ἕως ὃ ταῦθ' ὥρμαινε κατα φρένα καὶ κατα θυμὸν.
τόφρα δ' ἐπὶ Τρώων στίχες ἤλυθον: ἦρχε δ' ὰρ' Ἕκτωρ:
αὐτὰρ ὅ γ' ἐξοπίσω ἀνεχάζετο: λεῖπε δὲ νεκρὸν,
ἐντροπαλιζόμενος. ὥς τε λὶς ἠϋγένειος:
ὅν ρα κύνες τε καὶ ἄνδρες ἀπὸ σταθμοῖο δίωνται
ἔγχεσι καὶ φωνῇ, τοῦ δ' ἐν φρεσὶν ἄλκιμον ῆτορ
παχνοῦται. ἀἕκων δέ τ' έβη ἀπο μεσσαύλοιο:
ὡς ἀπο Πατρόκλοιο κίε ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.
στῆ δὲ μετὰ στρεφθεὶς ἐπεὶ ἵ̈κετο ἔθνος ἑταίρων:
παπταίνων Αἴαντα μέγαν. Τελαμώνιον υἱόν:
τὸν δὲ μάλ' αῖψ' ἐνόησε μάχης ἐπ αριστερὰ πάσης
θαρσύνονθ' ἑτάρους, καὶ ἐποτρύνοντα μάχεσθαι.
θεσπέσιον γάρ σφιν φόβον ἔμβαλε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων:
βῆ δὲ θέειν, εῖθαρ δὲ παριστάμενος ἔπος ηύδᾱ:
Αἶαν: δεῦρο πέπον περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος
σπεύσομεν: αἴ κε, νέκυν περ Ἀχιλλῆϊ προφέρωμεν
γυμνὸν: ἀτὰρ τά γε τεύχε' ἔχει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ:
While he pondered thus in mind and heart, meanwhile the ranks of the Trojans came on, and Hector led them. Then Menelaus gave ground backward, and left the corpse, ever turning him about like a bearded lion that dogs and men drive from a fold with spears and shouting; and the valiant heart in his breast groweth chill, and sore loth he fareth from the farmstead; even so from Patroclus went fair-haired Menelaus. But he turned him about and stood, when he reached the throng of his comrades, glancing this way and that for great Aias, son of Telamon. Him he marked full quickly on the left of the whole battle, heartening his comrades, and urging them on to fight, for wondrous fear had Phoebus Apollo cast upon them. And he set him to run, and straightway came up to him, and spake, saying: "Aias, come hither, good friend, let us hasten in defence of the dead Patroclus, if so be we may bear forth his corpse at least to Achilles—his naked corpse; but his armour is held by Hector of the flashing helm."
