Zeus Awakes, Rebukes Hera, and Foretells the War — Homer, Iliad Book 15 (lines 1–66), Greek & English

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ διά τε σκόλοπας καὶ τάφρον ἔβησαν

But when they had crossed the palisade and the trench

φεύγοντες, πολλοὶ δὲ δάμεν Δαναῶν ὑπὸ χερσίν,

in flight, and many had been slain at the hands of the Danaans,

οἳ μὲν δὴ παρʼ ὄχεσφιν ἐρητύοντο μένοντες

then they stayed and held their ground beside the chariots,

χλωροὶ ὑπαὶ δείους πεφοβημένοι· ἔγρετο δὲ Ζεὺς

pale with fear and terrified. But Zeus awoke

Ἴδης ἐν κορυφῇσι παρὰ χρυσοθρόνου Ἥρης,

on the peaks of Ida beside golden-throned Hera,

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀναΐξας, ἴδε δὲ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς

and starting up he stood, and saw the Trojans and Achaeans,

τοὺς μὲν ὀρινομένους, τοὺς δὲ κλονέοντας ὄπισθεν

the ones in confusion, and the others driving them in rout from behind,

Ἀργείους, μετὰ δέ σφι Ποσειδάωνα ἄνακτα·

even the Argives, and among them the lord Poseidon.

Ἕκτορα δʼ ἐν πεδίῳ ἴδε κείμενον, ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι

And Hector he saw lying on the plain, and around him his companions

εἵαθʼ, ὃ δʼ ἀργαλέῳ ἔχετʼ ἄσθματι κῆρ ἀπινύσσων

were sitting, while he was gasping with painful breath, dazed in heart

αἷμʼ ἐμέων, ἐπεὶ οὔ μιν ἀφαυρότατος βάλʼ Ἀχαιῶν.¹

and vomiting blood, since it was not the weakest of the Achaeans who had struck him.

τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ἐλέησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε,

At him the father of men and gods looked and felt pity,

δεινὰ δʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν Ἥρην πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

and with a terrible scowl he spoke to Hera, saying:

ἦ μάλα δὴ κακότεχνος ἀμήχανε σὸς δόλος Ἥρη

”Past cure, Hera, is the guile of your evil art

Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔπαυσε μάχης, ἐφόβησε δὲ λαούς.

that has stayed noble Hector from the fight and terrified the host.

οὐ μὰν οἶδʼ εἰ² αὖτε κακορραφίης ἀλεγεινῆς

I do not know indeed but that you may yet be the first to reap the fruit of your painful intrigue

πρώτη ἐπαύρηαι καί σε πληγῇσιν ἱμάσσω.

and I may scourge you with stripes.

ἦ οὐ μέμνῃ ὅτε τʼ ἐκρέμω ὑψόθεν, ἐκ δὲ ποδοῖιν

Do you not remember when you were hung from on high, and from your feet

ἄκμονας ἧκα δύω, περὶ χερσὶ δὲ δεσμὸν ἴηλα

I suspended two anvils, and about your hands cast a bond

χρύσεον ἄρρηκτον; σὺ δʼ ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσιν

of gold that could not be broken? And you were hung in the air and the clouds;

ἐκρέμω· ἠλάστεον δὲ θεοὶ κατὰ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον,

and the gods throughout high Olympus were indignant,

λῦσαι δʼ οὐκ ἐδύναντο παρασταδόν· ὃν δὲ λάβοιμι³

but they could not stand by and loose you. Whomever I caught

ῥίπτασκον τεταγὼν ἀπὸ βηλοῦ ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκηται

I would seize and fling from the threshold until he reached

γῆν ὀλιγηπελέων· ἐμὲ δʼ οὐδʼ ὧς θυμὸν ἀνίει

the earth, breathless and weak. Yet not even so did my heart release

ἀζηχὴς ὀδύνη Ἡρακλῆος θείοιο,

the unceasing pain for godlike Heracles,

τὸν σὺ ξὺν Βορέῃ ἀνέμῳ πεπιθοῦσα θυέλλας

whom you, having persuaded the North Wind, sent with storms

πέμψας ἐπʼ ἀτρύγετον πόντον κακὰ μητιόωσα,

over the barren sea, planning evil,

καί μιν ἔπειτα Κόων δʼ εὖ ναιομένην ἀπένεικας.

and then carried him away to well-peopled Cos.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼν ἔνθεν ῥυσάμην καὶ ἀνήγαγον αὖτις

Him indeed I rescued from there and brought back again

Ἄργος ἐς ἱππόβοτον καὶ πολλά περ ἀθλήσαντα.

to horse-pasturing Argos, though he had suffered many toils.

τῶν σʼ αὖτις μνήσω ἵνʼ ἀπολλήξῃς ἀπατάων,

Of these things will I mind you again, that you may cease from your deceit,

ὄφρα ἴδῃ ἤν τοι χραίσμῃ φιλότης τε καὶ εὐνή,

to see if your love and your bed will avail you,

ἣν ἐμίγης ἐλθοῦσα θεῶν ἄπο καί μʼ ἀπάτησας.

wherein you lay with me, coming apart from the gods, and did deceive me.”

ὣς φάτο, ῥίγησεν δὲ βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη,

So he spoke, and ox-eyed queen Hera shuddered,

καί μιν φωνήσασʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and she spoke to him winged words, saying:

ἴστω νῦν τόδε Γαῖα καὶ Οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθε

”Let Earth now know this, and wide Heaven above,

καὶ τὸ κατειβόμενον Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, ὅς τε μέγιστος

and the falling water of Styx, which is the greatest

ὅρκος δεινότατός τε πέλει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσι,

and most terrible oath for the blessed gods,

σή θʼ ἱερὴ κεφαλὴ καὶ νωΐτερον λέχος αὐτῶν

and your own sacred head, and our own

κουρίδιον, τὸ μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ ποτε μὰψ ὀμόσαιμι·

bridal bed, by which I would never swear in vain:

μὴ διʼ ἐμὴν ἰότητα⁴ Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων

it is not by my will that Poseidon, the Shaker of Earth,

πημαίνει Τρῶάς τε καὶ Ἕκτορα, τοῖσι δʼ ἀρήγει,

harms the Trojans and Hector, and aids their foes;

ἀλλά που αὐτὸν θυμὸς ἐποτρύνει καὶ ἀνώγει,

but it is his own heart that prompts and bids him,

τειρομένους δʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν ἰδὼν ἐλέησεν Ἀχαιούς.

and he saw the Achaeans hard pressed by the ships and had pity on them.

αὐτάρ τοι καὶ κείνῳ ἐγὼ παραμυθησαίμην

But even to him would I give counsel

τῇ ἴμεν ᾗ κεν δὴ σὺ κελαινεφὲς ἡγεμονεύῃς.

to go where you, lord of the dark cloud, may lead.”

ὣς φάτο, μείδησεν δὲ πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε,

So she spoke, and the father of men and gods smiled,

καί μιν ἀμειβόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and answering her he spoke winged words, saying:

εἰ μὲν δὴ σύ γʼ ἔπειτα βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη

”If you indeed, ox-eyed queen Hera,

ἶσον ἐμοὶ φρονέουσα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι καθίζοις,

would hereafter sit among the immortals having minds like mine,

τώ κε Ποσειδάων γε, καὶ εἰ μάλα βούλεται ἄλλῃ,

then would Poseidon, even if he wishes otherwise,

αἶψα μεταστρέψειε νόον μετὰ σὸν καὶ ἐμὸν κῆρ.

straightway turn his mind after your heart and mine.

ἀλλʼ εἰ δή ῥʼ ἐτεόν γε καὶ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύεις,

But if you speak indeed in truth and sincerity,

ἔρχεο νῦν μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν, καὶ δεῦρο κάλεσσον

go now among the tribes of the gods, and summon

Ἶρίν τʼ ἐλθέμεναι⁵ καὶ Ἀπόλλωνα κλυτότοξον,

Iris to come hither, and Apollo, famous for his bow,

ὄφρʼ ἣ μὲν μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων

so that she may go among the host of the bronze-clad Achaeans,

ἔλθῃ, καὶ εἴπῃσι Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι

and tell lord Poseidon

παυσάμενον πολέμοιο τὰ ἃ πρὸς δώμαθʼ ἱκέσθαι,

to cease from war and go to his own house;

Ἕκτορα δʼ ὀτρύνῃσι μάχην ἐς Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,

and let Phoebus Apollo rouse Hector to the fight,

αὖτις δʼ ἐμπνεύσῃσι μένος, λελάθῃ δʼ ὀδυνάων

and breathe strength into him again, and make him forget the pains

αἳ νῦν μιν τείρουσι κατὰ φρένας, αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς

that now distress his heart, but let him turn the Achaeans

αὖτις ἀποστρέψῃσιν ἀνάλκιδα φύζαν ἐνόρσας,

back again, having aroused weak panic,

φεύγοντες δʼ ἐν νηυσὶ πολυκλήϊσι πέσωσι

so that they may flee and fall among the many-benched ships

Πηλεΐδεω Ἀχιλῆος· ὃ δʼ ἀνστήσει ὃν ἑταῖρον

of Achilles, son of Peleus. And he shall rouse up his companion

Πάτροκλον· τὸν δὲ κτενεῖ ἔγχεϊ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ

Patroclus, whom illustrious Hector shall slay with his spear

Ἰλίου προπάροιθε πολέας ὀλέσαντʼ αἰζηοὺς

before Ilium, after Patroclus has destroyed many other youths,

Syntax notes5 items

15.11ἐπεὶ οὔ μιν ἀφαυρότατος βάλʼ Ἀχαιῶν
An example of litotes (understatement). By stating that 'not the weakest of the Achaeans' struck Hector, it emphasizes that he was struck by one of the strongest warriors (Telamonian Ajax).
15.16οὐ μὰν οἶδʼ εἰ
An indirect question introduced by εἰ after οὐ... οἶδα. Literally meaning 'I do not know if you will...', it functions as a sarcastic and threatening expression, implying 'you will certainly reap the consequences of your deception.'
15.22ὃν δὲ λάβοιμι
A construction indicating past repetition. The optative λάβοιμι in the relative clause represents a past general condition, which corresponds to the iterative imperfect ῥίπτασκον (with the suffix -σκ-) in the main clause.
15.41μὴ διʼ ἐμὴν ἰότητα
The combination of the negative particle μὴ with the indicative (πημαίνει) in a strong oath. It expresses a solemn and absolute denial: 'by no means of my will is Poseidon harming...'
15.55Ἶρίν τʼ ἐλθέμεναι
The epic second aorist active infinitive ἐλθέμεναι depends on the imperative κάλεσσον (summon) in the previous line, expressing the purpose or the content of the command ('summon Iris to come').

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:15.1-15.66