- 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
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- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.505-10.579
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Prompted by Athena, Diomedes and Odysseus escape the Thracian camp and return to the Achaean ships. They are warmly welcomed by Nestor and the others, tether the captured horses, wash themselves in the sea, and offer libations to Athena.
ῥυμοῦ1 ἐξερύοι ἢ ἐκφέροι ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας,
whether he should draw out the chariot by the pole, or lift it on high and carry it forth,
ἦ ἔτι τῶν πλεόνων Θρῃκῶν ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο.
or whether he should take the lives of yet more Thracians.
εἷος ὃ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα, τόφρα δʼ Ἀθήνη
While he was pondering these things in his mind, Athena
ἐγγύθεν ἱσταμένη προσέφη Διομήδεα δῖον·
stood near and spoke to divine Diomedes:
νόστου δὴ μνῆσαι μεγαθύμου Τυδέος υἱὲ
”Bethink thee of return, son of great-hearted Tydeus,
νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς, μὴ καὶ πεφοβημένος ἔλθῃς,2
to the hollow ships, lest thou go thither in flight,
μή πού τις καὶ Τρῶας ἐγείρῃσιν θεὸς ἄλλος.
lest perchance some other god arouse the Trojans also.”
ὣς φάθʼ, ὃ δὲ ξυνέηκε θεᾶς ὄπα φωνησάσης,
So she spoke, and he knew the voice of the goddess as she spoke,
καρπαλίμως δʼ ἵππων ἐπεβήσετο· κόψε δʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς
and quickly mounted the horses; and Odysseus smote them
τόξῳ· τοὶ δʼ ἐπέτοντο θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
with his bow, and they flew toward the swift ships of the Achaeans.
οὐδʼ ἀλαοσκοπιὴν εἶχʼ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων
Nor did Apollo of the silver bow keep a blind watch,
ὡς ἴδʼ Ἀθηναίην μετὰ Τυδέος υἱὸν ἕπουσαν·
when he saw Athena attending the son of Tydeus;
τῇ κοτέων Τρώων κατεδύσετο πουλὺν ὅμιλον,
wroth with her, he entered the great throng of the Trojans,
ὦρσεν δὲ Θρῃκῶν βουληφόρον Ἱπποκόωντα
and aroused Hippocoon, a counselor of the Thracians,
Ῥήσου ἀνεψιὸν ἐσθλόν· ὃ δʼ ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνορούσας
the noble kinsman of Rhesus; and he, leaping up from sleep,
ὡς ἴδε χῶρον ἐρῆμον, ὅθʼ ἕστασαν ὠκέες ἵπποι,
when he saw the place empty where the swift horses had stood,
ἄνδράς τʼ ἀσπαίροντας ἐν ἀργαλέῃσι φονῇσιν,
and the men gasping in the dreadful slaughter,
ᾤμωξέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα φίλον τʼ ὀνόμηνεν ἑταῖρον.
groaned then and called by name on his dear companion.
Τρώων δὲ κλαγγή τε καὶ ἄσπετος ὦρτο κυδοιμὸς
And a clamor and unspeakable tumult arose from the Trojans
θυνόντων ἄμυδις· θηεῦντο δὲ μέρμερα ἔργα
as they ran together; and they gazed at the terrible deeds
ὅσσʼ ἄνδρες ῥέξαντες ἔβαν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας.
which the men had wrought and then gone to the hollow ships.
οἳ δʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵκανον ὅθι σκοπὸν Ἕκτορος ἔκταν,
But when they came to the place where they had slain the spy of Hector,
ἔνθʼ Ὀδυσεὺς μὲν ἔρυξε Διῒ φίλος ὠκέας ἵππους,
there Odysseus, dear to Zeus, stayed the swift horses,
Τυδεΐδης δὲ χαμᾶζε θορὼν ἔναρα βροτόεντα
and the son of Tydeus, leaping to the ground, placed the bloody spoils
ἐν χείρεσσʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ τίθει, ἐπεβήσετο δʼ ἵππων·
in the hands of Odysseus, and then mounted the horses;
μάστιξεν δʼ ἵππους, τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην
and he lashed the horses, and they flew nothing loth
νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς· τῇ γὰρ φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ.
toward the hollow ships, for there it was pleasing to their hearts to go.
Νέστωρ δὲ πρῶτος κτύπον ἄϊε φώνησέν τε·
And Nestor was the first to hear the sound, and spoke:
ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες
”O friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives,
ψεύσομαι, ἦ ἔτυμον ἐρέω;3 κέλεται δέ με θυμός.
shall I speak falsely, or shall I say the truth? Yet my heart bids me.
ἵππων μʼ ὠκυπόδων ἀμφὶ κτύπος οὔατα βάλλει.
The sound of swift-footed horses strikes upon my ears.
αἲ γὰρ δὴ Ὀδυσεύς τε καὶ ὃ κρατερὸς Διομήδης
Would that Odysseus and strong Diomedes
ὧδʼ ἄφαρ ἐκ Τρώων ἐλασαίατο μώνυχας ἵππους·
had thus quickly driven the single-hoofed horses from the Trojans;
ἀλλʼ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατὰ φρένα μή τι πάθωσιν
but terribly do I fear in my heart lest they have suffered some harm,
Ἀργείων οἳ ἄριστοι ὑπὸ Τρώων ὀρυμαγδοῦ.
they, the best of the Argives, from the clamor of the Trojans.”
οὔ πω πᾶν εἴρητο ἔπος ὅτʼ ἄρʼ ἤλυθον αὐτοί.
Not yet was the whole word spoken when they themselves arrived.
καί ῥʼ οἳ μὲν κατέβησαν ἐπὶ χθόνα, τοὶ δὲ χαρέντες
And they dismounted to the ground, and the others with joy
δεξιῇ ἠσπάζοντο ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισι·
welcomed them with the right hand and with gentle words;
πρῶτος δʼ ἐξερέεινε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·
and Gerenian horseman Nestor was the first to question them:
εἴπʼ ἄγε μʼ ὦ πολύαινʼ Ὀδυσεῦ μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν
”Come, tell me, Odysseus, greatly praised, great glory of the Achaeans,
ὅππως τοῦσδʼ ἵππους λάβετον καταδύντες ὅμιλον
how you two took these horses, having entered the throng
Τρώων, ἦ τίς σφωε πόρεν θεὸς ἀντιβολήσας.
of the Trojans; or did some god meet you and give them to you?
αἰνῶς ἀκτίνεσσιν ἐοικότες ἠελίοιο.
They are wondrously like the rays of the sun.
αἰεὶ μὲν Τρώεσσʼ ἐπιμίσγομαι, οὐδέ τί φημι
Ever do I mingle with the Trojans, nor do I say that I
μιμνάζειν παρὰ νηυσὶ γέρων περ ἐὼν πολεμιστής·
abide by the ships, old warrior though I am;
ἀλλʼ οὔ πω τοίους ἵππους ἴδον οὐδὲ νόησα.
yet never have I seen or marked such horses.
ἀλλά τινʼ ὔμμʼ ὀΐω δόμεναι θεὸν ἀντιάσαντα·
But I deem that some god met you and gave them;
ἀμφοτέρω γὰρ σφῶϊ φιλεῖ νεφεληγερέτα Ζεὺς
for both of you are loved by Zeus the cloud-gatherer
κούρη τʼ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.
and by the flashing-eyed daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus, Athena.”
τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·
Then resourceful Odysseus answered him and said:
ὦ Νέστορ Νηληϊάδη μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν
”Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans,
ῥεῖα θεός γʼ ἐθέλων καὶ ἀμείνονας ἠέ περ οἵδε
easily could a god, if he willed, bestow even better horses
ἵππους δωρήσαιτʼ,4 ἐπεὶ ἢ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσιν.
than these, since the gods are far stronger.
ἵπποι δʼ οἵδε γεραιὲ νεήλυδες οὓς ἐρεείνεις
But these horses, old man, of which thou askest, are newly come
Θρηΐκιοι· τὸν δέ σφιν ἄνακτʼ ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης
from Thrace; and their king did brave Diomedes
ἔκτανε, πὰρ δʼ ἑτάρους δυοκαίδεκα πάντας ἀρίστους.
slay, and beside him twelve companions, all of them the best.
τὸν τρισκαιδέκατον σκοπὸν εἵλομεν ἐγγύθι νηῶν,
And the thirteenth, a spy, we took near the ships,
τόν ῥα διοπτῆρα στρατοῦ ἔμμεναι ἡμετέροιο
whom to be a spy upon our camp
Ἕκτωρ τε προέηκε καὶ ἄλλοι Τρῶες ἀγαυοί.
Hector sent forth, and the other lordly Trojans.”
ὣς εἰπὼν τάφροιο διήλασε μώνυχας ἵππους
So saying, he drove the single-hoofed horses through the trench,
καγχαλόων· ἅμα δʼ ἄλλοι ἴσαν χαίροντες Ἀχαιοί.
laughing aloud; and with him went the other Achaeans rejoicing.
οἳ δʼ ὅτε Τυδεΐδεω κλισίην εὔτυκτον ἵκοντο,
And when they came to the well-built shelter of the son of Tydeus,
ἵππους μὲν κατέδησαν ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσι
they bound the horses with well-cut thongs
φάτνῃ ἐφʼ ἱππείῃ, ὅθι περ Διομήδεος ἵπποι
at the horses’ manger, where the swift-footed horses of Diomedes
ἕστασαν ὠκύποδες μελιηδέα πυρὸν ἔδοντες·
stood eating honey-sweet wheat;
νηῒ δʼ ἐνὶ πρυμνῇ ἔναρα βροτόεντα Δόλωνος
and in the stern of the ship Odysseus laid the bloody spoils of Dolon,
θῆκʼ Ὀδυσεύς, ὄφρʼ ἱρὸν ἑτοιμασσαίατʼ Ἀθήνῃ.
until they should make ready a sacred offering to Athena.
αὐτοὶ δʼ ἱδρῶ πολλὸν ἀπενίζοντο θαλάσσῃ
But they themselves washed off the abundant sweat in the sea,
ἐσβάντες κνήμας τε ἰδὲ λόφον ἀμφί τε μηρούς.
entering in, from their shins and necks and thighs.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί σφιν κῦμα θαλάσσης ἱδρῶ πολλὸν
And when the wave of the sea had washed the abundant sweat
νίψεν ἀπὸ χρωτὸς καὶ ἀνέψυχθεν φίλον ἦτορ,
from their skin, and their dear hearts were refreshed,
ἔς ῥʼ ἀσαμίνθους βάντες ἐϋξέστας λούσαντο.
they went into well-polished baths and bathed.
τὼ δὲ λοεσσαμένω καὶ ἀλειψαμένω λίπʼ ἐλαίῳ
And having bathed and anointed themselves with olive oil,
δείπνῳ ἐφιζανέτην, ἀπὸ δὲ κρητῆρος Ἀθήνῃ
they sat down to meat, and from the full bowl to Athena
πλείου ἀφυσσόμενοι λεῖβον μελιηδέα οἶνον.
they poured libations of honey-sweet wine, drawing it forth.
- 505ῥυμοῦ
A genitive of separation depending on the verb ἐξερύοι ('to draw out'), meaning 'to draw [the chariot] out from the pole'.
- 510μὴ καὶ πεφοβημένος ἔλθῃς
An independent clause expressing caution or warning using μὴ with the subjunctive, meaning 'lest you should return in flight (terrified)'.
- 534ψεύσομαι, ἦ ἔτυμον ἐρέω;
Dubitative questions. The future indicative (or aorist middle subjunctive) ψεύσομαι and the future ἐρέω are coordinated to express the speaker's hesitation: 'Shall I speak falsely, or shall I say the truth?'
- 556ῥεῖα θεός γʼ ἐθέλων... δωρήσαιτʼ
Potential optative. In Homeric Greek, the optative can express potentiality ('could easily bestow') without the particle ἄν or κε. The participle ἐθέλων acts as a protasis ('if he willed').