- 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-grc2:13.213-13.280
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Poseidon, in the likeness of Thoas, encourages Idomeneus to return to the battle. Returning to his hut to arm himself, Idomeneus meets Meriones, who has also returned for a spear, and the two exchange words praising each other's valor.
τὸν μὲν ἑταῖροι ἔνεικαν, ὃ δʼ ἰητροῖς ἐπιτείλας
Him indeed his comrades carried, but he, having given orders to the surgeons,
ἤϊεν ἐς κλισίην· ἔτι γὰρ πολέμοιο μενοίνα
went to his hut; for still his heart was eager to meet
ἀντιάαν·1 τὸν δὲ προσέφη κρείων ἐνοσίχθων
the battle. And him did the lord Earth-shaker address,
εἰσάμενος φθογγὴν Ἀνδραίμονος υἷϊ Θόαντι
likening his voice to Andraemon’s son Thoas,
ὃς πάσῃ Πλευρῶνι καὶ αἰπεινῇ Καλυδῶνι
who ruled the Aetolians in all Pleuron and steep Calydon,
Αἰτωλοῖσιν ἄνασσε, θεὸς δʼ ὣς τίετο δήμῳ·
and was honored as a god by the people:
Ἰδομενεῦ Κρητῶν βουληφόρε ποῦ τοι ἀπειλαὶ
”Idomeneus, counselor of the Cretans, where are your threats gone,
οἴχονται, τὰς Τρωσὶν ἀπείλεον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν;
with which the sons of the Achaeans threatened the Trojans?”
τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἰδομενεὺς Κρητῶν ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·
And to him in turn Idomeneus, leader of the Cretans, spoke in reply:
ὦ Θόαν οὔ τις ἀνὴρ νῦν γʼ αἴτιος, ὅσσον ἔγωγε
”O Thoas, no man now is at least to blame, as far as I
γιγνώσκω·2 πάντες γὰρ ἐπιστάμεθα πτολεμίζειν.
know; for we all know how to fight.
οὔτέ τινα δέος ἴσχει ἀκήριον οὔτέ τις ὄκνῳ
Neither does any spiritless fear hold anyone, nor does anyone, yielding
εἴκων ἀνδύεται πόλεμον κακόν· ἀλλά που οὕτω
to hesitation, shrink from the evil war; but somehow thus
μέλλει δὴ φίλον εἶναι ὑπερμενέϊ Κρονίωνι
it must indeed be pleasing to the all-powerful son of Cronos
νωνύμνους ἀπολέσθαι ἀπʼ Ἄργεος ἐνθάδʼ Ἀχαιούς.
that the Achaeans perish here nameless, far from Argos.
ἀλλὰ Θόαν, καὶ γὰρ τὸ πάρος μενεδήϊος ἦσθα,
But, Thoas, for indeed in the past too you were steadfast in battle,
ὀτρύνεις δὲ καὶ ἄλλον ὅθι μεθιέντα ἴδηαι·
and you urge on also another whomsoever you see slacking;
τὼ νῦν μήτʼ ἀπόληγε κέλευέ τε φωτὶ ἑκάστῳ.
therefore now do not slacken yourself, and give orders to every man.”
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων·
And him then answered Poseidon the Earth-shaker:
Ἰδομενεῦ μὴ κεῖνος ἀνὴρ ἔτι νοστήσειεν
”Idomeneus, may that man never return
ἐκ Τροίης, ἀλλʼ αὖθι κυνῶν μέλπηθρα γένοιτο,
from Troy, but let him here become the sport of dogs,
ὅς τις ἐπʼ ἤματι τῷδε ἑκὼν μεθίῃσι μάχεσθαι.
whoever on this day willingly slackens from fighting.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε τεύχεα δεῦρο λαβὼν ἴθι· ταῦτα δʼ ἅμα χρὴ
But come, take your armour and go hither; and these things together we must
σπεύδειν,3 αἴ κʼ ὄφελός τι γενώμεθα καὶ δύʼ ἐόντε.
hasten, if we might be of any help, even though we are but two.
συμφερτὴ δʼ ἀρετὴ πέλει ἀνδρῶν καὶ μάλα λυγρῶν,
Combined is the valour of men, even of very weak ones,
νῶϊ δὲ καί κʼ ἀγαθοῖσιν ἐπισταίμεσθα μάχεσθαι.
but we two would know how to fight even with the brave.”
ὣς εἰπὼν ὃ μὲν αὖτις ἔβη θεὸς ἂμ πόνον ἀνδρῶν·
So saying, the god went back into the toil of men;
Ἰδομενεὺς δʼ ὅτε δὴ κλισίην εὔτυκτον ἵκανε
and Idomeneus, when indeed he reached his well-built hut,
δύσετο τεύχεα καλὰ περὶ χροΐ, γέντο δὲ δοῦρε,
put his beautiful armour about his body, and took two spears,
βῆ δʼ ἴμεν ἀστεροπῇ ἐναλίγκιος, ἥν τε Κρονίων
and went to go like a lightning flash, which the son of Cronos
χειρὶ λαβὼν ἐτίναξεν ἀπʼ αἰγλήεντος Ὀλύμπου
taking in his hand has brandished from gleaming Olympus,
δεικνὺς σῆμα βροτοῖσιν· ἀρίζηλοι δέ οἱ αὐγαί·
showing a sign to mortals; and conspicuous are its rays;
ὣς τοῦ χαλκὸς ἔλαμπε περὶ στήθεσσι θέοντος.
so shone the bronze about his breast as he ran.
Μηριόνης δʼ ἄρα οἱ θεράπων ἐῢς ἀντεβόλησεν
And Meriones, his good squire, met him
ἐγγὺς ἔτι κλισίης· μετὰ γὰρ δόρυ χάλκεον ᾔει
still near the hut; for he was going after a bronze spear
οἰσόμενος· τὸν δὲ προσέφη σθένος Ἰδομενῆος·
to fetch; and him addressed the strength of Idomeneus:
Μηριόνη Μόλου υἱὲ πόδας ταχὺ φίλταθʼ ἑταίρων
”Meriones, son of Molus, swift of foot, dearest of comrades,
τίπτʼ ἦλθες πόλεμόν τε λιπὼν καὶ δηϊοτῆτα;
why have you come, leaving the war and the conflict?
ἠέ τι βέβληαι, βέλεος δέ σε τείρει ἀκωκή,
Is it that you are wounded, and the point of a missile distresses you,
ἦέ τευ ἀγγελίης μετʼ ἔμʼ ἤλυθες; οὐδέ τοι αὐτὸς
or have you come after me with some message? Indeed, I myself
ἧσθαι ἐνὶ κλισίῃσι λιλαίομαι, ἀλλὰ μάχεσθαι.
do not desire to sit in the huts, but to fight.”
τὸν δʼ αὖ Μηριόνης πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·
And to him in turn wise Meriones spoke in reply:
Ἰδομενεῦ, Κρητῶν βουληφόρε χαλκοχιτώνων,
”Idomeneus, counselor of the bronze-clad Cretans,
ἔρχομαι εἴ τί τοι ἔγχος ἐνὶ κλισίῃσι λέλειπται4
I come to see if any spear of yours is left in the huts,
οἰσόμενος· τό νυ γὰρ κατεάξαμεν ὃ πρὶν ἔχεσκον
to fetch it; for just now we broke the one I had before,
ἀσπίδα Δηϊφόβοιο βαλὼν ὑπερηνορέοντος.
having struck the shield of overbearing Deiphobus.”
τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἰδομενεὺς Κρητῶν ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·
And to him in turn Idomeneus, leader of the Cretans, spoke in reply:
δούρατα δʼ αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα καὶ ἓν καὶ εἴκοσι δήεις
”As for spears, if you wish, you will find both one and twenty
ἑσταότʼ ἐν κλισίῃ πρὸς ἐνώπια παμφανόωντα
standing in the hut against the gleaming walls,
Τρώϊα, τὰ κταμένων ἀποαίνυμαι· οὐ γὰρ ὀΐω
Trojan spears, which I take from the slain; for I do not think
ἀνδρῶν δυσμενέων ἑκὰς ἱστάμενος πολεμίζειν.
to fight standing far off from hostile men.
τώ μοι δούρατά τʼ ἔστι καὶ ἀσπίδες ὀμφαλόεσσαι
Therefore I have both spears and bossed shields
καὶ κόρυθες καὶ θώρηκες λαμπρὸν γανόωντες.
and helmets and breastplates gleaming brightly.”
τὸν δʼ αὖ Μηριόνης πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·
And to him in turn wise Meriones spoke in reply:
καί τοι ἐμοὶ παρά τε κλισίῃ καὶ νηῒ μελαίνῃ
”To me too, both by my hut and by my black ship,
πόλλʼ ἔναρα Τρώων· ἀλλʼ οὐ σχεδόν ἐστιν ἑλέσθαι.
are many spoils of Trojans; but they are not near to take.
οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἐμέ φημι λελασμένον ἔμμεναι ἀλκῆς,
For neither do I say that I am forgetful of valour,
ἀλλὰ μετὰ πρώτοισι μάχην ἀνὰ κυδιάνειραν
but among the foremost, into the battle that brings glory to men,
ἵσταμαι, ὁππότε νεῖκος ὀρώρηται πολέμοιο.
I take my stand, whenever the strife of war arises.
ἄλλόν πού τινα μᾶλλον Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
Some other, I suppose, of the bronze-clad Achaeans
λήθω μαρνάμενος, σὲ δὲ ἴδμεναι αὐτὸν ὀΐω.
I escape the notice of when I fight, but you yourself know it, I think.”
τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἰδομενεὺς Κρητῶν ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·
And to him in turn Idomeneus, leader of the Cretans, spoke in reply:
οἶδʼ ἀρετὴν οἷός ἐσσι· τί σε χρὴ ταῦτα λέγεσθαι;
”I know your valour, what sort of man you are; why must you say these things?
εἰ γὰρ νῦν παρὰ νηυσὶ λεγοίμεθα5 πάντες ἄριστοι
For if now by the ships we were being gathered, all the best men,
ἐς λόχον, ἔνθα μάλιστʼ ἀρετὴ διαείδεται ἀνδρῶν,
for an ambush, where most of all the valour of men is discerned,
ἔνθʼ ὅ τε δειλὸς ἀνὴρ ὅς τʼ ἄλκιμος ἐξεφαάνθη·
where both the cowardly man and the brave one are made manifest;
τοῦ μὲν γάρ τε κακοῦ τρέπεται χρὼς ἄλλυδις ἄλλῃ,
for of the bad man indeed the color changes this way and that,
οὐδέ οἱ ἀτρέμας ἧσθαι ἐρητύετʼ ἐν φρεσὶ θυμός,
nor is his spirit in his breast restrained so as to sit still,
- 13.214πολέμοιο μενοίνα ἀντιάαν
The verb μενοίνα (was eager) governs the infinitive ἀντιάαν (to meet), which in turn takes the genitive πολέμοιο (war) as its object.
- 13.222ὅσσον ἔγωγε γιγνώσκω
An idiomatic restrictive clause using the relative pronoun ὅσος, meaning "at least as far as I know."
- 13.235ταῦτα δʼ ἅμα χρὴ σπεύδειν
The impersonal verb χρή is followed by the infinitive σπεύδειν (to hasten). The neuter plural accusative demonstrative ταῦτα is understood either as the direct object of the infinitive or as an accusative of respect ("concerning these things").
- 13.256ἔρχομαι εἴ τί τοι ἔγχος ἐνὶ κλισίῃσι λέλειπται
The conjunction εἴ (if, or whether) introducing the clause after ἔρχομαι can be interpreted either as a conditional clause ("I have come in case any spear of yours is left") or as an indirect question ("I have come to see whether any spear of yours is left"). Given the following future participle οἰσόμενος (to fetch), it functions to express a purpose or possibility.
- 13.276εἰ γὰρ νῦν παρὰ νηυσὶ λεγοίμεθα
A present hypothetical condition expressed by the conjunction εἰ with the optative mood. The passive verb λέγομαι (to be gathered or counted) here refers to being selected or mustered for an ambush (λόχον).