ῆ ῥα. καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν. προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος:
καὶ βάλε Πηλείδαο μέσον σάκος, οὐδ' ἀφάμαρτε:
τῆλε δ‘ ἀπεπλάγχθη σάκεος δόρυ: χώσατο δ‘ Ἕκτωρ.
ὅττι ῥά οἱ βέλος ὠκὺ. ἐτώσιον ἔκφυγε χειρός:
στῆ δὲ κατηφήσας. οὐδ' ἄλλ' ἔχε μείλινον ἔγχος:
Δηΐφοβον δ' ἐκάλει λευκάσπιδα μακρὸν ἀΰσας:
ᾔτεέ μιν δόρυ μακρὸν. ὁ δ' οὔ τί οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦεν:
Ἕκτωρ δ' ἔγνω ᾗσιν ἐνι φρεσὶ. φώνησέν τε:
ὦ πόποι: ῆ μάλα δή με θεοὶ θάνατον δὲ κάλεσσαν
Δηΐφοβον γὰρ ἔγωγ' ἐφάμην ἥρωα παρεῖναι:
ἂλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐν τείχει, ἐμὲ δ' ἐξαπάτησεν Ἀθήνη:
νῦν δὲ δὴ ἐγγύθι μοι θάνατος κακός, οὐδέ τ' ἄνευθεν,:
οὐδ‘ ἀλέη: ῆ γάρ ῥα πάλαι τό γε φίλτερον ῆεν
Ζηνί τε καὶ Διὸς υἱεῖ ἑκηβόλῳ. οἵ με πάρος γε
πρόφρονες εἰρύατο: νῦν αὖτέ με μοῖρα κιχάνει:
μη μὰν, ἀσπουδί γε καὶ ἀκλειῶς ἀπολοίμην.
ἀλλὰ μέγα ῥέξας τι καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι:
He spake, and poised his far-shadowing spear and hurled it, and smote full upon the shield of the son of Peleus, and missed him not; but far from the shield the spear leapt back. And Hector waxed wroth for that the swift shaft had flown vainly from his hand, and he stood confounded, for he had no second spear of ash. Then he shouted aloud, and called to Deiphobus of the white shield, and asked of him a long spear; but he was nowise nigh. And Hector knew all in his heart, and spake, saying: "Out upon it, in good sooth have the gods called me to my death. For I deemed that the warrior Deiphobus was at hand, but lo, he is within the wall, and Athene hath beguiled me. Now of a surety is evil death nigh at hand, and no more afar from me, neither is there way of escape. So I ween from of old was the good pleasure of Zeus, and of the son of Zeus, the god that smiteth afar, even of them that aforetime were wont to succour me with ready hearts; but now again is my doom come upon me. Nay, but not without a struggle let me die, neither ingloriously, but in the working of some great deed for the hearing of men that are yet to be."
