καὶ νύ̆ κεν εἴρυσσέν τε, καὶ ἄσπετον ᾔρατο κῦδος.
εἰ μὴ Πηλείωνι ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ι̂̈ρις:
ἄγγελος ἦλθε θέουσ' ἀπ' Ὀλύμπου. θωρήσσεσθαι.
κρύβδα Διὸς, ἄλλων τε θεῶν. πρὸ γὰρ ἧκέ μιν Ἥρη :
ἀγχοῦ δ' ἱσταμένη. ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδᾱ:
ὄρσεο Πηλείδη, πάντων ἐκπαγλότατ' ἀνδρῶν:
Πατρόκλῳ ἐπάμυνον. οὗ εἵνεκα φύλοπις αἰνὴ.
ἕστηκε πρὸ νεῶν. οἳ δ' ἀλλήλους ὀλέκουσῑν.
οἳ μὲν ἀμυνόμενοι νέκυος περι τεθνειῶτοςτεθνηῶτος :
οἳ δὲ ἐρύσσεσθαιἐρύσσασθαι ποτὶ Ί̈λιον ἠνεμόεσσαν
Τρῶες ἐπιθύουσι: μάλιστα δὲ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
ἑλκέμεναι μέμονεν: κεφαλὴν δέ ἑ θυμὸς ἀνώγει
πῆξαι ἀνὰ σκολόπεσσι. ταμόνθ' ἁπαλῆς ἀπὸ δειρῆς:
ἂλλ' ἄνα μὴ δ' έτι κεῖσο: σέβας δέ σε θυμὸν ϊκέσθω.
Πάτροκλον Τρῳῇσι κυσὶν μέλπηθρα γενέσθαι:
σοὶ λώβη. αἴ κεν τι, νέκυς ᾐσχυμμένος ἔλθῃ:
τερπόμενοι: δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
And now would he have dragged away the body, and have won glory unspeakable, had not wind-footed, swift Iris speeding from Olympus with a message that he array him for battle, come to the son of Peleus, all unknown of Zeus and the other gods, for Hera sent her forth. And she drew nigh, and spake to him winged words: "Rouse thee, son of Peleus, of all men most dread. Bear thou aid to Patroclus, for whose sake is a dread strife afoot before the ships. And men are slaying one another, these seeking to defend the corpse of the dead, while the Trojans charge on to drag him to windy Ilios; and above all glorious Hector is fain to drag him away; and his heart biddeth him shear the head from the tender neck, and fix it on the stakes of the wall. Nay, up then, lie here no more! Let awe come upon thy soul that Patroclus should become the sport of the dogs of Troy. Thine were the shame,it anywise he come, a corpse despitefully entreated."
