The Iliad 16.830–842

Patroclus, thou thoughtest, I ween, that thou wouldest sack our city, and from the women of Troy wouldest take the day of freedom, and bear them in thy ships to thy dear native land, thou fool. Nay, in front of them the swift horses of Hector stride forth to the fight,and with the spear I myself am pre-eminent among the war-loving Trojans, even I that ward from them the day of doom; but for thee, vultures shall devour thee here. Ah, poor wretch, even Achilles, for all his valour, availed thee not, who, I ween, though himself abiding behind, laid strait command upon thee, as thou wentest forth: Come not back, I charge thee, Patroclus, master of horsemen,to the hollow ships, till thou hast cloven about the breast of man-slaying Hector the tunic red with his blood. So, I ween, spake he to thee, and persuaded thy wits in thy witlessness. Then, thy strength all spent, didst thou answer him, knight Patroclus: For this time, Hector, boast thou mightily; for to thee haveZeus, the son of Cronos, and Apollo, vouchsafed victory, they that subdued me full easily, for of themselves they took the harness from my shoulders. But if twenty such as thou had faced me, here would all have perished, slain by my spear. Nay, it was baneful Fate and the son of Leto that slew me,and of men Euphorbus, while thou art the third in my slaying. And another thing will I tell thee, and do thou lay it to heart: verily thou shalt not thyself be long in life, but even now doth death stand hard by thee, and mighty fate, that thou be slain beneath the hands of Achilles, the peerless son of Aeacus. and with the spear I myself am pre-eminent among the war-loving Trojans, even I that ward from them the day of doom; but for thee, vultures shall devour thee here. Ah, poor wretch, even Achilles, for all his valour, availed thee not, who, I ween, though himself abiding behind, laid strait command upon thee, as thou wentest forth: Come not back, I charge thee, Patroclus, master of horsemen,to the hollow ships, till thou hast cloven about the breast of man-slaying Hector the tunic red with his blood. So, I ween, spake he to thee, and persuaded thy wits in thy witlessness. to the hollow ships, till thou hast cloven about the breast of man-slaying Hector the tunic red with his blood.