- 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-grc2:10.434-10.504
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Dolon reveals the position of the Thracian king Rhesus and begs for mercy, but is killed by Diomedes. Odysseus and Diomedes then infiltrate the Thracian camp, slaughter thirteen men including King Rhesus, and capture his famous horses.
Θρήϊκες οἷδʼ ἀπάνευθε νεήλυδες ἔσχατοι ἄλλων·
”Here are the Thracians, newly come, apart from the others at the very end;
ἐν δέ σφιν Ῥῆσος βασιλεὺς πάϊς Ἠϊονῆος.
and among them is their king Rhesus, son of Eioneus.
τοῦ δὴ καλλίστους ἵππους ἴδον ἠδὲ μεγίστους·
Truly I saw his horses, the most beautiful and the largest;
λευκότεροι χιόνος, θείειν δʼ ἀνέμοισιν ὁμοῖοι·
they are whiter than snow, and like the winds in running;
ἅρμα δέ οἱ χρυσῷ τε καὶ ἀργύρῳ εὖ ἤσκηται·
and his chariot is well fashioned with gold and silver;
τεύχεα δὲ χρύσεια πελώρια θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι
and he came having golden armor, monstrous, a wonder to behold;
ἤλυθʼ ἔχων· τὰ μὲν οὔ τι καταθνητοῖσιν ἔοικεν
these it is not meet for mortal men
ἄνδρεσσιν φορέειν,1 ἀλλʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν.
to wear, but for the immortal gods.
ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ μὲν νῦν νηυσὶ πελάσσετον ὠκυπόροισιν,
But now, either bring me near to the swift-faring ships,
ἠέ με δήσαντες λίπετʼ αὐτόθι νηλέϊ δεσμῷ,
or leave me here, having bound me with a pitiless bond,
ὄφρά κεν ἔλθητον καὶ πειρηθῆτον ἐμεῖο2
until you two go and make trial of me,
ἠὲ κατʼ αἶσαν ἔειπον ἐν ὑμῖν, ἦε καὶ οὐκί.
whether I have spoken to you according to truth, or not.”
τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·
Then looking grimly at him, strong Diomedes addressed him:
μὴ δή μοι φύξίν γε Δόλων ἐμβάλλεο θυμῷ·
”Do not, Dolon, put any thought of escape in your heart,
ἐσθλά περ ἀγγείλας, ἐπεὶ ἵκεο χεῖρας ἐς ἁμάς.
though you have brought good tidings, since you have come into our hands.
εἰ μὲν γάρ κέ σε νῦν ἀπολύσομεν ἠὲ μεθῶμεν,
For if we now release you or let you go,
ἦ τε καὶ ὕστερον εἶσθα θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
surely you will come hereafter also to the swift ships of the Achaeans,
ἠὲ διοπτεύσων ἢ ἐναντίβιον πολεμίξων·
either to spy upon us or to fight against us in open war;
εἰ δέ κʼ ἐμῇς ὑπὸ χερσὶ δαμεὶς ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσῃς,
but if, subdued under my hands, you lose your life,
οὐκέτʼ ἔπειτα σὺ πῆμά ποτʼ ἔσσεαι Ἀργείοισιν.
never again hereafter will you be a bane to the Argives.”
ἦ, καὶ ὃ μέν μιν ἔμελλε γενείου χειρὶ παχείῃ
He spoke, and the other was about to touch his chin with his stout hand
ἁψάμενος λίσσεσθαι, ὃ δʼ αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε
in supplication, but Diomedes struck him full on the neck
φασγάνῳ ἀΐξας, ἀπὸ δʼ ἄμφω κέρσε τένοντε·
rushing upon him with his sword, and sheared through both sinews;
φθεγγομένου δʼ ἄρα τοῦ γε κάρη κονίῃσιν ἐμίχθη.3
and even while he was speaking, his head was mingled with the dust.
τοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν κτιδέην κυνέην κεφαλῆφιν ἕλοντο
From him they took the cap of ferret-skin from his head,
καὶ λυκέην καὶ τόξα παλίντονα καὶ δόρυ μακρόν·
and the wolf-skin, and the back-bent bow, and the long spear;
καὶ τά γʼ Ἀθηναίῃ ληΐτιδι δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς
and these divine Odysseus held aloft in his hand to Athena, the giver of spoil,
ὑψόσʼ ἀνέσχεθε χειρὶ καὶ εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηὔδα·
and made prayer and spoke a word:
χαῖρε θεὰ τοῖσδεσσι· σὲ γὰρ πρώτην ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ
”Rejoice, goddess, in these; for you first of all the immortals
πάντων ἀθανάτων ἐπιδωσόμεθʼ· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὖτις
in Olympus will we invoke; but send us yet again
πέμψον ἐπὶ Θρῃκῶν ἀνδρῶν ἵππους τε καὶ εὐνάς.
against the horses and sleeping-places of the Thracian men.”
ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, καὶ ἀπὸ ἕθεν ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας
So he spoke, and lifting them high from him
θῆκεν ἀνὰ μυρίκην· δέελον δʼ ἐπὶ σῆμά τʼ ἔθηκε
laid them upon a tamarisk bush, and set a plain mark thereon,
συμμάρψας δόνακας μυρίκης τʼ ἐριθηλέας ὄζους,
gathering together reeds and the luxuriant branches of the tamarisk,
μὴ λάθοι αὖτις ἰόντε θοὴν διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν.
lest they should miss them as they came back through the swift, dark night.
τὼ δὲ βάτην προτέρω διά τʼ ἔντεα καὶ μέλαν αἷμα,
So the two went forward through the arms and the black blood,
αἶψα δʼ ἐπὶ Θρῃκῶν ἀνδρῶν τέλος ἷξον ἰόντες.
and quickly came to the company of the Thracian men.
οἳ δʼ εὗδον καμάτῳ ἀδηκότες, ἔντεα δέ σφιν
These were sleeping, worn out by weariness, and their beautiful armor
καλὰ παρʼ αὐτοῖσι χθονὶ κέκλιτο εὖ κατὰ κόσμον
was laid by them on the ground, well in order
τριστοιχί· παρὰ δέ σφιν ἑκάστῳ δίζυγες ἵπποι.
in three rows; and by each of them was a pair of horses.
Ῥῆσος δʼ ἐν μέσῳ εὗδε, παρʼ αὐτῷ δʼ ὠκέες ἵπποι
Rhesus slept in the midst, and by him his swift horses
ἐξ ἐπιδιφριάδος πυμάτης ἱμᾶσι δέδεντο.
were bound by thongs to the topmost rim of the chariot-seat.
τὸν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς προπάροιθεν ἰδὼν Διομήδεϊ δεῖξεν·
Odysseus was the first to see him, and pointed him out to Diomedes:
οὗτός τοι Διόμηδες ἀνήρ, οὗτοι δέ τοι ἵπποι,
”This, Diomedes, is the man, and these are the horses,
οὓς νῶϊν πίφαυσκε Δόλων ὃν ἐπέφνομεν ἡμεῖς.
of which Dolon, whom we slew, told us.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ πρόφερε κρατερὸν μένος· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ
But come, put forth your strong might; it is not meet for you
ἑστάμεναι μέλεον σὺν τεύχεσιν, ἀλλὰ λύʼ ἵππους·
to stand idle with your weapons, but untie the horses;
ἠὲ σύ γʼ ἄνδρας ἔναιρε, μελήσουσιν δʼ ἐμοὶ ἵπποι.
or do you slay the men, and the horses shall be my care.”
ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἔμπνευσε μένος γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,
So he spoke, and flashing-eyed Athena breathed strength into Diomedes,
κτεῖνε δʼ ἐπιστροφάδην· τῶν δὲ στόνος ὄρνυτʼ ἀεικὴς
and he slew left and right; and a hideous groaning arose from them
ἄορι θεινομένων, ἐρυθαίνετο δʼ αἵματι γαῖα.
as they were smitten with the sword, and the earth grew red with blood.
ὡς δὲ λέων μήλοισιν ἀσημάντοισιν ἐπελθὼν
And as a lion, coming upon an unguarded flock
αἴγεσιν ἢ ὀΐεσσι κακὰ φρονέων ἐνορούσῃ,
of goats or sheep, leaps upon them with evil intent,
ὣς μὲν Θρήϊκας ἄνδρας ἐπῴχετο Τυδέος υἱὸς
so the son of Tydeus fell upon the Thracian men,
ὄφρα δυώδεκʼ ἔπεφνεν· ἀτὰρ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεὺς
until he had slain twelve; but resourceful Odysseus,
ὅν τινα Τυδεΐδης ἄορι πλήξειε4 παραστὰς
whomever the son of Tydeus smote with his sword as he stood by him,
τὸν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς μετόπισθε λαβὼν ποδὸς ἐξερύσασκε,
him would Odysseus seize from behind by the foot and drag out,
τὰ φρονέων κατὰ θυμὸν ὅπως καλλίτριχες ἵπποι
planning this in his heart, that the fair-maned horses
ῥεῖα διέλθοιεν μηδὲ τρομεοίατο θυμῷ
might easily pass through, and not be affrighted in spirit
νεκροῖς ἀμβαίνοντες· ἀήθεσσον γὰρ ἔτʼ αὐτῶν.
as they stepped on the dead; for they were not yet used to them.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ βασιλῆα κιχήσατο Τυδέος υἱός,
But when the son of Tydeus reached the king,
τὸν τρισκαιδέκατον μελιηδέα θυμὸν ἀπηύρα
him, the thirteenth, he robbed of honey-sweet life
ἀσθμαίνοντα· κακὸν γὰρ ὄναρ κεφαλῆφιν ἐπέστη5
as he gasped; for an evil dream stood over his head
τὴν νύκτʼ Οἰνεΐδαο πάϊς διὰ μῆτιν Ἀθήνης.
that night, even the son of Oeneus, through the counsel of Athena.
τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ ὃ τλήμων Ὀδυσεὺς λύε μώνυχας ἵππους,
Meanwhile the steadfast Odysseus untied the single-hoofed horses,
σὺν δʼ ἤειρεν ἱμᾶσι καὶ ἐξήλαυνεν ὁμίλου
and bound them together with the thongs, and drove them out of the throng,
τόξῳ ἐπιπλήσσων, ἐπεὶ οὐ μάστιγα φαεινὴν
striking them with his bow, since he had not thought to take with his hands
ποικίλου ἐκ δίφροιο νοήσατο χερσὶν ἑλέσθαι·
the shining whip from the adorned chariot;
ῥοίζησεν δʼ ἄρα πιφαύσκων Διομήδεϊ δίῳ.
and he whistled to give a sign to divine Diomedes.
αὐτὰρ ὃ μερμήριζε μένων ὅ τι κύντατον ἕρδοι,
But Diomedes remained and pondered what most daring deed he might do,
ἢ ὅ γε δίφρον ἑλών, ὅθι ποικίλα τεύχεʼ ἔκειτο,
whether he should take the chariot, where the adorned armor lay,
- 10.440τὰ μὲν οὔ τι καταθνητοῖσιν ἔοικεν / ἄνδρεσσιν φορέειν
The infinitive φορέειν is syntactically dependent on the verb ἔοικεν (it is fitting/proper), while the dative καταθνητοῖσιν ἄνδρεσσιν functions as the dative of agent or reference: "these are not fitting for mortal men to wear."
- 10.444πειρηθῆτον ἐμεῖο
The verb πειράομαι (here in the dual aorist passive subjunctive πειρηθῆτον) governs the genitive case, taking the personal pronoun ἐμεῖο (of me), meaning "make trial of me" or "test my words."
- 10.457φθεγγομένου δʼ ἄρα τοῦ γε κάρη κονίῃσιν ἐμίχθη
The genitive absolute construction φθεγγομένου ... τοῦ ("while he was still speaking") is used to modify the main clause κάρη κονίῃσιν ἐμίχθη ("his head was mingled with dust"), emphasizing the swiftness of the decapitation.
- 10.489ὅν τινα Τυδεΐδης ἄορι πλήξειε
The optative πλήξειε in the relative clause functions as an iterative optative in past time ("whomever he would smite"). It works in tandem with the iterative past verb ἐξερύσασκε in the main clause to express a repeated action in the past.
- 10.496κακὸν γὰρ ὄναρ κεφαλῆφιν ἐπέστη
The phrase Οἰνεΐδαο πάϊς (the descendant of Oeneus, i.e., Diomedes) in the following line acts as the virtual subject or explanation of κακὸν ὄναρ (an evil dream): Diomedes came upon the sleeping king like a living, deadly nightmare sent by Athena.