- Source
- Homer. Homeri Opera, Volumes 1-2. Monro, D. B. (David Binning), editor; Allen, Thomas W. (Thomas William), editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908-1920.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.406-1.474
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Achilles begs his mother Thetis to intercede with Zeus to aid the Trojans and punish Agamemnon, which she agrees to do, advising patience. Meanwhile, Odysseus sails to Chryse to return Chryseis to her father and perform a sacrificial feast to appease Apollo.
τὸν καὶ ὑπέδεισαν μάκαρες θεοὶ οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἔδησαν.
The blessed gods feared him too, and did not bind Zeus any longer.
τῶν νῦν μιν μνήσασα παρέζεο καὶ λαβὲ γούνων
Go now, sit by him and clasp his knees, reminding him of these things,
αἴ κέν πως ἐθέλῃσιν ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρῆξαι,
in the hope that he might be willing to aid the Trojans,
τοὺς δὲ κατὰ πρύμνας τε καὶ ἀμφʼ ἅλα ἔλσαι Ἀχαιοὺς
and to hem in the Achaeans among the sterns of their ships and along the sea
κτεινομένους, ἵνα πάντες ἐπαύρωνται βασιλῆος,1
as they are slain, so that they all may win the benefit of their king,
γνῷ δὲ καὶ Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
and that the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon, may know
ἣν ἄτην ὅ τʼ ἄριστον Ἀχαιῶν οὐδὲν ἔτισεν.
his own madness, in that he honored not at all the best of the Achaeans.”
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Θέτις κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα·
Then Thetis answered him, shedding tears:
ὤ μοι τέκνον ἐμόν, τί νύ σʼ ἔτρεφον αἰνὰ τεκοῦσα;
”Ah me, my child, why did I rear you, having borne you to an evil fate?
αἴθʼ ὄφελες παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀδάκρυτος καὶ ἀπήμων
Would that you could sit by your ships without tears and without pain,
ἧσθαι,2 ἐπεί νύ τοι αἶσα μίνυνθά περ οὔ τι μάλα δήν·
since indeed your lease of life is brief, and not at all long;
νῦν δʼ ἅμα τʼ ὠκύμορος καὶ ὀϊζυρὸς περὶ πάντων
but now you are at once swift-fated and wretched beyond all men;
ἔπλεο· τώ σε κακῇ αἴσῃ τέκον ἐν μεγάροισι.
therefore to an evil doom did I bear you in my halls.
τοῦτο δέ τοι ἐρέουσα ἔπος Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ
To tell this word to Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt,
εἶμʼ αὐτὴ πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἀγάννιφον αἴ κε πίθηται.
I myself will go to snowy Olympus, in the hope that he may be persuaded.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν νηυσὶ παρήμενος ὠκυπόροισι
But do you now, sitting by your swift-faring ships,
μήνιʼ Ἀχαιοῖσιν, πολέμου δʼ ἀποπαύεο πάμπαν·
nurse your anger against the Achaeans, and hold aloof utterly from war;
Ζεὺς γὰρ ἐς Ὠκεανὸν μετʼ ἀμύμονας Αἰθιοπῆας
for Zeus went yesterday to Oceanus, to the blameless Ethiopians, for a feast,
χθιζὸς ἔβη κατὰ δαῖτα, θεοὶ δʼ ἅμα πάντες ἕποντο·
and all the gods followed after him;
δωδεκάτῃ δέ τοι αὖτις ἐλεύσεται Οὔλυμπον δέ,
but on the twelfth day he will come back again to Olympus,
καὶ τότʼ ἔπειτά τοι εἶμι Διὸς ποτὶ χαλκοβατὲς δῶ,
and then I will go to the bronze-floored house of Zeus,
καί μιν γουνάσομαι καί μιν πείσεσθαι ὀΐω.
and I will clasp his knees, and I think he will be persuaded.”
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασʼ ἀπεβήσετο, τὸν δὲ λίπʼ αὐτοῦ
Having thus spoken she went away, and left him there
χωόμενον κατὰ θυμὸν ἐϋζώνοιο γυναικὸς3
angry in his heart because of the fair-girdled woman
τήν ῥα βίῃ ἀέκοντος ἀπηύρων· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς
whom they had taken away by force against his will. But Odysseus
ἐς Χρύσην ἵκανεν ἄγων ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην.
came to Chryse, bringing the holy hecatomb.
οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ λιμένος πολυβενθέος ἐντὸς ἵκοντο
And when they had come within the deep harbor,
ἱστία μὲν στείλαντο, θέσαν δʼ ἐν νηῒ μελαίνῃ,
they furled the sails and laid them in the black ship,
ἱστὸν δʼ ἱστοδόκῃ πέλασαν προτόνοισιν ὑφέντες
and lowered the mast by the forestays, bringing it quickly to the crutch,
καρπαλίμως, τὴν δʼ εἰς ὅρμον προέρεσσαν ἐρετμοῖς.
and rowed her into the anchorage with oars.
ἐκ δʼ εὐνὰς ἔβαλον, κατὰ δὲ πρυμνήσιʼ ἔδησαν·
They threw out the anchor-stones and bound the stern-cables fast;
ἐκ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βαῖνον ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης,
and they themselves stepped out onto the break of the sea,
ἐκ δʼ ἑκατόμβην βῆσαν ἑκηβόλῳ Ἀπόλλωνι·
and led out the hecatomb for far-shooting Apollo;
ἐκ δὲ Χρυσηῒς νηὸς βῆ ποντοπόροιο.
and out from the seafaring ship stepped Chryseis.
τὴν μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ βωμὸν ἄγων πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεὺς
Her then did resourceful Odysseus lead to the altar,
πατρὶ φίλῳ ἐν χερσὶ τίθει καί μιν προσέειπεν·
and placed her in the hands of her dear father, and spoke to him:
ὦ Χρύση, πρό μʼ ἔπεμψεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
”Chryses, Agamemnon, king of men, sent me forth
παῖδά τε σοὶ ἀγέμεν, Φοίβῳ θʼ ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην
to bring to you your child, and to offer to Phoebus a holy hecatomb
ῥέξαι ὑπὲρ Δαναῶν ὄφρʼ ἱλασόμεσθα ἄνακτα,
on behalf of the Danaans, that we may appease the king,
ὃς νῦν Ἀργείοισι πολύστονα κήδεʼ ἐφῆκεν.
who has now sent upon the Argives woes of many groans.”
ὣς εἰπὼν ἐν χερσὶ τίθει, ὃ δὲ δέξατο χαίρων
So saying he placed her in his hands, and he received with joy
παῖδα φίλην· τοὶ δʼ ὦκα θεῷ ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην
his dear child; and quickly they set the holy hecatomb for the god
ἑξείης ἔστησαν ἐΰδμητον περὶ βωμόν,
in order around the well-built altar,
χερνίψαντο δʼ ἔπειτα καὶ οὐλοχύτας ἀνέλοντο.
and then they washed their hands and took up the barley-grains.
τοῖσιν δὲ Χρύσης μεγάλʼ εὔχετο χεῖρας ἀνασχών·
For them Chryses prayed aloud, holding up his hands:
κλῦθί μευ ἀργυρότοξʼ, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας
”Hear me, god of the silver bow, who stand over Chryse
Κίλλαν τε ζαθέην Τενέδοιό τε ἶφι ἀνάσσεις·
and sacred Cilla, and rule mightily over Tenedos;
ἦ μὲν δή ποτʼ ἐμεῦ πάρος ἔκλυες εὐξαμένοιο,
indeed once before you heard me when I prayed,
τίμησας μὲν ἐμέ, μέγα δʼ ἴψαο λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν·
and you honored me, and smote heavily the people of the Achaeans;
ἠδʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν μοι τόδʼ ἐπικρήηνον ἐέλδωρ·
even so now fulfill for me this further desire:
ἤδη νῦν Δαναοῖσιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἄμυνον.
ward off now from the Danaans the shameful ruin.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων.
Thus he spoke in prayer, and Phoebus Apollo heard him.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ εὔξαντο καὶ οὐλοχύτας προβάλοντο,
But when they had prayed and cast the barley-grains,
αὐέρυσαν μὲν πρῶτα καὶ ἔσφαξαν καὶ ἔδειραν,
they first drew back the victims’ heads, and slaughtered them, and flayed them,
μηρούς τʼ ἐξέταμον κατά τε κνίσῃ ἐκάλυψαν
and cut out the thigh-bones and covered them with fat,
δίπτυχα ποιήσαντες, ἐπʼ αὐτῶν δʼ ὠμοθέτησαν·
making a double fold, and laid raw flesh upon them;
καῖε δʼ ἐπὶ σχίζῃς ὁ γέρων, ἐπὶ δʼ αἴθοπα οἶνον
and the old man burned them on split wood, and poured upon them
λεῖβε· νέοι δὲ παρʼ αὐτὸν ἔχον πεμπώβολα χερσίν.
glowing wine; and the young men beside him held five-pronged forks in their hands.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μῆρε κάη καὶ σπλάγχνα πάσαντο,
But when the thigh-pieces were burned and they had tasted the inner parts,
μίστυλλόν τʼ ἄρα τἆλλα καὶ ἀμφʼ ὀβελοῖσιν ἔπειραν,
they sliced the rest and spitted it,
ὤπτησάν τε περιφραδέως, ἐρύσαντό τε πάντα.
and roasted it carefully, and drew all off the spits.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ παύσαντο πόνου τετύκοντό τε δαῖτα
But when they had ceased from their labor and had made ready the feast,
δαίνυντʼ, οὐδέ τι θυμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης.
they feasted, nor did their hearts lack anything of the equal feast.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,
But when they had put away the desire for food and drink,
κοῦροι μὲν κρητῆρας ἐπεστέψαντο ποτοῖο,
the youths filled the bowls high with drink,
νώμησαν δʼ ἄρα πᾶσιν ἐπαρξάμενοι δεπάεσσιν·4
and distributed it to all, pouring a drop for libation into the cups;
οἳ δὲ πανημέριοι μολπῇ θεὸν ἱλάσκοντο
and all day long they appeased the god with song,
καλὸν ἀείδοντες παιήονα κοῦροι Ἀχαιῶν
singing the beautiful paean, the youths of the Achaeans,
μέλποντες ἑκάεργον· ὃ δὲ φρένα τέρπετʼ ἀκούων.
hymning the far-worker; and his heart was glad as he heard.
- 1.410ἵνα πάντες ἐπαύρωνται βασιλῆος
The genitive βασιλῆος is governed by the subjunctive ἐπαύρωνται. While the verb usually means 'to derive benefit from,' here it is used ironically to mean 'to reap the bitter fruits' or 'suffer the consequences' of their king's folly.
- 1.415αἴθʼ ὄφελες... ἧσθαι
The combination of the particle of wishing αἴθε and the second-person aorist form ὄφελες (from ὀφείλω) with the present infinitive ἧσθαι expresses an unattainable wish for the present or past ('would that you were sitting...').
- 1.429χωόμενον κατὰ θυμὸν ἐϋζώνοιο γυναικὸς
The genitive ἐϋζώνοιο γυναικὸς functions as a genitive of cause or concern depending on the participle χωόμενον, explaining the source of Achilles' anger ('angry on account of the woman').
- 1.471ἐπαρξάμενοι δεπάεσσιν
The participle ἐπαρξάμενοι (from ἐπάρχομαι) describes a ritualistic action in serving wine, specifically meaning either pouring a drop into each cup first for a libation, or beginning the pouring from right to left in a sacred order.