ὡς οἱ μὲν μάρναντο δέμας πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο:
Ἀντίλοχος δ' Ἀχιλῆϊ πόδας ταχὺς ἄγγελος ἦλθε:
τὸν δ' εὗρε προπάροιθε νεῶν ὀρθοκραιράων.
τὰ φρονέοντ' ἀνὰ θυμὸν. ἃ, δὴ, τετελεσμένα ῆεν:
ὀχθήσας δ' ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν:
ῴ μοι ἐγὼ. τί τ αρ, αῦτε κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ
νηυσὶν ἔπι κλονέονται ἀτυζόμενοι πεδίοιο:
μὴ δή μοι τελέσωσι θεοὶ κακὰ κήδεα θυμῷ:
ὥς ποτέ μοι μήτηρ διεπέφραδε καί μοι ἔειπε
Μυρμιδόνων τὸν ἄριστον ἔτι ζώοντος ἐμεῖο.
χερσὶν ὑπὸ Τρώων λείψειν φάος ἠελίοιο:
ῆ μάλα δὴ τέθνηκε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱὸς:
σχέτλιος. ῆ τ' ἐκέλευον ἀπωσάμενον δήϊον πῦρ.
νῆας ἒπ' ὰψ, ϊέναι. μὴ δ' Ἕκτορι ῗφι μάχεσθαι:
τερπόμενοι: δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
So fought they like unto blazing fire, but Antilochus, swift of foot, came to bear tidings to Achilles. Him he found in front of his ships with upright horns, boding in his heart the thing that even now was brought to pass; and sore troubled he spake unto his own great-hearted spirit: "Ah, woe is me, how is it that again the long-haired Achaeans are being driven toward the ships in rout over the plain? Let it not be that the gods have brought to pass grievous woes for my soul, even as on a time my mother declared unto me, and said that while yet I lived the best man of the Myrmidons should leave the light of the sun beneath the hands of the Trojans! in good sooth the valiant son of Menoetius must now, be dead, foolhardy one. Surely I bade him come back again to the ships when he had thrust off the consuming fire, and not to fight amain with Hector."
