Τῷ δ' ἄρ' ἒπ' Ἀντίλοχος Νηλήϊος ἤλασεν ἵππους
κέρδεσιν, οὔ τι τάχει γε, παραφθάμενος Μενέλαον:
λλὰ καὶ ὡς Μενέλαος ἔχ' ἐγγύθεν ὠκέας ἵππους.
ὅσσον δὲ τροχοῦ ἵππος φίσταται, ὅς ῥα τ' ἄνατα
ἕλκῃσιν πεδίοιο τιταινόμενος σὺν ὄχεσφι:
τοῦ μέν τε ψαύουσιν ὀπισσώτρου τρίχες ἄκραι
οὐραῖαι: ὁ δέ τ' ἄγχι μάλα τρέχει, οὐδέ τι πολλὴ
χώρη μεσσηγὺς πολέος πεδίοιο θέοντος:
τόσσον δὴ Μενέλαος μύμονος Ἀντιλόχοιο
λείπετ': τὰρ τὰ πρῶτα καὶ ἐς δίσκουρα λέλειπτο,
λλά μιν αἶψα κίχανεν: ὀφέλλετο γὰρ μένος ἠῢ
ἵππου τῆς Ἀγαμεμνονέης καλλίτριχος Αἴθης:
εἰ δέ κ' ἔτι προτέρω γένετο δρόμος μφοτέροισι,
τῷ κέν μιν παρέλασς' οὐδ' μφήριστον ἔθηκεν.
αὐτὰρ Μηριόνης θεράπων ἐῢς Ἰδομενῆος
λείπετ' γακλῆος Μενελάου δουρὸς ἐρωήν:
βάρδιστοι μὲν γάρ οἱ ἔσαν καλλίτριχες ἵπποι,
ἤκιστος δ' ἦν αὐτὸς ἐλαυνέμεν ἅρμ' ἐν γῶνι.
υἱὸς δ' Ἀδμήτοιο πανύστατος ἤλυθεν ἄλλων
ἕλκων ἅρματα καλὰ ἐλαύνων πρόσσοθεν ἵππους.
τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ᾤκτειρε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,
στὰς δ' ἂρ' ἐν Ἀργείοις ἔπεα πτερόεντ' γόρευε:
λοῖσθος νὴρ ριστος ἐλαύνει μώνυχας ἵππους:
λλ' ἄγε δή οἱ δῶμεν έθλιον ὡς ἐπιεικὲς
δεύτερ': τὰρ τὰ πρῶτα φερέσθω Τυδέος υἱός.
And next after him Antilochus of the stock of Neleus drave his horses, for that by guile, and nowise by speed, had he outstripped Menelaus; howbeit even so Menelaus guided his swift horses close behind. Far as a horse is from the wheel, a horse that draweth his master over the plain,and straineth at the car—the tire thereof do the hindmost hairs of his tail touch, for it runneth close behind, and but scant space is there between, as he courseth over the wide plain—even by so much was Menelaus behind peerless Antilochus, though at the first he was behind far as a man hurleth the discus; howbeit quickly was he overtaking Antilochus, for the goodly mettle of the mare of Agamemnon, fair-maned Aethe, waxed ever higher. And if the course had been yet longer for the twain, then had he passed him by, neither left the issue in doubt. But Meriones, valiant squire of Idomeneus, was a spear-cast behind glorious Menelaus, for slowest of all were his fair-maned horses, and himself least skilled to drive a chariot in the race. And the son of Admetus came in last, behind all the rest, dragging his fair chariot and driving his horses before him. And at sight of him swift-footed, goodly Achilles had pity and he stood up amid the Argives, and spake winged words: "Lo, in the last place driveth his single-hooved horses the man that is far the best. But come, let us give him a prize, as is meet, a prize for the second place; but the first let the son of Tydeus bear away."
