Patroclus Pleading with Achilles and Receiving His Armor — Homer, Iliad Book 16 (lines 1–72), Greek & English

ὣς οἳ μὲν περὶ νηὸς ἐϋσσέλμοιο μάχοντο·

Thus they fought around the well-benched ship;

Πάτροκλος δʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ παρίστατο ποιμένι λαῶν

Patroclus stood by Achilles, shepherd of the host,

δάκρυα θερμὰ χέων ὥς τε κρήνη μελάνυδρος,

shedding hot tears like a spring of dark water,

ἥ τε κατʼ αἰγίλιπος πέτρης δνοφερὸν χέει ὕδωρ.

which pours its dark water down a steep cliff.

τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ᾤκτιρε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,

Seeing him, swift-footed noble Achilles pitied him,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and spoke to him, uttering winged words:

τίπτε δεδάκρυσαι Πατρόκλεες, ἠΰτε κούρη¹

”Why are you in tears, Patroclus, like a foolish little girl

νηπίη, ἥ θʼ ἅμα μητρὶ θέουσʼ ἀνελέσθαι ἀνώγει

who runs along with her mother and begs to be picked up,

εἱανοῦ ἁπτομένη, καί τʼ ἐσσυμένην κατερύκει,

clinging to her dress, and holding her back as she hurries,

δακρυόεσσα δέ μιν ποτιδέρκεται, ὄφρʼ ἀνέληται·

and looks up at her tearfully, until she is picked up;

τῇ ἴκελος Πάτροκλε τέρεν κατὰ δάκρυον εἴβεις.

like her, Patroclus, you let fall the tender tear.

ἠέ τι Μυρμιδόνεσσι πιφαύσκεαι, ἢ ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ,

Do you have some news to declare to the Myrmidons, or to myself,

ἦέ τινʼ ἀγγελίην Φθίης ἐξέκλυες οἶος;

or have you alone heard some tidings from Phthia?

ζώειν μὰν ἔτι φασὶ Μενοίτιον Ἄκτορος υἱόν,

They say that Menoetius, Actor’s son, still lives,

ζώει δʼ Αἰακίδης Πηλεὺς μετὰ Μυρμιδόνεσσι;

and Peleus, Aeacus’ son, lives among the Myrmidons;

τῶν κε μάλʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἀκαχοίμεθα τεθνηώτων.

if both of these were dead, we would grieve indeed.

ἦε σύ γʼ Ἀργείων ὀλοφύρεαι, ὡς ὀλέκονται

Or do you pity the Argives, because they are perishing

νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ὑπερβασίης ἕνεκα σφῆς;

by the hollow ships because of their own transgression?

ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθε νόῳ, ἵνα εἴδομεν ἄμφω.

Speak out, hide it not in your mind, so that we both may know.”

τὸν δὲ βαρὺ στενάχων προσέφης² Πατρόκλεες ἱππεῦ·

Then, groaning heavily, did you speak, Patroclus the horseman:

ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ Πηλῆος υἱὲ μέγα φέρτατʼ Ἀχαιῶν

”O Achilles, son of Peleus, far the mightiest of the Achaeans,

μὴ νεμέσα· τοῖον γὰρ ἄχος βεβίηκεν Ἀχαιούς.

be not angry; for such great grief has overcome the Achaeans.

οἳ μὲν γὰρ δὴ πάντες, ὅσοι πάρος ἦσαν ἄριστοι,

For indeed all those who were formerly the best,

ἐν νηυσὶν κέαται βεβλημένοι οὐτάμενοί τε.

lie by the ships, struck by arrows or wounded by spears.

βέβληται μὲν ὃ Τυδεΐδης κρατερὸς Διομήδης,

Struck is mighty Diomedes, Tydeus’ son,

οὔτασται δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς δουρικλυτὸς ἠδʼ Ἀγαμέμνων,

and wounded is Odysseus, famous with the spear, and Agamemnon,

βέβληται δὲ καὶ Εὐρύπυλος κατὰ μηρὸν ὀϊστῷ.

and Eurypylus too is struck with an arrow in the thigh.

τοὺς μέν τʼ ἰητροὶ πολυφάρμακοι ἀμφιπένονται

Over them the physicians skilled in many herbs are busy,

ἕλκεʼ ἀκειόμενοι· σὺ δʼ ἀμήχανος ἔπλευ Ἀχιλλεῦ.

healing their wounds; but you, Achilles, remain unyielding.

μὴ ἐμέ γʼ οὖν οὗτός γε λάβοι χόλος, ὃν σὺ φυλάσσεις

May no such anger seize me, at least, as this which you cherish,

αἰναρέτη· τί σευ ἄλλος ὀνήσεται ὀψίγονός περ

you of fatal valor! What other man of after days will have profit of you,

αἴ κε μὴ Ἀργείοισιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀμύνῃς;

if you do not ward off shameful ruin from the Argives?

νηλεές, οὐκ ἄρα σοί γε πατὴρ ἦν ἱππότα Πηλεύς,

Pitiless one, your father was not the horseman Peleus,

οὐδὲ Θέτις μήτηρ· γλαυκὴ δέ σε τίκτε θάλασσα

nor Thetis your mother; but the gray sea bore you,

πέτραι τʼ ἠλίβατοι, ὅτι τοι νόος ἐστὶν ἀπηνής.

and the towering cliffs, because your mind is unyielding.

εἰ δέ τινα φρεσὶ σῇσι θεοπροπίην ἀλεείνεις

But if in your heart you are avoiding some prophecy,

καί τινά τοι πὰρ Ζηνὸς ἐπέφραδε πότνια μήτηρ,

and your noble mother has told you something from Zeus,

ἀλλʼ ἐμέ περ πρόες ὦχʼ, ἃμα δʼ ἄλλον λαὸν ὄπασσον

yet at least send me forth quickly, and give me the rest of the host

Μυρμιδόνων, ἤν πού τι φόως Δαναοῖσι γένωμαι.

of the Myrmidons, if so be I may prove a light of deliverance to the Danaans.

δὸς δέ μοι ὤμοιιν τὰ σὰ τεύχεα θωρηχθῆναι,

And give me your armor to buckle on my shoulders,

αἴ κʼ ἐμὲ σοὶ ἴσκοντες ἀπόσχωνται πολέμοιο

if so be the Trojans, taking me for you, may hold back from battle,

Τρῶες, ἀναπνεύσωσι δʼ Ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν

and the warlike sons of the Achaeans may win breathing space,

τειρόμενοι· ὀλίγη δέ τʼ ἀνάπνευσις πολέμοιο.

weary though they are; and breathing space in war is brief.

ῥεῖα δέ κʼ ἀκμῆτες κεκμηότας ἄνδρας ἀϋτῇ

And easily might we that are fresh drive men that are weary

ὤσαιμεν προτὶ ἄστυ νεῶν ἄπο καὶ κλισιάων.

back to the city, away from the ships and huts, with our war-cry.”

ὣς φάτο λισσόμενος μέγα νήπιος· ἦ γὰρ ἔμελλεν

So he spoke, pleading, great fool that he was; for indeed he was to pray

οἷ αὐτῷ θάνατόν τε κακὸν καὶ κῆρα λιτέσθαι.

for his own evil death and doom.

τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

Then, deeply moved, swift-footed Achilles spoke to him:

ὤ μοι διογενὲς Πατρόκλεες οἷον ἔειπες·

”Ah me, Patroclus, sprung from Zeus, what a thing you have said!

οὔτε θεοπροπίης ἐμπάζομαι ἥν τινα οἶδα,

Neither do I care for any prophecy that I know of,

οὔτέ τί μοι πὰρ Ζηνὸς ἐπέφραδε πότνια μήτηρ·

nor has my noble mother told me anything from Zeus;

ἀλλὰ τόδʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος κραδίην καὶ θυμὸν ἱκάνει,

but this bitter grief comes upon my heart and soul,

ὁππότε δὴ τὸν ὁμοῖον ἀνὴρ ἐθέλῃσιν ἀμέρσαι

when a man wishes to rob his equal,

καὶ γέρας ἂψ ἀφελέσθαι, ὅ τε κράτεϊ προβεβήκῃ·

and take back the prize because he surpasses him in power.

αἰνὸν ἄχος τό μοί ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ.

A bitter grief is this to me, since I have suffered woes in my heart.

κούρην ἣν ἄρα μοι γέρας ἔξελον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν,

The girl whom the sons of the Achaeans chose out for me as a prize,

δουρὶ δʼ ἐμῷ κτεάτισσα πόλιν εὐτείχεα πέρσας,

and whom I won with my own spear when I sacked the well-walled city,

τὴν ἂψ ἐκ χειρῶν ἕλετο κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

her has lord Agamemnon, son of Atreus, taken back from my hands,

Ἀτρεΐδης ὡς εἴ τινʼ ἀτίμητον μετανάστην.³

as though I were some unhonored vagabond.

ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν προτετύχθαι ἐάσομεν· οὐδʼ ἄρα πως ἦν

But we will let these things be as past; it was not,

ἀσπερχὲς κεχολῶσθαι ἐνὶ φρεσίν· ἤτοι ἔφην γε

indeed, possible to remain angry forever in one’s heart; yet surely I said

οὐ πρὶν μηνιθμὸν καταπαυσέμεν, ἀλλʼ ὁπότʼ ἂν δὴ

that I would not lay aside my wrath until

νῆας ἐμὰς ἀφίκηται ἀϋτή τε πτόλεμός τε.

the war-cry and the battle should reach my own ships.

τύνη δʼ ὤμοιιν μὲν ἐμὰ κλυτὰ τεύχεα δῦθι,

But do you buckle my glorious armor on your shoulders,

ἄρχε δὲ Μυρμιδόνεσσι φιλοπτολέμοισι μάχεσθαι,

and lead the war-loving Myrmidons to the fight,

εἰ δὴ κυάνεον Τρώων νέφος ἀμφιβέβηκε

if indeed the dark cloud of the Trojans has surrounded

νηυσὶν ἐπικρατέως, οἳ δὲ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης

the ships in full force, and the Argives are penned in against the shore

κεκλίαται, χώρης ὀλίγην ἔτι μοῖραν ἔχοντες

of the sea, having now but a narrow strip of land,

Ἀργεῖοι, Τρώων δὲ πόλις ἐπὶ πᾶσα βέβηκε

while the whole city of the Trojans has come out bold of heart;

θάρσυνος· οὐ γὰρ ἐμῆς κόρυθος λεύσσουσι μέτωπον

for they do not see the front of my helmet gleaming near;

ἐγγύθι λαμπομένης· τάχα κεν φεύγοντες ἐναύλους

soon would they flee and fill the water-courses

πλήσειαν νεκύων, εἴ μοι κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων⁴

with dead, if lord Agamemnon [were kindly disposed] to me.

Syntax notes4 items

16.7ἠΰτε κούρη
A long simile comparing Patroclus' tears to a young girl begging her mother to be picked up (lines 7–10). The verbs in the simile (ἀνώγει, κατερύκει, ποτιδέρκεται) describe the actions of the child clinging to her mother.
16.20προσέφης
An apostrophe where the narrator (the poet) directly addresses Patroclus in the second person singular (προσέφης "you spoke"). This poetic device enhances the reader's sympathy and foreshadows his tragic destiny.
16.59ἀτίμητον μετανάστην
Meaning "an unhonored immigrant/outcast." It refers to a stranger of low social standing who has no land or legal protection in Achaean society and cannot defend himself against insults. Achilles feels deeply insulted by Agamemnon's confiscation of Briseis, equating it to being treated like such an outcast.
16.72εἴ μοι κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
The protasis starting in line 72, "if lord Agamemnon [were kindly disposed] to me," lacks an explicit verb (such as ἤπια εἰδείη "had kindly feelings"). This represents either an ellipsis of a common formulaic expression or an aposiopesis reflecting Achilles' intense emotional state.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:16.1-16.72