be noble, yet in prowess thou Art wanting, and thy fame in feats of war Is not deserved, since thou dost fly the foe. Think whether thou alone, with others born In Troy, canst save the city and the state. For henceforth will no Lycian fight for Troy Against the Greeks; this conflict without end Has never earned them thanks. Inglorious chief! How wilt thou be the shield of humbler men, If thou canst leave Sarpedon, who has been Thy comrade and thy guest, to be the prey And spoil of the Greek warriors? While he lived, Great was the aid he brought thy cause and thee, And now thou dost not seek to drive away The dogs from his neglected corpse. For this, If any of the Lycians heed my words, They will go home, and imminent will be The ruin of thy city. If that firm And resolute valor lived in Trojan hearts Which they should cherish who in the defence Of their own country bear the toils and face The dangers of the field, we might this hour Drag off the slain Patroclus into Troy. And should we bear him from the thick of fight To the great city of Priam, soon the Greeks Would let us ransom the rich armor worn By our Sarpedon, and bring back his corpse; For he lies slain who was the bosom friend Of the most valiant chieftain at the fleet Of Greece and leader of her bravest men. But thou, when great-souled Ajax fixed his eye Upon thee, didst not venture to remain And fight with him; he is more brave than thou.”
The crested Hector frowned and thus replied:— “Why, Glaucus, should a warrior such as thou Utter such violent words? My friend, I deemed That thou wert wise above all other men Of fertile Lycia, but I now must blame Thy judgment when thou say’st I shrink to meet The mighty Ajax. I do neither dread The battle’s fury nor the rush of steeds; But all prevailing are the purposes Of aegis-bearing Jove, who makes the brave To flee, and takes from him the victory, And then again impels him to the fight. Come then, my friend, stand by me; see if I Skulk this time from the conflict, as thou say’st, Or tame the courage of whatever Greek, The bravest, who defends Patroclus slain.”