ὣς ἔφατ' οὐδ' απίθησεν εὺς πάϊς Ἀγχίσαο:
τώδ' ἰθὺς βήτην: βοέῃς εἰλυμένω ὤμους
αὔῃσι στερεῇσι: πολύς δ' ἐπελήλατο χαλκός:
τοῖσ δ' ἅμα Χρόμιός τε καὶ Ἄρητος θεοειδής
ἤϊσαν ἀμφότεροι: μάλα δέ σφισιν ἤλπετο θυμός
αὐτώ τε κτενέειν: ἐλάαν τ' ἐριαύχενας ἵππους:
νήπιοι: οὐδ' ἄρ' ἔμελλον ἀναιμωτί γε νέεσθαι:
αὖτις ἀπ' Αὐτομέδοντος: ὃδ' εὐξάμενος Διὶ πατρὶ:
ἀλκῆς καὶ σθένεος πλῆτο φρένας ἀμφι μελαίνας:
αὐτίκα δ' Ἀλκιμέδοντα προσηύδα πιστὸν ἑταῖρον:
Ἀλκίμεδον: μή δή μοι ἀπόπροθεν ἰσχέμεν ἵππους:
ἀλλὰ μάλ' ἐμπνείοντε μεταφρένῳ: οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγε
Ἕκτορα Πριαμίδην μένεος σχήσεσθ' ὀίω:
πρίν κ' ἐπ' Ἀχιλλῆος καλλίτριχε βήμεναι ἵππω.
νῶι κατακτείναντα: φοβῆσαί τε στίχας ἀνδρῶν:
Ἀργείων: ἤ κ' αὐτὸς ἐνὶ πρώτοισιν ἁλῴη:
So spake he, and the valiant son of Anchises failed not to hearken. And the twain went straight forward, their shoulders clad with shields of bull's-hide, dry and tough, and abundant bronze had been welded thereupon. And with them went Chromius, and godlike Aretus both,and their hearts within them were full of hope to slay the men and drive off the horses with high-arched necks—fools that they were! for not without shedding of blood were they to get them back from Automedon. He made prayer to father Zeus, and his dark heart within him was filled with valour and strength; and forthwith he spake to Alcimedon, his trusty comrade: "Alcimedon, not afar from me do thou hold the horses, but let their breath smite upon my very back; for I verily deem not that Hector, son of Priam, will be stayed from his fury until he mount behind the fair-maned horses of Achilles, and have slain the two of us, and driven in rout the ranks of the Argive warriors, or haply himself be slain amid the foremost."
