Seba.Health
The Iliad 22.378–394
that hath wrought much evil beyond all the host of the others, come, let us make trial in arms about the city, to the end that we may yet further know what purpose the Trojans have in mind, whether they will leave their high city now that this man is fallen, or whether they are minded to abide, even though Hector be no more. But why doth my heart thus hold converse with me? There lieth by the ships a dead man unwept, unburied, even Patroclus; him will I not forget so long as I abide among the living, and my knees are quick. Nay, if even in the house of Hades men forget their dead, yet will I even there remember my dear comrade. But come, singing our song of victory, ye sons of the Achaeans, let us go back to the hollow ships and bring thither this corpse. We have won us great glory; we have slain goodly Hector, to whom the Trojans made prayer throughout their city, as unto a god.
ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες
ἐπεὶ δὴ τόνδʼ ἄνδρα θεοὶ δαμάσασθαι ἔδωκαν,
ὃς κακὰ πόλλʼ ἔρρεξεν ὅσʼ οὐ σύμπαντες οἱ ἄλλοι,
εἰ δʼ ἄγετʼ ἀμφὶ πόλιν σὺν τεύχεσι πειρηθῶμεν,
ὄφρά κʼ ἔτι γνῶμεν Τρώων νόον ὅν τινʼ ἔχουσιν,
ἢ καταλείψουσιν πόλιν ἄκρην τοῦδε πεσόντος,
ἦε μένειν μεμάασι καὶ Ἕκτορος οὐκέτʼ ἐόντος.
ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;
κεῖται πὰρ νήεσσι νέκυς ἄκλαυτος ἄθαπτος
Πάτροκλος· τοῦ δʼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαι, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἔγωγε
ζωοῖσιν μετέω καί μοι φίλα γούνατʼ ὀρώρῃ·
εἰ δὲ θανόντων περ καταλήθοντʼ εἰν Ἀΐδαο
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ κεῖθι φίλου μεμνήσομʼ ἑταίρου.
νῦν δʼ ἄγʼ ἀείδοντες παιήονα κοῦροι Ἀχαιῶν
νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσι νεώμεθα, τόνδε δʼ ἄγωμεν.
ἠράμεθα μέγα κῦδος· ἐπέφνομεν Ἕκτορα δῖον,
ᾧ Τρῶες κατὰ ἄστυ θεῷ ὣς εὐχετόωντο.
Lattimore commentary