ἑστήκει δ' ὁ γέρων Πρίαμος θείου ἐπὶ πύργου.
ἐς δ' ἐνόησ' Ἀχιλῆα πελώριον: αὐτὰρ ὑπ αὐτοῦ
Τρῶες ἄφαρ κλονέοντο πεφυζότες: οὐδε τίς ἀλκὴ
γίγνεθ'. ὁ δ' οἰμώξας, ἀπὸ πύργου βαῖνε χαμᾶζε.
ὀτρύνων παρα τεῖχος ἀγακλειτοὺς πυλαωρούς:
πεπταμένας ἐν χερσὶ πύλας ἔχετ', εἰς ὅ κε λαοὶ
ἔλθωσι προτι άστυ πεφυζότες. ῆ γὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
ἐγγὺς ὅδε κλονέων: νῦν οἴω λοίγι' ἔσεσθαι:
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κ' ἐς τεῖχος ἀναπνεύσωσιν ἀλεντές.
αὖτις ἐπ' ὰψ θέμεναι σανίδας πυκινῶς ἀραρυίας:
δείδια γὰρ, μὴ οῦλος ἀνὴρ ἐς τεῖχος ἅληται:
And the old man Priam stood upon the heaven-built wall, and was ware of monstrous Achilles, and how before him the Trojans were being driven in headlong rout; and help there was none. Then with a groan he gat him down to the ground from the wall, calling the while to the glorious keepers of the gate along the wall: "Wide open hold ye the gates with your hands until the folk shall come to the city in their rout, for lo, here at hand is Achilles, as he driveth them on; now methinks shall there be sorry work. But whenso they have found respite, being gathered within the wall, then close ye again the double doors, close fitted; for I am adread lest yon baneful man leap within the wall."
