- 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-grc2:13.768-13.837
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Hector sternly questions Alexandrus about the whereabouts and safety of the other leaders. Alexandrus explains their fates while asserting his own courage, prompting both sides to clash fiercely. Aias and Hector exchange hostile words as the armies raise a tremendous battle cry.
ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱστάμενος προσέφη αἰσχροῖς ἐπέεσσι·
Standing close, Hector addressed him with insulting words:
Δύσπαρι εἶδος ἄριστε γυναιμανὲς ἠπεροπευτὰ
”Evil Paris, most fair of form, mad after women, deceiver,
ποῦ τοι Δηΐφοβός τε βίη θʼ Ἑλένοιο ἄνακτος
where is Deiphobus, and the might of king Helenus,
Ἀσιάδης τʼ Ἀδάμας ἠδʼ Ἄσιος Ὑρτάκου υἱός;
and Adamas son of Asius, and Asius son of Hyrtacus?
ποῦ δέ τοι Ὀθρυονεύς; νῦν ὤλετο πᾶσα κατʼ ἄκρης
And where is Othryoneus? Now is utterly destroyed from her height
Ἴλιος αἰπεινή· νῦν τοι σῶς αἰπὺς ὄλεθρος.
steep Ilios; now is thy sheer destruction sure.”
τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής·
To him then godlike Alexandrus made answer:
Ἕκτορ ἐπεί τοι θυμὸς ἀναίτιον αἰτιάασθαι,
”Hector, since it is thy pleasure to blame one that is blameless,
ἄλλοτε δή ποτε μᾶλλον ἐρωῆσαι πολέμοιο
at some other time rather than now might I be likely to hold back from the fight,
μέλλω,1 ἐπεὶ οὐδʼ ἐμὲ πάμπαν ἀνάλκιδα γείνατο μήτηρ·
since my mother bore not even me to be an utter coward.
ἐξ οὗ γὰρ παρὰ νηυσὶ μάχην ἤγειρας ἑταίρων,
For from the time that thou didst arouse the battle of our comrades by the ships,
ἐκ τοῦ δʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἐόντες ὁμιλέομεν Δαναοῖσι
from that hour have we remained here and fought with the Danaans
νωλεμέως· ἕταροι δὲ κατέκταθεν οὓς σὺ μεταλλᾷς.
ceaselessly; and our comrades are slain for whom thou inquirest.
οἴω Δηΐφοβός τε βίη θʼ Ἑλένοιο ἄνακτος
Only Deiphobus and the might of king Helenus, I think,
οἴχεσθον, μακρῇσι τετυμμένω ἐγχείῃσιν
have gone, both of them wounded in the hand with long spears;
ἀμφοτέρω κατὰ χεῖρα· φόνον δʼ ἤμυνε Κρονίων.
but the son of Cronos warded off death from them.
νῦν δʼ ἄρχʼ ὅππῃ σε κραδίη θυμός τε κελεύει·
But now lead on wheresoever thy heart and spirit bid thee;
ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐμμεμαῶτες ἅμʼ ἑψόμεθʼ, οὐδέ τί φημι
and we will follow with thee eagerly, nor do I think
ἀλκῆς δευήσεσθαι, ὅση δύναμίς γε πάρεστι.
we shall be lacking in valor, so far as power is in us.
πὰρ δύναμιν δʼ οὐκ ἔστι καὶ ἐσσύμενον πολεμίζειν.
But beyond his power may no man fight, howsoever eager he be.”
ὣς εἰπὼν παρέπεισεν ἀδελφειοῦ φρένας ἥρως·
So speaking the hero persuaded his brother’s heart;
βὰν δʼ ἴμεν ἔνθα μάλιστα μάχη καὶ φύλοπις ἦεν
and they went where the battle and the din of war were hottest,
ἀμφί τε Κεβριόνην καὶ ἀμύμονα Πουλυδάμαντα
around Cebriones and peerless Polydamas,
Φάλκην Ὀρθαῖόν τε καὶ ἀντίθεον Πολυφήτην
and Phalces, and Orthaeus, and godlike Polyphetes,
Πάλμύν τʼ Ἀσκάνιόν τε Μόρυν θʼ υἷʼ Ἱπποτίωνος,
and Palmys, and Ascanius, and Morys, son of Hippotion,
οἵ ῥʼ ἐξ Ἀσκανίης ἐριβώλακος ἦλθον ἀμοιβοὶ
who had come from fertile Ascania as reliefs
ἠοῖ τῇ προτέρῃ· τότε δὲ Ζεὺς ὦρσε μάχεσθαι.
on the morn before; and now Zeus aroused them to fight.
οἳ δʼ ἴσαν ἀργαλέων ἀνέμων ἀτάλαντοι ἀέλλῃ,
And they went like the blast of grievous winds
ἥ ῥά θʼ ὑπὸ βροντῆς πατρὸς Διὸς εἶσι πέδον δέ,
that under the thunder of father Zeus rushes to the plain,
θεσπεσίῳ δʼ ὁμάδῳ ἁλὶ μίσγεται, ἐν δέ τε πολλὰ
and with wondrous din mixes with the sea, and in its track are many
κύματα παφλάζοντα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης
boiling waves of the roaring sea,
κυρτὰ φαληριόωντα, πρὸ μέν τʼ ἄλλʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ ἄλλα·
arched and white with foam, some in front, and others after them;
ὣς Τρῶες πρὸ μὲν ἄλλοι ἀρηρότες, αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ ἄλλοι,
so the Trojans, some in vanguard arrayed, and others after them,
χαλκῷ μαρμαίροντες ἅμʼ ἡγεμόνεσσιν ἕποντο.
flashing with bronze, followed along with their leaders.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἡγεῖτο βροτολοιγῷ ἶσος Ἄρηϊ
And Hector led them, the peer of Ares, bane of mortals,
Πριαμίδης· πρόσθεν δʼ ἔχεν ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην
the son of Priam; and before him he held his shield, well-balanced on every side,
ῥινοῖσιν πυκινήν, πολλὸς δʼ ἐπελήλατο χαλκός·
thick with hides, and upon it much bronze had been welded;
ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κροτάφοισι φαεινὴ σείετο πήληξ.
and around his temples his gleaming helmet shook.
πάντῃ δʼ ἀμφὶ φάλαγγας ἐπειρᾶτο προποδίζων,
And everywhere he made trial of the ranks, advancing,
εἴ πώς οἱ εἴξειαν ὑπασπίδια προβιβῶντι·
if they would yield to him as he strode forward under cover of his shield;
ἀλλʼ οὐ σύγχει θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.
yet he could not confound the spirit in the breasts of the Achaeans.
Αἴας δὲ πρῶτος προκαλέσσατο μακρὰ βιβάσθων·
And Aias first challenged him, striding with long steps:
δαιμόνιε σχεδὸν ἐλθέ· τί ἢ δειδίσσεαι αὔτως
”Madman, draw near; why dost thou try to frighten
Ἀργείους; οὔ τοί τι μάχης ἀδαήμονές εἰμεν,
the Argives? We Achaeans are in no wise ignorant of battle,
ἀλλὰ Διὸς μάστιγι κακῇ ἐδάμημεν Ἀχαιοί.
but by the evil scourge of Zeus have we Achaeans been subdued.
ἦ θήν πού τοι θυμὸς ἐέλπεται ἐξαλαπάξειν
Surely, I ween, thy heart hopes to destroy
νῆας· ἄφαρ δέ τε χεῖρες ἀμύνειν εἰσὶ καὶ ἡμῖν.
our ships; but we too have hands ready to defend them.
ἦ κε πολὺ φθαίη εὖ ναιομένη πόλις ὑμὴ
Verily, long before that shall your well-peopled city
χερσὶν ὑφʼ ἡμετέρῃσιν ἁλοῦσά τε2 περθομένη τε.
be taken and sacked by our hands.
σοὶ δʼ αὐτῷ φημὶ σχεδὸν ἔμμεναι ὁππότε φεύγων
And for thyself, I say the time is near when in thy flight
ἀρήσῃ Διὶ πατρὶ καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισι
thou shalt pray to father Zeus and the other immortals
θάσσονας ἰρήκων ἔμεναι καλλίτριχας ἵππους,
that thy fair-maned horses may be swifter than falcons,
οἵ σε πόλιν δʼ οἴσουσι κονίοντες πεδίοιο.
the horses that shall bear thee to the city, raising dust on the plain.”
ὣς ἄρα οἱ εἰπόντι ἐπέπτατο δεξιὸς ὄρνις
Even as he thus spoke, a bird flew on the right,
αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης· ἐπὶ δʼ ἴαχε λαὸς Ἀχαιῶν
a high-flying eagle; and the host of the Achaeans shouted aloud,
θάρσυνος οἰωνῷ· ὃ δʼ ἀμείβετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·
heartened by the omen; and glorious Hector made answer:
Αἶαν ἁμαρτοεπὲς βουγάϊε ποῖον ἔειπες·
”Aias, blunderer in speech, thou braggart, what a word hast thou spoken!
εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼν οὕτω γε Διὸς πάϊς αἰγιόχοιο
Would that I were as surely the son of aegis-bearing Zeus
εἴην ἤματα πάντα, τέκοι δέ με πότνια Ἥρη,
all my days, and queenly Hera had borne me,
τιοίμην δʼ ὡς τίετʼ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἀπόλλων,
and that I were honored even as Athena and Apollo are honored,
ὡς νῦν ἡμέρη ἥδε κακὸν φέρει3 Ἀργείοισι
as surely as this day brings evil to the Argives,
πᾶσι μάλʼ, ἐν δὲ σὺ τοῖσι πεφήσεαι, αἴ κε ταλάσσῃς
to one and all; and among them shalt thou be slain, if thou hast the heart
μεῖναι ἐμὸν δόρυ μακρόν, ὅ τοι χρόα λειριόεντα
to abide my long spear, which shall tear thy lily-like skin;
δάψει· ἀτὰρ Τρώων κορέεις κύνας ἠδʼ οἰωνοὺς
yea, thou shalt glut the dogs and birds of the Trojans
δημῷ καὶ σάρκεσσι πεσὼν ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.
with thy fat and flesh, falling by the ships of the Achaeans.”
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἡγήσατο· τοὶ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕποντο
So saying, he led the way; and they followed after him
ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ, ἐπὶ δʼ ἴαχε λαὸς ὄπισθεν.
with wondrous clamor, and the host behind shouted likewise.
Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐπίαχον, οὐδὲ λάθοντο
And the Argives on their side shouted in answer, and forgot not
ἀλκῆς, ἀλλʼ ἔμενον Τρώων ἐπιόντας ἀρίστους.
their valor, but awaited the onslaught of the bravest of the Trojans.
ἠχὴ δʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἵκετʼ αἰθέρα καὶ Διὸς αὐγάς.
And the clamor of both reached the upper air and the bright rays of Zeus.
- 13.776ἄλλοτε δή ποτε μᾶλλον ἐρωῆσαι πολέμοιο μέλλω
The verb μέλλω with the infinitive ἐρωῆσαι here means "to be likely to." Combined with the comparative adverb μᾶλλον ("rather") and the temporal phrase ἄλλοτε δή ποτε ("at some other time"), it expresses the implication: "at some other time rather than now I might be likely to withdraw from battle (but certainly not now)."
- 13.815ἦ κε πολὺ φθαίη εὖ ναιομένη πόλις ὑμὴ ... ἁλοῦσά τε περθομένη τε
A construction consisting of the third-person singular optative φθαίη with the particle κε (ἄν), modifying the participles ἁλοῦσά τε περθομένη τε. The verb φθάνω with a participle means "to anticipate or do something before someone else." Here, it expresses a potential optative (possibility): "long before (you destroy our ships), your own city will be captured and sacked."
- 13.825εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼν οὕτω γε Διὸς πάϊς ... εἴην ..., ὡς νῦν ἡμέρη ἥδε κακὸν φέρει ...
An optative of wish (εἴην, τιοίμην) introduced by the particle of wishing εἰ γάρ, which is contrasted with the present indicative clause (φέρει) introduced by ὡς. This is a formulaic comparative construction used in solemn oaths or assertions of absolute certainty, meaning: "Would that I were the son of Zeus as surely as this day brings destruction to the Achaeans." It heightens the certainty of the latter fact by contrasting it with an impossible wish.