οἱ δ' ἄρα πάντες ἐφ' ἵπποιϊν μάστιγας ἄειραν:
πέπληγόν θ' ϊμᾶσιν. ὁμόκλησάν τ' ἐπέεσσιν
ἐσσυμένως. οἱ δ' ὦκα διέπρησσον πεδίοιο
νόσφι, νεῶν ταχέως; ὑπο δὲ στέρνοισι κονίη
ἵστατ' ἀειρομένη. ὥς τε νέφος, ἠὲ θύελλα:
χαῖται δ' ἐρρώοντο μετὰ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο:
ἅρματα δ' ἄλλοτε μὲν χθονὶ πίλνατο πουλυβοτείρῃ.
ἄλλοτε δ' ἀΐξασκε μετήορα: τοῖδ' ἐλατῆρες
ἕστασαν ἐν δίφροισι. πάτασσε δὲ θυμὸς ἑκάστου
νίκης ϊεμένων: κέκλοντο δὲ οἷσιν ἕκαστος
ἵπποις. οἱ δ' ἐπέτοντο κονίοντες πεδίοιο:
Ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ πύματον τέλεον δρόμον ὠκέες ἵπποι
ἂψ. ἐφ' ἁλὸς πολιῆς. τότε δὴ ἀρετή γε ἑκάστου
φαίνετ'. ἄφαρ δ' ἵπποισι τάθη δρόμος; ὦκα δ' ἔπειτα
αἰ Φηρητιάδαο ποδώκεες ἔκφερον ἵπποι:
τὰς δὲ μετ' ἐξέφερον Διομήδεος ἄρσενες ἵ̈πποι
Τρώϊοι: οὐδέ τι πολλὸν ἄνευθ' έσαν, ἀλλὰ μάλ' ἐγγύς:
αἰεὶ γὰρ δίφρου ἐπιβησομένοισιν ἐΐκτην:
πνοιῇ δ'. Εὐμήλοιο μετάφρενον, εὐρέε τ' ὤμω
θέρμετ'. ἐπ' αὐτῷ γὰρ κεφαλὰς καταθέντε πετέσθην:
καί νύ κεν ἢ παρέλασσ' ἢ ἀμφήριστον ἔθηκεν.
εἰ μὴ Τυδέος υἷϊ κοτέσσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων:
ὅς ῥά οι ἐκ χειρῶν ἔβαλεν μάστιγα φαεινήν:
τοῖο δ' π' ὀφθαλμῶν χύτο δάκρυα χωομένοιο.
οὕνεκα τὰς μὲν ὅρα ἔτι καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ϊούσας.
οἱ δέ οἱ ἐβλάφθησαν. ἄνευ κέντροιο θέοντες:
Then they all at one moment lifted the lash each above his yoke of horses, and smote them with the reins, and called to them with words, full eagerly and forthwith they sped swiftly over the plain away from the ships and beneath their breasts the dust arose and stood, as it were a cloud or a whirlwind, and their manes streamed on the blasts of the wind. And the chariots would now course over the bounteous earth, and now again would bound on high; and they that drave stood in the cars, and each man's heart was athrob as they strove for victory; and they called every man to his horses, that flew in the dust over the plain. But when now the swift horses were fulfilling the last stretch of the course, back toward the grey sea, then verily was made manifest the worth of each, and the pace of their horses was forced to the uttermost. And forthwith the swift-footed mares of the son of Pheres shot to the front, and after them Diomedes' stallions of the breed of Tros; not far behind were they, but close behind, for they seemed ever like to mount upon Eumelus' car, and with their breath his back waxed warm and his broad shoulders, for right over him did they lean their heads as they flew along. And now would Tydeus' son have passed him by or left the issue in doubt, had not Phoebus Apollo waxed wroth with him and smitten from his hand the shining lash. Then from his eyes ran tears in his wrath for that he saw the mares coursing even far swiftlier still than before, while his own horses were hampered, as running without goad.
