ὡς εἰπὼν, Ἀχιλῆα ἀλεὶς μένεν. ἐν δέ οἱ ῆτορ
ἄλκιμον ὡρμᾶτο πτολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι:
ἠΰτε πόρδαλις εῖσι βαθείης ἐκ ξυλόχοιο
ἀνδρὸς θηρητῆρος ἐναντίον: οὐδέ τι θυμῷ
ταρβεῖ. οὐδὲ φοβεῖται, ἐπεί κεν ὑλαγμὸν ἀκούσῃ:
εἴ περ γὰρ φθάμενός μιν ἠ οὐτάσῃ. ἠὲ βάλῃσιν.
ἀλλά τε καὶ περὶ δουρὶ πεπαρμένη. οὐκ ἀπολήγει
ἀλκῆς. πρίν γ' ἠὲ ξυμβλήμεναι, ἠὲ δαμῆναι:
ὡς Ἀντήνορος υἱὸς ἀγαυοῦ δῖος Ἀγήνωρ
οὐκ έθελεν φεύγειν. πρὶν πειρήσαιτ' Ἀχιλῆος:
ἂλλ' ὅ γὰρ, ἀσπίδα μὲν πρόσθ' ἔσχετο πάντος, ἐΐσην.
ἐγχείῃ δ' αὐτοῖο τιτύσκετο: καὶ μέγ' ἀΰτει:
ῆ δή που μάλ' ἔολπας ἐνι φρεσὶ φαίδιμ' Ἀχιλλεῦ.
ἤματι τῷδε πόλιν πέρσειν Τρώων ἀγερώχων:
νηπύτι': ῆ μάλα πολλὰ τετεύξεται ἄλγε' ἐπ αυτῇ:
ἐν γάρ, οἱ, πολέες τε καὶ ἄλκιμοι ἀνέρες εἰμέν:
οἵκε πρόσθε φίλων τοκέων. ἀλόχων τε. καὶ υἱῶν.
Ἴλιον εἰρυόμεσθα: σὺ δ' ἐνθάδε πότμον ἒφ' έψεις
ὧδ' ἔκπαγλος ἐὼν, καὶ θαρσαλέος πολεμιστής:
So saying he gathered himself together to abide Achilles' oncoming, and within him his valiant heart was fain to war and to do battle. Even as a pard goeth forth from a deep thicket before the face of a huntsman, neither is anywise afraid at heart, nor fleeth when she heareth the baying of the hounds; for though the man be beforehand with her and smite her with thrust or with dart, yet even pierced through with the spear she ceaseth not from her fury until she grapple with him or be slain; even so lordly Antenor's son, goodly Agenor, refused to flee till he should make trial of Achilles, but held before him his shield that was well-balanced upon every side, and aimed at Achilles with his spear, and shouted aloud: "Verily, I ween, thou hopest in thy heart, glorious Achilles, on this day to sack the city of the lordly Trojans. Thou fool! in sooth many be the woes that shall yet be wrought because of her. Within her are we, many men and valiant, that in front of our dear parents and wives and sons guard Ilios; nay, it is thou that shalt here meet thy doom, for all thou art so dread and so bold a man of war."
