Nestor Awakened to Rouse Odysseus and the Leaders — Homer, Iliad Book 10 (lines 75–146), Greek & English

εὐνῇ ἔνι μαλακῇ· παρὰ δʼ ἔντεα ποικίλʼ ἔκειτο

in his soft bed; and beside him lay his variegated armor,

ἀσπὶς καὶ δύο δοῦρε φαεινή τε τρυφάλεια.

his shield, two spears, and his shining helmet.

πὰρ δὲ ζωστὴρ κεῖτο παναίολος, ᾧ ῥʼ ὁ γεραιὸς

And beside him lay his gleaming belt, with which the old man

ζώννυθʼ ὅτʼ ἐς πόλεμον φθισήνορα θωρήσσοιτο

girded himself whenever he armed himself for man-destroying war,

λαὸν ἄγων, ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν ἐπέτρεπε γήραϊ λυγρῷ.¹

leading his people, since he did not yield to grievous old age.

ὀρθωθεὶς δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ ἀγκῶνος κεφαλὴν ἐπαείρας

Rising then on his elbow and lifting his head,

Ἀτρεΐδην προσέειπε καὶ ἐξερεείνετο μύθῳ·

he spoke to the son of Atreus and questioned him with words:

τίς δʼ οὗτος κατὰ νῆας ἀνὰ στρατὸν ἔρχεαι οἶος

”Who are you who goes alone through the camp by the ships

νύκτα διʼ ὀρφναίην, ὅτε θʼ εὕδουσι βροτοὶ ἄλλοι,

through the dark night, when other mortals sleep?

ἠέ τινʼ οὐρήων διζήμενος, ἤ τινʼ ἑταίρων;

Are you seeking some of the guards, or one of your companions?

φθέγγεο, μηδʼ ἀκέων ἐπʼ ἔμʼ ἔρχεο· τίπτε δέ σε χρεώ;

Speak, do not come toward me in silence; what need has come upon you?”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

Then the king of men Agamemnon made answer to him:

ὦ Νέστορ Νηληϊάδη μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν

”Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans,

γνώσεαι Ἀτρεΐδην Ἀγαμέμνονα, τὸν περὶ πάντων

you shall know Agamemnon, son of Atreus, whom above all

Ζεὺς ἐνέηκε πόνοισι διαμπερὲς εἰς ὅ κʼ ἀϋτμὴ

Zeus has cast into troubles continually, as long as breath

ἐν στήθεσσι μένῃ² καί μοι φίλα γούνατʼ ὀρώρῃ.

remains in my breast and my own knees stir.

πλάζομαι ὧδʼ ἐπεὶ οὔ μοι ἐπʼ ὄμμασι νήδυμος ὕπνος

I wander thus, since sweet sleep does not settle on my eyes,

ἱζάνει, ἀλλὰ μέλει πόλεμος καὶ κήδεʼ Ἀχαιῶν.

but war and the sorrows of the Achaeans weigh on my mind.

αἰνῶς γὰρ Δαναῶν περιδείδια, οὐδέ μοι ἦτορ

For terribly do I fear for the Danaans, nor is my heart

ἔμπεδον, ἀλλʼ ἀλαλύκτημαι, κραδίη δέ μοι ἔξω

firm, but I am distraught, and my heart leaps out of

στηθέων ἐκθρῴσκει, τρομέει δʼ ὑπὸ φαίδιμα γυῖα.

my breast, and my shining limbs tremble beneath me.

ἀλλʼ εἴ τι δραίνεις, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ σέ γʼ ὕπνος ἱκάνει,

But if you would do anything, since sleep does not come to you either,

δεῦρʼ ἐς τοὺς φύλακας καταβήομεν, ὄφρα ἴδωμεν

come, let us go down to the guards, so that we may see

μὴ τοὶ μὲν καμάτῳ ἀδηκότες ἠδὲ καὶ ὕπνῳ

lest they, worn out with weariness and sleep,

κοιμήσωνται, ἀτὰρ φυλακῆς ἐπὶ πάγχυ λάθωνται.

have fallen asleep, and have utterly forgotten their watch.

100

δυσμενέες δʼ ἄνδρες σχεδὸν εἵαται· οὐδέ τι ἴδμεν

And hostile men sit nearby; nor do we know at all

μή πως καὶ διὰ νύκτα μενοινήσωσι μάχεσθαι.

whether they may not even through the night desire to fight.”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

Then the Gerenian horseman Nestor made answer to him:

Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον

”Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, king of men,

οὔ θην Ἕκτορι πάντα νοήματα μητίετα Ζεὺς

surely not all the plans of Hector will Zeus the counselor

105

ἐκτελέει, ὅσα πού νυν ἐέλπεται· ἀλλά μιν οἴω

accomplish, as he now hopes; but I think

κήδεσι μοχθήσειν καὶ πλείοσιν, εἴ κεν Ἀχιλλεὺς

he will labor under even more sorrows, if Achilles

ἐκ χόλου ἀργαλέοιο μεταστρέψῃ φίλον ἦτορ.

turns his dear heart from his grievous wrath.

σοὶ δὲ μάλʼ ἕψομʼ ἐγώ· ποτὶ δʼ αὖ καὶ ἐγείρομεν ἄλλους

And you I will readily follow; and let us also rouse others,

ἠμὲν Τυδεΐδην δουρὶ κλυτὸν ἠδʼ Ὀδυσῆα

both the son of Tydeus famed with the spear, and Odysseus,

110

ἠδʼ Αἴαντα ταχὺν καὶ Φυλέος ἄλκιμον υἱόν.

and swift Ajax, and the valiant son of Phyleus.

ἀλλʼ εἴ τις καὶ τούσδε μετοιχόμενος καλέσειεν³

But if only someone would go and call these also,

ἀντίθεόν τʼ Αἴαντα καὶ Ἰδομενῆα ἄνακτα·

godlike Ajax and lord Idomeneus;

τῶν γὰρ νῆες ἔασιν ἑκαστάτω, οὐδὲ μάλʼ ἐγγύς.

for their ships are furthest off, and not at all near.

ἀλλὰ φίλον περ ἐόντα καὶ αἰδοῖον Μενέλαον

But though he is dear and respected, Menelaus

115

νεικέσω, εἴ πέρ μοι νεμεσήσεαι, οὐδʼ ἐπικεύσω

I will chide, even if you are angry with me, nor will I hide it,

ὡς εὕδει, σοὶ δʼ οἴῳ ἐπέτρεψεν πονέεσθαι.

how he sleeps, and has left you alone to toil.

νῦν ὄφελεν κατὰ πάντας ἀριστῆας πονέεσθαι

Now he ought to be toiling among all the chieftains,

λισσόμενος· χρειὼ γὰρ ἱκάνεται οὐκέτʼ ἀνεκτός.

beseeching them; for a need has come that is no longer bearable.”

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

And to him in turn spoke Agamemnon, king of men:

120

ὦ γέρον ἄλλοτε μέν σε καὶ αἰτιάασθαι ἄνωγα·

”O elder, at other times I would even bid you blame him;

πολλάκι γὰρ μεθιεῖ τε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλει πονέεσθαι

for often he is slack and does not wish to toil,

οὔτʼ ὄκνῳ εἴκων οὔτʼ ἀφραδίῃσι νόοιο,

neither yielding to hesitation nor from folly of mind,

ἀλλʼ ἐμέ τʼ εἰσορόων καὶ ἐμὴν ποτιδέγμενος ὁρμήν.

but looking to me and waiting for my initiative.

νῦν δʼ ἐμέο πρότερος μάλʼ ἐπέγρετο καί μοι ἐπέστη·

But now he woke far earlier than I and stood before me;

125

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ προέηκα καλήμεναι οὓς σὺ μεταλλᾷς.

him I sent to call those whom you ask for.

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν· κείνους δὲ κιχησόμεθα πρὸ πυλάων

But let us go; and those we shall find before the gates

ἐν φυλάκεσσʼ, ἵνα γάρ σφιν ἐπέφραδον ἠγερέθεσθαι.

among the guards, for there I told them to assemble.”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

Then the Gerenian horseman Nestor made answer to him:

οὕτως οὔ τίς οἱ νεμεσήσεται οὐδʼ ἀπιθήσει

”In that case no one of the Argives will be angry with him or disobey him

130

Ἀργείων, ὅτε κέν τινʼ ἐποτρύνῃ καὶ ἀνώγῃ.

when he urges any man and commands.”

ὣς εἰπὼν ἔνδυνε περὶ στήθεσσι χιτῶνα,

So saying he put the tunic about his breast,

ποσσὶ δʼ ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδιλα,

and bound his fair sandals beneath his shining feet,

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρα χλαῖναν περονήσατο φοινικόεσσαν

and pinned about him a purple cloak,

διπλῆν ἐκταδίην, οὔλη δʼ ἐπενήνοθε λάχνη.

double, wide-spread, on which wool was thick.

135

εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος ἀκαχμένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,

And he took a valiant spear, tipped with sharp bronze,

βῆ δʼ ἰέναι κατὰ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων.

and went to go among the ships of the bronze-clad Achaeans.

πρῶτον ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆα Διὶ μῆτιν ἀτάλαντον

First then Odysseus, equal to Zeus in counsel,

ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνέγειρε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ

Gerenian horseman Nestor rouse from sleep

φθεγξάμενος· τὸν δʼ αἶψα περὶ φρένας ἤλυθʼ ἰωή,

by speaking; and at once the voice came about his mind,

140

ἐκ δʼ ἦλθε κλισίης καί σφεας πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·

and he came out of the hut and spoke to them saying:

τίφθʼ οὕτω κατὰ νῆας ἀνὰ στρατὸν οἶοι ἀλᾶσθε

”Why do you wander thus alone through the camp by the ships

νύκτα διʼ ἀμβροσίην, ὅ τι δὴ χρειὼ τόσον ἵκει;

through the ambrosial night, what great need has come upon you?”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

Then Gerenian horseman Nestor made answer to him:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ

”Heaven-born son of Laertes, Odysseus of many devices,

145

μὴ νεμέσα· τοῖον γὰρ ἄχος βεβίηκεν Ἀχαιούς.

be not angry; for such a grief has overcome the Achaeans.

ἀλλʼ ἕπεʼ, ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλον ἐγείρομεν ὅν τʼ ἐπέοικε

But follow, so that we may rouse also another whom it is fitting”

Syntax notes3 items

10.79ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν ἐπέτρεπε γήραϊ λυγρῷ
ἐπέτρεπε is used here either with an omitted object (such as ἑαυτόν) or intransitively in the sense of "yield to" or "give way to." It highlights Nestor's active spirit, refusing to surrender to the weaknesses of old age.
10.89εἰς ὅ κʼ ἀϋτμὴ ... μένῃ
A temporal clause introduced by εἰς ὅ κʼ (εἰς ὅ κε) followed by the subjunctive μένῃ, expressing a temporal limit ("as long as...").
10.111ἀλλʼ εἴ τις καὶ τούσδε μετοιχόμενος καλέσειεν
The optative (καλέσειεν) introduced by εἴ expresses a gentle or wistful wish ("if only someone would call...").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.75-10.146