ἀσθμαίνοντ'. Ἀχιλεὺς δ' ἄρ ἐνι στήθεσσιν ὀρούσαςὀρούσων.
τεύχεα τ' ἐξενάριξε καὶ εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηύδα:
κεῖσ' οὕτω: χαλεπόν τοι ἐρισθενέος Κρονίωνος
παισὶν ἐριζέμεναι. ποταμοῖο περ ἐκγεγαῶτι:
φῆσθα σὺ μὲν ποταμοῦ γένος ἔμμεναι εὐρὺ ῥέοντος.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ γενεὴν μεγάλου Διὸς εὔχομαι εὒχομαι εἶναι.
τίκτέ μ' ἀνὴρ. πολλοῖσιν ἀνάσσων Μυρμιδόνεσσι.
Πηλεὺς Αἰακίδης. ὁ δ' ἄρ' Αἰακὸς ἐκ Διὸς ῆεν:
τῶ κρείσσων μὲν Ζεὺς ποταμῶν ἁλιμυρηέντων,
κρείσσων δ’ αῦτε Διὸς γενεὴ. ποταμοῖο τέτυκται:
καὶ γὰρ σοὶ ποταμός γε πάρα μέγας, εἰ δύναταί τι
χραισμεῖν: ἂλλ' οὐκ ἔστι Διῒ Κρονίωνι μάχεσθαι:
τῷ. οὐδὲ κρειων Ἀχελώϊος Ἀχελῶϊος ἰ̈σοφαρίζει:
οὐδεοὐτε βαθυρρείταο μέγα σθένος Ὠκεανοῖο,
ἐξ οὗ περ πάντες ποταμοὶ. καὶ πᾶσα θάλασσα.
καὶ πᾶσαι κρῆναι, καὶ φρείατα μακρὰ νά̆ουσιν:
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὃς δείδοικε Διὸς μεγάλοιο κεραυνὸν.
δεινήν τε βροτὴν. ὅτ' ἀπ οὐρανόθεν σμαραγήσῃ:
And Achilles leapt upon his breast and despoiled him of his arms, and exulted saying: "Lie as thou art! Hard is it to strive with the children of the mighty son of Cronos, albeit for one begotten of a River. Thou verily declarest that thy birth is from the wide-flowing River, whereas I avow me to be of the lineage of great Zeus. The father that begat me is one that is lord among the many Myrmidons, even Peleus, son of Aeacus; and Aeacus was begotten of Zeus. Wherefore as Zeus is mightier than rivers that murmur seaward, so mightier too is the seed of Zeus than the seed of a river. For lo, hard beside thee is a great River, if so be he can avail thee aught; but it may not be that one should fight with Zeus the son of Cronos. With him doth not even king Achelous vie, nor the great might of deep-flowing Ocean, from whom all rivers flow and every sea, and all the springs and deep wells; howbeit even he hath fear of the lightning of great Zeus, and his dread thunder, whenso it crasheth from heaven."
