τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε:
ὢ πόποι: ῆ φίλον ἄνδρα διωκόμενον περὶ τεῖχος
ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι. ἐμὸν δ' ὀλοφύρεται ῆτορ
Ἕκτορος, ὅς μοι πολλὰ βοῶν ἐπι μηρί' ἔκηεν
Ἴ̈δης ἐν κορυφῇσι πολυπτύχου. ἄλλοτε δ' αῦτε
ἐν πόλει ἀκροτάτῃ νῦν αὖτε δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
ἄστυ περὶ Πριάμοιο ποσὶν ταχέεσσι διώκει:
ἂλλ' άγετε φράζεσθε θεοὶ καὶ μητιάασθε.
ἢέ μιν ἐκ θανάτοιο σαώσομεν. ἠέ μιν ἤδη
Πηλείδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ δαμάσσομεν ἐσθλὸν ἐόντα:
Then among these the father of men and gods was first to speak: "Look you now, in sooth a well-loved man do mine eyes behold pursued around the wall; and my heart hath sorrow for Hector, who hath burned for me many thighs of oxen on the crests of many-ridged Ida, and at other times on the topmost citadel; but now again is goodly Achilles pursuing him with swift feet around the city of Priam. Nay then, come, ye gods, bethink you and take counsel whether we shall save him from death, or now at length shall slay him, good man though he be, by the hand of Achilles, son of Peleus."
