- 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-grc2:16.584-16.652
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
The Achaeans, led by Patroclus, clash fiercely with the Trojans and Lycians as prominent warriors fall on both sides. Zeus watches the bloody struggle over Sarpedon's unrecognizable body, deliberating on the impending fate of Patroclus.
ὣς ἰθὺς Λυκίων Πατρόκλεες ἱπποκέλευθε
Even so, Patroclus, driver of horses, straight against the Lycians
ἔσσυο καὶ Τρώων, κεχόλωσο δὲ κῆρ ἑτάροιο.
and the Trojans did you rush, and you were angered in your heart for your companion.
καί ῥʼ ἔβαλε Σθενέλαον Ἰθαιμένεος φίλον υἱὸν
And he struck Sthenelaus, the dear son of Ithaemenes,
αὐχένα χερμαδίῳ, ῥῆξεν δʼ ἀπὸ τοῖο τένοντας.
on the neck with a stone, and broke his tendons away from it.
χώρησαν δʼ ὑπό τε πρόμαχοι καὶ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ.
And the foremost fighters and illustrious Hector gave way.
ὅσση δʼ αἰγανέης ῥιπὴ ταναοῖο τέτυκται,
And as far as is the cast of a long javelin,
ἥν ῥά τʼ ἀνὴρ ἀφέῃ πειρώμενος ἢ ἐν ἀέθλῳ
which a man lets fly making trial of his strength either in games
ἠὲ καὶ ἐν πολέμῳ δηΐων ὕπο θυμοραϊστέων,
or in war under pressure of deadly enemies,
τόσσον ἐχώρησαν Τρῶες, ὤσαντο δʼ Ἀχαιοί.
so far did the Trojans retreat, and the Achaeans drove them back.
Γλαῦκος δὲ πρῶτος Λυκίων ἀγὸς ἀσπιστάων
But Glaucus first, the leader of the Lycian shield-bearers,
ἐτράπετʼ, ἔκτεινεν δὲ Βαθυκλῆα μεγάθυμον
turned, and slew great-hearted Bathycles,
Χάλκωνος φίλον υἱόν, ὃς Ἑλλάδι οἰκία ναίων
the dear son of Chalcon, who dwelt in his home in Hellas
ὄλβῳ τε πλούτῳ τε μετέπρεπε Μυρμιδόνεσσι.
and was pre-eminent among the Myrmidons for prosperity and wealth.
τὸν μὲν ἄρα Γλαῦκος στῆθος μέσον οὔτασε δουρὶ
Him then Glaucus wounded in the middle of the breast with his spear,
στρεφθεὶς ἐξαπίνης, ὅτε μιν κατέμαρπτε διώκων·
turning suddenly, just as the other was overtaking him in pursuit;
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών· πυκινὸν δʼ ἄχος ἔλλαβʼ Ἀχαιούς,
and he fell with a thud; and severe grief seized the Achaeans,
ὡς ἔπεσʼ ἐσθλὸς ἀνήρ· μέγα δὲ Τρῶες κεχάροντο,
because a good man had fallen; but the Trojans rejoiced greatly,
στὰν δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν ἰόντες ἀολλέες· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ Ἀχαιοὶ
and came and stood in crowds around him; nor indeed did the Achaeans
ἀλκῆς ἐξελάθοντο, μένος δʼ ἰθὺς φέρον αὐτῶν.
forget their valor, but bore their strength straight against them.
ἔνθʼ αὖ Μηριόνης Τρώων ἕλεν ἄνδρα κορυστὴν
Then Meriones in turn slew a helmeted warrior of the Trojans,
Λαόγονον θρασὺν υἱὸν Ὀνήτορος, ὃς Διὸς ἱρεὺς
Laogonus, the bold son of Onetor, who was the priest of Idaean Zeus,
Ἰδαίου ἐτέτυκτο, θεὸς δʼ ὣς τίετο δήμῳ.
and was honored like a god by the people.
τὸν βάλʼ ὑπὸ γναθμοῖο καὶ οὔατος· ὦκα δὲ θυμὸς
Him he struck beneath the jaw and ear; and quickly the spirit
ᾤχετʼ ἀπὸ μελέων, στυγερὸς δʼ ἄρα μιν σκότος εἷλεν.
went out from his limbs, and hateful darkness seized him.
Αἰνείας δʼ ἐπὶ Μηριόνῃ δόρυ χάλκεον ἧκεν·
And Aeneas cast his bronze spear at Meriones;
ἔλπετο γὰρ τεύξεσθαι ὑπασπίδια προβιβῶντος.1
for he hoped to hit him as he advanced under cover of his shield.
ἀλλʼ ὃ μὲν ἄντα ἰδὼν ἠλεύατο χάλκεον ἔγχος·
But he, looking straight at it, avoided the bronze spear;
πρόσσω γὰρ κατέκυψε, τὸ δʼ ἐξόπιθεν δόρυ μακρὸν
for he bent forward, and behind him the long spear
οὔδει ἐνισκίμφθη, ἐπὶ δʼ οὐρίαχος πελεμίχθη
was fixed in the ground, and the butt-end of the spear vibrated;
ἔγχεος· ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀφίει μένος ὄβριμος Ἄρης.2
and there then mighty Ares let go the strength of the spear.
αἰχμὴ δʼ Αἰνείαο κραδαινομένη κατὰ γαίης
And the spear-point of Aeneas went quivering into the earth,
ᾤχετʼ, ἐπεί ῥʼ ἅλιον στιβαρῆς ἀπὸ χειρὸς ὄρουσεν.
since it had sped in vain from his mighty hand.
Αἰνείας δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐχώσατο φώνησέν τε·
And Aeneas was angry in his heart and spoke:
Μηριόνη τάχα κέν σε καὶ ὀρχηστήν περ ἐόντα
”Meriones, quickly indeed, dancer though you are,
ἔγχος ἐμὸν κατέπαυσε διαμπερές, εἴ σʼ ἔβαλόν περ.
would my spear have stopped you forever, if only I had struck you.”
τὸν δʼ αὖ Μηριόνης δουρικλυτὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·
And to him in turn Meriones, famous for the spear, spoke:
Αἰνεία χαλεπόν σε καὶ ἴφθιμόν περ ἐόντα
”Aeneas, it is hard for you, powerful though you are,
πάντων ἀνθρώπων σβέσσαι μένος, ὅς κέ σευ ἄντα
to quench the strength of all men who come against you
ἔλθῃ ἀμυνόμενος· θνητὸς δέ νυ καὶ σὺ τέτυξαι.
to defend themselves; for indeed you too are mortal.
εἰ καὶ ἐγώ σε βάλοιμι τυχὼν μέσον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,
If I too should strike you, hitting you in the middle with the sharp bronze,
αἶψά κε καὶ κρατερός περ ἐὼν καὶ χερσὶ πεποιθὼς
quickly indeed, strong though you are and trusting in your hands,
εὖχος ἐμοὶ δοίης, ψυχὴν δʼ Ἄϊδι κλυτοπώλῳ.
would you give glory to me, and your soul to Hades of the famous steeds.”
ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ ἐνένιπε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱός·
So he spoke, and the strong son of Menoetius rebuked him:
Μηριόνη τί σὺ ταῦτα καὶ ἐσθλὸς ἐὼν ἀγορεύεις;
”Meriones, why do you, though a brave man, speak thus?
ὦ πέπον οὔ τοι Τρῶες ὀνειδείοις ἐπέεσσι
My friend, the Trojans will not indeed, because of insulting words,
νεκροῦ χωρήσουσι· πάρος τινὰ γαῖα καθέξει.
give way from the corpse; before that, the earth will hold some of them.
ἐν γὰρ χερσὶ τέλος πολέμου, ἐπέων δʼ ἐνὶ βουλῇ·
For the end of war is in the hands, but of words in counsel;
τὼ οὔ τι χρὴ μῦθον ὀφέλλειν, ἀλλὰ μάχεσθαι.
therefore we should not multiply words, but fight.”
ὣς εἰπὼν ὃ μὲν ἦρχʼ, ὃ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕσπετο ἰσόθεος φώς.
So saying, he led the way, and the godlike man followed with him.
τῶν δʼ ὥς τε δρυτόμων ἀνδρῶν ὀρυμαγδὸς ὀρώρει
And as the din of woodcutters arises
οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς, ἕκαθεν δέ τε γίγνετʼ ἀκουή,
in the glens of a mountain, and the sound is heard from afar,
ὣς τῶν ὄρνυτο δοῦπος ἀπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης
so arose the clatter of them from the broad-wayed earth,
χαλκοῦ τε ῥινοῦ τε βοῶν τʼ εὐποιητάων,
of bronze and of leather and of well-made ox-hide shields,
νυσσομένων ξίφεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισιν.
as they thrust at one another with swords and two-edged spears.
οὐδʼ ἂν ἔτι φράδμων περ ἀνὴρ Σαρπηδόνα δῖον
Nor would a discerning man any longer have recognized noble Sarpedon,
ἔγνω, ἐπεὶ βελέεσσι καὶ αἵματι καὶ κονίῃσιν
since with missiles and blood and dust
ἐκ κεφαλῆς εἴλυτο διαμπερὲς ἐς πόδας ἄκρους.
he was covered utterly from his head to the very tips of his feet.
οἳ δʼ αἰεὶ περὶ νεκρὸν ὁμίλεον, ὡς ὅτε μυῖαι
And they thronged continuously around the corpse, as when flies
σταθμῷ ἔνι βρομέωσι περιγλαγέας κατὰ πέλλας
buzz about the full milk-pails in the farmstead
ὥρῃ ἐν εἰαρινῇ, ὅτε τε γλάγος ἄγγεα δεύει·
in the season of spring, when the milk drenches the vessels;
ὣς ἄρα τοὶ περὶ νεκρὸν ὁμίλεον, οὐδέ ποτε Ζεὺς
so indeed did they throng around the corpse; nor did Zeus ever
τρέψεν ἀπὸ κρατερῆς ὑσμίνης ὄσσε φαεινώ,
turn his shining eyes away from the fierce battle,
ἀλλὰ κατʼ αὐτοὺς αἰὲν ὅρα καὶ φράζετο θυμῷ,
but kept looking at them always and pondered in his heart,
πολλὰ μάλʼ ἀμφὶ φόνῳ Πατρόκλου μερμηρίζων,
pondering very much about the slaying of Patroclus,
ἢ ἤδη καὶ κεῖνον ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ
whether now he too in the fierce battle,
αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ἀντιθέῳ Σαρπηδόνι φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
there over godlike Sarpedon, illustrious Hector
χαλκῷ δῃώσῃ, ἀπό τʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἕληται,
should slay with the bronze, and strip the armor from his shoulders,
ἦ ἔτι καὶ πλεόνεσσιν3 ὀφέλλειεν πόνον αἰπύν.
or whether he should still increase the steep toil of battle for yet more men.
ὧδε δέ οἱ φρονέοντι δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι
And to him as he pondered thus, it seemed to be better...
- 16.609ὑπασπίδια προβιβῶντος
The genitive present participle προβιβῶντος refers back to the preceding dative name Μηριόνῃ (Meriones). Syntactically, it describes him advancing under the cover of his shield (with ὑπασπίδια used adverbially as a neuter plural accusative). The shift from dative to genitive is best understood as a genitive absolute construct with an omitted pronominal subject ('while he was advancing').
- 16.613ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀφίει μένος ὄβριμος Ἄρης
Describing the event after the spear missed its mark and lodged in the ground, the verb ἀφίει (third-person singular imperfect of ἀφίημι) has Ἄρης (Ares) as its subject. It literally translates as 'thereupon mighty Ares let go the fury of the spear.' It is a mythological representation where the god of war is imagined as releasing or neutralizing the weapon's destructive energy harmlessly into the earth.
- 16.648ἤ ἤδη καὶ κεῖνον... ἦ ἔτι καὶ πλεόνεσσιν...
A double indirect question introduced by the disjunctive particles ἤ... ἦ... (or ἤ... ἤ...), functioning as the object of the main verb φράζετο ('he was pondering'). It coordinates the two opposing choices in Zeus's mind regarding Patroclus's fate: whether he should be slain right now over Sarpedon's body, or whether Zeus should still prolong the grim toil of battle for many more.