Ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ πόρον ἷξον ἐϋρρεῖος ποταμοῖο Ξάνθου δινήεντος ,ὃν ἀθάνατος τέκετο Ζεύς ,ἔνθα διατμήξας τοὺς μὲν πεδίον δὲ δίωκε πρὸς πόλιν ,ᾗ περ Ἀχαιοὶ ἀτυζόμενοι φοβέοντο ἤματι τῷ προτέρῳ ,ὅτε μαίνετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ ·τῇ ῥ’ οἵ γε προχέοντο πεφυζότες ,ἠέρα δ’ Ἥρη πίτνα πρόσθε βαθεῖαν ἐρυκέμεν ·ἡμίσεες δὲ ἐς ποταμὸν εἰλεῦντο βαθύρροον ἀργυροδίνην ,ἐν δ’ ἔπεσον μεγάλῳ πατάγῳ ,βράχε δ’ αἰπὰ ῥέεθρα ,ὄχθαι δ’ ἀμφὶ περὶ μεγάλ’ ἴαχον ·οἳ δ’ ἀλαλητῷ ἔννεον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα ἑλισσόμενοι περὶ δίνας .ὡς δ’ ὅθ’ ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς πυρὸς ἀκρίδες ἠερέθονται φευγέμεναι ποταμὸν δέ ·τὸ δὲ φλέγει ἀκάματον πῦρ ὄρμενον ἐξαίφνης ,ταὶ δὲ πτώσσουσι καθ’ ὕδωρ ·ὣς ὑπ’ Ἀχιλλῆος Ξάνθου βαθυδινήεντος πλῆτο ῥόος κελάδων ἐπιμὶξ ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν .Αὐτὰρ ὃ διογενὴς δόρυ μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ὄχθῃ κεκλιμένον μυρίκῃσιν ,ὃ δ’ ἔσθορε δαίμονι ἶσος φάσγανον οἶον ἔχων ,κακὰ δὲ φρεσὶ μήδετο ἔργα ,τύπτε δ’ ἐπιστροφάδην ·τῶν δὲ στόνος ὄρνυτ’ ἀεικὴς ἄορι θεινομένων ,ἐρυθαίνετο δ’ αἵματι ὕδωρ .ὡς δ’ ὑπὸ δελφῖνος μεγακήτεος ἰχθύες ἄλλοι φεύγοντες πιμπλᾶσι μυχοὺς λιμένος εὐόρμου δειδιότες ·μάλα γάρ τε κατεσθίει ὅν κε λάβῃσιν ·ὣς Τρῶες ποταμοῖο κατὰ δεινοῖο ῥέεθρα πτῶσσον ὑπὸ κρημνούς .ὃ δ’ ἐπεὶ κάμε χεῖρας ἐναίρων ,ζωοὺς ἐκ ποταμοῖο δυώδεκα λέξατο κούρους ποινὴν Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο θανόντος ·τοὺς ἐξῆγε θύραζε τεθηπότας ἠΰτε νεβρούς ,δῆσε δ’ ὀπίσσω χεῖρας ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσι ,τοὺς αὐτοὶ φορέεσκον ἐπὶ στρεπτοῖσι χιτῶσι ,δῶκε δ’ ἑταίροισιν κατάγειν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας .αὐτὰρ ὃ ἂψ ἐπόρουσε δαϊζέμεναι μενεαίνων .Ἔνθ’ υἷι Πριάμοιο συνήντετο Δαρδανίδαο ἐκ ποταμοῦ φεύγοντι Λυκάονι ,τόν ῥά ποτ’ αὐτὸς ἦγε λαβὼν ἐκ πατρὸς ἀλωῆς οὐκ ἐθέλοντα ἐννύχιος προμολών ·ὃ δ’ ἐρινεὸν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ τάμνε νέους ὄρπηκας ,ἵν’ ἅρματος ἄντυγες εἶεν ·τῷ δ’ ἄρ’ ἀνώϊστον κακὸν ἤλυθε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς .καὶ τότε μέν μιν Λῆμνον ἐϋκτιμένην ἐπέρασσε νηυσὶν ἄγων ,ἀτὰρ υἱὸς Ἰήσονος ὦνον ἔδωκε ·κεῖθεν δὲ ξεῖνός μιν ἐλύσατο πολλὰ δ’ ἔδωκεν Ἴμβριος Ἠετίων ,πέμψεν δ’ ἐς δῖαν Ἀρίσβην ·ἔνθεν ὑπεκπροφυγὼν πατρώϊον ἵκετο δῶμα .ἕνδεκα δ’ ἤματα θυμὸν ἐτέρπετο οἷσι φίλοισιν ἐλθὼν ἐκ Λήμνοιο ·δυωδεκάτῃ δέ μιν αὖτις χερσὶν Ἀχιλλῆος θεὸς ἔμβαλεν ,ὅς μιν ἔμελλε πέμψειν εἰς Ἀΐδαο καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλοντα νέεσθαι .τὸν δ’ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς γυμνὸν ἄτερ κόρυθός τε καὶ ἀσπίδος ,οὐδ’ ἔχεν ἔγχος ,ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν ῥ’ ἀπὸ πάντα χαμαὶ βάλε ·τεῖρε γὰρ ἱδρὼς φεύγοντ’ ἐκ ποταμοῦ ,κάματος δ’ ὑπὸ γούνατ’ ἐδάμνα ·ὀχθήσας δ’ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν ·
But when they were now come to the ford of the fair - flowing river ,even eddying Xanthus that immortal Zeus begat ,there Achilles cleft them asunder ,and the one part he drave to the plain toward the city ,even where the Achaeans were fleeing in rout the day before ,what time glorious Hector was raging—thitherward poured forth some in rout ,and Hera spread before them a thick mist to hinder them ; but the half of them were pent into the deep - flowing river with its silver eddies .Therein they flung themselves with a great din ,and the sheer - falling streams resounded ,and the banks round about rang loudly ; and with noise of shouting swam they this way and that ,whirled about in the eddies .And as when beneath the onrush of fire locusts take wing to flee unto a river ,and the unwearied fire burneth them with its sudden oncoming ,and they shrink down into the water ; even so before Achilles was the sounding stream of deep - eddying Xanthus filled confusedly with chariots and with men .But the Zeus - begotten left there his spear upon the bank ,leaning against the tamarisk bushes ,and himself leapt in like a god with naught but his sword ; and grim was the work he purposed in his heart ,and turning him this way and that he smote and smote ; and from them uprose hideous groaning as they were anchorage in their terror ,for greedily doth he devour whatsoever one he catcheth ; even so cowered the Trojans in the streams of the dread river beneath the steep banks .And he ,when his hands grew weary of slaying ,chose twelve youths alive from out the river as blood - price for dead Patroclus ,son of Menoetius .These led he forth dazed like fawns ,and bound their hands behind them with shapely thongs ,which they themselves wore about their pliant tunics ,and gave them to his comrades to lead to the hollow ships .Then himself he sprang back again ,full eager to slay .There met he a son of Dardanian Priam fleeing forth from the river ,even Lycaon ,whom on a time he had himself taken and brought sore against his will ,from his father ' s orchard being come forth in the night ; he was cutting with the sharp bronze the young shoots of a wild fig - tree ,to be the rims of a chariot ; but upon him ,an unlooked - for bane ,came goodly Achilles .For that time had he sold him into well - built Lemnos ,bearing him thither on his ships ,and the son of Jason had given a price for him ; but from thence a guest - friend had ransomed him— and a great price he gave—even Eetion of Imbros ,and had sent him unto goodly Arisbe ; whence he had fled forth secretly and come to the house of his fathers .For eleven days ' space had he joy amid his friends ,being come forth from Lemnos ; but on the twelfth a god cast him once more into the hands of Achilles ,who was to send him to the house of Hades ,loath though he was to go .When the swift - footed ,goodly Achilles was ware of him ,all unarmed ,without helm or shield ,nor had he a spear ,but had thrown all these from him to the ground ; for the sweat vexed him as he sought to flee from out the river ,and weariness overmastered his knees beneath him ; then ,mightily moved ,Achilles spake unto his own great - hearted spirit :