Achilles (Mythological character); Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Trojan War
But even where Patroklos saw the folk thickest in the rout, thither did
he guide his horses with a cry, and under his axle-trees men fell prone
from their chariots, and the cars were overturned with a din of
shattering. But straight over the ditch, in forward flight, leaped the
swift horses. And the heart of Patroklos urged him against Hector, for
he was eager to smite him, but his swift steeds bore Hector forth and
away. And even as beneath a tempest the whole black earth is oppressed,
on an autumn day, when Zeus pours forth rain most vehemently, and all
the rivers run full, and many a scaur the torrents tear away, and down
to the dark sea they rush headlong from the hills, roaring mightily,
and minished are the works of men, even so mighty was the roar of the
Trojan horses as they ran.
Now Patroklos when he had cloven the nearest companies, drave them
backward again to the ships, nor suffered them to approach the city,
despite their desire, but between the ships, and the river, and the
lofty wall, he rushed on them, and slew them, and avenged many a
comrade slain. There first he smote Pronoos with a shining spear, where
the shield left bare the breast, and loosened his limbs, and he fell
with a crash. Then Thestor the son of Enops he next assailed, as he sat
crouching in the polished chariot, for he was struck distraught, and
the reins flew from his hands. Him he drew near, and smote with the
lance on the right jaw, and clean pierced through his teeth. And
Patroklos caught hold of the spear and dragged him over the rim of the
car, as when a man sits on a jutting rock, and drags a sacred fish
forth from the sea, with line and glittering hook of bronze; so on the
bright spear dragged he Thestor gaping from the chariot, and cast him
down on his face and life left him as he fell. Next, as Euryalos came
on, he smote him on the midst of the head with a stone, and all his
head was shattered within the strong helmet, and prone on the earth he
fell, and death that slayeth the spirit overwhelmed him. Next Erymas,
and Amphoteros, and Epaltes and Tlepolemos son of Damastor, and Echios
and Pyris, and Ipheus and Euippos, and Polymelos son of Argeas, all
these in turn he brought low to the bounteous earth. But when Sarpedon
beheld his comrades with ungirdled doublets, subdued beneath the hands
of Patroklos son of Menoitios, he cried aloud, upbraiding the godlike
Lykians: “Shame, ye Lykians, whither do ye flee? Now be ye strong, for
I will encounter this man that I may know who he is that conquers here,
and verily many evils hath he wrought the Trojans, in that he hath
loosened the knees of many men and noble.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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