- 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-grc2:14.375-14.446
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Poseidon leads the Greek forces as a fierce clash erupts between the two armies. Great Ajax strikes Hector with a large stone, causing him to be severely injured and carried away from the battlefield, which reinvigorates the Greeks.
Ἕκτορα Πριαμίδην μενέειν1 μάλα περ μεμαῶτα.
that Hector, son of Priam, will no longer hold his ground, though he be very eager.”
ὃς δέ κʼ ἀνὴρ μενέχαρμος, ἔχει δʼ ὀλίγον σάκος ὤμῳ,
”And whatever steadfast warrior has but a small shield on his shoulder,
χείρονι φωτὶ δότω, ὃ δʼ ἐν ἀσπίδι μείζονι δύτω.
let him give it to a worse man, and himself do on a larger shield.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδὲ πίθοντο·
So he spoke, and they readily heard him and obeyed.
τοὺς δʼ αὐτοὶ βασιλῆες ἐκόσμεον οὐτάμενοί περ
And the kings themselves, wounded though they were, marshalled them,
Τυδεΐδης Ὀδυσεύς τε καὶ Ἀτρεΐδης Ἀγαμέμνων·
even the son of Tydeus, and Odysseus, and Agamemnon, son of Atreus;
οἰχόμενοι δʼ ἐπὶ πάντας ἀρήϊα τεύχεʼ ἄμειβον·
and going through the whole host they made exchange of battle-gear;
ἐσθλὰ μὲν ἐσθλὸς ἔδυνε, χέρεια δὲ χείρονι δόσκεν.
the brave warrior put on brave armor, and the worse they gave to the worse.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἕσσαντο περὶ χροῒ νώροπα χαλκὸν
Then, when they had clothed their bodies in gleaming bronze,
βάν ῥʼ ἴμεν· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρά σφι Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων
they began to march; and Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, led them,
δεινὸν ἄορ τανύηκες ἔχων ἐν χειρὶ παχείῃ
holding in his strong hand a dread sword, long of edge,
εἴκελον ἀστεροπῇ· τῷ δʼ οὐ θέμις ἐστὶ μιγῆναι2
like unto a flash of lightning, wherewith it is not permitted that any should mingle
ἐν δαῒ λευγαλέῃ, ἀλλὰ δέος ἰσχάνει ἄνδρας.
in woeful fight, but dread holds men back.
Τρῶας δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐκόσμει φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ.
And the Trojans on their side were marshalled by illustrious Hector.
δή ῥα τότʼ αἰνοτάτην ἔριδα πτολέμοιο τάνυσσαν
Then indeed did they stretch tight the grimmest cord of war,
κυανοχαῖτα Ποσειδάων καὶ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ,
dark-haired Poseidon and illustrious Hector,
ἤτοι ὃ μὲν Τρώεσσιν, ὃ δʼ Ἀργείοισιν ἀρήγων.
the one aiding the Trojans and the other the Argives.
ἐκλύσθη δὲ θάλασσα ποτὶ κλισίας τε νέας τε
And the sea washed up to the huts and ships
Ἀργείων· οἳ δὲ ξύνισαν μεγάλῳ ἀλαλητῷ.
of the Argives; and they met with a great battle-cry.
οὔτε θαλάσσης κῦμα τόσον βοάᾳ ποτὶ χέρσον
Not so loudly bellows the wave of the sea against the land,
ποντόθεν ὀρνύμενον πνοιῇ Βορέω ἀλεγεινῇ·
when it is driven from the deep by the dread blast of the North Wind;
οὔτε πυρὸς τόσσός γε ποτὶ βρόμος αἰθομένοιο
nor is the roar of blazing fire so great
οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς, ὅτε τʼ ὤρετο καιέμεν ὕλην·
in the glades of a mountain, when it leaps to burn the forest;
οὔτʼ ἄνεμος τόσσόν γε περὶ δρυσὶν ὑψικόμοισι
nor does the wind shriek so loud about the high-crested oaks—
ἠπύει, ὅς τε μάλιστα μέγα βρέμεται χαλεπαίνων,
the wind that roars the loudest in its wrath—
ὅσση ἄρα Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν ἔπλετο φωνὴ
as was the cry of Trojans and Achaeans,
δεινὸν ἀϋσάντων, ὅτʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ὄρουσαν.
shouting terribly as they rushed upon one another.
Αἴαντος δὲ πρῶτος ἀκόντισε φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
First at Ajax did illustrious Hector cast
ἔγχει, ἐπεὶ τέτραπτο πρὸς ἰθύ οἱ, οὐδʼ ἀφάμαρτε,
with his spear, since Ajax was turned right toward him, and he did not miss,
τῇ ῥα δύω τελαμῶνε περὶ στήθεσσι τετάσθην,
but struck him where the two baldrics were stretched across his breast,
ἤτοι ὃ μὲν σάκεος, ὃ δὲ φασγάνου ἀργυροήλου·
the one of his shield, and the other of his silver-studded sword;
τώ οἱ ῥυσάσθην τέρενα χρόα. χώσατο δʼ Ἕκτωρ,
these two protected his tender skin. And Hector was wroth
ὅττί ῥά οἱ βέλος ὠκὺ ἐτώσιον ἔκφυγε χειρός,
that the swift weapon had flown from his hand in vain,
ἂψ δʼ ἑτάρων εἰς ἔθνος ἐχάζετο κῆρʼ ἀλεείνων.
and he shrank back into the throng of his comrades, avoiding fate.
τὸν μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἀπιόντα μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας
Then, as he was shrinking back, great Ajax, son of Telamon,
χερμαδίῳ, τά ῥα πολλὰ θοάων ἔχματα νηῶν
with a hand-stone—for many, serving as props for the swift ships,
πὰρ ποσὶ μαρναμένων ἐκυλίνδετο, τῶν ἓν ἀείρας
rolled about among the feet of the fighters; one of these he lifted,
στῆθος βεβλήκει ὑπὲρ ἄντυγος ἀγχόθι δειρῆς,
and struck him on the breast, over the shield-rim, near the neck,
στρόμβον δʼ ὣς ἔσσευε3 βαλών, περὶ δʼ ἔδραμε πάντῃ.
and set him spinning like a top with the blow, so that he reeled round and round.
ὡς δʼ ὅθʼ ὑπὸ πληγῆς πατρὸς Διὸς ἐξερίπῃ δρῦς
And even as when beneath the blast of father Zeus an oak falls
πρόρριζος, δεινὴ δὲ θεείου γίγνεται ὀδμὴ
uprooted, and a dread smell of sulfur arises
ἐξ αὐτῆς, τὸν δʼ οὔ περ ἔχει θράσος ὅς κεν ἴδηται
from it, and no courage possesses him that looks thereon,
ἐγγὺς ἐών, χαλεπὸς δὲ Διὸς μεγάλοιο κεραυνός,
though he be near by, for dread is the lightning of great Zeus;
ὣς ἔπεσʼ Ἕκτορος ὦκα χαμαὶ μένος ἐν κονίῃσι·
even so fell mighty Hector swiftly to the ground in the dust.
χειρὸς δʼ ἔκβαλεν ἔγχος, ἐπʼ αὐτῷ δʼ ἀσπὶς ἑάφθη
And the spear fell from his hand, and his shield was cast upon him,
καὶ κόρυς, ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ βράχε τεύχεα ποικίλα χαλκῷ.
and his helmet, and round about him clanged his armor dight with bronze.
οἳ δὲ μέγα ἰάχοντες ἐπέδραμον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν
Then with loud shouting the sons of the Achaeans ran forward,
ἐλπόμενοι ἐρύεσθαι, ἀκόντιζον δὲ θαμειὰς
hoping to drag him off, and they cast their many spears;
αἰχμάς· ἀλλʼ οὔ τις ἐδυνήσατο ποιμένα λαῶν
but no one was able to wound or hit the shepherd of the host,
οὐτάσαι οὐδὲ βαλεῖν· πρὶν γὰρ περίβησαν ἄριστοι
for before that the bravest gathered round him,
Πουλυδάμας τε καὶ Αἰνείας καὶ δῖος Ἀγήνωρ
even Polydamas, and Aeneas, and godlike Agenor,
Σαρπηδών τʼ ἀρχὸς Λυκίων καὶ Γλαῦκος ἀμύμων.
and Sarpedon, leader of the Lycians, and peerless Glaucus.
τῶν δʼ ἄλλων οὔ τίς εὑ ἀκήδεσεν, ἀλλὰ πάροιθεν
And of the rest no one neglected him, but before him
ἀσπίδας εὐκύκλους σχέθον αὐτοῦ. τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ἑταῖροι
they held their well-rounded shields. But his companions
χερσὶν ἀείραντες φέρον ἐκ πόνου, ὄφρʼ ἵκεθʼ ἵππους
lifted him in their arms and bore him out of the toil of war, until he came to the swift horses,
ὠκέας, οἵ οἱ ὄπισθε μάχης ἠδὲ πτολέμοιο
which stood for him behind the battle and the war,
ἕστασαν ἡνίοχόν τε καὶ ἅρματα ποικίλʼ ἔχοντες·
having their charioteer and their richly-dight chariot;
οἳ τόν γε προτὶ ἄστυ φέρον βαρέα στενάχοντα.
these bore him toward the city, groaning heavily.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πόρον ἷξον ἐϋρρεῖος ποταμοῖο
But when they came to the ford of the fair-flowing river,
Ξάνθου δινήεντος, ὃν ἀθάνατος τέκετο Ζεύς,
eddying Xanthus, whom immortal Zeus begat,
ἔνθά μιν ἐξ ἵππων πέλασαν χθονί, κὰδ δέ οἱ ὕδωρ
there they lifted him from the chariot to the ground, and poured water upon him;
χεῦαν· ὃ δʼ ἀμπνύνθη καὶ ἀνέδρακεν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν,
and he revived, and looked up with his eyes,
ἑζόμενος δʼ ἐπὶ γοῦνα κελαινεφὲς αἷμʼ ἀπέμεσσεν·
and kneeling down he vomited black blood;
αὖτις δʼ ἐξοπίσω πλῆτο χθονί, τὼ δέ οἱ ὄσσε
but again he fell back upon the ground, and both his eyes
νὺξ ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα· βέλος δʼ ἔτι θυμὸν ἐδάμνα.
did black night cover; for the blow still subdued his spirit.
Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ὡς οὖν ἴδον Ἕκτορα νόσφι κιόντα
But the Argives, when they saw Hector withdrawing,
μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι θόρον, μνήσαντο δὲ χάρμης.
leapt yet more upon the Trojans, and bethought them of battle-lust.
ἔνθα πολὺ πρώτιστος Ὀϊλῆος ταχὺς Αἴας
Then far the first did swift Ajax, son of Oileus,
Σάτνιον οὔτασε δουρὶ μετάλμενος ὀξυόεντι
leap forward and wound Satnius with his sharp spear,
Ἠνοπίδην, ὃν ἄρα νύμφη τέκε νηῒς ἀμύμων
the son of Enops, whom a peerless Naiad nymph bore
Ἤνοπι βουκολέοντι παρʼ ὄχθας Σατνιόεντος.
to Enops, as he herded his kine by the banks of Satnioeis.
τὸν μὲν Ὀϊλιάδης δουρὶ κλυτὸς ἐγγύθεν ἐλθὼν
To him did the son of Oileus, famous for his spear, draw near, and...
- 14.375Ἕκτορα... μενέειν
An accusative with infinitive construction dependent on "οὐδʼ ἔτι φημὶ" in line 374. The participle "μεμαῶτα" agrees in case with the subject accusative "Ἕκτορα", meaning "I say that Hector will no longer hold his ground, though he be very eager."
- 14.386τῷ δʼ οὐ θέμις ἐστὶ μιγῆναι
The infinitive "μιγῆναι" (from μείγνυμι, "to mix/engage") is used here in the sense of "to clash with" or "to engage in battle with." It indicates that it is not permitted by divine order (θέμις) for mortal men to cross blades with Poseidon's lightning-like sword.
- 14.413στρόμβον δʼ ὣς ἔσσευε
The direct object of "ἔσσευε" (from σεύω, "to drive/spin") is Hector. The impact of the stone made him spin like a top ("στρόμβον ὣς"). The following "περί δʼ ἔδραμε" describes Hector himself reeling and spinning around as he falls.