- 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-grc2:16.653-16.724
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Zeus decides to let Patroclus drive the Trojans back further, while Sarpedon's body is carried away to Lycia by Apollo. Ignoring Achilles' warning, Patroclus continues his pursuit but is stopped before the walls of Troy by Apollo's intervention.
ὄφρʼ ἠῢς θεράπων Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
(It seemed better to him) that the brave squire of Achilles, son of Peleus,
ἐξαῦτις Τρῶάς τε καὶ Ἕκτορα χαλκοκορυστὴν
should once again drive the Trojans and Hector, girt in bronze helm,
ὤσαιτο1 προτὶ ἄστυ, πολέων δʼ ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο.
back toward the city, and take away the life of many.
Ἕκτορι δὲ πρωτίστῳ ἀνάλκιδα θυμὸν ἐνῆκεν·
And into Hector first of all he put a spiritless heart;
ἐς δίφρον δʼ ἀναβὰς φύγαδʼ ἔτραπε, κέκλετο δʼ ἄλλους
mounting his chariot, he turned to flight and called to the other
Τρῶας φευγέμεναι· γνῶ γὰρ Διὸς ἱρὰ τάλαντα.
Trojans to flee; for he recognized the sacred scales of Zeus.
ἔνθʼ οὐδʼ ἴφθιμοι Λύκιοι μένον, ἀλλὰ φόβηθεν
Then not even the mighty Lycians remained, but they were routed
πάντες, ἐπεὶ βασιλῆα ἴδον βεβλαμμένον ἦτορ
all of them, when they saw their king struck to the heart,
κείμενον ἐν νεκύων ἀγύρει· πολέες γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ
lying in the gathering of the dead; for many had fallen
κάππεσον, εὖτʼ ἔριδα κρατερὴν ἐτάνυσσε Κρονίων.
upon him when the son of Cronos stretched tight the fierce combat.
οἳ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ ὤμοιιν Σαρπηδόνος ἔντεʼ ἕλοντο
And they stripped the bronze armor from Sarpedon’s shoulders,
χάλκεα μαρμαίροντα, τὰ μὲν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας
gleaming and bright, which the brave son of Menoetius
δῶκε φέρειν ἑτάροισι Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱός.
gave to his companions to carry to the hollow ships.
καὶ τότʼ Ἀπόλλωνα προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·
And then cloud-gathering Zeus spoke to Apollo:
εἰ δʼ ἄγε νῦν φίλε Φοῖβε, κελαινεφὲς αἷμα κάθηρον
”Go now, dear Phoebus, and cleanse the dark blood from Sarpedon
ἐλθὼν ἐκ βελέων Σαρπηδόνα, καί μιν ἔπειτα
after taking him out of the range of darts, and then
πολλὸν ἀπὸ πρὸ φέρων λοῦσον ποταμοῖο ῥοῇσι
bear him far away and bathe him in the streams of the river,
χρῖσόν τʼ ἀμβροσίῃ, περὶ δʼ ἄμβροτα εἵματα ἕσσον·
anoint him with ambrosia, and clothe him in immortal garments;
πέμπε δέ μιν πομποῖσιν ἅμα κραιπνοῖσι φέρεσθαι
and send him to be carried by swift escorts,
ὕπνῳ καὶ θανάτῳ διδυμάοσιν, οἵ ῥά μιν ὦκα
Sleep and Death, who are twins, and who will quickly
θήσουσʼ ἐν Λυκίης εὐρείης πίονι δήμῳ,
set him down in the rich land of wide Lycia.
ἔνθά ἑ ταρχύσουσι κασίγνητοί τε ἔται τε
There his brothers and his 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 ἄρα πατρὸς ἀνηκούστησεν Ἀπόλλων.
So he spoke, nor did Apollo fail to hear his father.
βῆ δὲ κατʼ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ἐς φύλοπιν αἰνήν,
He went down from the hills of Ida into the dread battle-din,
αὐτίκα δʼ ἐκ βελέων Σαρπηδόνα δῖον ἀείρας
and straightway lifting noble Sarpedon out of the range of darts
πολλὸν ἀπὸ πρὸ φέρων λοῦσεν ποταμοῖο ῥοῇσι
and bearing him far away, he bathed him in the streams of the river,
χρῖσέν τʼ ἀμβροσίῃ, περὶ δʼ ἄμβροτα εἵματα ἕσσε·
anointed him with ambrosia, and clothed him in immortal garments;
πέμπε δέ μιν πομποῖσιν ἅμα κραιπνοῖσι φέρεσθαι,
and sent him to be carried by swift escorts,
ὕπνῳ καὶ θανάτῳ διδυμάοσιν, οἵ ῥά μιν ὦκα
Sleep and Death, who are twins, and who quickly
κάτθεσαν ἐν Λυκίης εὐρείης πίονι δήμῳ.
set him down in the rich land of wide Lycia.
Πάτροκλος δʼ ἵπποισι καὶ Αὐτομέδοντι κελεύσας
But Patroclus, commanding his horses and Automedon,
Τρῶας καὶ Λυκίους μετεκίαθε, καὶ μέγʼ ἀάσθη
pursued the Trojans and Lycians, and was greatly blinded in his mind,
νήπιος· εἰ δὲ ἔπος Πηληϊάδαο φύλαξεν
fool that he was; for if he had observed the word of the son of Peleus,
ἦ τʼ ἂν ὑπέκφυγε2 κῆρα κακὴν μέλανος θανάτοιο.
he would indeed have escaped the evil doom of black death.
ἀλλʼ αἰεί τε Διὸς κρείσσων νόος ἠέ περ ἀνδρῶν·
But the mind of Zeus is always stronger than that of men;
ὅς τε καὶ ἄλκιμον ἄνδρα φοβεῖ καὶ ἀφείλετο νίκην
he puts even a brave man to flight and deprives him of victory
ῥηϊδίως, ὅτε δʼ αὐτὸς ἐποτρύνῃσι μάχεσθαι·
easily, even when he himself has urged him to fight;
ὅς οἱ καὶ τότε θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἀνῆκεν.
and he it was who then put that spirit in his breast.
ἔνθα τίνα πρῶτον τίνα δʼ ὕστατον ἐξενάριξας
Then whom first and whom last did you slay,
Πατρόκλεις, ὅτε δή σε θεοὶ θάνατον δὲ κάλεσσαν;
Patroclus, when the gods called you to your death?
Ἄδρηστον μὲν πρῶτα καὶ Αὐτόνοον καὶ Ἔχεκλον
Adrastus first, and Autonous, and Echeclus,
καὶ Πέριμον Μεγάδην καὶ Ἐπίστορα καὶ Μελάνιππον,
and Perimus son of Megas, and Epistor, and Melanippus,
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ Ἔλασον καὶ Μούλιον ἠδὲ Πυλάρτην·
and then Elasus, and Mulius, and Pylartes;
τοὺς ἕλεν· οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι φύγαδε μνώοντο ἕκαστος.
these he slew; but the others, each of them, thought only of flight.
ἔνθά κεν ὑψίπυλον Τροίην ἕλον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν
Then would the sons of the Achaeans have taken high-gated Troy
Πατρόκλου ὑπὸ χερσί, περὶ πρὸ γὰρ ἔγχεϊ θῦεν,
under the hands of Patroclus, for he raged all around with his spear,
εἰ μὴ Ἀπόλλων Φοῖβος ἐϋδμήτου ἐπὶ πύργου
had not Phoebus Apollo stood upon the well-built tower
ἔστη τῷ ὀλοὰ φρονέων, Τρώεσσι δʼ ἀρήγων.
planning destruction for him, and helping the Trojans.
τρὶς μὲν ἐπʼ ἀγκῶνος βῆ τείχεος ὑψηλοῖο
Three times upon the corner of the high wall did
Πάτροκλος, τρὶς δʼ αὐτὸν ἀπεστυφέλιξεν Ἀπόλλων
Patroclus mount, and three times Apollo pushed him back,
χείρεσσʼ ἀθανάτῃσι φαεινὴν ἀσπίδα νύσσων.
smiting the shining shield with his immortal hands.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸ τέταρτον ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος,
But when for the fourth time he rushed on like a god,
δεινὰ δʼ ὁμοκλήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
then with a terrible cry he spoke winged words:
χάζεο διογενὲς Πατρόκλεες· οὔ νύ τοι αἶσα
”Give way, noble Patroclus; it is not your destiny
σῷ ὑπὸ δουρὶ πόλιν πέρθαι Τρώων ἀγερώχων,
that the city of the proud Trojans be sacked by your spear,
οὐδʼ ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος, ὅς περ σέο πολλὸν ἀμείνων.
nor even by Achilles, who is far better than you.”
ὣς φάτο, Πάτροκλος δʼ ἀνεχάζετο πολλὸν ὀπίσσω
So he spoke, and Patroclus shrank far back,
μῆνιν ἀλευάμενος ἑκατηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος.
avoiding the wrath of far-shooting Apollo.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἐν Σκαιῇσι πύλῃς ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους·
But Hector at the Scaean gates was holding his single-hooved horses;
δίζε γὰρ ἠὲ μάχοιτο κατὰ κλόνον αὖτις ἐλάσσας,
for he was doubting whether he should drive back into the tumult and fight,
ἦ λαοὺς ἐς τεῖχος ὁμοκλήσειεν ἀλῆναι.
or call to the people to gather within the wall.
ταῦτʼ ἄρα οἱ φρονέοντι παρίστατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων
While he was pondering these things, Phoebus Apollo stood by him,
ἀνέρι εἰσάμενος αἰζηῷ τε κρατερῷ τε
in the likeness of a man young and strong,
Ἀσίῳ, ὃς μήτρως ἦν Ἕκτορος ἱπποδάμοιο
Asius, who was the maternal uncle of horse-taming Hector,
αὐτοκασίγνητος Ἑκάβης, υἱὸς δὲ Δύμαντος,
full brother to Hecabe, and son of Dymas,
ὃς Φρυγίῃ ναίεσκε ῥοῇς ἔπι Σαγγαρίοιο·
who dwelt in Phrygia by the streams of Sangarius;
τῷ μιν ἐεισάμενος προσέφη Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων·
in his likeness the son of Zeus, Apollo, spoke to him:
Ἕκτορ τίπτε μάχης ἀποπαύεαι; οὐδέ τί σε χρή.
”Hector, why do you cease from battle? You should not do so.
αἴθʼ ὅσον ἥσσων εἰμί, τόσον σέο φέρτερος εἴην·3
Would that I were as much stronger than you as I am weaker;
τώ κε τάχα στυγερῶς πολέμου ἀπερωήσειας.
then quickly would you shrink from the war to your hurt.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε Πατρόκλῳ ἔφεπε κρατερώνυχας ἵππους,
But come, drive your strong-hooved horses against Patroclus,”
- 16.653ὄφρʼ ἠῢς θεράπων... ὤσαιτο
The clause introduced by ὄφρα with the optatives ὤσαιτο and ἕλοιτο functions here as a clause explaining the content of what seemed "better" (δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι) to Zeus, indicating his divine purpose.
- 16.686εἰ δὲ ἔπος Πηληϊάδαο φύλαξεν ἦ τʼ ἂν ὑπέκφυγε
A past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence. The protasis has εἰ with the aorist indicative (φύλαξεν), and the apodosis has ἄν with the aorist indicative (ὑπέκφυγε), emphasizing the tragic reality that Patroclus did not keep Achilles' warning.
- 16.722αἴθʼ ὅσον ἥσσων εἰμί, τόσον σέο φέρτερος εἴην
A wish for the present that cannot be realized, expressed by αἴθε with the optative (εἴην). The comparative structure ("would that I were as much stronger than you as I am weaker") highlights the speaker's assumed inferiority while magnifying the intensity of the wish.