Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
heaven is heaping calamity upon the Danaans, and giving victory
to the Trojans. Patroclus has fallen, who was the bravest of the
Achaeans, and sorely will the Danaans miss him. Run instantly to
the ships and tell Achilles, that he may come to rescue the body
and bear it to the ships. As for the armour, Hector already has it.”
Antilochus was struck with horror. For a long time he was
speechless; his eyes filled with tears and he could find no
utterance, but he did as Menelaus had said, and set off running as
soon as he had given his armour to a comrade, Laodocus, who was
wheeling his horses round, close beside him.
Thus, then, did he run weeping from the field, to carry the bad
news to Achilles son of Peleus. Nor were you, O Menelaus,
minded to succour his harassed comrades, when Antilochus had
left the Pylians- and greatly did they miss him- but he sent them
noble Thrasymedes, and himself went back to Patroclus. He came
running up to the two Ajaxes and said, “I have sent Antilochus to
the ships to tell Achilles, but rage against Hector as he may, he
cannot come, for he cannot fight without armour. What then will be
our best plan both as regards rescuing the dead, and our own
escape from death amid the battle-cries of the Trojans?”
Ajax answered, “Menelaus, you have said well: do you, then, and
Meriones stoop down, raise the body, and bear it out of the fray,
while we two behind you keep off Hector and the Trojans, one in
heart as in name, and long used to fighting side by side with one
another.”
353