ἄψ δ' ἐπὶ Πατρόκλῳ τέτατο κρατερὴ ὑσμίνη:
ἀργαλὲη πολύδακρυς ἔγειρε δὲ νεῖκος Ἀθήνη
οὐρανόθεν καταβᾶσα: προῆκε γὰρ εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
ὀρνύμεναι Δαναούς: δὴ γὰρ νόος ἐτράπετ' αὐτοῦ
ἠύτε πορφυρέην ἶριν θνητοῖσι τανύσση
Ζεὺς ἐξουρανόθεν τέρας ἔμμεναι ἢ πολέμοιο
ἢ καὶ χειμῶνος δυσταρπέος ὅς ῥά τε ἔργων
ἀνθρώπους ἀνέπαυσεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ μῆλα δὲ κήδει:
ὣς πορφυρὲῃ νεφέλῃ πυκάσασα ἑαυτὴν
δύσετ' Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνος ἔγειρε δὲ φῶτα ἕκαστον:
πρῶτον δ' Ἀτρέος υἱὸν ἐποτρύνουσα προσηύδα
ἴφθιμον Μενέλαον: ὃ γάρ ῥά οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦεν:
εἰσαμένη Φοίνικι δέμας καὶ ἀτειρέα φωνήν:
σοὶ μὲν δὴ Μενέλαε κατηφείη καὶ ὄνειδος
ἔσσεται εἴ κ' Ἀχιλῆος ἀγαυοῦ πιστὸν ἑταῖρον
τείχει ὕπο Τρώων ταχέες κύνες ἑλκύσουσιν:
ἀλλ' ἔρχεο κρατερῶς ὄτρυνε δὲ λαὸν ἅπαντα:
Then again over Patroclus was strained taut the mighty conflict, dread and fraught with tears, and Athene roused the strife, being come down from heaven; for Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, had sent her to urge on the Danaans, for lo, his mind was turned. As Zeus stretcheth forth for mortals a lurid rainbow from out of heaven to be a portent whether of war or of chill storm that maketh men to cease from their work upon the face of the earth, and vexeth the flocks; even so Athene, enwrapping herself in a lurid cloud, entered the throng of the Danaans, and urged on each man. First to hearten him she spake to Atreus' son, valiant Menelaus, for he was nigh to her, likening herself to Phoenix, in form and untiring voice: "To thee, verily, Menelaus, shall there be shame and a hanging of the head, if the trusty comrade of lordly Achilles he torn by swift dogs beneath the wall of the Trojans. Nay, hold thy ground valiantly, and urge on all the host."
