- 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-grc2:13.71-13.141
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
The two Ajaxes, recognizing the god's presence, urge each other on with renewed fighting spirit. Poseidon rouses the remaining disheartened Achaeans, who form a solid defensive phalanx to withstand the furious charge of the Trojans led by Hector.
ἴχνια γὰρ μετόπισθε ποδῶν ἠδὲ κνημάων
For I easily recognized the tracks of his feet and legs
ῥεῖʼ ἔγνων ἀπιόντος·1 ἀρίγνωτοι δὲ θεοί περ·
as he went away; and gods are easily recognized.
καὶ δʼ ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισι
And in my own breast, my heart
μᾶλλον ἐφορμᾶται πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι,
is even more eager to war and to fight,
μαιμώωσι δʼ ἔνερθε πόδες καὶ χεῖρες ὕπερθε.
and my feet below and my hands above are eager.
τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη Τελαμώνιος Αἴας·
Then answering him spoke Telamonian Ajax:
οὕτω νῦν καὶ ἐμοὶ περὶ δούρατι χεῖρες ἄαπτοι
”Even so now my own invincible hands are eager
μαιμῶσιν, καί μοι μένος ὤρορε, νέρθε δὲ ποσσὶν
about my spear, and my strength is roused, and below
ἔσσυμαι ἀμφοτέροισι· μενοινώω δὲ καὶ οἶος
I am eager to advance with both my feet; and I long even alone
Ἕκτορι Πριαμίδῃ ἄμοτον μεμαῶτι μάχεσθαι.
to fight with Hector, Priam’s son, who rages relentlessly.”
ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον
Thus they spoke such things to one another,
χάρμῃ γηθόσυνοι, τήν σφιν θεὸς ἔμβαλε θυμῷ·
rejoicing in the battle-joy which the god had put into their hearts.
τόφρα δὲ τοὺς ὄπιθεν γαιήοχος ὦρσεν Ἀχαιούς,
Meanwhile the earth-holder aroused the Achaeans in the rear,
οἳ παρὰ νηυσὶ θοῇσιν ἀνέψυχον φίλον ἦτορ.
who by the swift ships were refreshing their hearts.
τῶν ῥʼ ἅμα τʼ ἀργαλέῳ καμάτῳ φίλα γυῖα λέλυντο,
Their limbs were loosened by grievous toil,
καί σφιν ἄχος κατὰ θυμὸν ἐγίγνετο δερκομένοισι2
and sorrow arose in their hearts as they looked upon
Τρῶας, τοὶ μέγα τεῖχος ὑπερκατέβησαν ὁμίλῳ.
the Trojans, who had climbed over the great wall in a throng.
τοὺς οἵ γʼ εἰσορόωντες ὑπʼ ὀφρύσι δάκρυα λεῖβον·
Looking at them they shed tears from beneath their brows;
οὐ γὰρ ἔφαν φεύξεσθαι ὑπʼ ἐκ κακοῦ· ἀλλʼ ἐνοσίχθων
for they did not think they would escape from ruin. But the earth-shaker,
ῥεῖα μετεισάμενος κρατερὰς ὄτρυνε φάλαγγας.
easily passing among them, urged on the strong battalions.
Τεῦκρον ἔπι πρῶτον καὶ Λήϊτον ἦλθε κελεύων
To Teucer first and Leitus he came with his command,
Πηνέλεών θʼ ἥρωα Θόαντά τε Δηΐπυρόν τε
and to the hero Peneleos, and Thoas, and Deipyrus,
Μηριόνην τε καὶ Ἀντίλοχον μήστωρας ἀϋτῆς·
and Meriones and Antilochus, masters of the war-cry;
τοὺς ὅ γʼ ἐποτρύνων ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
urging these on, he spoke winged words:
αἰδὼς Ἀργεῖοι, κοῦροι νέοι· ὔμμιν ἔγωγε
”Shame, Argives, young warriors! In you
μαρναμένοισι πέποιθα σαωσέμεναι νέας ἁμάς·
I trust, that by your fighting you will save our ships;
εἰ δʼ ὑμεῖς πολέμοιο μεθήσετε λευγαλέοιο,
but if you slacken from ruinous war,
νῦν δὴ εἴδεται3 ἦμαρ ὑπὸ Τρώεσσι δαμῆναι.
now indeed the day is seen for us to be vanquished by the Trojans.
ὢ πόποι ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι
Ah, surely a great wonder is this that I behold with my eyes,
δεινόν, ὃ οὔ ποτʼ ἔγωγε τελευτήσεσθαι ἔφασκον,
a terrible thing, which I never thought would be fulfilled:
Τρῶας ἐφʼ ἡμετέρας ἰέναι νέας, οἳ τὸ πάρος περ
that the Trojans should advance against our ships, who before
φυζακινῇς ἐλάφοισιν ἐοίκεσαν, αἵ τε καθʼ ὕλην
were like fleeing deer, which through the forest
θώων παρδαλίων τε λύκων τʼ ἤϊα πέλονται
become the prey of jackals, leopards, and wolves,
αὔτως ἠλάσκουσαι ἀνάλκιδες, οὐδʼ ἔπι χάρμη·
wandering in vain, strengthless, with no joy in fight.
ὣς Τρῶες τὸ πρίν γε μένος καὶ χεῖρας Ἀχαιῶν
So the Trojans before indeed would not for a moment
μίμνειν οὐκ ἐθέλεσκον ἐναντίον, οὐδʼ ἠβαιόν·
dare to withstand the rage and hands of the Achaeans.
νῦν δὲ ἑκὰς πόλιος κοίλῃς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ μάχονται
But now far from the city they fight at the hollow ships
ἡγεμόνος κακότητι μεθημοσύνῃσί τε λαῶν,
through the baseness of our leader and the slackness of the people,
οἳ κείνῳ ἐρίσαντες ἀμυνέμεν οὐκ ἐθέλουσι
who, quarreling with him, are not willing to defend
νηῶν4 ὠκυπόρων, ἀλλὰ κτείνονται ἀνʼ αὐτάς.
the swift-faring ships, but are slain among them.
ἀλλʼ εἰ δὴ καὶ πάμπαν ἐτήτυμον αἴτιός ἐστιν
But even if in truth the hero son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon,
ἥρως Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
is entirely to blame,
οὕνεκʼ ἀπητίμησε ποδώκεα Πηλεΐωνα,
because he dishonoured the swift-footed son of Peleus,
ἡμέας γʼ οὔ πως ἔστι μεθιέμεναι πολέμοιο.
yet we must by no means slacken from the fight.
ἀλλʼ ἀκεώμεθα θᾶσσον· ἀκεσταί τοι φρένες ἐσθλῶν.
But let us heal this quickly; the minds of good men are healable.
ὑμεῖς δʼ οὐκ ἔτι καλὰ μεθίετε θούριδος ἀλκῆς
And you no longer do well to slacken from impetuous valour,
πάντες ἄριστοι ἐόντες ἀνὰ στρατόν. οὐδʼ ἂν ἔγωγε
since you are all the best men in the army. I indeed
ἀνδρὶ μαχεσσαίμην ὅς τις πολέμοιο μεθείη
would not quarrel with a man who slackened from war
λυγρὸς ἐών· ὑμῖν δὲ νεμεσσῶμαι περὶ κῆρι.
because he was a coward; but with you I am angry in my heart.
ὦ πέπονες τάχα δή τι κακὸν ποιήσετε μεῖζον
Ah, weaklings, soon indeed you will cause some greater evil
τῇδε μεθημοσύνῃ· ἀλλʼ ἐν φρεσὶ θέσθε ἕκαστος
by this slackness! But lay to heart, each of you,
αἰδῶ καὶ νέμεσιν· δὴ γὰρ μέγα νεῖκος ὄρωρεν.
shame and indignation; for a great struggle is arisen.
Ἕκτωρ δὴ παρὰ νηυσὶ βοὴν ἀγαθὸς πολεμίζει
Hector, brave in the war-cry, now fights at the ships,
καρτερός, ἔρρηξεν δὲ πύλας καὶ μακρὸν ὀχῆα.
strong as he is, and has broken the gates and the long bar.”
ὥς ῥα κελευτιόων γαιήοχος ὦρσεν Ἀχαιούς.
So speaking, the earth-holder aroused the Achaeans.
ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ Αἴαντας δοιοὺς ἵσταντο φάλαγγες
And about the two Ajaxes stood the strong phalanxes,
καρτεραί, ἃς οὔτʼ ἄν κεν Ἄρης ὀνόσαιτο μετελθὼν
which neither Ares could find fault with if he entered,
οὔτε κʼ Ἀθηναίη λαοσσόος· οἳ γὰρ ἄριστοι
nor Athena who rouses the host; for they, the best,
κρινθέντες Τρῶάς τε καὶ Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔμιμνον,
chosen out, awaited the Trojans and noble Hector,
φράξαντες δόρυ δουρί, σάκος σάκεϊ προθελύμνῳ·
fence-locking spear to spear, shield to shield in close array.
ἀσπὶς ἄρʼ ἀσπίδʼ ἔρειδε, κόρυς κόρυν, ἀνέρα δʼ ἀνήρ·
Shield pressed on shield, helmet on helmet, man on man;
ψαῦον δʼ ἱππόκομοι κόρυθες λαμπροῖσι φάλοισι
and the horse-tail helmets touched with their bright crests
νευόντων, ὡς πυκνοὶ ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισιν·
as they nodded, so closely stood they to one another.
ἔγχεα δʼ ἐπτύσσοντο θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν
And spears were overlapping from bold hands
σειόμενʼ· οἳ δʼ ἰθὺς φρόνεον, μέμασαν δὲ μάχεσθαι.
as they were brandished; and they looked straight forward, and were eager to fight.
Τρῶες δὲ προὔτυψαν ἀολλέες, ἦρχε δʼ ἄρʼ Ἕκτωρ
And the Trojans drove forward in a body, and Hector led them,
ἀντικρὺ μεμαώς, ὀλοοίτροχος ὣς ἀπὸ πέτρης,
rushing straight on like a rolling stone from a cliff,
ὅν τε κατὰ στεφάνης ποταμὸς χειμάρροος ὤσῃ5
which a winter torrent pushes down from the brow of a hill,
ῥήξας ἀσπέτῳ ὄμβρῳ ἀναιδέος ἔχματα πέτρης·
having burst with its vast rain the bonds of the relentless rock;
ὕψι δʼ ἀναθρῴσκων πέτεται, κτυπέει δέ θʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ
and leaping high it flies, and the wood resounds beneath it;
ὕλη· ὃ δʼ ἀσφαλέως θέει ἔμπεδον, εἷος ἵκηται
and it runs securely without wavering until it reaches the plain.
- 13.72ἀπιόντος
Genitive participle, functioning as a possessive genitive dependent on the noun ἴχνια (tracks), referring to the departing god (Poseidon).
- 13.86δερκομένοισι
Dative participle agreeing in gender, number, and case with the dative pronoun σφιν in the preceding line, taking the following accusative Τρῶας as its direct object.
- 13.98εἴδεται
Third-person singular present, meaning "appears" or "is seen." The subject is ἦμαρ (day), which is accompanied by the active/passive infinitive δαμῆναι (to be vanquished).
- 13.110νηῶν
Genitive of separation, governed by the infinitive ἀμυνέμεν (to ward off, defend) in the sense of "defending [from the ships]."
- 13.138ὤσῃ
Subjunctive mood. A characteristic Homeric use of the subjunctive without the particle ἄν or κε in a relative clause introducing a simile.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1