- 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-grc2:11.709-11.780
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Nestor recounts his youthful glory when, despite being on foot, he achieved great feats against the Epeians under Athena's guidance. He then reminds Patroclus of the advice given by his father Menoetius before departing for the war, urging him to persuade Achilles to aid the Achaeans.
πανσυδίῃ· μετὰ δέ σφι Μολίονε θωρήσσοντο
with all speed. And among them the two Moliones were arming themselves,
παῖδʼ ἔτʼ ἐόντʼ,1 οὔ πω μάλα εἰδότε θούριδος ἀλκῆς.
being still children, not yet well skilled in furious valor.
ἔστι δέ τις Θρυόεσσα πόλις αἰπεῖα κολώνη
There is a certain city, Thryoessa, a steep hill,
τηλοῦ ἐπʼ Ἀλφειῷ, νεάτη Πύλου ἠμαθόεντος·
far off on the Alpheius, the uttermost town of sandy Pylos;
τὴν ἀμφεστρατόωντο διαρραῖσαι μεμαῶτες.
around this they set their army, eager to destroy it.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε πᾶν πεδίον μετεκίαθον, ἄμμι δʼ Ἀθήνη
But when they had traversed the whole plain, to us Athena
ἄγγελος ἦλθε θέουσʼ ἀπʼ Ὀλύμπου θωρήσσεσθαι
came running as a messenger from Olympus to arm ourselves,
ἔννυχος, οὐδʼ ἀέκοντα Πύλον κάτα λαὸν ἄγειρεν
by night, nor did she gather an unwilling host throughout Pylos,
ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἐσσυμένους πολεμίζειν. οὐδέ με Νηλεὺς
but those right eager to battle. Yet Neleus would not
εἴα θωρήσσεσθαι, ἀπέκρυψεν δέ μοι ἵππους·
suffer me to arm, but hid my horses;
οὐ γάρ πώ τί μʼ ἔφη ἴδμεν πολεμήϊα ἔργα.
for he said I knew not yet aught of the deeds of war.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς ἱππεῦσι μετέπρεπον ἡμετέροισι
But even so I was preeminent among our horsemen,
καὶ πεζός περ ἐών, ἐπεὶ ὧς ἄγε νεῖκος Ἀθήνη.
though being on foot, since thus did Athena lead the strife.
ἔστι δέ τις ποταμὸς Μινυήϊος εἰς ἅλα βάλλων
There is a certain river Minyeius, falling into the sea
ἐγγύθεν Ἀρήνης, ὅθι μείναμεν Ἠῶ δῖαν
near Arene, where we waited for the divine Dawn,
ἱππῆες Πυλίων, τὰ δʼ ἐπέρρεον ἔθνεα πεζῶν.
we the horsemen of the Pylians, and the hosts of foot-soldiers flowed in.
ἔνθεν πανσυδίῃ σὺν τεύχεσι θωρηχθέντες
Thence with all speed, clad in our armor,
ἔνδιοι ἱκόμεσθʼ ἱερὸν ῥόον Ἀλφειοῖο.
at noon we came to the sacred stream of Alpheius.
ἔνθα Διὶ ῥέξαντες ὑπερμενεῖ ἱερὰ καλά,
There having offered goodly sacrifices to almighty Zeus,
ταῦρον δʼ Ἀλφειῷ, ταῦρον δὲ Ποσειδάωνι,
and a bull to Alpheius, and a bull to Poseidon,
αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη γλαυκώπιδι βοῦν ἀγελαίην,
but to flashing-eyed Athena a cow of the herd,
δόρπον ἔπειθʼ ἑλόμεσθα κατὰ στρατὸν ἐν τελέεσσι,
we then took supper throughout the host by ranks,
καὶ κατεκοιμήθημεν ἐν ἔντεσιν οἷσιν ἕκαστος
and we slept each in his armor
ἀμφὶ ῥοὰς ποταμοῖο. ἀτὰρ μεγάθυμοι Ἐπειοὶ
around the streams of the river. But the great-hearted Epeians
ἀμφέσταν δὴ ἄστυ διαρραῖσαι μεμαῶτες·
were standing around the city, eager to destroy it;
ἀλλά σφι προπάροιθε φάνη μέγα ἔργον Ἄρηος·
but before them there appeared a great work of Ares.
εὖτε γὰρ ἠέλιος φαέθων ὑπερέσχεθε γαίης,
For when the shining sun rose above the earth,
συμφερόμεσθα μάχῃ Διί τʼ εὐχόμενοι καὶ Ἀθήνῃ.
we joined battle, praying to Zeus and Athena.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Πυλίων καὶ Ἐπειῶν ἔπλετο νεῖκος,
But when the strife of the Pylians and Epeians arose,
πρῶτος ἐγὼν ἕλον ἄνδρα, κόμισσα δὲ μώνυχας ἵππους,
I was the first to slay a man, and I took his single-hooved horses,
Μούλιον αἰχμητήν· γαμβρὸς δʼ ἦν Αὐγείαο,
namely Mulius the spearman; he was the son-in-law of Augeias,
πρεσβυτάτην δὲ θύγατρʼ εἶχε ξανθὴν Ἀγαμήδην,
and had to wife his eldest daughter, golden-haired Agamede,
ἣ τόσα φάρμακα ᾔδη ὅσα τρέφει εὐρεῖα χθών.
who knew all the herbs that the wide earth nurtures.
τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ προσιόντα βάλον χαλκήρεϊ δουρί,
Him as he came against me I struck with my bronze-shod spear,
ἤριπε δʼ ἐν κονίῃσιν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐς δίφρον ὀρούσας
and he fell in the dust; and I, leaping into his chariot,
στῆν ῥα μετὰ προμάχοισιν· ἀτὰρ μεγάθυμοι Ἐπειοὶ
stood among the foremost fighters. But the great-hearted Epeians
ἔτρεσαν ἄλλυδις ἄλλος, ἐπεὶ ἴδον ἄνδρα πεσόντα
fled this way and that when they saw the man fall,
ἡγεμόνʼ ἱππήων, ὃς ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι.
the leader of their horsemen, who was the best in battle.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπόρουσα κελαινῇ λαίλαπι ἶσος,
But I rushed upon them like a dark whirlwind,
πεντήκοντα δʼ ἕλον δίφρους, δύο δʼ ἀμφὶς ἕκαστον
and took fifty chariots, and around each one two
φῶτες ὀδὰξ ἕλον οὖδας ἐμῷ ὑπὸ δουρὶ δαμέντες.
men bit the ground with their teeth, vanquished by my spear.
καί νύ κεν Ἀκτορίωνε Μολίονε παῖδʼ ἀλάπαξα,
And now indeed I should have slain the two Moliones, sons of Actor,
εἰ μή σφωε πατὴρ εὐρὺ κρείων ἐνοσίχθων
had not their father, the wide-ruling Earth-shaker,
ἐκ πολέμου ἐσάωσε2 καλύψας ἠέρι πολλῇ.
saved them from the war, wrapping them in a thick mist.
ἔνθα Ζεὺς Πυλίοισι μέγα κράτος ἐγγυάλιξε·
There Zeus granted great victory to the Pylians;
τόφρα γὰρ οὖν ἑπόμεσθα διὰ σπιδέος πεδίοιο
for so long did we follow through the wide plain,
κτείνοντές τʼ αὐτοὺς ἀνά τʼ ἔντεα καλὰ λέγοντες,
slaying them and gathering their goodly armor,
ὄφρʼ ἐπὶ Βουπρασίου πολυπύρου βήσαμεν ἵππους
until we drove our horses to Buprasium rich in wheat,
πέτρης τʼ Ὠλενίης, καὶ Ἀλησίου ἔνθα κολώνη
and the Olenian rock, and where is the hill called
κέκληται· ὅθεν αὖτις ἀπέτραπε λαὸν Ἀθήνη.
Alesium; from thence Athena turned back the host.
ἔνθʼ ἄνδρα κτείνας πύματον λίπον· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ
There having slain the last man, I left him; and the Achaeans
ἂψ ἀπὸ Βουπρασίοιο Πύλονδʼ ἔχον ὠκέας ἵππους,
drove back their swift horses from Buprasium to Pylos,
πάντες δʼ εὐχετόωντο θεῶν Διὶ Νέστορί τʼ ἀνδρῶν.3
and all gave glory among the gods to Zeus, and of men to Nestor.
ὣς ἔον, εἴ ποτʼ ἔον γε, μετʼ ἀνδράσιν. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
Such was I, if ever indeed I was, among men. But Achilles
οἶος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀπονήσεται· ἦ τέ μιν οἴω
will have the joy of his valor alone; yet surely I think he
πολλὰ μετακλαύσεσθαι ἐπεί κʼ ἀπὸ λαὸς ὄληται.
will sorely lament when the host has perished.
ὦ πέπον ἦ μὲν σοί γε Μενοίτιος ὧδʼ ἐπέτελλεν
Ah, gentle friend, surely Menoetius thus charged you
ἤματι τῷ ὅτε σʼ ἐκ Φθίης Ἀγαμέμνονι πέμπε,
on that day when he sent you from Phthia to Agamemnon,
νῶϊ δέ τʼ ἔνδον ἐόντες ἐγὼ καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς
and we two being within, I and noble Odysseus,
πάντα μάλʼ ἐν μεγάροις ἠκούομεν ὡς ἐπέτελλε.
heard all things in the halls, how he charged you.
Πηλῆος δʼ ἱκόμεσθα δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας
For we had come to the well-built house of Peleus,
λαὸν ἀγείροντες κατʼ Ἀχαιΐδα πουλυβότειραν.
gathering the host throughout rich Achaea.
ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἥρωα Μενοίτιον εὕρομεν ἔνδον
There then we found the hero Menoetius within,
ἠδὲ σέ, πὰρ δʼ Ἀχιλῆα· γέρων δʼ ἱππηλάτα Πηλεὺς
and you, and by you Achilles; and the old horseman Peleus
πίονα μηρία καῖε βοὸς Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ
was burning the fat thighs of an ox to Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt,
αὐλῆς ἐν χόρτῳ· ἔχε δὲ χρύσειον ἄλεισον
in the enclosure of the court; and he held a golden cup,
σπένδων αἴθοπα οἶνον ἐπʼ αἰθομένοις ἱεροῖσι.
pouring flaming wine upon the burning offerings.
σφῶϊ μὲν ἀμφὶ βοὸς ἕπετον κρέα, νῶϊ δʼ ἔπειτα
You two were busy about the flesh of the ox, and we then
στῆμεν ἐνὶ προθύροισι· ταφὼν δʼ ἀνόρουσεν Ἀχιλλεύς,
stood in the doorway; and Achilles leaped up in wonder,
ἐς δʼ ἄγε χειρὸς ἑλών, κατὰ δʼ ἑδριάασθαι ἄνωγε,
and took us by the hand and led us in, and bade us be seated,
ξείνιά τʼ εὖ παρέθηκεν, ἅ τε ξείνοις θέμις ἐστίν.
and set before us abundant guest-gifts, such as are the right of guests.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τάρπημεν ἐδητύος ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,
But when we had satisfied ourselves with food and drink,
- 11.710παῖδʼ ἔτʼ ἐόντʼ
Dual nominative form of παῖδε ἔτι ἐόντε with elision. It functions as a predicative appositive to the dual subject Μολίονε of the verb θωρήσσοντο, expressing a concessive sense ('though they were still children').
- 11.750καί νύ κεν... ἀλάπαξα, εἰ μή... ἐσάωσε
A past contrary-to-fact conditional construction. The apodosis features the past indicative ἀλάπαξα with the modal particle κεν (equivalent to ἄν), and the protasis uses εἰ μή with the past indicative ἐσάωσε, indicating a past unfulfilled action ('and now I would have slain... if [he] had not saved').
- 11.761θεῶν Διὶ Νέστορί τʼ ἀνδρῶν
A balanced case structure with interlocked word order. The plural genitive θεῶν (of gods) modifies the dative Διί (to Zeus), and the plural genitive ἀνδρῶν (of men) modifies the dative Νέστορι (to Nestor), establishing a clear contrastive partitive genitive relationship ('to Zeus among gods, and to Nestor among men').