ὣς εἰπὼν ἵπποισιν ἐνέπνευσε μένος ἠυ:
τὼδ' ἀπὸ χαιτάων κονίην οὖδαςδε βαλόντε,
ῥίμφ’ ἔφέρον θοὸν ἅρμα μετὰ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιούς.
τοῖσι δ' ἐπ' Αὐτομέδων μάχετ' ἀχνύμενός περ ἑταίρου.
ἵπποις ἀΐσσων ὥς τ' αἰγυπιὸς μετὰ χῆνας:
ῥεῖα μὲν γὰρ φεύγεσκεν ὑπ' ἐκ Τρώων ὀρυγμαδοῦ:
ῥεῖα δ' ἐπαί̈ξασκε πολὺν καθ' ὅμιλον ὀπάζων:
ἀλλ' οὐχ ἥρει φῶτασ ὅτ’ εσεύαιτο διώκειν:
οὐ γάρ πως ἦν οἶόνθ' ἱερῷ ἐνὶ δίφρῳ
ἔγχει ἐφορμᾶσθαι καὶ ἐπίσχειν ὠκέας ἵππους.
ὀψὲ δὲ δή μιν ἑταῖρος ἀνὴρ ἴδεν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν
Ἀλκιμέδων υἱὸς Λαέρκεος Αἱμονίδαο:
στῆ δ' ὄπιθεν δίφροιο καὶ Αὐτομέδοντα προσηύδα
Αὐτόμεδον: τίς τοί νῦ θεῶν νηκερδέα βουλήν
ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔθηκε καὶ ἐξέλετο φρένας ἐσθλάς
οἷον πρὸς Τρῶας μάχεαι πρώτῳ ἐν ὁμίλῳ
μοῦνος: ἀτάρ τοι ἑταῖρος ἀπέκτατο: τεύχεα δ' Ἕκτωρ
So saying he breathed great might into the horses. And the twain shook the dust from their manes to the ground, and fleetly bare the swift car amid the Trojans and Achaeans. And behind them fought Automedon, albeit he sorrowed for his comrade, swooping with his car as a vulture on a flock of geese, for lightly would he flee from out the battle-din of the Trojans, and lightly charge, setting upon them through the great throng. Howbeit no man might he slay as he hasted to pursue them, for in no wise was it possible for him being alone in the sacred car, to assail them with the spear, and withal to hold the swift horses. But at last a comrade espied him with his eyes, even Alcimedon, son of Laerces, son of Haemon, and he halted behind the chariot and spake unto Automedon: "Automedon, what god hath put in thy breast unprofitable counsel and taken from thee thy heart of understanding, that thus in the foremost throng thou fightest with the Trojans, alone as thou art? For thy comrade hath been slain, and his armour Hector weareth on his own shoulders, even the armour of the son of Aeacus, and glorieth therein."
