ὡς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.
πάντοσε παπταίνων ὥς τ' αἰετὸς. ὃν ῥά τε φασὶν
ὀξύτατον δέρκεσθαι ὑπ' ουρανίων πετεηνῶν:
ὅν τε καὶ ὑψόθ' ἐόντα, πόδας ταχὺς οὐκ ἔλαθε πτὼξ
θάμνῳ ὑπ' ἀμφικόμῳ κατακείμενος. ἀλλά τ' ἐπ' αυτῷ
ἔσσυτο. καί τέ μιν ὦκα λαβὼν. ἐξείλετο θυμὸν:
ὡς τότε σοὶ Μενέλαε διοτρεφὲς ὄσσε φαεινὼ
πάντοσε δινείσθην. πολέων κατὰ ἔθνος ἑταίρων.
εἴ που Νέστορος υἱὸν ἔτι ζώοντα ἴ̈δοιτο:
τὸν δὲ μάλ' αἶψ' ἐνόησε μάχης ἐπ' ἀριστερὰ πάσης
θαρσύνονθ' ἑτάρους. καὶ ἐποτρύνοντα μάχεσθαι:
ἀγχοῦ δ' ἱ̈στάμενος προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος:
Ἀντίλοχ', αὶ δ' άγε δεῦρο διοτρεφὲς. ὄφρα πύθηαι
λυγρῆς ἀγγελίης. ἣ μὴ ὤφελλε γενέσθαι:
ἤδη μὲν σὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ὀΐομαι εἰσορόωντα
γινώσκειν. ὅτι πῆμα θεὸς Δαναοῖσι κυλίνδει:
νίκη δὲ Τρώων. πέφαται δ' ὥ̓ριστος Ἀχαιῶν
Πάτροκλος. μεγάλη δὲ ποθὴ Δαναοῖσι τέτυκται:
ἂλλὰ σύ γ' αῖψ' Ἀχιλῆϊ θέων ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
εἰπεῖν: αί κε τάχιστα νέκυν ἐπι νῆα σαώσῃ
γυμνὸν, ἀτὰρ τά γε τεύχε' ἔχει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ:
So saying fair-haired Menelaus departed, glancing warily on every side as an eagle, which, men say, hath the keenest sight of all winged things under heaven, of whom, though he be on high, the swift-footed hare is not unseen as he croucheth beneath a leafy bush, but the eagle swoopeth upon him and forthwith seizeth him, and robbeth him of life. Even so then, Menelaus, nurtured of Zeus, did thy bright eyes range everywhither over the throng of thy many comrades, if so be they niight have sight of Nestor's son yet alive. Him he marked full quickly on the left of the whole battle, heartening his comrades and urging them on to fight. And drawing nigh fair-haired Menelaus spake to him, saying: "Antilochus, up, come hither, thou nurtured of Zeus, that thou mayest learn woeful tidings, such as I would had never been. Even now, I ween, thou knowest, for thine eyes behold it, how that a god rolleth ruin upon the Danaans, and that victory is with the men of Troy. And slain is the best man of the Achaeans, even Patroclus, and great longing for him is wrought for the Danaans. But do thou with speed run to the ships of the Achaeans and bear word unto Achilles, in hope that he may forthwith bring safe to his ship the corpse—the naked corpse; but his armour is held by Hector of the flashing helm."
