HUS then did they fight as it were a flaming fire. Meanwhile the fleet runner Antilochus, who had been sent as messenger, reached Achilles, and found him sitting by his tall ships and boding that which was indeed too surely true. "Alas," said he to himself in the heaviness of his heart, "why are the Achaeans again scouring the plain and flocking towards the ships? Heaven grant the gods be not now bringing that sorrow upon me of which my mother Thetis spoke, saying that while I was yet alive the bravest of the Myrmidons should fall before the Trojans, and see the light of the sun no longer. I fear the brave son of Menoetius has fallen through his own daring and yet I bade him return to the ships as soon as he had driven back those that were bringing fire against them, and not join battle with Hector."

Ἀχιλῆος  ἄχος

Ὣς οἳ μὲν μάρναντο δέμας πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο͵ Ἀντίλοχος δ΄ Ἀχιλῆϊ πόδας ταχὺς ἄγγελος ἦλθε. τὸν δ΄ εὗρε προπάροιθε νεῶν ὀρθοκραιράων τὰ φρονέοντ΄ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἃ δὴ τετελεσμένα ἦεν· ὀχθήσας δ΄ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν· ὤ μοι ἐγώ͵ τί τ΄ ἄρ΄ αὖτε κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ νηυσὶν ἔπι κλονέονται ἀτυζόμενοι πεδίοιο; μὴ δή μοι τελέσωσι θεοὶ κακὰ κήδεα θυμῷ͵ ὥς ποτέ μοι μήτηρ διεπέφραδε καί μοι ἔειπε Μυρμιδόνων τὸν ἄριστον ἔτι ζώοντος ἐμεῖο χερσὶν ὕπο Τρώων λείψειν φάος ἠελίοιο. ἦ μάλα δὴ τέθνηκε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱὸς σχέτλιος· ἦ τ΄ ἐκέλευον ἀπωσάμενον δήϊον πῦρ ἂψ ἐπὶ νῆας ἴμεν͵ μηδ΄ Ἕκτορι ἶφι μάχεσθαι.