Seba.Health
The Iliad 13.726–747
To one man hath God given works of war, to another the dance, to another the lyre and song, and in the breast of another Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, putteth a mind of understanding, wherefrom many men get profit, and many he saveth; but he knoweth it best himself. So will I speak what seemeth to me to be best. Behold all about thee blazeth a circle of war, and the great-souled Trojans, now that they have passed over the wall, are some of them standing aloof with their arms, and others are fighting, fewer men against more, scattered among the ships. Nay, fall thou back, and call hither all the bravest. Then shall we consider all manner of counsel, whether we shall fall upon the many-benched ships, if so be the god willeth to give us victory, or thereafter shall return unscathed back from the ships. Verily, for myself, I fear lest the Achaeans shall pay back the debt of yesterday, seeing there abideth by the ships a man insatiate of war, who no longer, methinks, will hold him utterly aloof from battle.
Ἕκτορ ἀμήχανός ἐσσι παραρρητοῖσι πιθέσθαι.
οὕνεκά τοι περὶ δῶκε θεὸς πολεμήϊα ἔργα
τοὔνεκα καὶ βουλῇ ἐθέλεις περιίδμεναι ἄλλων·
ἀλλʼ οὔ πως ἅμα πάντα δυνήσεαι αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι.
ἄλλῳ μὲν γὰρ ἔδωκε θεὸς πολεμήϊα ἔργα,
ἄλλῳ δʼ ὀρχηστύν, ἑτέρῳ κίθαριν καὶ ἀοιδήν,
ἄλλῳ δʼ ἐν στήθεσσι τιθεῖ νόον εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
ἐσθλόν, τοῦ δέ τε πολλοὶ ἐπαυρίσκοντʼ ἄνθρωποι,
καί τε πολέας ἐσάωσε, μάλιστα δὲ καὐτὸς ἀνέγνω.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα·
πάντῃ γάρ σε περὶ στέφανος πολέμοιο δέδηε·
Τρῶες δὲ μεγάθυμοι ἐπεὶ κατὰ τεῖχος ἔβησαν
οἳ μὲν ἀφεστᾶσιν σὺν τεύχεσιν, οἳ δὲ μάχονται
παυρότεροι πλεόνεσσι κεδασθέντες κατὰ νῆας.
ἀλλʼ ἀναχασσάμενος κάλει ἐνθάδε πάντας ἀρίστους·
ἔνθεν δʼ ἂν μάλα πᾶσαν ἐπιφρασσαίμεθα βουλὴν
ἤ κεν ἐνὶ νήεσσι πολυκλήϊσι πέσωμεν
αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσι θεὸς δόμεναι κράτος, ἦ κεν ἔπειτα
πὰρ νηῶν ἔλθωμεν ἀπήμονες. ἦ γὰρ ἔγωγε
δείδω μὴ τὸ χθιζὸν ἀποστήσωνται Ἀχαιοὶ
χρεῖος, ἐπεὶ παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀνὴρ ἆτος πολέμοιο
μίμνει, ὃν οὐκέτι πάγχυ μάχης σχήσεσθαι ὀΐω.
Lattimore commentary