ὡς ἔφατ' οὐδ' ἀπίθησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος:
βῆ δ' ϊέναι, ὡς τίς τε λέων ἀπο μεσσαύλοιο:
ὅς τ' ἐπεὶ ἄρ κε, κάμῃσι. κύνας τ' ἄνδράς τ' ἐρεθίζων,
οἵ τε μιν οὐκ εἰῶσι βοῶν ἐκ πῖαρ ἑλέσθαι
πάννυχοι ἐγρήσσοντες, ὁ δὲ κρειῶν ἐρατίζων
ϊθύει: ἂλλ' οὔ τι πρήσσει: θαμέες γὰρ ἄκοντες
ἀντίοι ἀΐσσουσι θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν.
καιόμεναί τε δεταὶ. τάς τε τρεῖ ἐσσύμενός περ.
ἠῶθεν δ' ἀπονόσφιν ἔβη τετιηότι θυμῷ:
ὡς ἀπο Πατρόκλοιο βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος
ἤϊε πὸλλ' ἀἕκων: περὶ γὰρ δίε. μῆ μιν Ἀχαιοὶ
ἀργαλέου προ φόβοιο ἕλωρ δηΐοισι λίποιεν:
πολλὰ δὲ Μηριόνῃ τε καὶ Αἰάντεσσ' ἐπέτελλεν:
Αἴαντ', Ἀργείων ἡγήτορε Μηριόνη τε:
νῦν τις ἐνηείης Πατροκλῆος δειλοῖο
μνησάσθω: πᾶσιν γὰρ ἐπίστατο μείλιχος εἶναι
ζωὸς ἐών. νῦν αὖ θάνατος καὶ μοῖρα κιχάνει:
So spake he, and Menelaus, good at the war-cry, failed not to hearken, but went his way as a lion from a steading when he waxeth weary with vexing dogs and men that suffer him not to seize the fattest of the herd, watching the whole night through; but he in his lust for flesh goeth straight on, yet accomplisheth naught thereby, for thick the darts fly to meet him, hurled by bold hands, and blazing brands withal, before which he quaileth, how eager soever he be, and at dawn he departeth with sure heart; even so from Patroclus departed Menelaus, good at the war-cry, sorely against his will; for exceedingly did he fear lest the Achaeans in sorry rout should leave him to be a prey to the foemen. And many a charge laid he on Meriones and the Aiantes, saying: "Ye Aiantes twain, leaders of the Argives, and thou, Meriones, now let each man remember the kindliness of hapless Patroclus; for to all was he ever gentle while yet he lived, but now death and fate have come upon him."
