- 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-grc2:16.441-16.510
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Hera persuades Zeus to accept fate and allow Sarpedon to die, leading to a fierce duel between Patroclus and Sarpedon. Patroclus kills Sarpedon's squire and trace-horse, and eventually pierces Sarpedon's chest, who, in his dying moments, implores Glaucus to defend his body and armor before drawing his last breath.
ἄνδρα θνητὸν ἐόντα πάλαι πεπρωμένον αἴσῃ1
”A man who is mortal, long ago doomed by fate,
ἂψ ἐθέλεις θανάτοιο δυσηχέος ἐξαναλῦσαι;
do you wish to release him again from ill-boding death?
ἔρδʼ· ἀτὰρ οὔ τοι πάντες ἐπαινέομεν θεοὶ ἄλλοι.
Do so; but we other gods do not all approve of you.
ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν·
And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it to your heart:
αἴ κε ζὼν πέμψῃς Σαρπηδόνα ὃν δὲ δόμον δέ,
if you send Sarpedon living to his own home,
φράζεο μή τις ἔπειτα θεῶν ἐθέλῃσι καὶ ἄλλος2
consider lest some other of the gods should also wish
πέμπειν ὃν φίλον υἱὸν ἀπὸ κρατερῆς ὑσμίνης·
to send his own dear son away from the fierce battle;
πολλοὶ γὰρ περὶ ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμοιο μάχονται
for many sons of the immortals are fighting around
υἱέες ἀθανάτων, τοῖσιν κότον αἰνὸν ἐνήσεις.
the great city of Priam, and among them you will arouse fierce anger.
ἀλλʼ εἴ τοι φίλος ἐστί, τεὸν δʼ ὀλοφύρεται ἦτορ,
But if he is dear to you, and your heart pities him,
ἤτοι μέν μιν ἔασον ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ
indeed let him be vanquished in the fierce battle
χέρσʼ ὕπο Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο δαμῆναι·
under the hands of Patroclus, son of Menoetius;
αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ τόν γε λίπῃ ψυχή τε καὶ αἰών,
but when his soul and life have left him,
πέμπειν μιν θάνατόν τε φέρειν καὶ νήδυμον ὕπνον3
send Death and sweet Sleep to carry him,
εἰς ὅ κε δὴ Λυκίης εὐρείης δῆμον ἵκωνται,
until they come to the land of wide Lycia,
ἔνθά ἑ ταρχύσουσι κασίγνητοί τε ἔται τε
where his brothers and kinsmen will bury him
τύμβῳ τε στήλῃ τε· τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ θανόντων.
with a mound and a pillar; for this is the privilege of the dead.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε·
So she spoke, and the father of men and gods did not disobey;
αἱματοέσσας δὲ ψιάδας κατέχευεν ἔραζε
and he poured down bloody drops to the earth,
παῖδα φίλον τιμῶν, τόν οἱ Πάτροκλος ἔμελλε
honoring his dear son, whom Patroclus was about to
φθίσειν ἐν Τροίῃ ἐριβώλακι τηλόθι πάτρης.
destroy in fertile Troy, far from his native land.
οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες,
But when they were near, coming against each other,
ἔνθʼ ἤτοι Πάτροκλος ἀγακλειτὸν Θρασύμηλον,
there indeed Patroclus struck illustrious Thrasymelus,
ὅς ῥʼ ἠῢς θεράπων Σαρπηδόνος ἦεν ἄνακτος,
who was the noble squire of Sarpedon the king,
τὸν βάλε νείαιραν κατὰ γαστέρα, λῦσε δὲ γυῖα.
on the lower belly, and loosed his limbs.
Σαρπηδὼν δʼ αὐτοῦ μὲν ἀπήμβροτε δουρὶ φαεινῷ
And Sarpedon missed him with his shining spear
δεύτερον ὁρμηθείς, ὃ δὲ Πήδασον οὔτασεν ἵππον
in his second rush, but wounded the horse Pedasus
ἔγχεϊ δεξιὸν ὦμον· ὃ δʼ ἔβραχε θυμὸν ἀΐσθων,
with his spear on the right shoulder; and the horse screamed, gasping out his life,
κὰδ δʼ ἔπεσʼ ἐν κονίῃσι μακών, ἀπὸ δʼ ἔπτατο θυμός.
and fell down moaning in the dust, and his spirit flew away.
τὼ δὲ διαστήτην, κρίκε δὲ ζυγόν, ἡνία δέ σφι
And the two horses reared apart, and the yoke creaked, and the reins
σύγχυτʼ, ἐπεὶ δὴ κεῖτο παρήορος4 ἐν κονίῃσι.
were entangled, since the trace-horse lay dead in the dust.
τοῖο μὲν Αὐτομέδων δουρικλυτὸς εὕρετο τέκμωρ·
Of this, spear-famed Automedon found a remedy;
σπασσάμενος τανύηκες ἄορ παχέος παρὰ μηροῦ
drawing his long-edged sword from beside his stout thigh,
ἀΐξας ἀπέκοψε παρήορον οὐδʼ ἐμάτησε·
he leaped forward and cut away the trace-horse, and did not dally;
τὼ δʼ ἰθυνθήτην, ἐν δὲ ῥυτῆρσι τάνυσθεν·
and the two horses were straightened, and strained at the reins;
τὼ δʼ αὖτις συνίτην ἔριδος πέρι θυμοβόροιο.
and the two men came together again for soul-devouring strife.
ἔνθʼ αὖ Σαρπηδὼν μὲν ἀπήμβροτε δουρὶ φαεινῷ,
There Sarpedon missed again with his shining spear,
Πατρόκλου δʼ ὑπὲρ ὦμον ἀριστερὸν ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκὴ
and the point of the spear went over the left shoulder of Patroclus,
ἔγχεος, οὐδʼ ἔβαλʼ αὐτόν· ὃ δʼ ὕστερος ὄρνυτο χαλκῷ
and did not strike him; but Patroclus rushed next with his bronze weapon;
Πάτροκλος· τοῦ δʼ οὐχ ἅλιον βέλος ἔκφυγε χειρός,
and the weapon did not fly in vain from his hand,
ἀλλʼ ἔβαλʼ ἔνθʼ ἄρα τε φρένες ἔρχαται5 ἀμφʼ ἁδινὸν κῆρ.
but struck where the midriff encloses the beating heart.
ἤριπε δʼ ὡς ὅτε τις δρῦς ἤριπεν ἢ ἀχερωῒς
And he fell as an oak falls, or a poplar,
ἠὲ πίτυς βλωθρή, τήν τʼ οὔρεσι τέκτονες ἄνδρες
or a tall pine, which in the mountains builders
ἐξέταμον πελέκεσσι νεήκεσι νήϊον εἶναι·
cut down with newly sharpened axes to be a ship’s timber;
ὣς ὃ πρόσθʼ ἵππων καὶ δίφρου κεῖτο τανυσθεὶς
so he lay stretched out before his horses and chariot,
βεβρυχὼς κόνιος δεδραγμένος αἱματοέσσης.
groaning and clutching the bloody dust.
ἠΰτε ταῦρον ἔπεφνε λέων ἀγέληφι μετελθὼν
As a lion coming among a herd slays a bull,
αἴθωνα μεγάθυμον ἐν εἰλιπόδεσσι βόεσσι,
spirited and high-minded among the shambling cattle,
ὤλετό τε στενάχων ὑπὸ γαμφηλῇσι λέοντος,
and it perishes groaning under the jaws of the lion,
ὣς ὑπὸ Πατρόκλῳ Λυκίων ἀγὸς ἀσπιστάων
so under Patroclus the leader of the Lycian shield-bearers
κτεινόμενος μενέαινε, φίλον δʼ ὀνόμηνεν ἑταῖρον·
struggled as he was slain, and called his dear companion by name:
Γλαῦκε πέπον πολεμιστὰ μετʼ ἀνδράσι νῦν σε μάλα χρὴ
”Glaucus, dear friend, warrior among men, now indeed you must
αἰχμητήν τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ θαρσαλέον πολεμιστήν·
be a spearman and a bold warrior;
νῦν τοι ἐελδέσθω πόλεμος κακός, εἰ θοός ἐσσι.
now let evil war be your desire, if you are swift.
πρῶτα μὲν ὄτρυνον Λυκίων ἡγήτορας ἄνδρας
First go about everywhere and urge the leaders of the Lycians
πάντῃ ἐποιχόμενος Σαρπηδόνος ἀμφιμάχεσθαι·
to fight for Sarpedon;
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμεῦ πέρι μάρναο χαλκῷ.
and thereafter do you also yourself fight for me with the bronze.
σοὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ ἔπειτα κατηφείη καὶ ὄνειδος
For to you I shall be a shame and a reproach
ἔσσομαι ἤματα πάντα διαμπερές, εἴ κέ μʼ Ἀχαιοὶ
through all days continually, if the Achaeans
τεύχεα συλήσωσι νεῶν ἐν ἀγῶνι πεσόντα.
strip me of my armor, fallen as I am in the gathering of the ships.
ἀλλʼ ἔχεο κρατερῶς, ὄτρυνε δὲ λαὸν ἅπαντα.
But hold on stoutly, and urge on all the host.”
ὣς ἄρα μιν εἰπόντα τέλος θανάτοιο κάλυψεν
As he thus spoke, the end of death covered
ὀφθαλμοὺς ῥῖνάς θʼ· ὃ δὲ λὰξ ἐν στήθεσι βαίνων
his eyes and nostrils; and Patroclus, stepping with his heel upon his breast,
ἐκ χροὸς ἕλκε δόρυ, προτὶ δὲ φρένες αὐτῷ ἕποντο·
drew the spear out of the flesh, and the midriff followed with it;
τοῖο δʼ ἅμα ψυχήν τε καὶ ἔγχεος ἐξέρυσʼ αἰχμήν.
and he drew out together the soul and the point of the spear.
Μυρμιδόνες δʼ αὐτοῦ σχέθον ἵππους φυσιόωντας
And the Myrmidons held there the panting horses,
ἱεμένους φοβέεσθαι, ἐπεὶ λίπον ἅρματʼ ἀνάκτων.
eager to flee, since they had left the chariots of their masters.
Γλαύκῳ δʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος γένετο φθογγῆς ἀΐοντι·
And a dreadful grief came upon Glaucus as he heard his voice;
ὠρίνθη δέ οἱ ἦτορ ὅ τʼ οὐ δύνατο προσαμῦναι.
and his heart was stirred because he could not aid him.
χειρὶ δʼ ἑλὼν ἐπίεζε βραχίονα· τεῖρε γὰρ αὐτὸν
And he took his arm in his hand and pressed it, for it pained him...
- 16.441ἄνδρα θνητὸν ἐόντα πάλαι πεπρωμένον αἴσῃ
The accusative phrase functions as the subject accusative for the subsequent infinitive ἐξαναλῦσαι. The participles ἐόντα and πεπρωμένον modify ἄνδρα, meaning "a man who is mortal, long ago destined by fate."
- 16.446φράζεο μή τις ἔπειτα θεῶν ἐθέλῃσι καὶ ἄλλος
The imperative φράζεο ("consider, take heed") is followed by a clause introduced by μή with the subjunctive (ἐθέλῃσι, epic active third-person singular) expressing apprehension: "take heed lest some other of the gods should also wish..."
- 16.454πέμπειν μιν θάνατόν τε φέρειν καὶ νήδυμον ὕπνον
The infinitives πέμπειν and φέρειν function as infinitives for imperative, continuing the commanding tone of the context. Furthermore, θάνατόν τε... ὕπνον acts as the subject accusative of φέρειν in an accusative-with-infinitive construction: "send (them) so that Death and Sleep may carry him."
- 16.471παρήορος
Refers to the "trace-horse" harnessed outside the main pair of yoke-horses (ζύγιοι). The death of this horse disrupts the balance of the yoke and entangles the reins.
- 16.481ἔρχαται
The third-person plural perfect passive (or middle) indicative of the verb ἔργω (to shut in, enclose), in an Epic/Ionic form (equivalent to εἴργαται or ἐέργαται). It agrees with the plural subject φρένες (midriff, lungs), describing the area where the midriff encloses the heart.