Arming of Agamemnon and the Clash of Armies — Homer, Iliad Book 11 (lines 1–73), Greek & English

Ἠὼς δʼ ἐκ λεχέων παρʼ ἀγαυοῦ Τιθωνοῖο

Dawn rose from her bed from beside lordly Tithonus,

ὄρνυθʼ, ἵνʼ ἀθανάτοισι φόως φέροι ἠδὲ βροτοῖσι·

to bring light to immortals and to mortal men;

Ζεὺς δʼ Ἔριδα προΐαλλε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν

and Zeus sent forth Strife to the swift ships of the Achaeans,

ἀργαλέην, πολέμοιο τέρας μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαν.

dread Strife, holding in her hands a portent of war.

στῆ δʼ ἐπʼ Ὀδυσσῆος μεγακήτεϊ νηῒ μελαίνῃ,

And she stood upon Odysseus’ huge, black ship,

ἥ ῥʼ ἐν μεσσάτῳ ἔσκε γεγωνέμεν¹ ἀμφοτέρωσε,

which was in the midst so that her voice could reach both ways,

ἠμὲν ἐπʼ Αἴαντος κλισίας Τελαμωνιάδαο

both to the shelters of Ajax, son of Telamon,

ἠδʼ ἐπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος, τοί ῥʼ ἔσχατα νῆας ἐΐσας

and to those of Achilles; for they had drawn up their even ships

εἴρυσαν ἠνορέῃ πίσυνοι καὶ κάρτεϊ χειρῶν

at the very ends, trusting in their valor and the strength of their hands.

ἔνθα στᾶσʼ ἤϋσε θεὰ μέγα τε δεινόν τε

Standing there, the goddess uttered a great and terrible cry,

ὄρθιʼ, Ἀχαιοῖσιν δὲ μέγα σθένος ἔμβαλʼ ἑκάστῳ

shrill and high, and in the heart of each of the Achaeans

καρδίῃ ἄληκτον πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι.

she cast great strength to war and fight unceasingly.

τοῖσι δʼ ἄφαρ πόλεμος γλυκίων γένετʼ ἠὲ νέεσθαι

And to them, war straightway became sweeter than to return

ἐν νηυσὶ γλαφυρῇσι φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

in the hollow ships to their dear native land.

Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἐβόησεν ἰδὲ ζώννυσθαι ἄνωγεν

Then the son of Atreus shouted aloud and bade the Argives

Ἀργείους· ἐν δʼ αὐτὸς ἐδύσετο νώροπα χαλκόν.

gird themselves; and he himself put on his gleaming bronze.

κνημῖδας μὲν πρῶτα περὶ κνήμῃσιν ἔθηκε

First he placed the greaves about his shins,

καλὰς ἀργυρέοισιν ἐπισφυρίοις ἀραρυίας·

beautiful greaves, fitted with silver ankle-guards;

δεύτερον αὖ θώρηκα περὶ στήθεσσιν ἔδυνε,

next, he put on his breastplate about his chest,

τόν ποτέ οἱ Κινύρης δῶκε ξεινήϊον εἶναι.

which once Cinyras had given him to be a guest-gift.

πεύθετο γὰρ Κύπρον δὲ² μέγα κλέος οὕνεκʼ Ἀχαιοὶ

For he heard in Cyprus a great rumor that the Achaeans

ἐς Τροίην νήεσσιν ἀναπλεύσεσθαι ἔμελλον·

were about to sail to Troy in their ships;

τοὔνεκά οἱ τὸν δῶκε χαριζόμενος βασιλῆϊ.

wherefore he gave it to him, to do pleasure to the king.

τοῦ δʼ ἤτοι δέκα οἶμοι ἔσαν μέλανος κυάνοιο,

On it indeed were ten bands of dark enamel,

δώδεκα δὲ χρυσοῖο καὶ εἴκοσι κασσιτέροιο·

and twelve of gold, and twenty of tin;

κυάνεοι δὲ δράκοντες ὀρωρέχατο προτὶ δειρὴν

and serpents of dark enamel stretched toward the neck,

τρεῖς ἑκάτερθʼ ἴρισσιν ἐοικότες, ἅς τε Κρονίων

three on either side, like the rainbows which the son of Cronos

ἐν νέφεϊ στήριξε, τέρας μερόπων ἀνθρώπων.

has set in the cloud to be a sign to mortal men.

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ὤμοισιν βάλετο ξίφος· ἐν δέ οἱ ἧλοι

And about his shoulders he cast his sword, whereon

χρύσειοι πάμφαινον, ἀτὰρ περὶ κουλεὸν ἦεν

studs of gold shone bright, and about it was a sheath

ἀργύρεον χρυσέοισιν ἀορτήρεσσιν ἀρηρός.

of silver, fitted with golden hangers.

ἂν δʼ ἕλετʼ ἀμφιβρότην πολυδαίδαλον ἀσπίδα θοῦριν

And he took up his shield, covering the whole man, richly wrought, furious,

καλήν, ἣν πέρι μὲν κύκλοι δέκα χάλκεοι ἦσαν,

and beautiful, around which were ten circles of bronze,

ἐν δέ οἱ ὀμφαλοὶ ἦσαν ἐείκοσι κασσιτέροιο

and on it were twenty bosses of tin,

λευκοί, ἐν δὲ μέσοισιν ἔην μέλανος κυάνοιο.

white, and in the midst was one of dark enamel.

τῇ δʼ ἐπὶ μὲν Γοργὼ βλοσυρῶπις ἐστεφάνωτο

And thereon was set as a crown the Gorgon, grim of aspect,

δεινὸν δερκομένη, περὶ δὲ Δεῖμός τε Φόβος τε.

glaring terribly, and about her were Dread and Terror.

τῆς δʼ ἐξ ἀργύρεος τελαμὼν ἦν· αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ

From the shield was a shoulder-strap of silver, and upon it

κυάνεος ἐλέλικτο δράκων, κεφαλαὶ δέ οἱ ἦσαν

a serpent of dark enamel was writhed, and its heads

τρεῖς ἀμφιστρεφέες ἑνὸς αὐχένος ἐκπεφυυῖαι.

were three, reared from one neck and turning every way.

κρατὶ δʼ ἐπʼ ἀμφίφαλον κυνέην θέτο τετραφάληρον

And upon his head he set his helmet with two horns and four bosses,

ἵππουριν· δεινὸν δὲ λόφος καθύπερθεν ἔνευεν.

with horsehair crest, and terribly did the plume nod from above.

εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμα δοῦρε δύω κεκορυθμένα χαλκῷ

And he took two strong spears, tipped with bronze,

ὀξέα· τῆλε δὲ χαλκὸς ἀπʼ αὐτόφιν οὐρανὸν εἴσω

sharp, and far from them did the bronze gleam into heaven;

λάμπʼ· ἐπὶ δʼ ἐγδούπησαν Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη

and thereat thundered Athena and Hera,

τιμῶσαι βασιλῆα πολυχρύσοιο Μυκήνης.

doing honor to the king of Mycenae rich in gold.

ἡνιόχῳ μὲν ἔπειτα ἑῷ ἐπέτελλεν ἕκαστος

Then each man charged his own charioteer

ἵππους εὖ κατὰ κόσμον ἐρυκέμεν αὖθʼ ἐπὶ τάφρῳ,

to hold the horses well in order there at the trench,

αὐτοὶ δὲ πρυλέες σὺν τεύχεσι θωρηχθέντες

but they themselves, on foot, harnessed in their armor,

ῥώοντʼ· ἄσβεστος δὲ βοὴ γένετʼ ἠῶθι πρό.

rushed forward; and an unquenchable clamor arose before the dawn.

φθὰν δὲ μέγʼ ἱππήων³ ἐπὶ τάφρῳ κοσμηθέντες,

Far ahead of the horsemen were they marshaled at the trench,

ἱππῆες δʼ ὀλίγον μετεκίαθον· ἐν δὲ κυδοιμὸν

and the horsemen followed close after; but among them

ὦρσε κακὸν Κρονίδης, κατὰ δʼ ὑψόθεν ἧκεν ἐέρσας

the son of Cronos aroused an evil tumult, and from on high sent down dews

αἵματι μυδαλέας ἐξ αἰθέρος, οὕνεκʼ ἔμελλε

wet with blood from the ether, because he was minded

πολλὰς ἰφθίμους κεφαλὰς Ἄϊδι προϊάψειν.

to cast down many a mighty head to Hades.

Τρῶες δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐπὶ θρωσμῷ πεδίοιο

And the Trojans on the other side, on the rising ground of the plain,

Ἕκτορά τʼ ἀμφὶ μέγαν καὶ ἀμύμονα Πουλυδάμαντα

gathered about great Hector and blameless Polydamas

Αἰνείαν θʼ, ὃς Τρωσὶ θεὸς ὣς τίετο δήμῳ,

and Aeneas, who was honored by the Trojan folk even as a god,

τρεῖς τʼ Ἀντηνορίδας Πόλυβον καὶ Ἀγήνορα δῖον

and the three sons of Antenor, Polybus and noble Agenor,

ἠΐθεόν τʼ Ἀκάμαντʼ ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισιν.

and youthful Acamas, peer of the immortals.

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἐν πρώτοισι φέρʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην,

And Hector in the forefront bore his shield, even on every side;

οἷος δʼ ἐκ νεφέων ἀναφαίνεται οὔλιος ἀστὴρ

and as from the clouds a baneful star appears,

παμφαίνων, τοτὲ δʼ αὖτις ἔδυ νέφεα σκιόεντα,

all-gleaming, and then again sinks into the shadowy clouds,

ὣς Ἕκτωρ ὁτὲ μέν τε μετὰ πρώτοισι φάνεσκεν,

so Hector would now appear among the foremost,

ἄλλοτε δʼ ἐν πυμάτοισι κελεύων· πᾶς δʼ ἄρα χαλκῷ

and now among the hindmost, giving commands; and all in bronze

λάμφʼ ὥς τε στεροπὴ πατρὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

he shone like the lightning of father Zeus who bears the aegis.

οἳ δʼ, ὥς τʼ ἀμητῆρες ἐναντίοι ἀλλήλοισιν

And they, like reapers who over against one another

ὄγμον ἐλαύνωσιν ἀνδρὸς μάκαρος κατʼ ἄρουραν

drive their swaths along the field of a rich man,

πυρῶν ἢ κριθῶν· τὰ δὲ δράγματα ταρφέα πίπτει·

of wheat or of barley, and the handfuls fall thick and fast,

ὣς Τρῶες καὶ Ἀχαιοὶ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι θορόντες

so the Trojans and Achaeans leapt upon one another

δῄουν, οὐδʼ ἕτεροι μνώοντʼ ὀλοοῖο φόβοιο.

and slew, and neither side took thought of ruinous flight.

ἴσας δʼ ὑσμίνη κεφαλὰς ἔχεν,⁴ οἳ δὲ λύκοι ὣς

And the battle held their heads equal, and like wolves

θῦνον· Ἔρις δʼ ἄρʼ ἔχαιρε πολύστονος εἰσορόωσα·

they rushed; and Strife, rich in groans, rejoiced as she looked on.

Syntax notes4 items

11.6γεγωνέμεν
The infinitive γεγωνέμεν (to make oneself heard) functions adverbially to express purpose or result within the relative clause ἥ ῥʼ ἐν μεσσάτῳ ἔσκε, meaning 'so as to make his voice heard in both directions.' The grammatical subject of the clause is the ship (νηῒ).
11.21Κύπρον δὲ
The proper noun Κύπρος combined with the directional suffix -δε, meaning 'to Cyprus.' Rather than directly modifying the preceding verb πεύθετο (he heard), it implies a pregnant construction: 'the rumor reached as far as Cyprus, where he heard it.'
11.51φθὰν δὲ μέγʼ ἱππήων
The verb φθὰν is the shortened 3rd person plural active aorist (or imperfect) of φθάνω (to anticipate, be beforehand). Together with the genitive of comparison ἱππήων (than the horsemen) and the adverbial accusative μέγα (greatly), it forms a construction meaning 'they were beforehand by far, prior to the horsemen.'
11.72ἴσας δʼ ὑσμίνη κεφαλὰς ἔχεν
Literally 'the battle held their heads equal,' a figurative expression indicating that the battle was deadlocked and both sides fought on equal terms. Here, ὑσμίνη (battle) is the subject of the sentence, and ἴσας ... κεφαλάς (equal heads, i.e., forces) is the direct object.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.1-11.73