ὡς τό γε κλαίοντε προσαυδήτην φίλον υἱὸν,
πολλὰ λισσομένω. οὐδ' Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἔπειθον:
ἂλλ' ὅ γε μίμν' Ἀχιλῆα πελώριον ἆσσον ἰ̈όντα:
ὡς δε δράκων ἐπὶ χειῇ ὀρέστεροςὀρέστερον ἄνδρά μένῃσι
βεβρωκὼς κακὰ φάρμακ'. ἔδυ δέ τε μιν χόλος αἰνὸς.
σμερδαλέον δὲ δέδορκεν, ἐλισσόμενος περὶ χειῇ.
ὡς Ἕκτωρ ἄσβεστον ἔχων μένος. οὐχ ὑπεχώρει:
πύργῳ ἔπι προὔχοντι φαεινὴν ἀσπίδ' ἐρείσας:
ὀχθήσας δ' ἄρα εἶπε προς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν:
ᾤ μοι ἐγών. εἰ μέν κε πύλας καὶ τείχεα δύω,
Πουλυδάμας μοι πρῶτος ἐλεγχείην ἀναθήσει:
ὅς μ' ἐκέλευε Τρωσὶ ποτι πτόλιν ἡγήσασθαι
νύχθ' ὕπο τῆνδ' ὀλοήν. ὅτε τ' ὤρετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.
ἂλλ' ἐγὼ οὐ πιθόμην, ἦ τ' ἂν, πολὺ κέρδιον ῆεν:
νῦν δ' ἐπεὶ ὤλεσα λαὸν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ἐμῇσιν.
αἰδέομαι Τρῶας καὶ Τρῳάδας ἑλκεσιπέπλους.
μή ποτέ τις εἴπῃσι κακώτερος ἄλλος ἐμεῖο.
Ἕκτωρ ἧφι βίηφι πιθήσας. ὤλεσε λαόν:
ὡς ἐρέουσιν: ἐμοὶ δὲ τότ' ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη
ἄντην, ἢ Ἀχιλῆα κατακτείναντα νέεσθαι:
ἠέ κεν αὐτῷ ὀλέσθαι ἐϋκλειῶς προ πόληος⁚
So the twain with weeping spake unto their dear son, beseeching him instantly; howbeit they could not persuade the heart of Hector, but he abode Achilles as he drew nigh in his mightiness. And as a serpent of the mountain awaiteth a man at his lair, having fed upon evil herbs, and dread wrath hath entered into him, and terribly he glareth as he coileth him about within his lair; even so Hector in his courage unquenchable would not give ground, leaning his bright shield against the jutting wall. Then, mightily moved, he spake unto his own great-hearted spirit: "Ah, woe is me, if I go within the gates and the walls Polydamas will be the first to put reproach upon me, for that he bade me lead the Trojans to the city during this fatal night, when goodly Achilles arose. Howbeit I hearkened not—verily it had been better far! But now, seeing I have brought the host to ruin in my blind folly, I have shame of the Trojans, and the Trojans' wives with trailing robes, lest haply some other baser man may say: ‘Hector, trusting in his own might, brought ruin on the host.’ So will they say; but for me it were better far to meet Achilles man to man and shay him, and so get me home, or myself perish gloriously before the city.
