Seba.Health
The Iliad 14.458–469
the son of Telamon, for closest to him did the man fall. Swiftly then he cast with his bright spear at the other, even as he was drawing back. And Polydamas himself escaped black fate, springing to one side; but Archelochus, son of Antenor, received the spear; for to him the gods purposed death. Him the spear smote at the joining of head and neck on the topmost joint of the spine, and it shore off both the sinews. And far sooner did his head and mouth and nose reach the earth as he fell, than his legs and knees. Then Aias in his turn called aloud to peerless Polydamas:
ὣς ἔφατʼ, Ἀργείοισι δʼ ἄχος γένετʼ εὐξαμένοιο·
Αἴαντι δὲ μάλιστα δαΐφρονι θυμὸν ὄρινε
τῷ Τελαμωνιάδῃ· τοῦ γὰρ πέσεν ἄγχι μάλιστα.
καρπαλίμως δʼ ἀπιόντος ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ.
Πουλυδάμας δʼ αὐτὸς μὲν ἀλεύατο κῆρα μέλαιναν
λικριφὶς ἀΐξας, κόμισεν δʼ Ἀντήνορος υἱὸς
Ἀρχέλοχος· τῷ γάρ ῥα θεοὶ βούλευσαν ὄλεθρον.
τόν ῥʼ ἔβαλεν κεφαλῆς τε καὶ αὐχένος ἐν συνεοχμῷ,
νείατον ἀστράγαλον, ἀπὸ δʼ ἄμφω κέρσε τένοντε·
τοῦ δὲ πολὺ προτέρη κεφαλὴ στόμα τε ῥῖνές τε
οὔδεϊ πλῆντʼ ἤ περ κνῆμαι καὶ γοῦνα πεσόντος.
Αἴας δʼ αὖτʼ ἐγέγωνεν ἀμύμονι Πουλυδάμαντι·