- 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-grc2:16.146-16.222
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Patroclus and Automedon prepare the horses of Achilles, while Achilles marshals the Myrmidons, organizing them into five divisions under trusted leaders. As the closely packed army stands ready to fight, Achilles returns to his tent.
τὸν μετʼ Ἀχιλλῆα ῥηξήνορα τῖε μάλιστα,
This man, next to Achilles, breaker of ranks, Patroclus honored most,
πιστότατος δέ οἱ ἔσκε μάχῃ ἔνι μεῖναι ὁμοκλήν.1
because he was most faithful to him to await his command in battle.
τῷ δὲ καὶ Αὐτομέδων ὕπαγε ζυγὸν ὠκέας ἵππους
For him Automedon led under the yoke the swift horses,
Ξάνθον καὶ Βαλίον, τὼ ἅμα πνοιῇσι πετέσθην,
Xanthus and Balius, who flew swift as the blasts of the wind,
τοὺς ἔτεκε Ζεφύρῳ ἀνέμῳ Ἅρπυια Ποδάργη
whom the Harpy Podarge bore to the West Wind Zephyrus,
βοσκομένη λειμῶνι παρὰ ῥόον Ὠκεανοῖο.
while she grazed in the meadow beside the stream of Oceanus.
ἐν δὲ παρηορίῃσιν ἀμύμονα Πήδασον ἵει,
And in the side-traces he put noble Pedasus,
τόν ῥά ποτʼ Ἠετίωνος ἑλὼν πόλιν ἤγαγʼ Ἀχιλλεύς,
whom Achilles brought away when he took the city of Eetion,
ὃς καὶ θνητὸς ἐὼν2 ἕπεθʼ ἵπποις ἀθανάτοισι.
who, though being mortal, kept pace with the immortal horses.
Μυρμιδόνας δʼ ἄρʼ ἐποιχόμενος θώρηξεν Ἀχιλλεὺς
Then Achilles went to and fro and armed all the Myrmidons
πάντας ἀνὰ κλισίας σὺν τεύχεσιν· οἳ δὲ λύκοι ὣς
throughout the huts with their armor; and they, like wolves
ὠμοφάγοι, τοῖσίν τε περὶ φρεσὶν ἄσπετος ἀλκή,
that eat raw flesh, in whose hearts is boundless courage,
οἵ τʼ ἔλαφον κεραὸν μέγαν οὔρεσι δῃώσαντες
and who have slain a great horned stag in the mountains
δάπτουσιν· πᾶσιν δὲ παρήϊον αἵματι φοινόν·
and devour it; and the jaws of all of them are red with blood;
καί τʼ ἀγεληδὸν ἴασιν ἀπὸ κρήνης μελανύδρου
and they go in a pack from a dark-water spring
λάψοντες γλώσσῃσιν ἀραιῇσιν μέλαν ὕδωρ
to lap the dark water with their slender tongues,
ἄκρον ἐρευγόμενοι φόνον αἵματος· ἐν δέ τε θυμὸς
belching out the gore of blood from their mouths; and the heart
στήθεσιν ἄτρομός ἐστι, περιστένεται δέ τε γαστήρ·
in their breasts is fearless, and their bellies are gorged;
τοῖοι Μυρμιδόνων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες
such were the leaders and rulers of the Myrmidons
ἀμφʼ ἀγαθὸν θεράποντα ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο
bustling about the brave squire of the swift-footed grandson of Aeacus;
ῥώοντʼ· ἐν δʼ ἄρα τοῖσιν ἀρήϊος ἵστατʼ Ἀχιλλεύς,
and among them stood warlike Achilles,
ὀτρύνων ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας.
arousing both the horses and the shield-bearing men.
πεντήκοντʼ ἦσαν νῆες θοαί, ᾗσιν Ἀχιλλεὺς
Fifty were the swift ships with which Achilles,
ἐς Τροίην ἡγεῖτο Διῒ φίλος· ἐν δὲ ἑκάστῃ
dear to Zeus, led his men to Troy; and in each
πεντήκοντʼ ἔσαν ἄνδρες ἐπὶ κληῗσιν ἑταῖροι·
were fifty men, his companions on the benches;
πέντε δʼ ἄρʼ ἡγεμόνας ποιήσατο τοῖς ἐπεποίθει
and five leaders he made, in whom he trusted
σημαίνειν· αὐτὸς δὲ μέγα κρατέων ἤνασσε.
to command; and he himself ruled with great power.
τῆς μὲν ἰῆς στιχὸς ἦρχε Μενέσθιος αἰολοθώρηξ
Of the first rank Menesthius of the gleaming breastplate was leader,
υἱὸς Σπερχειοῖο διιπετέος ποταμοῖο·
the son of Spercheius, the river flowing from Zeus;
ὃν τέκε Πηλῆος θυγάτηρ καλὴ Πολυδώρη
whom the beautiful Polydora, daughter of Peleus, bore
Σπερχειῷ ἀκάμαντι γυνὴ θεῷ εὐνηθεῖσα,
to tireless Spercheius, a woman couched with a god,
αὐτὰρ ἐπίκλησιν3 Βώρῳ Περιήρεος υἷι,
but nominally to Borus, son of Perieres,
ὅς ῥʼ ἀναφανδὸν ὄπυιε πορὼν ἀπερείσια ἕδνα.
who wedded her openly, giving countless bride-gifts.
τῆς δʼ ἑτέρης Εὔδωρος ἀρήϊος ἡγεμόνευε
And of the second rank warlike Eudorus was leader,
παρθένιος, τὸν ἔτικτε χορῷ καλὴ Πολυμήλη
born of an unwedded mother, whom the beautiful Polymele, daughter of Phylas,
Φύλαντος θυγάτηρ· τῆς δὲ κρατὺς ἀργεϊφόντης
bore in the dance; of her the strong slayer of Argus
ἠράσατʼ, ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδὼν μετὰ μελπομένῃσιν
became enamored, when he saw her with his eyes among the singing maidens
ἐν χορῷ Ἀρτέμιδος χρυσηλακάτου κελαδεινῆς.
in the dance of Artemis of the golden distaff, the goddess of the sounding chase.
αὐτίκα δʼ εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀναβὰς παρελέξατο λάθρῃ
And straightway going up into her upper chamber, secretly lay beside her
Ἑρμείας ἀκάκητα, πόρεν δέ οἱ ἀγλαὸν υἱὸν
Hermes the helper, and she gave him a glorious son,
Εὔδωρον πέρι μὲν θείειν ταχὺν ἠδὲ μαχητήν.
Eudorus, swift beyond measure to run and a warrior too.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τόν γε μογοστόκος Εἰλείθυια
But when Eileithyia, goddess of the birth-pangs, brought him forth
ἐξάγαγε πρὸ φόως δὲ καὶ ἠελίου ἴδεν αὐγάς,
to the light, and he saw the rays of the sun,
τὴν μὲν Ἐχεκλῆος κρατερὸν μένος Ἀκτορίδαο
her the strong might of Echecles, son of Actor,
ἠγάγετο πρὸς δώματʼ, ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα,
led to his home, when he had given countless bride-gifts,
τὸν δʼ ὃ γέρων Φύλας εὖ ἔτρεφεν ἠδʼ ἀτίταλλεν
and the boy the old man Phylas reared well and cherished,
ἀμφαγαπαζόμενος ὡς εἴ θʼ ἑὸν υἱὸν ἐόντα.
loving him dearly as if he were his own son.
τῆς δὲ τρίτης Πείσανδρος ἀρήϊος ἡγεμόνευε
And of the third rank warlike Peisander was leader,
Μαιμαλίδης, ὃς πᾶσι μετέπρεπε Μυρμιδόνεσσιν
son of Maemalus, who excelled all the Myrmidons
ἔγχεϊ μάρνασθαι μετὰ Πηλεΐωνος ἑταῖρον.4
in fighting with the spear, after the companion of Peleus’ son.
τῆς δὲ τετάρτης ἦρχε γέρων ἱππηλάτα Φοῖνιξ,
And of the fourth rank the old horseman Phoenix was leader,
πέμπτης δʼ Ἀλκιμέδων Λαέρκεος υἱὸς ἀμύμων.
and of the fifth Alcimedon, the noble son of Laerces.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντας ἅμʼ ἡγεμόνεσσιν Ἀχιλλεὺς
But when Achilles had set them all in order with their leaders,
στῆσεν ἐῢ κρίνας, κρατερὸν δʼ ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλε·
having chosen them well, he laid a stern command upon them:
Μυρμιδόνες μή τίς μοι ἀπειλάων λελαθέσθω,
”Myrmidons, let no man of you forget the threats
ἃς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ θοῇσιν ἀπειλεῖτε Τρώεσσι
with which you threatened the Trojans beside the swift ships
πάνθʼ ὑπὸ μηνιθμόν, καί μʼ ᾐτιάασθε ἕκαστος·
throughout all the time of my wrath, and you each accused me, saying:
σχέτλιε Πηλέος υἱὲ χόλῳ ἄρα σʼ ἔτρεφε μήτηρ,
’Cruel son of Peleus, surely on wrath your mother reared you,
νηλεές, ὃς παρὰ νηυσὶν ἔχεις ἀέκοντας ἑταίρους·
pitiless man, who keep your companions by the ships against their will;
οἴκαδέ περ σὺν νηυσὶ νεώμεθα ποντοπόροισιν
home let us go again with our seafaring ships,
αὖτις, ἐπεί ῥά τοι ὧδε κακὸς χόλος ἔμπεσε θυμῷ.
since such evil wrath has fallen upon your heart.’
ταῦτά μʼ ἀγειρόμενοι θάμʼ ἐβάζετε· νῦν δὲ πέφανται
These things you often said to me, gathering in groups; but now is appeared
φυλόπιδος μέγα ἔργον, ἕης5 τὸ πρίν γʼ ἐράασθε.
a great work of battle, of which before you were desirous.
ἔνθά τις ἄλκιμον ἦτορ ἔχων Τρώεσσι μαχέσθω.
Therefore let him who has a brave heart fight against the Trojans.”
ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.
So speaking, he aroused the strength and spirit of each man.
μᾶλλον δὲ στίχες ἄρθεν, ἐπεὶ βασιλῆος ἄκουσαν.
And their ranks were closed yet more when they heard the king.
ὡς δʼ ὅτε τοῖχον ἀνὴρ ἀράρῃ πυκινοῖσι λίθοισι
And as when a man fits together the wall of a high house with close-set stones,
δώματος ὑψηλοῖο βίας ἀνέμων ἀλεείνων,
to avoid the force of the winds,
ὣς ἄραρον κόρυθές τε καὶ ἀσπίδες ὀμφαλόεσσαι.
so closely were fitted their helmets and bossed shields.
ἀσπὶς ἄρʼ ἀσπίδʼ ἔρειδε, κόρυς κόρυν, ἀνέρα δʼ ἀνήρ·
Shield pressed on shield, helmet on helmet, and man on man;
ψαῦον δʼ ἱππόκομοι κόρυθες λαμπροῖσι φάλοισι
and the horse-hair crests of the gleaming helmets touched
νευόντων, ὡς πυκνοὶ ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισι.
as they nodded, so closely stood they one to another.
πάντων δὲ προπάροιθε δύʼ ἀνέρε θωρήσσοντο
And in front of all, two men were arming themselves,
Πάτροκλός τε καὶ Αὐτομέδων ἕνα θυμὸν ἔχοντες
Patroclus and Automedon, having one mind,
πρόσθεν Μυρμιδόνων πολεμιζέμεν. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
to fight in front of the Myrmidons. But Achilles
βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν ἐς κλισίην, χηλοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ πῶμʼ ἀνέῳγε
went to his hut, and opened the lid of the chest,
καλῆς δαιδαλέης, τήν οἱ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα
beautiful and richly wrought, which silver-footed Thetis
- 16.147μεῖναι ὁμοκλήν
The infinitive μεῖναι with the accusative object ὁμοκλήν, meaning 'to await the command/cry [of Patroclus]' or 'to remain awaiting his command' in battle.
- 16.154ὃς καὶ θνητὸς ἐὼν
The relative pronoun ὃς refers to the horse Pedasus (Πήδασον) in line 152. Although being a horse, he is described as θνητός (mortal) in contrast to the immortal horses (ἀθανάτοισι) Achilles possessed.
- 16.177ἐπίκλησιν
An accusative of specification (or respect), functioning adverbially to mean 'by reputation,' 'ostensibly,' or 'nominally.'
- 16.195μετὰ Πηλεΐωνος ἑταῖρον
The preposition μετὰ here denotes sequence or rank ('next to,' 'after'), meaning 'after the companion of the son of Peleus,' who is Patroclus.
- 16.208ἕης
Epic genitive singular of the feminine relative pronoun ὅς (equivalent to ἧς), agreeing with its antecedent, the feminine noun φυλόπιδος (battle), and governed by the verb ἐράομαι which takes the genitive.