- 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
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- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:15.677-15.746
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Ajax strides across the ship decks wielding a giant spear to encourage the Achaeans, while Hector urges the Trojans to bring fire and burn the ships. Amidst the fierce battle at the ships, Ajax holds his ground and repels the approaching enemies one after another with his long pike.
νώμα δὲ ξυστὸν μέγα ναύμαχον ἐν παλάμῃσι
He wielded a great sea-pike in his hands,
κολλητὸν βλήτροισι δυωκαιεικοσίπηχυ.
joined with metal rings, twenty-two cubits long.
ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ἵπποισι κελητίζειν ἐῢ εἰδώς,1
And as when a man well skilled in riding horses,
ὅς τʼ ἐπεὶ ἐκ πολέων πίσυρας συναείρεται ἵππους,
who, when he has chosen four horses out of many,
σεύας ἐκ πεδίοιο μέγα προτὶ ἄστυ δίηται
drives them from the plain rushing toward a great city,
λαοφόρον καθʼ ὁδόν· πολέες τέ ἑ θηήσαντο
along the highway; and many gaze at him, men and women;
ἀνέρες ἠδὲ γυναῖκες· ὃ δʼ ἔμπεδον ἀσφαλὲς αἰεὶ
and he, ever securely and without fail,
θρῴσκων ἄλλοτʼ ἐπʼ ἄλλον ἀμείβεται, οἳ δὲ πέτονται·
leaping, changes from one to another, while they fly along;
ὣς Αἴας ἐπὶ πολλὰ θοάων ἴκρια νηῶν
even so Ajax kept going over many decks of swift ships,
φοίτα μακρὰ βιβάς, φωνὴ δέ οἱ αἰθέρʼ ἵκανεν,
striding with long steps, and his voice went up to the ether,
αἰεὶ δὲ σμερδνὸν βοόων Δαναοῖσι κέλευε
and ever with a terrible cry he commanded the Danaans
νηυσί τε καὶ κλισίῃσιν ἀμυνέμεν. οὐδὲ μὲν Ἕκτωρ
to defend the ships and huts. Nor indeed did Hector
μίμνεν ἐνὶ Τρώων ὁμάδῳ πύκα θωρηκτάων·
remain in the throng of close-corseleted Trojans;
ἀλλʼ ὥς τʼ ὀρνίθων πετεηνῶν αἰετὸς αἴθων
but as a flashing eagle swoops upon a flock of winged birds
ἔθνος ἐφορμᾶται ποταμὸν πάρα βοσκομενάων
feeding by a river,
χηνῶν ἢ γεράνων ἢ κύκνων δουλιχοδείρων,
of geese, or cranes, or long-necked swans,
ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἴθυσε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο
even so Hector rushed straight for a dark-prowed ship,
ἀντίος ἀΐξας· τὸν δὲ Ζεὺς ὦσεν ὄπισθε
rushing right against it; and Zeus pushed him from behind
χειρὶ μάλα μεγάλῃ, ὄτρυνε δὲ λαὸν ἅμʼ αὐτῷ.
with his mighty hand, and urged on the host together with him.
αὖτις δὲ δριμεῖα μάχη παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐτύχθη·
And again a sharp fight arose beside the ships;
φαίης κʼ ἀκμῆτας καὶ ἀτειρέας ἀλλήλοισιν
you would have said that they met each other in war
ἄντεσθʼ ἐν πολέμῳ,2 ὡς ἐσσυμένως ἐμάχοντο.
unwearied and untiring, so eagerly did they fight.
τοῖσι δὲ μαρναμένοισιν ὅδʼ ἦν νόος· ἤτοι Ἀχαιοὶ
And as they fought, this was their thought: the Achaeans indeed
οὐκ ἔφασαν φεύξεσθαι ὑπʼ ἐκ κακοῦ, ἀλλʼ ὀλέεσθαι,
did not think that they would escape from the danger, but would perish,
Τρωσὶν δʼ ἔλπετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἑκάστου
but the heart in the breast of each of the Trojans hoped
νῆας ἐνιπρήσειν κτενέειν θʼ ἥρωας Ἀχαιούς.
that they would burn the ships and slay the Achaean heroes.
οἳ μὲν τὰ φρονέοντες ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισιν·
They with these thoughts stood facing one another;
Ἕκτωρ δὲ πρυμνῆς νεὸς ἥψατο ποντοπόροιο
and Hector laid hold of the stern of a seafaring ship,
καλῆς ὠκυάλου, ἣ Πρωτεσίλαον ἔνεικεν
beautiful, swift-sailing, which had brought Protesilaus
ἐς Τροίην, οὐδʼ αὖτις ἀπήγαγε πατρίδα γαῖαν.
to Troy, but did not bear him back again to his native land.
τοῦ περ δὴ περὶ νηὸς Ἀχαιοί τε Τρῶές τε
Around this very ship Achaeans and Trojans
δῄουν ἀλλήλους αὐτοσχεδόν· οὐδʼ ἄρα τοί γε
were slaughtering one another hand to hand; nor indeed did they
τόξων ἀϊκὰς ἀμφὶς μένον οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἀκόντων,
wait for the flights of arrows or of javelins,
ἀλλʼ οἵ γʼ ἐγγύθεν ἱστάμενοι ἕνα θυμὸν ἔχοντες
but standing close together with one mind
ὀξέσι δὴ πελέκεσσι καὶ ἀξίνῃσι μάχοντο
they fought with sharp battle-axes and hand-axes,
καὶ ξίφεσιν μεγάλοισι καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισι.
and with great swords and two-edged spears.
πολλὰ δὲ φάσγανα καλὰ μελάνδετα κωπήεντα
And many beautiful swords, dark-bound, hilted,
ἄλλα μὲν ἐκ χειρῶν χαμάδις πέσον, ἄλλα δʼ ἀπʼ ὤμων
some fell from the hands to the ground, and others from the shoulders
ἀνδρῶν μαρναμένων· ῥέε δʼ αἵματι γαῖα μέλαινα.
of fighting men; and the black earth ran with blood.
Ἕκτωρ δὲ πρύμνηθεν ἐπεὶ λάβεν οὐχὶ μεθίει
And Hector, when once he had laid hold of the stern, did not let go,
ἄφλαστον μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχων, Τρωσὶν δὲ κέλευεν·
holding the stern-ornament in his hands, and commanded the Trojans:
οἴσετε πῦρ, ἅμα δʼ αὐτοὶ ἀολλέες ὄρνυτʼ ἀϋτήν·
”Bring fire, and do you yourselves raise the war-cry all together!
νῦν ἡμῖν πάντων Ζεὺς ἄξιον ἦμαρ ἔδωκε
Now Zeus has given us a day worth all else,
νῆας ἑλεῖν, αἳ δεῦρο θεῶν ἀέκητι μολοῦσαι
to take the ships, which came here against the will of the gods
ἡμῖν πήματα πολλὰ θέσαν, κακότητι γερόντων,3
and brought many woes upon us, through the cowardice of our elders,
οἵ μʼ ἐθέλοντα μάχεσθαι ἐπὶ πρυμνῇσι νέεσσιν
who, when I was eager to fight at the sterns of the ships,
αὐτόν τʼ ἰσχανάασκον ἐρητύοντό τε λαόν·
kept holding me back and restraining the host.
ἀλλʼ εἰ δή ῥα τότε βλάπτε φρένας εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
But if indeed far-sounding Zeus then blinded our minds,
ἡμετέρας, νῦν αὐτὸς ἐποτρύνει καὶ ἀνώγει.
now he himself urges and commands us.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα μᾶλλον ἐπʼ Ἀργείοισιν ὄρουσαν.
So he spoke, and they rushed yet more upon the Argives.
Αἴας δʼ οὐκέτʼ ἔμιμνε· βιάζετο γὰρ βελέεσσιν·
And Ajax no longer stood his ground; for he was hard pressed by the missiles;
ἀλλʼ ἀνεχάζετο τυτθόν, ὀϊόμενος θανέεσθαι
but he drew back a little, thinking that he would die,
θρῆνυν ἐφʼ ἑπταπόδην,4 λίπε δʼ ἴκρια νηὸς ἐΐσης.
to the seven-foot rowing-bench, and left the deck of the balanced ship.
ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ὅ γʼ ἑστήκει δεδοκημένος, ἔγχεϊ δʼ αἰεὶ
There indeed he stood on the watch, and with his spear ever
Τρῶας ἄμυνε νεῶν, ὅς τις φέροι ἀκάματον πῦρ·
kept warding off the Trojans from the ships, whoever brought tireless fire;
αἰεὶ δὲ σμερδνὸν βοόων Δαναοῖσι κέλευε·
and ever with a terrible cry he commanded the Danaans:
ὦ φίλοι ἥρωες Δαναοὶ θεράποντες Ἄρηος
”O friends, Danaan heroes, squires of Ares,
ἀνέρες ἔστε φίλοι, μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς.
be men, my friends, and remember furious valor!
ἠέ τινάς φαμεν εἶναι ἀοσσητῆρας ὀπίσσω,
Do we think that there are any helpers behind us,
ἦέ τι τεῖχος ἄρειον, ὅ κʼ ἀνδράσι λοιγὸν ἀμύναι;
or any stronger wall, which might ward off destruction from men?
οὐ μέν τι σχεδόν ἐστι πόλις πύργοις ἀραρυῖα,
In no way is there nearby any city equipped with towers,
ᾗ κʼ ἀπαμυναίμεσθʼ ἑτεραλκέα δῆμον ἔχοντες·
where we might defend ourselves, having a garrison to turn the tide;
ἀλλʼ ἐν γὰρ Τρώων πεδίῳ πύκα θωρηκτάων
but since we are here in the plain of the close-corseleted Trojans,
πόντῳ κεκλιμένοι ἑκὰς ἥμεθα πατρίδος αἴης·
leaning against the sea, far away from our native land;
τὼ ἐν χερσὶ φόως, οὐ μειλιχίῃ πολέμοιο.
therefore, safety is in our hands, not in gentle fighting.”
ἦ, καὶ μαιμώων ἔφεπʼ ἔγχεϊ ὀξυόεντι.
He spoke, and in his fury pressed on with his sharp spear.
ὅς τις δὲ Τρώων κοίλῃς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ φέροιτο
And whoever of the Trojans rushed toward the hollow ships
σὺν πυρὶ κηλείῳ, χάριν Ἕκτορος ὀτρύναντος,
with burning fire, to please Hector who urged them on,
τὸν δʼ Αἴας οὔτασκε δεδεγμένος ἔγχεϊ μακρῷ·
Ajax, waiting for him, wounded with his long spear;
δώδεκα δὲ προπάροιθε νεῶν αὐτοσχεδὸν οὖτα.
and twelve men he wounded hand to hand in front of the ships.
- 15.679ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ἵπποισι κελητίζειν ἐῢ εἰδώς,
The simile from line 679 to 684 describes a skilled rider managing four horses. Structurally, the introductory ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ (as when...) in line 679 corresponds to ὣς Αἴας (even so Ajax...) in line 685, forming a long comparative structure. It is essential to trace the nested elements, including the participle phrase (εἰδώς), the relative clause (ὅς τʼ...), and the main clause of the simile (ὃ δʼ... ἀμείβεται).
- 15.697φαίης κʼ ἀκμῆτας καὶ ἀτειρέας ἀλλήλοισιν ἄντεσθʼ ἐν πολέμῳ
The optative φαίης with the particle κ(ε) (= ἄν) expresses potentiality ("you would say" or "one would think"). The accusative adjectives ἀκμῆτας καὶ ἀτειρέας ("unwearied and untiring") function as the subject of the infinitive ἄντεσθαι ("to meet/clash"), forming an accusative-and-infinitive construction that serves as the object of φαίης.
- 15.721κακότητι γερόντων
The dative κακότητι functions as a dative of cause ("because of," "through the badness/cowardice"), modified by the genitive γερόντων. It expresses Hector's bitter accusation of the Trojan elders who had previously restrained him from attacking the ships.
- 15.729θρῆνυν ἐφʼ ἑπταπόδην
The preposition ἐπί governs the accusative θρῆνυν ("footstool," "rower's bench"), indicating the direction of retreat ("to the..."). The adjective ἑπταπόδην ("seven-foot") refers to the length of the bench or possibly the depth/height of the platform. This phrase specifies how Ajax, pressed by enemy missiles, retreated from the high deck (ἴκρια) to a lower, more defensible rower's platform.