθ' Ἕκτορος ὠκέες ἵπποι
ποσσὶν ὀρωρέχαται πολεμίζειν. ἔγχεϊ δ' αὐτὸς
Τρωσὶ φιλοπτολέμοισι μεταπρέπω. ὅ σφιν ἀμύνω
ἦμαρ ἀναγκαῖον: σὲ δέ τ' ἐνθάδε γῦπες ἔδονται:
ἆ δείλ'. οὐδέ τοι ἐσθλὸς ἐὼν χραίσμησεν Ἀχιλλεύς.
ὅς πού τοι μάλα πολλὰ μένων ἐπετέλλετ' ϊόντι.
μή μοι πρὶν ϊέναι Πατρόκλεις ἱπποκέλευθε
νῆας ἐπι γλαφυρὰς. πρὶν Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο
αἱματόεντα χιτῶνα περὶ στήθεσσι δαΐξαι:
ὥς που σε προσέφη: σοὶ δὲ φρένας ἄφρονι πεῖθε:
But Patroclus, overcome by the stroke of the god and by the spear, drew back into the throng of his comrades, avoiding fate. But Hector, when he beheld great-souled Patroclus drawing back, smitten with the sharp bronze, came nigh him through the ranks, and smote him with a thrust of his spear in the nethermost belly, and drave the bronze clean through; and he fell with a thud, and sorely grieved the host of the Achaeans. And as a lion overmastereth in fight an untiring boar, when the twain fight with high hearts on the peaks of a mountain for a scant spring, wherefrom both are minded to drink: hard panteth the boar, yet the lion overcometh him by his might; even so from the valiant son of Menoetius, after he had slain many, did Hector, Priam's son, take life away, smiting him from close at hand with his spear. And vaunting over him he spake winged words: "Patroclus, thou thoughtest, I ween, that thou wouldest sack our city, and from the women of Troy wouldest take the day of freedom, and bear them in thy ships to thy dear native land, thou fool. Nay, in front of them the swift horses of Hector stride forth to the fight, and with the spear I myself am pre-eminent among the war-loving Trojans, even I that ward from them the day of doom; but for thee, vultures shall devour thee here. Ah, poor wretch, even Achilles, for all his valour, availed thee not, who, I ween, though himself abiding behind, laid strait command upon thee, as thou wentest forth: Come not back, I charge thee, Patroclus, master of horsemen, to the hollow ships, till thou hast cloven about the breast of man-slaying Hector the tunic red with his blood. So, I ween, spake he to thee, and persuaded thy wits in thy witlessness."
