- 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-grc2:12.207-12.274
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Polydamas advises halting the attack due to an ill omen, but Hector rejects this, declaring that fighting for one's country is the best omen. As the Trojans press the assault and damage the wall, the two Ajaxes rally the Achaeans to maintain their fierce defense.
αὐτὸς δὲ κλάγξας πέτετο πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο.
and the eagle itself, with a loud clang, flew away on the blasts of the wind.
Τρῶες δʼ ἐρρίγησαν ὅπως ἴδον αἰόλον ὄφιν
And the Trojans shuddered when they saw the writhing serpent
κείμενον ἐν μέσσοισι Διὸς τέρας αἰγιόχοιο.
lying in their midst, a portent of aegis-bearing Zeus.
δὴ τότε Πουλυδάμας θρασὺν Ἕκτορα εἶπε παραστάς·
Then indeed Polydamas stood beside bold Hector and spoke:
Ἕκτορ ἀεὶ μέν πώς μοι ἐπιπλήσσεις ἀγορῇσιν
”Hector, you always somehow rebuke me in the assemblies,
ἐσθλὰ φραζομένῳ, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδὲ ἔοικε
even when I counsel well, since it is not indeed fitting
δῆμον ἐόντα1 παρὲξ ἀγορευέμεν, οὔτʼ ἐνὶ βουλῇ
for one who is of the common people to speak contrary to you, either in council
οὔτέ ποτʼ ἐν πολέμῳ, σὸν δὲ κράτος αἰὲν ἀέξειν·
or ever in war, but always to increase your authority;
νῦν αὖτʼ ἐξερέω ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα.
yet now again I will speak as it seems to me to be best.
μὴ ἴομεν Δαναοῖσι μαχησόμενοι περὶ νηῶν.
Let us not go to fight with the Danai for the sake of the ships.
ὧδε γὰρ ἐκτελέεσθαι ὀΐομαι, εἰ ἐτεόν γε
For thus I think it will turn out, if indeed in truth
Τρωσὶν ὅδʼ ὄρνις ἦλθε περησέμεναι μεμαῶσιν
this bird came upon the Trojans as they were eager to cross over—
αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ λαὸν ἐέργων
a high-flying eagle, skimming the left of the host,
φοινήεντα δράκοντα φέρων ὀνύχεσσι πέλωρον
carrying in its talons a huge, blood-red serpent,
ζωόν· ἄφαρ δʼ ἀφέηκε πάρος φίλα οἰκίʼ ἱκέσθαι,
still alive; but it let it go immediately before reaching its own home,
οὐδʼ ἐτέλεσσε φέρων δόμεναι τεκέεσσιν ἑοῖσιν.
and did not succeed in carrying it to give to its young.
ὣς ἡμεῖς, εἴ πέρ τε πύλας καὶ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν
So we, even if we should break the gates and the wall of the Achaeans
ῥηξόμεθα σθένεϊ μεγάλῳ, εἴξωσι δʼ Ἀχαιοί,
with great might, and the Achaeans should give way,
οὐ κόσμῳ παρὰ ναῦφιν ἐλευσόμεθʼ αὐτὰ κέλευθα·
we shall not return in good order by the same paths from the ships;
πολλοὺς γὰρ Τρώων καταλείψομεν, οὕς κεν Ἀχαιοὶ
for we shall leave behind many of the Trojans, whom the Achaeans
χαλκῷ δῃώσωσιν ἀμυνόμενοι περὶ νηῶν.
will slay with the bronze while defending themselves in defense of the ships.
ὧδέ χʼ ὑποκρίναιτο θεοπρόπος, ὃς σάφα θυμῷ
Thus would a seer interpret, who in his mind
εἰδείη τεράων καί οἱ πειθοίατο λαοί.
knew portents clearly, and whom the people believed.”
τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
Then indeed, looking at him darkly, Hector of the flashing helmet addressed him:
Πουλυδάμα, σὺ μὲν οὐκ ἔτʼ ἐμοὶ φίλα ταῦτʼ ἀγορεύεις·
”Polydamas, these things you say are no longer pleasing to me;
οἶσθα καὶ ἄλλον μῦθον ἀμείνονα τοῦδε νοῆσαι.
you know how to devise another counsel better than this.
εἰ δʼ ἐτεὸν δὴ τοῦτον ἀπὸ σπουδῆς ἀγορεύεις,
But if indeed you speak this in earnest,
ἐξ ἄρα δή τοι ἔπειτα θεοὶ φρένας ὤλεσαν αὐτοί,
then indeed the gods themselves have destroyed your senses,
ὃς κέλεαι Ζηνὸς μὲν ἐριγδούποιο λαθέσθαι
who bid me to forget the counsels of loud-thundering Zeus,
βουλέων, ἅς τέ μοι αὐτὸς ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσε·
which he himself promised me and confirmed with a nod.
τύνη δʼ οἰωνοῖσι τανυπτερύγεσσι κελεύεις
And you bid me to obey long-winged birds,
πείθεσθαι, τῶν οὔ τι μετατρέπομʼ οὐδʼ ἀλεγίζω
of which I take no heed nor care at all,
εἴτʼ ἐπὶ δεξίʼ ἴωσι πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε,
whether they go to the right toward the dawn and the sun,
εἴτʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ τοί γε ποτὶ ζόφον ἠερόεντα.
or to the left toward the misty darkness.
ἡμεῖς δὲ μεγάλοιο Διὸς πειθώμεθα βουλῇ,
Let us rather obey the counsel of great Zeus,
ὃς πᾶσι θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσει.
who rules over all mortals and immortals.
εἷς οἰωνὸς ἄριστος ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ πάτρης.2
One omen is best: to fight for one’s country.
τίπτε σὺ δείδοικας πόλεμον καὶ δηϊοτῆτα;
Why do you fear war and battle?
εἴ περ γάρ τʼ ἄλλοι γε περὶ κτεινώμεθα πάντες
For even if all the rest of us should be slain
νηυσὶν ἐπʼ Ἀργείων, σοὶ δʼ οὐ δέος ἔστʼ ἀπολέσθαι·
at the ships of the Argives, you have no fear of perishing;
οὐ γάρ τοι κραδίη μενεδήϊος οὐδὲ μαχήμων.
for your heart is not steadfast in battle nor warlike.
εἰ δὲ σὺ δηϊοτῆτος ἀφέξεαι, ἠέ τινʼ ἄλλον
But if you hold back from battle, or if you turn any other
παρφάμενος ἐπέεσσιν ἀποτρέψεις πολέμοιο,
away from war, beguiling them with your words,
αὐτίκʼ ἐμῷ ὑπὸ δουρὶ τυπεὶς ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσεις.
straightway, struck by my spear, you shall lose your life.”
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἡγήσατο, τοὶ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕποντο
Having thus spoken, he led the way, and they followed him
ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ· ἐπὶ δὲ Ζεὺς τερπικέραυνος
with a wondrous clamor; and Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt
ὦρσεν ἀπʼ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ἀνέμοιο θύελλαν,
roused from the mountains of Ida a storm of wind,
ἥ ῥʼ ἰθὺς νηῶν κονίην φέρεν· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιῶν
which carried the dust straight against the ships; and he bewildered the mind
θέλγε νόον, Τρωσὶν δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορι κῦδος ὄπαζε.
of the Achaeans, but to the Trojans and Hector he granted glory.
τοῦ περ δὴ τεράεσσι πεποιθότες ἠδὲ βίηφι
Trusting indeed in his portents and in their own might,
ῥήγνυσθαι μέγα τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν πειρήτιζον.
they tried to break the great wall of the Achaeans.
κρόσσας μὲν πύργων ἔρυον, καὶ ἔρειπον ἐπάλξεις,
They dragged down the battlements of the towers and tore down the breastworks,
στήλας τε προβλῆτας ἐμόχλεον, ἃς ἄρʼ Ἀχαιοὶ
and pried up with levers the projecting buttresses, which the Achaeans
πρώτας ἐν γαίῃ θέσαν ἔμμεναι ἔχματα πύργων.
had first set in the earth to be supports for the towers.
τὰς οἵ γʼ αὐέρυον, ἔλποντο δὲ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν
These they dragged out, and hoped to break the wall
ῥήξειν· οὐδέ νύ πω Δαναοὶ χάζοντο κελεύθου,
of the Achaeans; yet the Danai did not yet yield the path,
ἀλλʼ οἵ γε ῥινοῖσι βοῶν φράξαντες ἐπάλξεις
but closing the breastworks with hides of oxen,
βάλλον ἀπʼ αὐτάων δηΐους ὑπὸ τεῖχος ἰόντας.
they cast from them upon the enemy who were coming up under the wall.
ἀμφοτέρω δʼ Αἴαντε κελευτιόωντʼ ἐπὶ πύργων
And the two Ajaxes, giving orders along the towers,
πάντοσε φοιτήτην μένος ὀτρύνοντες Ἀχαιῶν.
went everywhere, urging on the might of the Achaeans,
ἄλλον μειλιχίοις, ἄλλον στερεοῖς ἐπέεσσι
rebuking one with mild words, another with harsh,
νείκεον, ὅν τινα πάγχυ μάχης μεθιέντα ἴδοιεν·
whomever they saw utterly slacking from battle:
ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ὅς τʼ ἔξοχος ὅς τε μεσήεις
”O friends, whoever of the Argives is preeminent, whoever is average,
ὅς τε χερειότερος, ἐπεὶ οὔ πω πάντες ὁμοῖοι
and whoever is inferior—since indeed not all men are equal
ἀνέρες ἐν πολέμῳ, νῦν ἔπλετο ἔργον ἅπασι·
in war—now there is work for all;
καὶ δʼ αὐτοὶ τόδε που γιγνώσκετε. μή τις ὀπίσσω
and you yourselves surely know this. Let no one turn back
τετράφθω ποτὶ νῆας ὁμοκλητῆρος ἀκούσας,
toward the ships having heard the threat of the shouting enemy,
ἀλλὰ πρόσω ἵεσθε καὶ ἀλλήλοισι κέλεσθε,
but press forward and urge one another on.”
- 12.213δῆμον ἐόντα
The noun δῆμον with the accusative participle ἐόντα (Homeric form of ὤν) acts as the subject of the infinitive ἀγορευέμεν introduced by the impersonal verb ἔοικε. It expresses a general rule or ironical self-deprecation: 'it is not fitting for one who is of the common people to speak contrary (to you).'
- 12.243ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ πάτρης
The infinitive ἀμύνεσθαι is used epexegetically to limit and explain the adjective ἄριστος, meaning 'one omen is best: namely, to fight in defense of one's country.'