Iliad

The god then went back into the toil [ ponos ] and turmoil, but the soul of Hektor was darkened with a cloud of grief [ akhos ]; he looked along the ranks and saw Euphorbos lying on the ground with the blood still flowing from his wound, and Menelaos stripping him of his armor. On this he made his way to the front like a flame of fire, clad in his gleaming armor, and crying with a loud voice. When the son of Atreus heard him, he said to himself in his dismay, "Alas! what shall I do? I may not let the Trojans take the armor of Patroklos who has fallen fighting on my behalf, lest some Danaan who sees me should cry shame upon me. Still if for the sake of my honor [ timê ] I fight Hektor and the Trojans single-handed, they will prove too many for me, for Hektor is bringing them up in force. Why, however, should I thus hesitate? When a man, opposing the will of a daimôn , fights with one whom a god befriends, he will soon rue it. Let no Danaan think ill of me if I give place to Hektor, for the hand of heaven gives him honor [ timê ]. Yet, if I could find Ajax, the two of us would fight Hektor and any daimôn too, if we might only save the body of Patroklos for Achilles son of Peleus. This, of many evils, would be the least."

IliadBook 17, Line 82Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 17

HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-17-82