τοῖον Ζεὺς ἐπὶ Πατρόκλῳ ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ ἵππων
ἤματι τῷ ἐτάνυσσε κακὸν πόνον. οὐδ' ἄρά πω τι
ᾔδεε Πάτροκλον τεθνηῶτα δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς
πολλὸν γὰρ ἀππάνευθε νεῶν μάρναντο θοάων:
τείχει ὑπὸ Τρώων: ὅ: μιν οὔ ποτε ἔλπετο θυμῷ
τεθνάμεν: ἀλλὰ ζωὸν ἐνιχριμφθέντα πύλῃσιν
ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν: ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὸ ἔλπετο πάμπαν
ἐκπέρσειν πτολίεθρον ἄνευ ἕθεν: οὐδὲ σὺν αὐτῷ
πολλάκι γὰρ τό δε μητρὸς ἐπεύθετο νόσφιν ἀκούων:
ἥ οἱ ἀπαγγέλλεσκε Διὸς μεγάλοιο νόημα
δὴ τότε γ' οὔ οἱ ἔειπε κακὸν τόσον: ὅσσον ἐτύχθη
μήτηρ, ὅττι ῥά οἱ πολὺ φίλτατος ὤλεθ' ἑταῖρος:
Such evil toil of men and horses did Zeus on that day strain taut over Patroclus. Nor as yet did goodly Achilles know aught of Patroclus' death, for afar from the swift ships were they fighting beneath the wall of the Trojans. Wherefore Achilles never deemed in his heart that he was dead, but that he would return alive, after he had reached even to the gates; nor yet thought he this in any wise, that Patroclus would sack the city without him, nay, nor with him, for full often had he heard this from his mother, listening to her privily, whenso she brought him tidings of the purpose of great Zeus. Howbeit then his mother told him not how great an evil had been brought to pass, that his comrade, far the dearest, had been slain.
