τὴν δ' ἑτέρην πόλιν ἀμφὶ δύω στρατοὶ εἵατο λαῶν
τεύχεσι λαμπόμενοι: δίχα δέ σφισιν, ἥνδανε βουλὴ.
ἠὲ διαπραθέειν, ἢ ἄνδιχα πάντα δάσασθαι:
κτῆσιν. ὅσην πτολίεθρον ἐπήρατον ἐντὸς ἔέργεν:
οἳ δ' οὔ πω πείθοντο: λόχῳ δ' ὑπεθωρήσσοντο:
τεῖχος μέν ῥ' ἄλοχοί τε φίλαι καὶ νήπια τέκνα
ῥύατ' ἐφεσταότες. μετὰ δ' ἀνέρες οὓς ἔχε γῆρας:
οἳ δ' ἴ̈σαν. ἦρχε δ' ἄρά σφιν Ἄρης καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.
ἄμφω χρυσείω: χρυ̋σεια δὲ εἵματα έσθην:
καλὼ καὶ μεγάλω. σὺν τεύχεσιν. ὥς τε θεώ περ.
ἀμφὶς ἀριζήλω: λαοὶ δ' ὑπ' ολίζονες ἦσαν:
οἱ δ' ὅτε δή ῥ' ΐκανον ὅθί σφισιν εῖκε λοχῆσαι.
ἐν ποταμῷ. ὅθι τ' ᾱρδμὸς ἔην πάντεσσι βοτοῖσιν.
ἔνθ' ἄρα τοί γ' ΐζοντ' εἰλυμένοι αἴθοπι χαλκῷ:
τοῖσι δ' ἔπειτ' ἀπάνευθε δύω σκοποὶ εἵατο λαῶν.
δέγμενοι. ὁππότε μῆλα ἰ̈δοίατο καὶ ἔλικας βοῦς:
οἱ δὲ τάχα προγένοντο. δύω δ' ἅμ' ἕποντο νομῆες
τερπόμενοι σύριγξι: δόλον δ' οὔ τι προνόησαν:
τερπόμενοι: δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
But around the other city lay in leaguer two hosts of warriors gleaming in armour. And twofold plans found favour with them, either to lay waste the town or to divide in portions twain all the substance that the lovely city contained within. Howbeit the besieged would nowise hearken thereto, but were arming to meet the foe in an ambush. The wall were their dear wives and little children guarding, as they stood thereon, and therewithal the men that were holden of old age; but the rest were faring forth, led of Ares and Pallas Athene, both fashioned in gold, and of gold was the raiment wherewith they were clad. Goodly were they and tall in their harness, as beseemeth gods, clear to view amid the rest, and the folk at their feet were smaller. But when they were come to the place where it seemed good unto them to set their ambush, in a river-bed where was a watering-place for all herds alike, there they sate them down, clothed about with flaming bronze. Thereafter were two scouts set by them apart from the host, waiting till they should have sight of the sheep and sleek cattle. And these came presently, and two herdsmen followed with them playing upon pipes; and of the guile wist they not at all.
