- 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-grc2:13.628-13.695
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Menelaus strips his enemy's armor and returns to the battle, followed by Meriones slaying Harpalion and Paris killing Euchenor. Meanwhile, Hector continues his fierce assault near the ships, unaware of the setbacks his allies are suffering on the left.
νῦν αὖτʼ ἐν νηυσὶν μενεαίνετε ποντοπόροισι
”Now again you are eager by the seagoing ships”
πῦρ ὀλοὸν βαλέειν, κτεῖναι δʼ ἥρωας Ἀχαιούς.
”to cast destructive fire, and to slay the hero Achaeans.”
ἀλλά ποθι σχήσεσθε καὶ ἐσσύμενοί περ Ἄρηος.1
”But you will be held back somewhere, though you are very eager for war.”
Ζεῦ πάτερ ἦ τέ σέ φασι περὶ φρένας ἔμμεναι ἄλλων
”Father Zeus, surely they say that you excel in wisdom above all other men and gods;”
ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ θεῶν· σέο δʼ ἐκ τάδε πάντα πέλονται·
”yet from you do all these things come;”
οἷον δὴ ἄνδρεσσι χαρίζεαι ὑβριστῇσι
”seeing that you favor overweening men, even the Trojans,”
Τρωσίν, τῶν μένος αἰὲν ἀτάσθαλον, οὐδὲ δύνανται
”whose fury is always wicked, nor can they”
φυλόπιδος κορέσασθαι ὁμοιΐου πτολέμοιο.
”glut themselves with the strife of equal war.”
πάντων μὲν κόρος ἐστὶ καὶ ὕπνου καὶ φιλότητος
”Of all things there is satiety, of sleep and of love,”
μολπῆς τε γλυκερῆς καὶ ἀμύμονος ὀρχηθμοῖο,
”and of sweet song and the noble dance,”
τῶν πέρ τις καὶ μᾶλλον ἐέλδεται ἐξ ἔρον εἷναι2
”of which a man would rather satisfy his desire than of war;”
ἢ πολέμου· Τρῶες δὲ μάχης ἀκόρητοι ἔασιν.
”but the Trojans are insatiable of battle.”
ὣς εἰπὼν τὰ μὲν ἔντεʼ ἀπὸ χροὸς αἱματόεντα
So saying, noble Menelaus stripped the bloody armor from the body
συλήσας ἑτάροισι δίδου Μενέλαος ἀμύμων,
and gave it to his companions,
αὐτὸς δʼ αὖτʼ ἐξ αὖτις ἰὼν προμάχοισιν ἐμίχθη.
while he himself went back and mingled again with the foremost fighters.
ἔνθά οἱ υἱὸς ἐπᾶλτο Πυλαιμένεος βασιλῆος
Then Harpalion, son of king Pylaemenes, leapt upon him,
Ἁρπαλίων, ὅ ῥα πατρὶ φίλῳ ἕπετο πτολεμίξων
who followed his dear father to war to Troy,
ἐς τροίην, οὐδʼ αὖτις ἀφίκετο πατρίδα γαῖαν·
nor did he return again to his native land.
ὅς ῥα τότʼ Ἀτρεΐδαο μέσον σάκος οὔτασε δουρὶ
He then from close at hand struck the middle of the shield of Atreus’ son with his spear,
ἐγγύθεν, οὐδὲ διὰ πρὸ δυνήσατο χαλκὸν ἐλάσσαι
but could not drive the bronze clean through.
ἂψ δʼ ἑτάρων εἰς ἔθνος ἐχάζετο κῆρʼ ἀλεείνων
And he shrank back into the throng of his companions, avoiding death,
πάντοσε παπταίνων μή τις χρόα χαλκῷ ἐπαύρῃ.
looking warily on every side, lest someone should graze his flesh with bronze.
Μηριόνης δʼ ἀπιόντος ἵει χαλκήρεʼ ὀϊστόν,
But as he retreated, Meriones shot a bronze-tipped arrow at him,
καί ῥʼ ἔβαλε γλουτὸν κάτα δεξιόν· αὐτὰρ ὀϊστὸς
and struck him on the right buttock; and the arrow
ἀντικρὺ κατὰ κύστιν ὑπʼ ὀστέον ἐξεπέρησεν.
passed clean through beneath the bone into the bladder.
ἑζόμενος δὲ κατʼ αὖθι φίλων ἐν χερσὶν ἑταίρων
And sinking down right there in the arms of his dear companions,
θυμὸν ἀποπνείων, ὥς τε σκώληξ ἐπὶ γαίῃ
breathing out his life, he lay stretched like a worm on the ground;
κεῖτο ταθείς· ἐκ δʼ αἷμα μέλαν ῥέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν.
and the black blood flowed out, and wet the earth.
τὸν μὲν Παφλαγόνες μεγαλήτορες ἀμφεπένοντο,
Him the great-hearted Paphlagonians tended,
ἐς δίφρον δʼ ἀνέσαντες ἄγον προτὶ Ἴλιον ἱρὴν
and placing him in a chariot, they led him to sacred Ilios,
ἀχνύμενοι· μετὰ δέ σφι πατὴρ κίε δάκρυα λείβων,
and with them went his father, shedding tears,
ποινὴ δʼ οὔ τις παιδὸς ἐγίγνετο τεθνηῶτος.3
but there was no vengeance for his dead son.
τοῦ δὲ Πάρις μάλα θυμὸν ἀποκταμένοιο χολώθη·
And Paris was very wroth in his heart for his slaying,
ξεῖνος γάρ οἱ ἔην πολέσιν μετὰ Παφλαγόνεσσι·
for he had been his guest among many Paphlagonians;
τοῦ ὅ γε χωόμενος προΐει χαλκήρεʼ ὀϊστόν.
wroth for his sake, he let fly a bronze-tipped arrow.
ἦν δέ τις Εὐχήνωρ Πολυΐδου μάντιος υἱὸς
There was a certain Euchenor, son of Polyidus the seer,
ἀφνειός τʼ ἀγαθός τε Κορινθόθι οἰκία ναίων,
a wealthy man and good, who dwelt in his house at Corinth,
ὅς ῥʼ εὖ εἰδὼς κῆρʼ ὀλοὴν ἐπὶ νηὸς ἔβαινε·
who embarked on his ship, well knowing his destructive fate;
πολλάκι γάρ οἱ ἔειπε γέρων ἀγαθὸς Πολύϊδος
for often had the good old man Polyidus told him
νούσῳ ὑπʼ ἀργαλέῃ φθίσθαι οἷς ἐν μεγάροισιν,
that he must either perish by a grievous disease in his own halls,
ἢ μετʼ Ἀχαιῶν νηυσὶν ὑπὸ Τρώεσσι δαμῆναι·
or be vanquished by the Trojans among the ships of the Achaeans;
τώ ῥʼ ἅμα τʼ ἀργαλέην θωὴν ἀλέεινεν Ἀχαιῶν
therefore he avoided at once the grievous fine of the Achaeans
νοῦσόν τε στυγερήν, ἵνα μὴ πάθοι ἄλγεα θυμῷ.
and the hateful disease, that he might not suffer woes in his heart.
τὸν βάλʼ ὑπὸ γναθμοῖο. καὶ οὔατος· ὦκα δὲ θυμὸς
Him Paris struck beneath the jaw and the ear; and quickly the life
ᾤχετʼ ἀπὸ μελέων, στυγερὸς δʼ ἄρα μιν σκότος εἷλεν.
went out from his limbs, and hateful darkness seized him.
ὣς οἳ μὲν μάρναντο δέμας πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο·
So they fought like a burning fire;
Ἕκτωρ δʼ οὐκ ἐπέπυστο Διῒ φίλος, οὐδέ τι ᾔδη
but Hector, beloved of Zeus, had not heard, nor did he know at all,
ὅττί ῥά οἱ νηῶν ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ δηϊόωντο
that his people were being slain by the Argives on the left of the ships.
λαοὶ ὑπʼ Ἀργείων. τάχα δʼ ἂν καὶ κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν
Soon indeed the glory might have been the Achaeans’;
ἔπλετο·4 τοῖος γὰρ γαιήοχος ἐννοσίγαιος
for such a one was the earth-holding Earth-shaker
ὄτρυνʼ Ἀργείους, πρὸς δὲ σθένει αὐτὸς ἄμυνεν·
who urged on the Argives, and himself aided them with his might.
ἀλλʼ ἔχεν ᾗ τὰ πρῶτα πύλας καὶ τεῖχος ἐσᾶλτο
But he held the place where at first he had leapt within the gates and the wall,
ῥηξάμενος Δαναῶν πυκινὰς στίχας ἀσπιστάων,
having broken the thick ranks of the shield-bearing Danaans,
ἔνθʼ ἔσαν Αἴαντός τε νέες καὶ Πρωτεσιλάου
where were the ships of Aias and Protesilaus,
θῖνʼ ἔφʼ ἁλὸς πολιῆς εἰρυμέναι· αὐτὰρ ὕπερθε
drawn up on the shore of the grey sea; but above them
τεῖχος ἐδέδμητο χθαμαλώτατον, ἔνθα μάλιστα
the wall was built lowest, where most of all
ζαχρηεῖς γίγνοντο μάχῃ αὐτοί τε καὶ ἵπποι.
they themselves and their horses were fiercest in battle.
ἔνθα δὲ Βοιωτοὶ καὶ Ἰάονες ἑλκεχίτωνες
There the Boeotians and the long-robed Iaones,
Λοκροὶ καὶ Φθῖοι καὶ φαιδιμόεντες Ἐπειοὶ
the Locrians and Phthians and glorious Epeians,
σπουδῇ ἐπαΐσσοντα νεῶν ἔχον, οὐδὲ δύναντο
with difficulty held him as he rushed upon the ships, nor could they
ὦσαι ἀπὸ σφείων φλογὶ εἴκελον Ἕκτορα δῖον
thrust back from them noble Hector, who was like a flame;
οἳ μὲν Ἀθηναίων προλελεγμένοι· ἐν δʼ ἄρα τοῖσιν
some being chosen men of the Athenians; and among them
ἦρχʼ υἱὸς Πετεῶο Μενεσθεύς, οἳ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕποντο
Menestheus, son of Peteos, led, and with him followed
Φείδας τε Στιχίος τε Βίας τʼ ἐΰς· αὐτὰρ Ἐπειῶν
Pheidas and Stichius and brave Bias; and of the Epeians
Φυλεΐδης τε Μέγης Ἀμφίων τε Δρακίος τε,
Meges, son of Phyleus, and Amphion and Dracius,
πρὸ Φθίων δὲ Μέδων τε μενεπτόλεμός τε Ποδάρκης.
and before the Phthians, Medon and Podarces, steadfast in fight.
ἤτοι ὃ μὲν νόθος υἱὸς Ὀϊλῆος θείοιο
Now Medon was a bastard son of godlike Oïleus,
ἔσκε Μέδων Αἴαντος ἀδελφεός· αὐτὰρ ἔναιεν
and brother of Aias; but he dwelt
- 13.630ἐσσύμενοί περ Ἄρηος
The perfect middle-passive participle ἐσσύμενοι takes the genitive Ἄρηος, meaning "eager for war" or "rushing toward battle," expressing a strong desire or swift movement.
- 13.638τῶν πέρ τις καὶ μᾶλλον ἐέλδεται ἐξ ἔρον εἷναι
A highly debated expression. ἐξ ἔρον εἷναι (or ἐξέρον ἕναι) is interpreted as an infinitive phrase meaning "to release desire" or "to satisfy oneself to the full (regarding those things)." The plural relative pronoun τῶν refers back to sleep, love, song, and dance.
- 13.659παιδὸς ... τεθνηῶτος
The genitive construction is an objective genitive depending on ποινὴ, meaning "vengeance/recompense for the dead son."
- 13.676τάχα δʼ ἂν καὶ κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν ἔπλετο
The combination of the particle ἂν with the imperfect indicative ἔπλετο expresses a past contrary-to-fact condition or a past possibility ("would have been" or "might have been"), describing a situation where the Achaeans were on the verge of winning glory if not for the gods' intervention.