Page 341 - the-iliad

you have rent the bloodstained shirt of murderous Hector
about his body. Thus I ween did he charge you, and your
fool’s heart answered him ‘yea’ within you.’
Then, as the life ebbed out of you, you answered, O knight
Patroclus: ‘Hector, vaunt as you will, for Jove the son of Sat-
urn and Apollo have vouchsafed you victory; it is they who
have vanquished me so easily, and they who have stripped
the armour from my shoulders; had twenty such men as
you attacked me, all of them would have fallen before my
spear. Fate and the son of Leto have overpowered me, and
among mortal men Euphorbus; you are yourself third only
in the killing of me. I say further, and lay my saying to your
heart, you too shall live but for a little season; death and the
day of your doom are close upon you, and they will lay you
low by the hand of Achilles son of Aeacus.’
When he had thus spoken his eyes were closed in death,
his soul left his body and flitted down to the house of Ha-
des, mourning its sad fate and bidding farewell to the youth
and vigor of its manhood. Dead though he was, Hector still
spoke to him saying, ‘Patroclus, why should you thus fore-
tell my doom? Who knows but Achilles, son of lovely Thetis,
may be smitten by my spear and die before me?’
As he spoke he drew the bronze spear from the wound,
planting his foot upon the body, which he thrust off and let
lie on its back. He then went spear in hand after Autome-
don, squire of the fleet descendant of Aeacus, for he longed
to lay him low, but the immortal steeds which the gods had
given as a rich gift to Peleus bore him swiftly from the field.

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