Seba.Health
The Iliad 16.811–825
Patroclus, unarmed though he was, in the fray. But Patroclus, overcome by the stroke of the god and by the spear, drew back into the throng of his comrades, avoiding fate. came nigh him through the ranks, and smote him with a thrust of his spear in the nethermost belly, and drave the bronze clean through; and he fell with a thud, and sorely grieved the host of the Achaeans. And as a lion overmastereth in fight an untiring boar, when the twain fight with high hearts on the peaks of a mountain for a scant spring, wherefrom both are minded to drink: hard panteth the boar, yet the lion overcometh him by his might; even so from the valiant son of Menoetius, after he had slain many, did Hector, Priam's son, take life away, smiting him from close at hand with his spear. And vaunting over him he spake winged words:
πρῶτʼ ἐλθὼν σὺν ὄχεσφι διδασκόμενος πολέμοιο·
ὅς τοι πρῶτος ἐφῆκε βέλος Πατρόκλεες ἱππεῦ
οὐδὲ δάμασσʼ· ὃ μὲν αὖτις ἀνέδραμε, μίκτο δʼ ὁμίλῳ,
ἐκ χροὸς ἁρπάξας δόρυ μείλινον, οὐδʼ ὑπέμεινε
Πάτροκλον γυμνόν περ ἐόντʼ ἐν δηϊοτῆτι.
Πάτροκλος δὲ θεοῦ πληγῇ καὶ δουρὶ δαμασθεὶς
ἂψ ἑτάρων εἰς ἔθνος ἐχάζετο κῆρʼ ἀλεείνων.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὡς εἶδεν Πατροκλῆα μεγάθυμον
ἂψ ἀναχαζόμενον βεβλημένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,
ἀγχίμολόν ῥά οἱ ἦλθε κατὰ στίχας, οὖτα δὲ δουρὶ
νείατον ἐς κενεῶνα, διὰ πρὸ δὲ χαλκὸν ἔλασσε·
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, μέγα δʼ ἤκαχε λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν·
ὡς δʼ ὅτε σῦν ἀκάμαντα λέων ἐβιήσατο χάρμῃ,
ὥ τʼ ὄρεος κορυφῇσι μέγα φρονέοντε μάχεσθον
πίδακος ἀμφʼ ὀλίγης· ἐθέλουσι δὲ πιέμεν ἄμφω·