Αὐτὰρ Πηλείδης. κατα μεν δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος.
καδ δὲ λέβητ' ἄπυρον. βοὸς ἄξιον ἀνθεμόεντα.
θῆκ' ἐς γῶνα φέρων: καί ῥ' ἥμονες ἄνδρες ἀνέσταν
ἂν μὲν ἀρ' Ἀτρείδης, εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων:
ἂν δ' ἄρα Μηριόνης. θεράπων ἐῢς, ἰ¨δομενῆος:
τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς:
Ἀτρείδη: ἴδμεν γὰρ ὅσον προβέβηκας ἁπάντων:
ἢ δ' ὅσσον δυνάμει τε καὶ ἥμασιν ἔπλευ ἄριστος.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν τόδ' ἄεθλον ἔχων. κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας
ἔρχευ: ἀτὰρ δόρυ Μηριόνῃ ἥρωϊ πόρωμεν
εἰ σύ γε σῷ θυμῷ ἐθέλοις: κέλομαι γὰρ ἔγωγε:
Then the son of Peleus brought and set in the place of gathering a far-shadowing spear and a cauldron, that the fire had not yet touched, of an ox's worth, embossed with flowers; and men that were hurlers of javelins arose. Up rose the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon and Meriones, the valiant squire of Idomeneus. But among them spake swift-footed, goodly Achilles: "Son of Atreus, we know how far thou excellest all, and how far thou art the best in might and in the casting of the spear; nay, take thou this prize and go thy way to the hollow ships; but the spear let us give to the warrior Meriones, if thy heart consenteth thereto: so at least would I have it."
