- 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-grc2:1.70-1.137
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The prophet Calchas reveals that Apollo's anger is due to Agamemnon's offense, and Agamemnon demands a replacement prize for returning Chryseis, leading to a sharp clash with Achilles.
ὃς ᾔδη τά τʼ ἐόντα τά τʼ ἐσσόμενα πρό τʼ ἐόντα,1
who knew things that were, things that were to be, and things that had been before,
καὶ νήεσσʼ ἡγήσατʼ Ἀχαιῶν Ἴλιον εἴσω
and who had guided the ships of the Achaeans to Ilium
ἣν διὰ μαντοσύνην, τήν οἱ πόρε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·
by his own art of divination, which Phoebus Apollo had granted him.
ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·
He with good intent addressed them and spoke among them:
ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ κέλεαί με Διῒ φίλε μυθήσασθαι
”O Achilles, dear to Zeus, you bid me declare
μῆνιν Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκατηβελέταο ἄνακτος·
the wrath of lord Apollo, the striker from afar.
τοὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω· σὺ δὲ σύνθεο καί μοι ὄμοσσον
Therefore I will speak; but do you take thought and swear to me
ἦ μέν μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν·2
that you will indeed with ready mind protect me by word and hand.
ἦ γὰρ ὀΐομαι ἄνδρα χολωσέμεν, ὃς μέγα πάντων
For I think I shall anger a man who rules mightily over all
Ἀργείων κρατέει καί οἱ πείθονται Ἀχαιοί·
the Argives, and whom the Achaeans obey.
κρείσσων γὰρ βασιλεὺς ὅτε χώσεται ἀνδρὶ χέρηϊ·
For a king is more powerful when he is angry at a lesser man;
εἴ περ γάρ τε χόλον γε καὶ αὐτῆμαρ καταπέψῃ,
for even if he swallows down his anger for that same day,
ἀλλά τε καὶ μετόπισθεν ἔχει κότον,3 ὄφρα τελέσσῃ,
yet he still keeps his resentment thereafter in his breast, until he fulfills it.
ἐν στήθεσσιν ἑοῖσι· σὺ δὲ φράσαι εἴ με σαώσεις.
Consider then if you will keep me safe.”
τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·
Then swift-footed Achilles answered him and said:
θαρσήσας μάλα εἰπὲ θεοπρόπιον ὅ τι οἶσθα·
”Take courage and speak whatever prophecy you know;
οὐ μὰ γὰρ Ἀπόλλωνα Διῒ φίλον, ᾧ τε σὺ Κάλχαν
for by Apollo, dear to Zeus, to whom you, Calchas,
εὐχόμενος Δαναοῖσι θεοπροπίας ἀναφαίνεις,
pray when you reveal prophecies to the Danaans,
οὔ τις ἐμεῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἐπὶ χθονὶ δερκομένοιο
no one, while I live and look upon the earth,
σοὶ κοίλῃς παρὰ νηυσί βαρείας χεῖρας ἐποίσει
shall lay heavy hands on you by the hollow ships—
συμπάντων Δαναῶν, οὐδʼ ἢν Ἀγαμέμνονα εἴπῃς,
none of all the Danaans, not even if you name Agamemnon,
ὃς νῦν πολλὸν ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν εὔχεται εἶναι.
who now boasts to be by far the best of the Achaeans.”
καὶ τότε δὴ θάρσησε καὶ ηὔδα μάντις ἀμύμων·
And then indeed the blameless prophet took courage and spoke:
οὔ τʼ ἄρ ὅ γʼ εὐχωλῆς ἐπιμέμφεται οὐδʼ ἑκατόμβης,
”He blames us neither for a vow nor for a hecatomb,
ἀλλʼ ἕνεκʼ ἀρητῆρος ὃν ἠτίμησʼ Ἀγαμέμνων,
but because of the priest whom Agamemnon dishonored,
οὐδʼ ἀπέλυσε θύγατρα καὶ οὐκ ἀπεδέξατʼ ἄποινα,
and did not release his daughter and did not accept the ransom;
τοὔνεκʼ ἄρʼ ἄλγεʼ ἔδωκεν ἑκηβόλος ἠδʼ ἔτι δώσει·
therefore the striker from afar has given us woes, and will still give them.
οὐδʼ ὅ γε πρὶν Δαναοῖσιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀπώσει
Nor will he drive away the shameful pestilence from the Danaans
πρίν γʼ ἀπὸ πατρὶ φίλῳ δόμεναι ἑλικώπιδα κούρην
until we give back the bright-eyed maiden to her dear father,
ἀπριάτην ἀνάποινον, ἄγειν θʼ ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην
without buying, without ransom, and bring a holy hecatomb
ἐς Χρύσην· τότε κέν μιν ἱλασσάμενοι πεπίθοιμεν.
to Chryse; then we might appease and persuade him.”
ἤτοι ὅ γʼ ὣς εἰπὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο· τοῖσι δʼ ἀνέστη
When he had thus spoken he sat down; and among them rose
ἥρως Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
the hero son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon,
ἀχνύμενος· μένεος δὲ μέγα φρένες ἀμφιμέλαιναι
grieved; and with rage his dark heart was greatly
πίμπλαντʼ, ὄσσε δέ οἱ πυρὶ λαμπετόωντι ἐΐκτην·
filled, and his eyes were like flashing fire.
Κάλχαντα πρώτιστα κάκʼ ὀσσόμενος προσέειπε·
To Calchas first of all he spoke, glaring with evil eyes:
μάντι κακῶν οὐ πώ ποτέ μοι τὸ κρήγυον εἶπας·
”Prophet of evil, never yet have you spoken a good thing to me;
αἰεί τοι τὰ κάκʼ ἐστὶ φίλα φρεσὶ μαντεύεσθαι,
always it is dear to your heart to prophesy evil,
ἐσθλὸν δʼ οὔτέ τί πω εἶπας ἔπος οὔτʼ ἐτέλεσσας·
and you have never yet spoken or accomplished a good word.
καὶ νῦν ἐν Δαναοῖσι θεοπροπέων ἀγορεύεις
And now you declare prophecies among the Danaans,
ὡς δὴ τοῦδʼ ἕνεκά σφιν ἑκηβόλος ἄλγεα τεύχει,
saying that for this reason the striker from afar works woes for them,
οὕνεκʼ ἐγὼ κούρης Χρυσηΐδος ἀγλάʼ ἄποινα
because I was not willing to accept the glorious ransom
οὐκ ἔθελον δέξασθαι, ἐπεὶ πολὺ βούλομαι αὐτὴν
for the maiden Chryseis, since I much prefer to have her
οἴκοι ἔχειν· καὶ γάρ ῥα Κλυταιμνήστρης προβέβουλα
at home; for indeed I prefer her to Clytemnestra,
κουριδίης ἀλόχου,4 ἐπεὶ οὔ ἑθέν ἐστι χερείων,
my wedded wife, since she is not inferior to her,
οὐ δέμας οὐδὲ φυήν, οὔτʼ ἂρ φρένας οὔτέ τι ἔργα.
neither in stature, nor in form, nor in mind, nor in any accomplishments.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς ἐθέλω δόμεναι πάλιν εἰ τό γʼ ἄμεινον·
But even so, I am willing to give her back if that is better;
βούλομʼ ἐγὼ λαὸν σῶν ἔμμεναι ἢ ἀπολέσθαι·
I wish the people to be safe rather than to perish.
αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ γέρας αὐτίχʼ ἑτοιμάσατʼ ὄφρα μὴ οἶος
But prepare a prize for me at once, so that I may not be the only
Ἀργείων ἀγέραστος ἔω, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἔοικε·
one of the Argives without a prize, for that is not seemly;
λεύσσετε γὰρ τό γε πάντες ὅ μοι γέρας ἔρχεται ἄλλῃ.
for you all see this, that my prize goes elsewhere.”
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
Then the swift-footed noble Achilles answered him:
Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε φιλοκτεανώτατε πάντων,
”Most glorious son of Atreus, most covetous of all men,
πῶς γάρ τοι δώσουσι γέρας μεγάθυμοι Ἀχαιοί;
how shall the great-hearted Achaeans give you a prize?
οὐδέ τί που ἴδμεν ξυνήϊα κείμενα πολλά·
We do not know of any great common stores lying anywhere;
ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πολίων ἐξεπράθομεν, τὰ δέδασται,
what we took from the cities has been distributed,
λαοὺς δʼ οὐκ ἐπέοικε παλίλλογα ταῦτʼ ἐπαγείρειν.
and it is not proper for the soldiers to gather these things back again.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν τήνδε θεῷ πρόες· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ
But do you now yield her to the god; and we Achaeans
τριπλῇ τετραπλῇ τʼ ἀποτείσομεν, αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς
will repay you threefold and fourfold, if ever Zeus
δῷσι πόλιν Τροίην εὐτείχεον ἐξαλαπάξαι.
grants us to sack the well-walled city of Troy.”
τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων·
Then ruling Agamemnon answered him and said:
μὴ δʼ οὕτως ἀγαθός περ ἐὼν θεοείκελʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ
”Do not, upright though you are, godlike Achilles,
κλέπτε νόῳ, ἐπεὶ οὐ παρελεύσεαι οὐδέ με πείσεις.
try to deceive me in your mind, for you will not outwit me nor persuade me.
ἦ ἐθέλεις ὄφρʼ αὐτὸς ἔχῃς γέρας, αὐτὰρ ἔμʼ αὔτως
Do you wish, so that you yourself may keep your prize, while I sit
ἧσθαι δευόμενον, κέλεαι δέ με τήνδʼ ἀποδοῦναι;
here empty-handed, to bid me give this girl back?
ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν δώσουσι γέρας μεγάθυμοι Ἀχαιοὶ
If the great-hearted Achaeans will give me a prize,
ἄρσαντες κατὰ θυμὸν ὅπως ἀντάξιον ἔσται·
suiting it to my mind so that it shall be of equal value, it is well;
εἰ δέ κε μὴ δώωσιν ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι
but if they do not give it, then I will go and take one myself”
- 1.70ὃς ᾔδη τά τʼ ἐόντα τά τʼ ἐσσόμενα πρό τʼ ἐόντα
ᾔδη is the pluperfect (functioning as imperfect) of οἶδα ("to know"), meaning "he knew." The combination of the present participle ἐόντα, the future participle ἐσσόμενα, and the present participle with the preposition πρό ("before") represents all events of the present, future, and past.
- 1.77ἦ μέν μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν
This is an infinitive construction serving as the object of ὄμοσσον ("swear"). Since the semantic subject of the infinitive ἀρήξειν matches the subject of the main clause (second person), the adjective πρόφρων is in the nominative case.
- 1.81εἴ περ γάρ τε χόλον γε καὶ αὐτῆμαρ καταπέψῃ, ἀλλά τε καὶ μετόπισθεν ἔχει κότον
The clause εἴ περ ... καταπέψῃ is a conditional clause using the subjunctive without ἄν. The main clause uses the present indicative ἔχει to express a general truth or characteristic behavior. It has a concessive nuance: "even if he swallows... yet he still keeps..."
- 1.113Κλυταιμνήστρης προβέβουλα / κουριδίης ἀλόχου
The verb προβέβουλα ("to prefer") governs the genitive case for the object of comparison. Here, Κλυταιμνήστρης and its appositive κουριδίης ἀλόχου ("wedded wife") are in the genitive.