ὣς ἔφατ'. Αἴαντι δὲ δαί̈φρονι θυμὸν ὄρινε:
βῆ δὲ δια προμάχων: ἅμα δὲ ξανθὸς Μενέλαος:
Ἕκτωρ μὲν Πάτροκλον, ἐπεὶ κλυτὰ τεύχε' ἀπηύρα.
ἕλχ' ἵ̈ν' ἀπ' ὤμοιϊν κεφαλὴν τάμοι, ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ.
τὸν δὲ νέκυν Τρωῇσιν ἐρυσσάμενος κυσὶ δοίη.
Αἴας δ' ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε, φέρων σάκος ἠύ̈τε πύργον:
Ἕκτωρ δ' ὰψ ἐς ὅμιλον ἰ̈ὼν ἀνεχάζεθ' ἑταίρων.
ἐς δίφρον δ' ἀνόρουσε: δίδου δ' ὅ γε τεύχεα καλὰ
Τρωσὶ φέρειν προτὶ ἄστυ μέγα κλέος ἔμμεναι αὐτῷ:
Αἴας δ' ἀμφὶ Μενοιτιάδῃ σάκος εὐρὺ καλύψας
ἑστήκει, ὥς τίς τε λέων περὶ οἷσι τέκεσσιν:
ᾧ ῥά τε νήπι' ἄγοντι συναντήσωνται ἐν ὕλῃ
ἄνδρες ἐπακτῆρες. ὁ δέ τε, σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνει:
πᾶν δέ τ' ἐπισκύνιον κάτω ἕλκεται. ὄσσε καλύπτων:
ὡς Αἴας περὶ Πατρόκλῳ ἥρωϊ βεβήκει:
Ἀτρείδης δ' ἑτέρωθεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος
ἑστήκει. μέγα πένθος ἐνι στήθεσσιν ἀέξων:
So spake he, and stirred the soul of wise-hearted Aias, and he strode amid the foremost fighters, and with him fair-haired Menelaus. Now Hector, when he had stripped from Patroclus his glorious armour, sought to hale him away that he might cut the head from off his shoulders with the sharp bronze, and drag off the corpse, and give it to the dogs of Troy; but Aias drew near, bearing his shield, that was like a city wall. Then Hector gave ground backward into the throng of his comrades, and leapt upon his chariot, and gave the goodly armour to the Trojans to bear to the city, to be a great glory unto him. But Aias covered the son of Menoetius round about with his broad shield, and stood as a lion over his whelps, one that huntsmen have encountered in the forest as he leadeth his young; then he exulteth in his strength, and draweth down all his brows to cover his eyes; even so did Aias bestride the warrior Patroclus, and hard by him stood the son of Atreus, Menelaus, dear to Ares, nursing great sorrow in his breast.
