Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρα σφίσι πένθος ἀνιηρὸν πεπότητο

And around them grievous mourning hovered,

ὡς ἤδη στονόεντι καταιθομένης πυρὶ Τροίης.

as if Troy were already burning in mournful fire.

καὶ τότε Θερμώδοντος ἀπʼ εὐρυπόροιο ῥεέθρων

And then from the streams of broad-flowing Thermodon

ἤλυθε Πενθεσίλεια θεῶν ἐπιειμένη εἶδος,

came Penthesileia, clothed in the beauty of the goddesses,

ἄμφω καὶ στονόεντος ἐελδομένη πολέμοιο

both longing for grievous war

πᾶσαι ἐελδόμεναι πόλεμον καὶ ἀεικέα χάρμην,

all longing for war and grim combat,

αἵ οἱ δμωίδες ἔσκον ἀγακλειταί περ ἐοῦσαι·

who were her handmaids, glorious though they were;

ἀλλʼ ἄρα πασάων μέγʼ ὑπείρεχε Πενθεσίλεια·

but Penthesileia far outshone them all;

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνʼ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἐν ἀστράσι δῖα σελήνη

as when in the broad sky among the stars the bright moon

ἐκπρέπει ἐν πάντεσσιν ἀριζήλη γεγαυῖα

stands out among them all, conspicuous,

ἀλλήλοις κοτέοντες· ἔρις δʼ ἴθυνε τάλαντα

in wrath at one another; and Strife guided the scales

ὑσμίνης ἀλεγεινά, τὰ δʼ οὐκ ἔτι ἶσα πέλοντο·

of grievous battle, and they were no longer level;

ἀλλʼ ἄρα Μέμνονα δῖον ὑπὸ στέρνοιο θέμεθλα

but then godlike Memnon, beneath the base of the breast,

Πηλείδης οὔτησε· τὸ δʼ ἀντικρὺ μέλαν ἆορ

the son of Peleus wounded; and straight through, the black sword

ἐξέθορεν· τοῦ δʼ αἶψα λύθη πολύηρατος αἰών·

leapt out; and at once his much-loved life was loosed;

οὐδʼ αὐτὸς Κρονίδης ἔτʼ ἀλέξεται οὔτε τις ἄλλος

not even the son of Cronus himself will defend him any longer, nor anyone else,

οὕτω μαργαίνοντι καὶ ἀντιόωντι θεοῖσιν.

when he rages so and sets himself against the gods.

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, καὶ ἄϊστος ὁμοῦ νεφέεσσιν ἐτύχθη·

So he spoke, and became invisible amid the clouds;

ἠέρα δʼ ἐσσάμενος στυγερὸν προέηκε Βέλεμνον,

and clothed in mist he let fly a hateful arrow,

καί ἑ θοῶς οὔτησε κατὰ σφυρόν· αἶψα δʼ ἀνῖαι

and swiftly wounded him at the ankle; and at once pains

ἔργων θʼ, ὁππόσʼ ἔρεξα καὶ ἔτλην εἵνεκα λαῶν.

and my deeds, all that I did and endured for the sake of the host.

ὣς εἰπὼν πάϊς ἐσθλὸς ἐϋσθενέος Τελαμῶνος

So speaking, the noble son of mighty Telamon

Ἑκτόρεον ξίφος ὦσε διʼ αὐχένος· ἐκ δέ οἱ αἷμα

drove Hector’s sword through his neck; and from him the blood

ἐσσύμενον κελάρυζεν. ὁ δʼ ἐν κονίῃσι τανύσθη

gushed out rushing. And he lay stretched in the dust

Τυφὼν ὥς, τὸν Ζηνὸς ἐνεπρήσαντο κεραυνοί·

like Typhon, whom the thunderbolts of Zeus burned up;

Ἀργείων ἐς ὅμιλον ἀρήιον· οἱ δʼ ἐσιδόντες

to the warlike throng of the Argives; and they, seeing [him],

ᾤκτειραν μάλα πάντες ἑκηβόλον ἀνέρα λυγρῷ

all deeply pitied the far-shooting man, worn by his grievous

ἕλκεϊ τειρόμενον· τὸν δὲ στερεὸν καὶ ἄνουσον

wound; but him, sound and free of sickness,

ὠκύτερον ποίησε νοήματος αἰψηροῖο

quicker than swift thought, made

ἶσος ἐπουρανίοις Ποδαλείριος, εὖ μὲν ὕπερθε

Podalirius, equal to the heavenly gods, skilfully on top

πάσσων φάρμακα πολλὰ καθʼ ἕλκεος, εὖ δὲ κικλήσκων

sprinkling many drugs over the wound, and skilfully calling

οὔνομα πατρὸς ἑοῖο· θοῶς δʼ ἰάχησαν Ἀχαιοὶ

the name of his father; and at once the Achaeans shouted,

πάντες κυδαίνοντες ὁμῶς Ἀσκληπιοῦ υἷα.

all together glorifying the son of Asclepius.

καί μιν φαιδρύναντο καὶ ἀμφί ἑ χρῖσαν ἐλαίῳ

And they bathed him and anointed him all over with oil

προφρονέως· ὀλοὴ δὲ κατηφείη καὶ ὀϊζὺς

eagerly; and grim dejection and misery