Agamemnon's Rampage and the Rout of the Trojans — Homer, Iliad Book 11 (lines 74–143), Greek & English

οἴη γάρ ῥα θεῶν παρετύγχανε μαρναμένοισιν,

For she alone of the gods was present with the combatants,

οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι οὔ σφιν πάρεσαν θεοί, ἀλλὰ ἕκηλοι

whereas the other gods were not with them, but at peace

σφοῖσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι καθήατο, ἧχι ἑκάστῳ

sat in their own halls, where for each one

δώματα καλὰ τέτυκτο κατὰ πτύχας Οὐλύμποιο.

beautiful dwellings had been built along the folds of Olympus.

πάντες δʼ ᾐτιόωντο κελαινεφέα Κρονίωνα

And they all blamed the son of Cronos, lord of the dark clouds,

οὕνεκʼ ἄρα Τρώεσσιν ἐβούλετο κῦδος ὀρέξαι.

because he was minded to grant glory to the Trojans.

τῶν μὲν ἄρʼ οὐκ ἀλέγιζε πατήρ· ὃ δὲ νόσφι λιασθεὶς

Of them the father took no heed; but he, withdrawing himself

τῶν ἄλλων ἀπάνευθε καθέζετο κύδεϊ γαίων

apart from the others, sat down exulting in his glory,

εἰσορόων Τρώων τε πόλιν καὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν

looking upon both the city of the Trojans and the ships of the Achaeans,

χαλκοῦ τε στεροπήν, ὀλλύντάς τʼ ὀλλυμένους τε.

and the flash of bronze, and the slayers and the slain.

ὄφρα μὲν ἠὼς ἦν καὶ ἀέξετο ἱερὸν ἦμαρ,

As long as it was morning and the sacred day was waxing,

τόφρα μάλʼ ἀμφοτέρων βέλεʼ ἥπτετο, πῖπτε δὲ λαός·

so long did the missiles of both sides take effect, and the people fell;

ἦμος¹ δὲ δρυτόμος περ ἀνὴρ ὁπλίσσατο δεῖπνον

but at the hour when a woodman makes ready his meal

οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃσιν, ἐπεί τʼ ἐκορέσσατο χεῖρας

in the glades of a mountain, when his arms are weary

τάμνων δένδρεα μακρά, ἅδος τέ μιν ἵκετο θυμόν,

with felling tall trees, and weariness comes upon his soul,

σίτου τε γλυκεροῖο περὶ φρένας ἵμερος αἱρεῖ,

and desire for sweet food seizes his heart, then

τῆμος σφῇ ἀρετῇ Δαναοὶ ῥήξαντο φάλαγγας

then the Danaans by their valor broke the battalions,

κεκλόμενοι ἑτάροισι κατὰ στίχας· ἐν δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

calling to their comrades through the ranks; and among them Agamemnon

πρῶτος ὄρουσʼ, ἕλε δʼ ἄνδρα Βιάνορα ποιμένα λαῶν

first rushed forward, and slew the warrior Bianor, a shepherd of the people,

αὐτόν, ἔπειτα δʼ ἑταῖρον Ὀϊλῆα πλήξιππον.

himself, and next his comrade, Oileus, driver of horses.

ἤτοι ὅ γʼ ἐξ ἵππων κατεπάλμενος ἀντίος ἔστη·

For Oileus had leapt down from his chariot and stood against him;

τὸν δʼ ἰθὺς μεμαῶτα μετώπιον ὀξέϊ δουρὶ

but as he rushed straight at him Agamemnon stabbed him on the forehead with his sharp spear,

νύξʼ, οὐδὲ στεφάνη δόρυ οἱ σχέθε χαλκοβάρεια,

nor did his helmet-rim, heavy with bronze, hold off the spear,

ἀλλὰ διʼ αὐτῆς ἦλθε καὶ ὀστέου, ἐγκέφαλος δὲ

but straight through it it went and through the bone, and the brain

ἔνδον ἅπας πεπάλακτο· δάμασσε δέ μιν μεμαῶτα.

within was all spattered; and so he laid him low in his fury.

καὶ τοὺς μὲν λίπεν αὖθι ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων

And them the king of men, Agamemnon, left there,

100

στήθεσι παμφαίνοντας, ἐπεὶ περίδυσε χιτῶνας·

with their chests gleaming, when he had stripped off their tunics;

αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ Ἶσόν τε καὶ Ἄντιφον ἐξεναρίξων

but he went on to slay Isus and Antiphus,

υἷε δύω Πριάμοιο νόθον καὶ γνήσιον ἄμφω

two sons of Priam, a bastard and a legitimate son,

εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντας· ὃ μὲν νόθος ἡνιόχευεν,

both in one chariot; the bastard was driving,

Ἄντιφος αὖ παρέβασκε περικλυτός· ὥ ποτʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς

while renowned Antiphus stood beside him to fight. These two once Achilles

105

Ἴδης ἐν κνημοῖσι δίδη μόσχοισι λύγοισι,

had bound with slender osiers on the spurs of Ida,

ποιμαίνοντʼ ἐπʼ ὄεσσι λαβών, καὶ ἔλυσεν ἀποίνων.

catching them as they watched their sheep, and had released them for a ransom.

δὴ τότε γʼ Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

But now the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon,

τὸν μὲν ὑπὲρ μαζοῖο κατὰ στῆθος βάλε δουρί,

struck the one upon the breast above the nipple with his spear,

Ἄντιφον αὖ παρὰ οὖς ἔλασε ξίφει, ἐκ δʼ ἔβαλʼ ἵππων.

and Antiphus he smote beside the ear with his sword, and cast him from the chariot.

110

σπερχόμενος δʼ ἀπὸ τοῖιν ἐσύλα τεύχεα καλὰ

In haste he stripped them of their beautiful armor,

γιγνώσκων· καὶ γάρ σφε πάρος παρὰ νηυσὶ θοῇσιν

knowing them; for he had seen them before by the swift ships,

εἶδεν, ὅτʼ ἐξ Ἴδης ἄγαγεν πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς.

when fleet-footed Achilles had brought them from Ida.

ὡς δὲ λέων ἐλάφοιο ταχείης νήπια τέκνα

And as a lion easily crushes the tender young of a swift hind,

ῥηϊδίως συνέαξε λαβὼν κρατεροῖσιν ὀδοῦσιν

seizing them in his strong teeth when he has come to their lair,

115

ἐλθὼν εἰς εὐνήν, ἁπαλόν τέ σφʼ ἦτορ ἀπηύρα·

and robs them of their tender life;

ἣ δʼ εἴ πέρ τε τύχῃσι² μάλα σχεδόν, οὐ δύναταί σφι

and even if she happens to be very near, she cannot

χραισμεῖν· αὐτὴν γάρ μιν ὑπὸ τρόμος αἰνὸς ἱκάνει·

help them; for dread trembling comes upon herself;

καρπαλίμως δʼ ἤϊξε διὰ δρυμὰ πυκνὰ καὶ ὕλην

but swiftly she darts through the thick brush and the forest,

σπεύδουσʼ ἱδρώουσα κραταιοῦ θηρὸς ὑφʼ ὁρμῆς·

sweating and fleeing before the onslaught of the mighty beast;

120

ὣς ἄρα τοῖς οὔ τις δύνατο χραισμῆσαι ὄλεθρον

even so there was no one of the Trojans who could ward off destruction from those two,

Τρώων, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπʼ Ἀργείοισι φέβοντο.

but they themselves were fleeing before the Argives.

αὐτὰρ ὃ Πείσανδρόν τε καὶ Ἱππόλοχον μενεχάρμην

Then he fell upon Peisandrus and Hippolochus, steadfast in fight,

υἱέας Ἀντιμάχοιο δαΐφρονος, ὅς ῥα μάλιστα

sons of wise Antimachus, who above all others,

χρυσὸν Ἀλεξάνδροιο δεδεγμένος ἀγλαὰ δῶρα

having received gold, splendid gifts from Alexandrus,

125

οὐκ εἴασχʼ Ἑλένην δόμεναι ξανθῷ Μενελάῳ,

would not suffer Helen to be given back to fair-haired Menelaus.

τοῦ περ δὴ δύο παῖδε λάβε κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

His two sons indeed wide-ruling Agamemnon took,

εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντας, ὁμοῦ δʼ ἔχον ὠκέας ἵππους·

both being in one chariot, and together they were holding the swift horses;

ἐκ γάρ σφεας χειρῶν φύγον ἡνία σιγαλόεντα,

for the gleaming reins had slipped from their hands,

τὼ δὲ κυκηθήτην· ὃ δʼ ἐναντίον ὦρτο λέων ὣς

and the two were confounded. And against them rushed like a lion

130

Ἀτρεΐδης· τὼ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐκ δίφρου γουναζέσθην·

the son of Atreus; and they from the chariot clasped his knees:

ζώγρει Ἀτρέος υἱέ, σὺ δʼ ἄξια δέξαι ἄποινα·

”Take us alive, son of Atreus, and accept a worthy ransom;

πολλὰ δʼ ἐν Ἀντιμάχοιο δόμοις κειμήλια κεῖται

many treasures lie stored in the halls of Antimachus,

χαλκός τε χρυσός τε πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος,

bronze and gold and iron wrought with much labor,

τῶν κέν τοι³ χαρίσαιτο πατὴρ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα,

thereof would our father grant you countless ransom,

135

εἰ νῶϊ ζωοὺς πεπύθοιτʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.

if he should hear that we are alive at the ships of the Achaeans.”

ὣς τώ γε κλαίοντε προσαυδήτην βασιλῆα

Thus with wailing did the two speak to the king

μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσιν· ἀμείλικτον δʼ ὄπʼ ἄκουσαν·

with gentle words; but they heard a harsh voice:

εἰ μὲν δὴ Ἀντιμάχοιο δαΐφρονος υἱέες ἐστόν,

”If you are indeed the sons of wise Antimachus,

ὅς ποτʼ ἐνὶ Τρώων ἀγορῇ Μενέλαον ἄνωγεν

who once in the assembly of the Trojans bade them slay

140

ἀγγελίην ἐλθόντα σὺν ἀντιθέῳ Ὀδυσῆϊ

Menelaus, when he came on an embassy with godlike Odysseus,

αὖθι κατακτεῖναι μηδʼ ἐξέμεν ἂψ ἐς Ἀχαιούς,

there on the spot and not let him return to the Achaeans,

νῦν μὲν δὴ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀεικέα τίσετε λώβην.

now indeed shall you pay for your father’s shameful outrage.”

ἦ, καὶ Πείσανδρον μὲν ἀφʼ ἵππων ὦσε χαμᾶζε

He spoke, and thrust Peisandrus from his chariot to the earth,

Syntax notes3 items

11.86ἦμος
The relative adverb ἦμος (at the time when) correlates with τῆμος (then) in line 90. This is a classic Homeric device used to mark a specific time of day (here, midday, when a woodcutter prepares his meal) through a vivid, concrete simile.
11.116εἴ πέρ τε τύχῃσι
The conditional clause (εἰ + subjunctive τύχῃσι) lacks the particle ἄν (or κε) which is standard in Classical prose. This is an archaic construction typical of Homeric Greek used to express a general assumption or condition.
11.134τῶν κέν τοι
The genitive relative pronoun τῶν (from which) is followed by the particle κέν and the optative verb χαρίσαιτο (would grant), forming a potential optative. This acts as the apodosis to the optative conditional clause (εἰ + πεπύθοιτ') in line 135.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.74-11.143