Meantime Patroclus, urging on his steeds And charioteer, pursued, to his own hurt, Trojans and Lycians. Madman! Had he then Obeyed the counsel which Pelides gave, The bitter doom of death had not been his. But stronger than the purposes of men Are those of Jove, who puts to flight the brave, And takes from them the victory, though he Impelled them to the battle; and he now Urged on Patroclus to prolong the fight.
Who first, when thus the gods decreed thy death, Fell by thy hand, Patroclus, and who last? Adrastus first, Autonoüs next, and then Echeclus; then died Perimus, the son Of Meges; then with Melanippus fell Epistor; next was Elasus o’ercome, And Mulius, and Pylartes. These he slew, While all the rest betook themselves to flight.
Then had the Greeks possessed themselves of Troy, With all its lofty portals, by the hand And valor of Patroclus, for his rage Was terrible beyond the rage of all Who bore the spear, had not Apollo stood On a strong tower to menace him with ill, And aid the Trojans. Thrice Patroclus climbed A shoulder of the lofty wall, and thrice Apollo, striking his immortal hands Against the glittering buckler, thrust him down; And when, for the fourth time, the godlike man Essayed to mount the wall, the archer-god, Phoebus, encountered him with fearful threats: “Noble Patroclus, hold thy hand, nor deem The city of the warlike Trojans doomed To fall beneath thy spear, nor by the arm Of Peleus’ son, though mightier far than thou.”
He spake; Patroclus, fearful of the wrath Of the archer-god, withdrew, and stood afar, While Hector, at the Scaean gates, restrained His coursers, doubtful whether to renew The fight by mingling with the crowd again, Or gather all his host within the walls By a loud summons. As he pondered thus, Apollo stood beside him in the form Of Asius, a young warrior and a brave, Uncle of Hector, the great horse-tamer, And brother of Queen Hecuba, and son Of Dymas, who in Phrygia dwelt beside The streams of the Sangarius. Putting on His shape and aspect, thus Apollo said:—