Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright ...

with the harnessing of his horses; they made the bands fast about
them, and put the bit in their mouths, drawing the reins back towards
the chariot. Automedon, whip in hand, sprang up behind the horses,
and after him Achilles mounted in full armour, resplendent as the
sun-­‐god Hyperion. Then with a loud voice he chided with his father's
horses saying, "Xanthus and Balius, famed offspring of Podarge-­‐ this
time when we have done fighting be sure and bring your driver safely
back to the host of the Achaeans, and do not leave him dead on the
plain as you did Patroclus."
Then fleet Xanthus answered under the yoke-­‐ for white-­‐armed Juno had
endowed him with human speech-­‐ and he bowed his head till his mane
touched the ground as it hung down from under the yoke-­‐band. "Dread
Achilles," said he, "we will indeed save you now, but the day of your
death is near, and the blame will not be ours, for it will be heaven
and stern fate that will destroy you. Neither was it through any sloth
or slackness on our part that the Trojans stripped Patroclus of his
armour; it was the mighty god whom lovely Leto bore that slew him
as he fought among the foremost, and vouchsafed a triumph to Hector.
We two can fly as swiftly as Zephyrus who they say is fleetest of
all winds; nevertheless it is your doom to fall by the hand of a man
and of a god."
When he had thus said the Erinyes stayed his speech, and Achilles
answered him in great sadness, saying, "Why, O Xanthus, do you thus
foretell my death? You need not do so, for I well know that I am to
fall here, far from my dear father and mother; none the more, however,
shall I stay my hand till I have given the Trojans their fill of fighting."