Meeting of the Wounded Kings and Agamemnon's Proposal to Flee — Homer, Iliad Book 14 (lines 1–76), Greek & English

Νέστορα δʼ οὐκ ἔλαθεν ἰαχὴ πίνοντά περ ἔμπης,

Nestor was not unmindful of the cry, though he was drinking,

ἀλλʼ Ἀσκληπιάδην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

but to the son of Asclepius he spoke winged words:

φράζεο δῖε Μαχᾶον ὅπως ἔσται τάδε ἔργα·

”Consider, noble Machaon, how these deeds shall be;

μείζων δὴ παρὰ νηυσὶ βοὴ θαλερῶν αἰζηῶν.

the cry of the lusty youths is growing louder by the ships.

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν πῖνε καθήμενος αἴθοπα οἶνον

But do thou sit now and drink the gleaming wine,

εἰς ὅ κε θερμὰ λοετρὰ ἐϋπλόκαμος Ἑκαμήδη

until fair-tressed Hecamede shall heat a warm bath

θερμήνῃ καὶ λούσῃ ἄπο βρότον αἱματόεντα·

and wash away the clotted blood;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐλθὼν τάχα εἴσομαι ἐς περιωπήν.

but I will go quickly to a place of outlook and find out.”

ὣς εἰπὼν σάκος εἷλε τετυγμένον υἷος ἑοῖο

So saying, he took the well-wrought shield of his son,

κείμενον ἐν κλισίῃ Θρασυμήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο

which lay in the hut, even of Thrasymedes the tamer of horses,

χαλκῷ παμφαῖνον· ὃ δʼ ἔχʼ ἀσπίδα πατρὸς ἑοῖο.

gleaming with bronze; for the son had the shield of his father.

εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος ἀκαχμένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,

And he took a strong spear, tipped with sharp bronze,

στῆ δʼ ἐκτὸς κλισίης, τάχα δʼ εἴσιδεν ἔργον ἀεικὲς

and stood outside the hut, and quickly saw a shameful deed—

τοὺς μὲν ὀρινομένους, τοὺς δὲ κλονέοντας ὄπισθε

the Achaeans in rout, and the Trojans pursuing them from behind,

Τρῶας ὑπερθύμους· ἐρέριπτο δὲ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν.

and the wall of the Achaeans thrown down.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε πορφύρῃ¹ πέλαγος μέγα κύματι κωφῷ

And as when the great sea heaves with a silent wave,

ὀσσόμενον² λιγέων ἀνέμων λαιψηρὰ κέλευθα

foreboding the swift paths of the shrill winds,

αὔτως, οὐδʼ ἄρα τε προκυλίνδεται οὐδετέρωσε,

all in vain, nor does it roll forward to this side or that

πρίν τινα κεκριμένον καταβήμεναι ἐκ Διὸς οὖρον,

until some decisive wind comes down from Zeus;

ὣς ὃ γέρων ὅρμαινε δαϊζόμενος κατὰ θυμὸν

so the old man pondered, divided in his mind

διχθάδιʼ, ἢ μεθʼ ὅμιλον ἴοι Δαναῶν ταχυπώλων,

two ways: whether he should go into the throng of the Danaans of swift horses,

ἦε μετʼ Ἀτρεΐδην Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιμένα λαῶν.

or after Agamemnon, son of Atreus, shepherd of the host.

ὧδε δέ οἱ φρονέοντι δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι

And as he thus pondered, it seemed to him better

βῆναι ἐπʼ Ἀτρεΐδην. οἳ δʼ ἀλλήλους ἐνάριζον

to go after the son of Atreus. But the others were slaying one another in battle,

μαρνάμενοι· λάκε δέ σφι περὶ χροῒ χαλκὸς ἀτειρὴς

and the stubborn bronze clanged about their bodies

νυσσομένων ξίφεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισι.

as they were thrust at with swords and double-pointed spears.

Νέστορι δὲ ξύμβληντο διοτρεφέες βασιλῆες

And there met Nestor the kings, nurtured of Zeus,

πὰρ νηῶν ἀνιόντες ὅσοι βεβλήατο χαλκῷ

as they came up from the ships, as many as had been wounded with bronze—

Τυδεΐδης Ὀδυσεύς τε καὶ Ἀτρεΐδης Ἀγαμέμνων.

the son of Tydeus, and Odysseus, and Agamemnon, son of Atreus.

πολλὸν γάρ ῥʼ ἀπάνευθε μάχης εἰρύατο νῆες

For far away from the battle were their ships drawn up on the shore of the grey sea;

θῖνʼ ἔφʼ ἁλὸς πολιῆς· τὰς γὰρ πρώτας πεδίον δὲ

for those that were first they had drawn up to the plain,

εἴρυσαν, αὐτὰρ τεῖχος ἐπὶ πρύμνῃσιν ἔδειμαν.

and had built the wall at the sterns of them.

οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδʼ εὐρύς περ ἐὼν ἐδυνήσατο πάσας

For, wide though it was, the beach could not contain all the ships,

αἰγιαλὸς νῆας χαδέειν, στείνοντο δὲ λαοί·

and the people were straitened;

τώ ῥα προκρόσσας³ ἔρυσαν, καὶ πλῆσαν ἁπάσης

wherefore they drew them up in rows, and filled the wide mouth

ἠϊόνος στόμα μακρόν, ὅσον συνεέργαθον ἄκραι.

of all the shore, as much as the headlands enclosed.

τώ ῥʼ οἵ γʼ ὀψείοντες ἀϋτῆς καὶ πολέμοιο

Therefore the kings, desiring to behold the clamor and the battle, came all together,

ἔγχει ἐρειδόμενοι κίον ἀθρόοι· ἄχνυτο δέ σφι

leaning on their spears; and the heart in their breasts was sorrowful.

θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν. ὃ δὲ ξύμβλητο γεραιὸς

And the old man met them, even Nestor,

Νέστωρ, πτῆξε δὲ θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.

and dismayed the spirit in the breasts of the Achaeans.

τὸν καὶ φωνήσας προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων·

To him spoke the ruler Agamemnon, and said:

ὦ Νέστορ Νηληϊάδη μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν

”Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans,

τίπτε λιπὼν πόλεμον φθισήνορα δεῦρʼ ἀφικάνεις;

why hast thou left the man-destroying battle and come hither?

δείδω μὴ δή μοι τελέσῃ ἔπος ὄβριμος Ἕκτωρ,

I fear lest dread Hector fulfill the word even as he once threatened,

ὥς ποτʼ ἐπηπείλησεν ἐνὶ Τρώεσσʼ ἀγορεύων

speaking among the Trojans,

μὴ πρὶν πὰρ νηῶν προτὶ Ἴλιον ἀπονέεσθαι

that he would not return to Ilios from the ships

πρὶν πυρὶ νῆας ἐνιπρῆσαι, κτεῖναι δὲ καὶ αὐτούς.

until he had burned the ships with fire, and slain us also.

κεῖνος τὼς ἀγόρευε· τὰ δὴ νῦν πάντα τελεῖται.

So he spoke, and now all this is being fulfilled.

ὢ πόποι ἦ ῥα καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ

Ah, verily, the other well-greaved Achaeans also,

ἐν θυμῷ βάλλονται ἐμοὶ χόλον⁴ ὥς περ Ἀχιλλεὺς

lay up wrath against me in their hearts, even as Achilles does,

οὐδʼ ἐθέλουσι μάχεσθαι ἐπὶ πρυμνῇσι νέεσσι.

and will not fight by the sterns of the ships.”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

To him then made answer the Gerenian horseman, Nestor:

ἦ δὴ ταῦτά γʼ ἑτοῖμα τετεύχαται, οὐδέ κεν ἄλλως

”Verily, these things are already done, nor could

Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης αὐτὸς παρατεκτήναιτο.

Zeus himself, the high-thundering, fashion them otherwise.

τεῖχος μὲν γὰρ δὴ κατερήριπεν, ᾧ ἐπέπιθμεν

For the wall has been thrown down, in which we trusted

ἄρρηκτον νηῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν εἶλαρ ἔσεσθαι·

that it would be an unbreakable defense for the ships and for ourselves;

οἳ δʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶ θοῇσι μάχην ἀλίαστον ἔχουσι

and the men are fighting by the swift ships without ceasing, ceaselessly;

νωλεμές· οὐδʼ ἂν ἔτι γνοίης μάλα περ σκοπιάζων

nor couldst thou any longer tell, though thou shouldst look ever so closely,

ὁπποτέρωθεν Ἀχαιοὶ ὀρινόμενοι κλονέονται,

from which side the Achaeans are driven in rout,

ὡς ἐπιμὶξ κτείνονται, ἀϋτὴ δʼ οὐρανὸν ἵκει.

so confusedly are they slain, and the cry reaches the heaven.

ἡμεῖς δὲ φραζώμεθʼ ὅπως ἔσται τάδε ἔργα

But let us take counsel how these things shall be, if wisdom may do aught;

εἴ τι νόος ῥέξει· πόλεμον δʼ οὐκ ἄμμε κελεύω

but into the battle I bid you not enter;

δύμεναι· οὐ γάρ πως βεβλημένον⁵ ἐστὶ μάχεσθαι.

for in no wise is it possible for a wounded man to fight.”

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

To him again made answer Agamemnon, king of men:

Νέστορ ἐπεὶ δὴ νηυσὶν ἔπι πρυμνῇσι μάχονται,

”Nestor, since they are fighting by the sterns of the ships,

τεῖχος δʼ οὐκ ἔχραισμε τετυγμένον, οὐδέ τι τάφρος,

and the well-built wall has availed not, nor the trench,

ᾗ ἔπι πολλὰ πάθον Δαναοί, ἔλποντο δὲ θυμῷ

whereat the Danaans suffered much, and hoped in their hearts

ἄρρηκτον νηῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν εἶλαρ ἔσεσθαι·

that it would be an unbreakable defense for the ships and for ourselves;

οὕτω που Διὶ μέλλει ὑπερμενέϊ φίλον εἶναι

so, I ween, must it be the pleasure of Zeus supreme

νωνύμνους ἀπολέσθαι ἀπʼ Ἄργεος ἐνθάδʼ Ἀχαιούς.

that the Achaeans should perish here far from Argos, without a name.

ᾔδεα⁶ μὲν γὰρ ὅτε πρόφρων Δαναοῖσιν ἄμυνεν,

For I knew it when he was aiding the Danaans with a ready heart,

οἶδα δὲ νῦν ὅτε τοὺς μὲν ὁμῶς μακάρεσσι θεοῖσι

and I know it now when he glorifies the Trojans even as the blessed gods,

κυδάνει, ἡμέτερον δὲ μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἔδησεν.

and has bound our strength and our hands.

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ ὡς ἂν ἐγὼν εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες.

But come, even as I shall speak, let us all obey.

νῆες ὅσαι πρῶται εἰρύαται ἄγχι θαλάσσης

Let us drag down the ships that are drawn up first, near the sea,

ἕλκωμεν, πάσας δὲ ἐρύσσομεν εἰς ἅλα δῖαν,

and launch them all into the bright sea,”

Syntax notes6 items

14.16πορφύρῃ
Third-person singular present active subjunctive of the verb πορφύρω ('heave', 'surge'), used in a simile introduced by ὡς ὅτε without ἄν, typical of Homeric syntax. It should not be confused with the dative of the noun πορφύρα.
14.17ὀσσόμενον
Neuter singular present participle agreeing with the subject πέλαγος ('sea') in the previous line. It acts transitively, meaning 'foreboding' or 'anticipating', taking the accusative λαιψηρὰ κέλευθα ('swift paths') as its object.
14.35προκρόσσας
Accusative feminine plural of the adjective προκρόσσος ('in regular rows', 'stair-wise'). It modifies the omitted object νῆας ('ships'), describing how they dragged the ships up in parallel or alternating ranks to fit them into the narrow beach.
14.50ἐμοὶ χόλον
The dative pronoun ἐμοὶ is a dative of disadvantage (or reference), indicating the Achaeans' anger directed against Agamemnon personally ('wrath against me'). The subject is the plural ἄλλοι ... Ἀχαιοί, agreeing with the plural verb βάλλονται.
14.63βεβλημένον
Perfect middle/passive participle masculine accusative singular of βάλλω ('to wound'). It acts substantively as the accusative subject of the infinitive μάχεσθαι, dependent on the impersonal use of ἔστι ('it is possible'), meaning 'for a wounded man [to fight]'.
14.71ᾔδεα
First-person singular pluperfect of οἶδα (equivalent to Attic ᾔδη or ᾔδειν), here used with past meaning ('I knew'). It introduces the ὅτε clause ('when he was helping...') as its virtual object.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:14.1-14.76