οἳ δ' αἰεὶ περὶ νεκρὸν ἀκαχμένα δούρατ' ἔχοντες
νωλεμὲς ἐγχρίπτοντο καὶ ἀλλήλους ἐνάριζον:
ὧδε δέ τϊς εἴπεσκεν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
ὦ φίλοι: οὐκ' ἂν ἧμιν ἐϋκλεὲς ἀπονέεσθαι
νῆας ἔπι γλαφυρὰς ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ γαῖα μέλαινα
πᾶσι χάνοι: τό κεν ἧμιν ἄφαρ πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη
εἰ τοῦτον Τρώεσσι μεθήσομεν ἱπποδάμοισιν
ἄστυ ποτὶ σφέτερον ἐρῦσαι καὶ κῦδος ἀρέσθαι:
But the others round about the corpse, with sharp spears in their hands, ever pressed on continually, and slew each other. And thus would one of the brazen-coated Achaeans say: "Friends, no fair fame verily were it for us to return back to the hollow ships; nay, even here let the black earth gape for us all. That were for us straightway better far, if we are to yield this man to the Trojans, tamers of horses, to hale to their city, and win them glory."
