- 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-grc2:11.638-11.708
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
While Hecamede prepares a potion for Nestor and Machaon, Patroclus arrives as Achilles' messenger. Refusing to sit, he is addressed by Nestor, who laments the inaction of Achilles amid the growing casualties and recounts a lengthy tale of his own youthful valor in the war against the Eleans.
ἐν τῷ ῥά σφι κύκησε γυνὴ ἐϊκυῖα θεῇσιν
In it, the woman like unto the goddesses mixed for them a potion
οἴνῳ Πραμνείῳ, ἐπὶ δʼ αἴγειον κνῆ τυρὸν
with Pramnian wine, and over it she grated goat’s milk cheese
κνήστι χαλκείῃ, ἐπὶ δʼ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ πάλυνε,
with a bronze grater, and upon it she sprinkled white barley meal,
πινέμεναι δʼ ἐκέλευσεν, ἐπεί ῥʼ ὥπλισσε κυκειῶ.
and bade them drink, when she had prepared the potion.
τὼ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν πίνοντʼ ἀφέτην πολυκαγκέα δίψαν
But when they had drunk and quenched their parching thirst,
μύθοισιν τέρποντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐνέποντες,
they took delight in talking with one another,
Πάτροκλος δὲ θύρῃσιν ἐφίστατο ἰσόθεος φώς.
and Patroclus stood at the doors, a godlike man.
τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ὁ γεραιὸς ἀπὸ θρόνου ὦρτο φαεινοῦ,
And when the old man saw him, he rose from his bright chair,
ἐς δʼ ἄγε χειρὸς ἑλών, κατὰ δʼ ἑδριάασθαι ἄνωγε.
and took him by the hand and led him in, and bade him be seated.
Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἀναίνετο εἶπέ τε μῦθον·
But Patroclus from where he was refused, and spoke a word:
οὐχ ἕδος ἐστὶ γεραιὲ διοτρεφές, οὐδέ με πείσεις.
”No time to sit is this, old man, nurtured of Zeus, nor will you persuade me.
αἰδοῖος νεμεσητὸς ὅ1 με προέηκε πυθέσθαι
Revered and feared is he who sent me forth to ask
ὅν τινα τοῦτον ἄγεις βεβλημένον· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς
who this is whom you bring wounded; but even of myself
γιγνώσκω, ὁρόω δὲ Μαχάονα ποιμένα λαῶν.
I know, and I see Machaon, shepherd of the host.
νῦν δὲ ἔπος ἐρέων πάλιν ἄγγελος εἶμʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ.
And now to tell the word I go back as a messenger to Achilles.
εὖ δὲ σὺ οἶσθα γεραιὲ διοτρεφές, οἷος ἐκεῖνος
Well do you know, old man, nurtured of Zeus, what kind of man he is,
δεινὸς ἀνήρ· τάχα κεν καὶ ἀναίτιον αἰτιόῳτο.2
a terrible man; quickly might he blame even the blameless.”
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·
Then answered him Gerenian horseman Nestor:
τίπτε τὰρ ὧδʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ὀλοφύρεται υἷας Ἀχαιῶν,
”Why then does Achilles thus pity the sons of the Achaeans,
ὅσσοι δὴ βέλεσιν βεβλήαται; οὐδέ τι οἶδε
who have been wounded with missiles? He knows nothing
πένθεος, ὅσσον ὄρωρε κατὰ στρατόν· οἳ γὰρ ἄριστοι
of the grief that has arisen throughout the host; for the best men
ἐν νηυσὶν κέαται βεβλημένοι οὐτάμενοί τε.
lie in the ships, smitten or wounded.
βέβληται μὲν ὃ Τυδεΐδης κρατερὸς Διομήδης,
Smitten is the son of Tydeus, strong Diomedes,
οὔτασται δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς δουρὶ κλυτὸς ἠδʼ Ἀγαμέμνων·
and wounded is Odysseus, famous with the spear, and Agamemnon;
βέβληται δὲ καὶ Εὐρύπυλος κατὰ μηρὸν ὀϊστῷ·
and smitten also is Eurypylus with an arrow in the thigh;
τοῦτον δʼ ἄλλον ἐγὼ νέον ἤγαγον ἐκ πολέμοιο
and this other one I have just brought out of the battle
ἰῷ ἀπὸ νευρῆς βεβλημένον. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
smitten with an arrow from the bowstring. Yet Achilles,
ἐσθλὸς ἐὼν Δαναῶν οὐ κήδεται οὐδʼ ἐλεαίρει.
brave though he is, cares not for the Danaans nor pities them.
ἦ μένει εἰς ὅ κε3 δὴ νῆες θοαὶ ἄγχι θαλάσσης
Does he wait indeed until the swift ships near the sea
Ἀργείων ἀέκητι πυρὸς δηΐοιο θέρωνται,
shall burn with consuming fire, in despite of the Argives,
αὐτοί τε κτεινώμεθʼ ἐπισχερώ; οὐ γὰρ ἐμὴ ἲς
and we ourselves be slain one after another? For my strength
ἔσθʼ οἵη πάρος ἔσκεν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσιν.
is not such as it was of old in my supple limbs.
εἴθʼ ὣς ἡβώοιμι4 βίη δέ μοι ἔμπεδος εἴη
Would that I were as young, and my strength were as steadfast
ὡς ὁπότʼ Ἠλείοισι καὶ ἡμῖν νεῖκος ἐτύχθη
as when a strife was made between the Eleans and us
ἀμφὶ βοηλασίῃ, ὅτʼ ἐγὼ κτάνον Ἰτυμονῆα
about a cattle-raid, when I slew Itymoneus,
ἐσθλὸν Ὑπειροχίδην, ὃς ἐν Ἤλιδι ναιετάασκε,
the brave son of Hypeirochus, who dwelt in Elis,
ῥύσιʼ ἐλαυνόμενος· ὃ δʼ ἀμύνων ᾗσι βόεσσιν
as I was driving off the spoils; and he, defending his cattle,
ἔβλητʼ ἐν πρώτοισιν ἐμῆς ἀπὸ χειρὸς ἄκοντι,
was struck among the foremost by a spear from my hand,
κὰδ δʼ ἔπεσεν, λαοὶ δὲ περίτρεσαν ἀγροιῶται.
and fell, and the rustic folk fled in terror around him.
ληΐδα δʼ ἐκ πεδίου συνελάσσαμεν ἤλιθα πολλὴν
And booty exceeding great we drove together from the plain,
πεντήκοντα βοῶν ἀγέλας, τόσα πώεα οἰῶν,
fifty herds of kine, as many flocks of sheep,
τόσσα συῶν συβόσια, τόσʼ αἰπόλια πλατέʼ αἰγῶν,
as many droves of swine, as many wide-roaming herds of goats,
ἵππους δὲ ξανθὰς ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκοντα
and chestnut horses a hundred and fifty,
πάσας θηλείας, πολλῇσι δὲ πῶλοι ὑπῆσαν.
all mares, and under many were foals.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἠλασάμεσθα Πύλον Νηλήϊον εἴσω
And these we drove into Neleian Pylos
ἐννύχιοι προτὶ ἄστυ· γεγήθει δὲ φρένα Νηλεύς,
by night to the city; and Neleus was glad in heart,
οὕνεκά μοι τύχε πολλὰ νέῳ πόλεμον δὲ κιόντι.
because many things had fallen to me, who went as a youth to the war.
κήρυκες δʼ ἐλίγαινον ἅμʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφι
And heralds cried aloud at the dawning of the day
τοὺς ἴμεν5 οἷσι χρεῖος ὀφείλετʼ ἐν Ἤλιδι δίῃ·
that they should come to whom a debt was owed in noble Elis;
οἳ δὲ συναγρόμενοι Πυλίων ἡγήτορες ἄνδρες
and they gathered together, the leaders of the Pylians,
δαίτρευον· πολέσιν γὰρ Ἐπειοὶ χρεῖος ὄφειλον,
and divided the spoil; for to many did the Epeians owe a debt,
ὡς ἡμεῖς παῦροι κεκακωμένοι ἐν Πύλῳ ἦμεν·
as we in Pylos were few and oppressed.
ἐλθὼν γάρ ῥʼ ἐκάκωσε βίη Ἡρακληείη
For the mighty Heracles came and oppressed us
τῶν προτέρων ἐτέων, κατὰ δʼ ἔκταθεν ὅσσοι ἄριστοι·
in the former years, and all our best were slain.
δώδεκα γὰρ Νηλῆος ἀμύμονος υἱέες ἦμεν·
For twelve were we, the sons of noble Neleus,
τῶν οἶος λιπόμην, οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι πάντες ὄλοντο.
and of these I alone was left, and all the others perished.
ταῦθʼ ὑπερηφανέοντες Ἐπειοὶ χαλκοχίτωνες
Boasting of these things, the bronze-clad Epeians,
ἡμέας ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανόωντο.
insulting us, devised outrageous deeds.
ἐκ δʼ ὃ γέρων ἀγέλην τε βοῶν καὶ πῶϋ μέγʼ οἰῶν
And the old man chose out a herd of kine and a great flock of sheep,
εἵλετο κρινάμενος τριηκόσιʼ ἠδὲ νομῆας.
choosing three hundred, and the shepherds with them.
καὶ γὰρ τῷ χρεῖος μέγʼ ὀφείλετʼ ἐν Ἤλιδι δίῃ
For to him also a great debt was owed in noble Elis:
τέσσαρες ἀθλοφόροι ἵπποι αὐτοῖσιν ὄχεσφιν
four prize-winning horses, with their chariot,
ἐλθόντες μετʼ ἄεθλα· περὶ τρίποδος γὰρ ἔμελλον
which had gone for the games; for they were about to run
θεύσεσθαι· τοὺς δʼ αὖθι ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Αὐγείας
for a tripod; but Augeias, king of men,
κάσχεθε, τὸν δʼ ἐλατῆρʼ ἀφίει ἀκαχήμενον ἵππων.
kept them there, and sent back the driver, sorrowing for his horses.
τῶν ὃ γέρων ἐπέων κεχολωμένος ἠδὲ καὶ ἔργων6
Incensed by these words and deeds, the old man
ἐξέλετʼ ἄσπετα πολλά· τὰ δʼ ἄλλʼ ἐς δῆμον ἔδωκε
chose out vast measure for himself; and the rest he gave to the people
δαιτρεύειν, μή τίς οἱ ἀτεμβόμενος κίοι ἴσης.
to divide, so that no man might go deprived of his equal share.
ἡμεῖς μὲν τὰ ἕκαστα διείπομεν, ἀμφί τε ἄστυ
So we ordered each of these things, and about the city
ἕρδομεν ἱρὰ θεοῖς· οἳ δὲ τρίτῳ ἤματι πάντες
we performed sacrifices to the gods; and on the third day they all came,
ἦλθον ὁμῶς αὐτοί τε πολεῖς καὶ μώνυχες ἵπποι
many men and single-hooved horses together.
- 11.649ὅ
Nominative singular masculine relative pronoun referring to Achilles (the antecedent). In Homeric Greek, the relative pronoun ὅς frequently takes the form ὅ in the masculine singular nominative, functioning here as the subject of the clause "he who sent me forth...".
- 11.654τάχα κεν καὶ ἀναίτιον αἰτιόῳτο
A combination of the modal particle κεν (equivalent to Attic ἄν indicating potentiality) and the present optative αἰτιόῳτο (an epic/Ionic epicized form of αἰτιάομαι). This expresses potentiality: "he might quickly blame even the blameless," reflecting Patroclus's apprehension of Achilles' harsh nature.
- 11.666εἰς ὅ κε
A temporal conjunction meaning "until the time when." Accompanied by the modal particle κε, it governs the subjunctive verbs θέρωνται and κτεινώμεθʼ (§11.668), indicating an indefinite limit in the future.
- 11.670εἴθʼ ὣς ἡβώοιμι
The particle of wishing εἴθε combined with the present optative ἡβώοιμι (from ἡβάω, to be young), expressing an unattainable wish for the past/present ("Would that I were so young..."). This is a highly characteristic formulaic expression used by Nestor when recalling his past exploits.
- 11.686ἴμεν
The epic infinitive form of εἶμι (to go), equivalent to Attic ἰέναι. Here it functions in an accusative-with-infinitive construction with the subject accusative τοὺς, representing an indirect command ("ordered those to go...") issued by the heralds (§11.685 κήρυκες).
- 11.703τῶν ὃ γέρων ἐπέων κεχολωμένος ἠδὲ καὶ ἔργων
The relative pronoun τῶν (genitive plural) refers back to Augeias's insulting words and deeds mentioned in the preceding lines, and is placed in apposition with the genitive nouns ἐπέων and ἔργων. These genitives are governed by the perfect participle κεχολωμένος (angered), expressing the cause of anger.