ῆ ῥα. καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος:
καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄντα ϊδὼν. ἠλεύατο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ.
ἕζετο γὰρ προϊδὼν. τὸ δ' ὑπέρπτατο χάλκεον ἔγχος:
ἐν γαίῃ δ' ἐπάγη. ἀνὰ δ' ἥρπασε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη
ὰψ δ' Ἀχιλῆϊ δίδου: λάθε δ' Ἕκτορα ποιμένα λαῶν:
Ἕκτωρ δὲ προσέειπεν ἀμύμονα Πηλείωνα:
ἤμβροτες. οὐδ' ἄρα πώ τι θεοῖς ἐπιείκελ' Ἀχιλλεῦ.
ἐκ Διὸς. ῃ εἴδης τὸν ἐμὸν μόρον, ἤ τοι ἔφης γε.
ἀλλά τις ἀρτιεπὴς. καὶ ἐπίκλοπος ἔπλεο μύθωνμύθοις,
ὄφρά σ' ὑποδδείσας. μένεος ἀλκῆς τε λάθωμαι:
οὐ μέν μοι φεύγοντι. μεταφρένῳ ἐν δόρυ πήξεις:
ἂλλ' ἰ̈θὺς μεμαῶτι. διὰ στήθεσφιν ἔλασσον.
εἴ τοι ἔδωκε θεὸς, νῦν αὖτ' ἐμὸν ἔγχος ἄλευαι
χάλκεον. ὡς δή μιν σῷ ἐν χροῒ πᾶν κομίσαιο.
καί κεν ἐλαφρότερος πόλεμος Τρώεσσι γένοιτο
σεῖο καταφθιμένοιο: σὺ γάρ σφισι πῆμα μέγιστον:
He spake, and poised his far-shadowing spear, and hurled it; howbeit glorious Hector, looking steadily at him, avoided it; for he was ware of it in time and crouched, and the spear of bronze flew over, and fixed itself in the earth; but Pallas Athene caught it up, and gave it back to Achilles, unseen of Hector, shepherd of the host. And Hector spake unto the peerless son of Peleus: "Thou hast missed, neither in any wise, as it seemeth, O Achilles like to the gods, hast thou yet known from Zeus of my doom, though verily thou thoughtest it. Howbeit thou wast but glib of tongue and a cunning knave in speech, to the end that seized with fear of thee I might be forgetful of my might and my valour. Not as I flee shalt thou plant thy spear in my back; nay, as I charge upon thee drive thou it straight through my breast, if a god hath vouchsafed thee this. Now in turn avoid thou my spear of bronze. Would that thou mightest take it all into thy flesh! So would war be lighter for the Trojans, if thou wert but dead; for thou art their greatest bane."
