Seba.Health

The Iliad 23.364–378

The Iliad 23.364–378
away from the ships and beneath their breasts the dust arose and stood, as it were a cloud or a whirlwind, and their manes streamed on the blasts of the wind. And the chariots would now course over the bounteous earth, and now again would bound on high; and they that drave stood in the cars, and each man's heart was athrob as they strove for victory; and they called every man to his horses, that flew in the dust over the plain. But when now the swift horses were fulfilling the last stretch of the course, back toward the grey sea, then verily was made manifest the worth of each, and the pace of their horses was forced to the uttermost. And forthwith the swift-footed mares of the son of Pheres shot to the front, and after them Diomedes' stallions of the breed of Tros; not far behind were they, but close behind, for they seemed ever like to mount upon
ἐσσυμένως· οἳ δʼ ὦκα διέπρησσον πεδίοιο νόσφι νεῶν ταχέως· ὑπὸ δὲ στέρνοισι κονίη ἵστατʼ ἀειρομένη ὥς τε νέφος ἠὲ θύελλα, χαῖται δʼ ἐρρώοντο μετὰ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο. ἅρματα δʼ ἄλλοτε μὲν χθονὶ πίλνατο πουλυβοτείρῃ, ἄλλοτε δʼ ἀΐξασκε μετήορα· τοὶ δʼ ἐλατῆρες ἕστασαν ἐν δίφροισι, πάτασσε δὲ θυμὸς ἑκάστου νίκης ἱεμένων· κέκλοντο δὲ οἷσιν ἕκαστος ἵπποις, οἳ δʼ ἐπέτοντο κονίοντες πεδίοιο. ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πύματον τέλεον δρόμον ὠκέες ἵπποι ἂψ ἐφʼ ἁλὸς πολιῆς, τότε δὴ ἀρετή γε ἑκάστου φαίνετʼ, ἄφαρ δʼ ἵπποισι τάθη δρόμος· ὦκα δʼ ἔπειτα αἳ Φηρητιάδαο ποδώκεες ἔκφερον ἵπποι. τὰς δὲ μετʼ ἐξέφερον Διομήδεος ἄρσενες ἵπποι Τρώϊοι, οὐδέ τι πολλὸν ἄνευθʼ ἔσαν, ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἐγγύς·
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