mighty voice encouraging the Greeks, And meditating vengeance on the foe, That noisily ran on, and right and left Were scattered, filling all the ways. The dust Rose thick and high, and spread, and reached the clouds, As with swift feet the Trojan coursers held Their way to Ilium from the tents and ships. Patroclus where he saw the wildest rout Drave thither, shouting threats. Full many a chief Fell under his own axle from his car, And chariots with a crash were overthrown. The swift, immortal horses which the gods Bestowed on Peleus leaped the trench at once, Eager to reach the plain. As eagerly Patroclus longed to overtake and smite Hector, whose steeds were hurrying him away.
As when, in autumn time, the dark-brown earth Is whelmed with water from the stormy clouds, When Jupiter pours down his heaviest rains, Offended at men’s crimes who override The laws by violence, and drive justice forth From the tribunals, heedless of the gods And their displeasure—all the running streams Are swelled to floods—the furious torrents tear The mountain slopes, and, plunging from the heights With mighty roar, lay waste the works of men, And fling themselves into the dark-blue sea— Thus with loud tumult fled the Trojan horse.
Patroclus, having cut the nearest bands Of Troy in pieces, made his warriors turn Back to the fleet, and, eager as they were, Stopped the pursuit that led them toward the town. Then, in the area bounded by the sea, River, and lofty wall, he chased and smote And took full vengeance. With his glittering spear He wounded Pronoüs where the buckler left The breast exposed; the Trojan with a clash Fell to the earth, and life forsook his limbs. Advancing in his might, Patroclus smote Thestor, the son of Enops, as he sat Cowering upon his sumptuous seat, o’ercome With fear, and dropped the reins. Through his right cheek Among the teeth Patroclus thrust his spear, And o’er the chariot’s border drew him forth With the spear’s stem. As when an angler sits Upon a jutting rock, and from the sea Draws a huge fish with line and gleaming hook, So did Patroclus, with his shining spear, Draw forth the panting Trojan from his car, And shook him clear: he fell to earth and died.