ὣς ἔφαθ'. οἳ δ' ἄρα νεκρὸν ἀπὸ χθονὸς ἀγκάζοντο
ὕψι μάλα μεγάλως. ἐπὶ δ' ΐαχε λαὸς ὄπισθε
Τρωϊκὸς ὡς εἴδοντο, νέκυν αἴροντας Ἀχαιούς:
ΐθυσαν δὲ κύνεσσιν ἐοικότες. οἵ τ' ἐπὶ κάπρῳ
βλημένῳ ἀί̈ξωσι πρὸ κούρων θηρητήρων:
ἕως μὲν γάρ τε θέουσι. διαρραῖσαι μεμαῶτες:
ἂλλ' ὅτε δή ῥ' ἐν τοῖσιν ἐλίξεται ἀλκὶ πεποιθὼς:
ἂψ ἀνεχώρησαν: διά τ' ἔτρεσαν ἄλλϋδις ἄλλος.
ὣς Τρῶες εἵως μὲν ὁμιλαδόν αῖὲν ἕποντο
νύσσοντες ξίφεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφὶ γύοισιν:
ἀλλ' ὅτε δή ῥ' Αἴαντε μεταστρεφθέντε κατ' αὐτούς
σταίησαν: τῶν δὲ τράπετο χρώς: οὐδέ τις ἔτλη:
πρόσσω ἀΐξας περὶ νεκροῦ δηριάασθαι:
So spake he, and the others took in their arms the dead from the ground, and lifted him on high in their great might; and thereat the host of the Trojans behind them shouted aloud, when they beheld the Achaeans lifting the corpse. And they charged straight upon them like hounds that in front of hunting youths dart upon a wounded wild boar: awhile they rush upon him fain to rend him asunder, but whenso he wheeleth among them trusting in his might, then they give ground and shrink in fear, one here, one there; even so the Trojans for a time ever followed on in throngs, thrusting with swords and two-edged spears, but whenso the twain Aiantes would wheel about and stand against them, then would their colour change, and no man dared dart forth and do battle for the dead.
