- 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-grc2:12.406-12.471
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Sarpedon rallies the Lycians to assault the Achaean wall, leading to a fierce and evenly matched struggle. Eventually, with Zeus's favor, Hector shatters the reinforced gates with a massive stone and breaches the wall, leading the Trojans into the Greek camp.
χώρησεν δʼ ἄρα τυτθὸν ἐπάλξιος· οὐδʼ ὅ γε πάμπαν
Sarpedon stepped back a little from the breastwork; yet he did not altogether
χάζετʼ, ἐπεί οἱ θυμὸς ἐέλπετο κῦδος ἀρέσθαι.
shrink back, since his heart hoped to win glory.
κέκλετο δʼ ἀντιθέοισιν ἑλιξάμενος Λυκίοισιν·
And he called, turning to the godlike Lycians:
ὦ Λύκιοι τί τʼ ἄρʼ ὧδε μεθίετε θούριδος ἀλκῆς;
”O Lycians, why do you thus slacken in your impetuous valour?
ἀργαλέον δέ μοί ἐστι καὶ ἰφθίμῳ περ ἐόντι
It is hard for me, strong though I am,
μούνῳ ῥηξαμένῳ θέσθαι παρὰ νηυσὶ κέλευθον·
alone to break through and make a path to the ships;
ἀλλʼ ἐφομαρτεῖτε· πλεόνων δέ τι ἔργον ἄμεινον.
but follow with me; the work of more men is better.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δὲ ἄνακτος ὑποδείσαντες ὁμοκλὴν
So he spoke, and they, fearing the rebuke of their king,
μᾶλλον ἐπέβρισαν βουληφόρον ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα.
pressed on harder around their counselor king.
Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐκαρτύναντο φάλαγγας
And the Argives on the other side strengthened their phalanxes
τείχεος ἔντοσθεν, μέγα δέ σφισι φαίνετο ἔργον·
within the wall, and it seemed to them a great task;
οὔτε γὰρ ἴφθιμοι Λύκιοι Δαναῶν ἐδύναντο
for neither could the strong Lycians
τεῖχος ῥηξάμενοι θέσθαι παρὰ νηυσὶ κέλευθον,
break through the wall of the Danaans and make a path to the ships,
οὔτέ ποτʼ αἰχμηταὶ Δαναοὶ Λυκίους ἐδύναντο
nor could the spearman Danaans thrust back
τείχεος ἂψ ὤσασθαι, ἐπεὶ τὰ πρῶτα πέλασθεν.
the Lycians from the wall, once they had approached it.
ἀλλʼ ὥς τʼ ἀμφʼ οὔροισι δύʼ ἀνέρε δηριάασθον1
But as two men contend about boundaries
μέτρʼ ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες ἐπιξύνῳ ἐν ἀρούρῃ,
with measuring rods in their hands, in a common field,
ὥ τʼ ὀλίγῳ ἐνὶ χώρῳ ἐρίζητον περὶ ἴσης,
who in a narrow space strive for their equal share;
ὣς ἄρα τοὺς διέεργον ἐπάλξιες· οἳ δʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτέων
so did the breastworks keep them apart, and they over them
δῄουν ἀλλήλων ἀμφὶ στήθεσσι βοείας
were slashing the ox-hide shields around each other’s breasts,
ἀσπίδας εὐκύκλους λαισήϊά τε πτερόεντα.
the well-rounded shields and light fluttering bucklers.
πολλοὶ δʼ οὐτάζοντο κατὰ χρόα νηλέϊ χαλκῷ,
And many were wounded in their flesh by the pitiless bronze,
ἠμὲν ὅτεῳ στρεφθέντι μετάφρενα γυμνωθείη
both when any of the fighters turned and his back was exposed,
μαρναμένων, πολλοὶ δὲ διαμπερὲς ἀσπίδος αὐτῆς.
and many right through the shield itself.
πάντῃ δὴ πύργοι καὶ ἐπάλξιες αἵματι φωτῶν
Everywhere the towers and breastworks with the blood of men
ἐρράδατʼ ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἀπὸ Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν.
were sprinkled on both sides, from Trojans and Achaeans.
ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς ἐδύναντο φόβον ποιῆσαι Ἀχαιῶν,
Yet even so they could not put the Achaeans to flight,
ἀλλʼ ἔχον ὥς τε τάλαντα γυνὴ χερνῆτις ἀληθής,2
but they held their ground, as a scale is held by an honest woman who works with her hands,
ἥ τε σταθμὸν ἔχουσα καὶ εἴριον ἀμφὶς ἀνέλκει
who, holding the weight and the wool, draws them up on either side
ἰσάζουσʼ, ἵνα παισὶν ἀεικέα μισθὸν ἄρηται·
balancing them, so that she may win a meager wage for her children.
ὣς μὲν τῶν ἐπὶ ἶσα μάχη τέτατο πτόλεμός τε,
So was their battle and war stretched evenly,
πρίν γʼ ὅτε δὴ Ζεὺς κῦδος ὑπέρτερον Ἕκτορι δῶκε
until at last Zeus gave superior glory to Hector,
Πριαμίδῃ, ὃς πρῶτος ἐσήλατο τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν.
son of Priam, who first leaped within the wall of the Achaeans.
ἤϋσεν δὲ διαπρύσιον Τρώεσσι γεγωνώς·
And he shouted in a piercing voice, calling out to the Trojans:
ὄρνυσθʼ ἱππόδαμοι Τρῶες, ῥήγνυσθε δὲ τεῖχος
”Rouse yourselves, horse-taming Trojans! Break the wall
Ἀργείων καὶ νηυσὶν ἐνίετε θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ.
of the Argives, and cast wondrous-blazing fire upon the ships!”
ὣς φάτʼ ἐποτρύνων, οἳ δʼ οὔασι πάντες ἄκουον,
So he spoke, urging them on; and they all heard with their ears,
ἴθυσαν δʼ ἐπὶ τεῖχος ἀολλέες· οἳ μὲν ἔπειτα
and rushed straight at the wall in a crowd. Then they
κροσσάων ἐπέβαινον ἀκαχμένα δούρατʼ ἔχοντες,
scaled the pinnacles, holding sharp spears;
Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἁρπάξας λᾶαν φέρεν, ὅς ῥα πυλάων
and Hector snatched up a stone and carried it, which before the gates
ἑστήκει πρόσθε πρυμνὸς παχύς, αὐτὰρ ὕπερθεν
stood, thick at the base, but from above
ὀξὺς ἔην· τὸν δʼ οὔ κε δύʼ ἀνέρε δήμου ἀρίστω
it was sharp; this not even two of the best men of the people
ῥηϊδίως ἐπʼ ἄμαξαν ἀπʼ οὔδεος ὀχλίσσειαν,3
could easily pry from the ground onto a wagon,
οἷοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσʼ· ὃ δέ μιν ῥέα πάλλε καὶ οἶος.
such as mortals now are; but he swung it easily even alone.
τόν οἱ ἐλαφρὸν ἔθηκε Κρόνου πάϊς ἀγκυλομήτεω.
The son of crooked-counseling Cronos made it light for him.
ὡς δʼ ὅτε ποιμὴν ῥεῖα φέρει πόκον ἄρσενος οἰὸς
And as when a shepherd easily carries the fleece of a ram,
χειρὶ λαβὼν ἑτέρῃ, ὀλίγον τέ μιν ἄχθος ἐπείγει,
taking it in one hand, and but little does the weight burden him,
ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἰθὺς σανίδων φέρε λᾶαν ἀείρας,
so Hector lifted and carried the stone straight towards the door-leaves,
αἵ ῥα πύλας εἴρυντο πύκα στιβαρῶς ἀραρυίας
which guarded the gates, closely and strongly fitted,
δικλίδας ὑψηλάς· δοιοὶ δʼ ἔντοσθεν ὀχῆες
double-folding and high; and two bars within
εἶχον ἐπημοιβοί, μία δὲ κληῒς ἐπαρήρει.
secured them, crossing over each other, and a single key fastened them.
στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰών, καὶ ἐρεισάμενος βάλε μέσσας
He went and stood very close, and planting himself, struck them in the middle,
εὖ διαβάς, ἵνα μή οἱ ἀφαυρότερον βέλος εἴη,
stepping well apart so that his cast might not be lacking in force,
ῥῆξε δʼ ἀπʼ ἀμφοτέρους θαιρούς· πέσε δὲ λίθος εἴσω
and he broke off both hinges; and the stone fell within
βριθοσύνῃ, μέγα δʼ ἀμφὶ πύλαι μύκον, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ὀχῆες
by its weight, and the gates groaned aloud around it, nor did the bars
ἐσχεθέτην, σανίδες δὲ διέτμαγεν ἄλλυδις ἄλλη
hold, and the door-leaves were shattered this way and that
λᾶος ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔσθορε φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
under the impact of the stone; and glorious Hector leapt in,
νυκτὶ θοῇ ἀτάλαντος ὑπώπια·4 λάμπε δὲ χαλκῷ
his face like swift night; and he gleamed with bronze
σμερδαλέῳ, τὸν ἕεστο περὶ χροΐ, δοιὰ δὲ χερσὶ
terrible, which he wore about his body, and in his hands
δοῦρʼ ἔχεν· οὔ κέν τίς μιν ἐρύκακεν ἀντιβολήσας
two spears he held; no one could have held him back, meeting him,
νόσφι θεῶν ὅτʼ ἐσᾶλτο πύλας· πυρὶ δʼ ὄσσε δεδήει.
save the gods, when he leapt within the gates; and his eyes blazed with fire.
κέκλετο δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἑλιξάμενος καθʼ ὅμιλον
And he called to the Trojans, turning to the throng,
τεῖχος ὑπερβαίνειν· τοὶ δʼ ὀτρύνοντι πίθοντο.
to scale the wall; and they obeyed his urging.
αὐτίκα δʼ οἳ μὲν τεῖχος ὑπέρβασαν, οἳ δὲ κατʼ αὐτὰς
And straightway some scaled the wall, while others through the
ποιητὰς ἐσέχυντο πύλας· Δαναοὶ δὲ φόβηθεν
well-made gates poured in; and the Danaans fled in terror
νῆας ἀνὰ γλαφυράς, ὅμαδος δʼ ἀλίαστος ἐτύχθη.
among the hollow ships, and a relentless din arose.
- 12.421δηριάασθον
The third-person dual forms (δηριάασθον, ἐρίζητον) are used to describe the two men disputing over a boundary on common land. This correlation is structured by ὥς τʼ introducing the simile and ὣς ἄρα (§12.424) introducing the main clause, vividly comparing the deadlock of the two armies.
- 12.433γυνὴ χερνῆτις ἀληθής
The adjective ἀληθής here means 'honest, conscientious' or 'accurate, precise' rather than 'truth-telling'. It describes how a poor spinning woman keeps the scales 'accurately' balanced, neither cheating nor losing her own share, emphasizing the exact deadlock of the battle.
- 12.447οὔ κε ... ὀχλίσσειαν
The combination of the epic particle κε with the optative (ὀχλίσσειαν) expresses a potential or contrary-to-fact condition ('could not pry'). This emphasizes the superhuman weight of the stone lifted by Hector, which not even two of the strongest men of the poet's contemporary era (οἷοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσʼ) could easily lift.
- 12.463νυκτὶ θοῇ ἀτάλαντος ὑπώπια
In the phrase 'his face like swift night', the accusative ὑπώπια is an accusative of respect ('with respect to his face'). The epithet 'swift' (θοῇ) evokes the sudden onset of night or its overwhelming and dark intensity, vividly illustrating Hector's terrifying entrance.