- 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-grc2:16.725-16.796
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Patroclus kills and mocks Hector's charioteer, Cebriones. A fierce struggle erupts over the body, where Patroclus continues his deadly onslaught until Apollo intervenes, stripping him of his armor.
αἴ κέν πώς μιν ἕλῃς,1 δώῃ δέ τοι εὖχος Ἀπόλλων.
if by any means you may slay him, and Apollo give you glory.
ὣς εἰπὼν ὃ μὲν αὖτις ἔβη θεὸς ἂμ πόνον ἀνδρῶν,
So saying, the god went back again into the toil of men,
Κεβριόνῃ δʼ ἐκέλευσε δαΐφρονι φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
and glorious Hector commanded war-minded Cebriones
ἵππους ἐς πόλεμον πεπληγέμεν. αὐτὰρ Ἀπόλλων
to lash his horses into the battle. But Apollo
δύσεθʼ ὅμιλον ἰών, ἐν δὲ κλόνον Ἀργείοισιν
went and entered the throng, and among the Argives
ἧκε κακόν, Τρωσὶν δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορι κῦδος ὄπαζεν.
he sent a terrible panic, but to the Trojans and Hector he gave glory.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἄλλους μὲν Δαναοὺς ἔα οὐδʼ ἐνάριζεν·
And Hector let the other Danaans be, nor did he slay them,
αὐτὰρ ὃ Πατρόκλῳ ἔφεπε κρατερώνυχας ἵππους.
but drove his strong-hooved horses against Patroclus.
Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἀφʼ ἵππων ἆλτο χαμᾶζε
And Patroclus from his chariot on the other side leaped to the ground,
σκαιῇ ἔγχος ἔχων· ἑτέρηφι δὲ λάζετο πέτρον
in his left hand holding his spear; and with the other he grasped a stone,
μάρμαρον ὀκριόεντα τόν οἱ περὶ χεὶρ ἐκάλυψεν,
a jagged piece of white marble, which his hand fully covered;
ἧκε δʼ ἐρεισάμενος, οὐδὲ δὴν χάζετο φωτός,2
he threw it, planting his stance, nor did he shrink far from his man,
οὐδʼ ἁλίωσε βέλος, βάλε δʼ Ἕκτορος ἡνιοχῆα
nor was his throw in vain, but he struck the charioteer of Hector,
Κεβριόνην νόθον υἱὸν ἀγακλῆος Πριάμοιο
Cebriones, the bastard son of glorious Priam,
ἵππων ἡνίʼ ἔχοντα μετώπιον ὀξέϊ λᾶϊ.
as he held the reins of the horses, on the forehead with the sharp stone.
ἀμφοτέρας δʼ ὀφρῦς σύνελεν λίθος, οὐδέ οἱ ἔσχεν
And the stone crushed both his brows, nor did the bone
ὀστέον, ὀφθαλμοὶ δὲ χαμαὶ πέσον ἐν κονίῃσιν
hold, and his eyes fell to the ground in the dust
αὐτοῦ πρόσθε ποδῶν· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀρνευτῆρι ἐοικὼς
right before his feet; and like a diver he
κάππεσʼ ἀπʼ εὐεργέος δίφρου, λίπε δʼ ὀστέα θυμός.
fell from the well-wrought chariot, and his spirit left his bones.
τὸν δʼ ἐπικερτομέων προσέφης Πατρόκλεες ἱππεῦ·
And mocking him you spoke, knight Patroclus:
ὢ πόποι ἦ μάλʼ ἐλαφρὸς ἀνήρ, ὡς ῥεῖα κυβιστᾷ.
”Ah, look, indeed a very nimble man, how easily he dives!
εἰ δή που καὶ πόντῳ ἐν ἰχθυόεντι γένοιτο,3
If he were somewhere on the fish-teeming sea,
πολλοὺς ἂν κορέσειεν ἀνὴρ ὅδε τήθεα διφῶν
this man would satisfy many, diving for oysters,
νηὸς ἀποθρῴσκων, εἰ καὶ δυσπέμφελος εἴη,
leaping from the ship, even if the sea were stormy,
ὡς νῦν ἐν πεδίῳ ἐξ ἵππων ῥεῖα κυβιστᾷ.
as now on the plain he easily dives from his horses.
ἦ ῥα καὶ ἐν Τρώεσσι κυβιστητῆρες ἔασιν.
Surely there are divers even among the Trojans!”
ὣς εἰπὼν ἐπὶ Κεβριόνῃ ἥρωϊ βεβήκει
So saying, he went against the hero Cebriones
οἶμα λέοντος ἔχων, ὅς τε σταθμοὺς κεραΐζων
with the rush of a lion, which, while wasting the farmsteads,
ἔβλητο πρὸς στῆθος, ἑή τέ μιν ὤλεσεν ἀλκή·
is struck in the breast, and his own courage destroys him;
ὣς ἐπὶ Κεβριόνῃ Πατρόκλεες ἆλσο μεμαώς.
even so, Patroclus, did you leap eagerly upon Cebriones.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἀφʼ ἵππων ἆλτο χαμᾶζε.
And Hector on the other side leaped from his chariot to the ground.
τὼ περὶ Κεβριόναο λέονθʼ ὣς δηρινθήτην,
And the two fought over Cebriones like lions,
ὥ τʼ ὄρεος κορυφῇσι περὶ κταμένης ἐλάφοιο
who on the mountain peaks fight over a slain hind,
ἄμφω πεινάοντε μέγα φρονέοντε μάχεσθον·
both hungry, both proud in spirit;
ὣς περὶ Κεβριόναο δύω μήστωρες ἀϋτῆς
so over Cebriones the two masters of the war-cry,
Πάτροκλός τε Μενοιτιάδης καὶ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
Patroclus son of Menoetius and glorious Hector,
ἵεντʼ ἀλλήλων ταμέειν χρόα νηλέϊ χαλκῷ.
were eager to cleave each other’s flesh with the pitiless bronze.
Ἕκτωρ μὲν κεφαλῆφιν ἐπεὶ λάβεν οὐχὶ μεθίει·
Hector, when he caught him by the head, would not let go;
Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἔχεν ποδός· οἳ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι
and Patroclus on the other side held him by the foot; and the others,
Τρῶες καὶ Δαναοὶ σύναγον κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην.
both Trojans and Danaans, joined in fierce combat.
ὡς δʼ Εὖρός τε Νότος τʼ ἐριδαίνετον ἀλλήλοιιν
And as the East Wind and the South Wind strive with one another
οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς βαθέην πελεμιζέμεν ὕλην
in the glens of a mountain to shake a deep forest,
φηγόν τε μελίην τε τανύφλοιόν τε κράνειαν,
oak and ash and thin-barked cornel-tree,
αἵ τε πρὸς ἀλλήλας ἔβαλον τανυήκεας ὄζους
which strike their sharp branches against one another
ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ, πάταγος δέ τε ἀγνυμενάων,
with a wondrous roar, and there is a crash of breaking boughs;
ὣς Τρῶες καὶ Ἀχαιοὶ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι θορόντες
even so the Trojans and Achaeans, leaping upon one another,
δῄουν, οὐδʼ ἕτεροι μνώοντʼ ὀλοοῖο φόβοιο.
were slaying, nor did either side think of destructive flight.
πολλὰ δὲ Κεβριόνην ἀμφʼ ὀξέα δοῦρα πεπήγει
And many sharp spears were fixed around Cebriones,
ἰοί τε πτερόεντες ἀπὸ νευρῆφι θορόντες,
and winged arrows leaping from the bow-string,
πολλὰ δὲ χερμάδια μεγάλʼ ἀσπίδας ἐστυφέλιξαν
and many great hand-stones battered the shields
μαρναμένων ἀμφʼ αὐτόν· ὃ δʼ ἐν στροφάλιγγι κονίης
of those fighting around him; but he in the whirl of dust
κεῖτο μέγας μεγαλωστί,4 λελασμένος ἱπποσυνάων.
lay mighty in his mightiness, forgetful of his horsemanship.
ὄφρα μὲν Ἠέλιος μέσον οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκει,
As long as the Sun was striding across the middle of heaven,
τόφρα μάλʼ ἀμφοτέρων βέλεʼ ἥπτετο, πῖπτε δὲ λαός·
so long did the weapons of both sides take hold, and the people fell;
ἦμος δʼ Ἠέλιος μετενίσετο βουλυτὸν δέ,
but when the Sun turned toward the time for unyoking oxen,
καὶ τότε δή ῥʼ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν5 Ἀχαιοὶ φέρτεροι ἦσαν.
then indeed beyond measure the Achaeans were the stronger.
ἐκ μὲν Κεβριόνην βελέων ἥρωα ἔρυσσαν
They dragged the hero Cebriones out from the darts,
Τρώων ἐξ ἐνοπῆς, καὶ ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἕλοντο,
away from the clamor of the Trojans, and stripped the armor from his shoulders,
Πάτροκλος δὲ Τρωσὶ κακὰ φρονέων ἐνόρουσε.
and Patroclus leaped upon the Trojans with evil in his heart.
τρὶς μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἐπόρουσε θοῷ ἀτάλαντος Ἄρηϊ
Three times then he rushed on, the equal of swift Ares,
σμερδαλέα ἰάχων, τρὶς δʼ ἐννέα φῶτας ἔπεφνεν.
crying terribly, and three times he slew nine men.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸ τέταρτον ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος,
But when for the fourth time he rushed on like a god,
ἔνθʼ ἄρα τοι Πάτροκλε φάνη βιότοιο τελευτή·
then, Patroclus, did the end of your life appear;
ἤντετο γάρ τοι Φοῖβος ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ
for Phoebus met you in the fierce combat,
δεινός· ὃ μὲν τὸν ἰόντα κατὰ κλόνον οὐκ ἐνόησεν,
dreadful; and Patroclus did not perceive him coming through the tumult,
ἠέρι γὰρ πολλῇ κεκαλυμμένος ἀντεβόλησε·
for he met him shrouded in thick mist;
στῆ δʼ ὄπιθεν, πλῆξεν δὲ μετάφρενον εὐρέε τʼ ὤμω
and he stood behind him, and smote his back and broad shoulders
χειρὶ καταπρηνεῖ, στρεφεδίνηθεν δέ οἱ ὄσσε.
with the flat of his hand, and his eyes spun round.
τοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν κρατὸς κυνέην βάλε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·
And from his head Phoebus Apollo struck the helmet;
ἣ δὲ κυλινδομένη καναχὴν ἔχε ποσσὶν ὑφʼ ἵππων
and it rolled away with a clang beneath the horses’ feet,
αὐλῶπις τρυφάλεια, μιάνθησαν δὲ ἔθειραι
the crested helmet, and the plumes were defiled
αἵματι καὶ κονίῃσι· πάρος γε μὲν οὐ θέμις ἦεν
with blood and dust. Before this time indeed it was not permitted (for the dust to defile it).
- 16.725αἴ κέν πώς μιν ἕλῃς
The conditional clause with αἴ κεν (= εἴ κεν) followed by the subjunctive ἕλῃς expresses a future expectation or hope with some uncertainty. The subsequent verb δώῃ is also in the subjunctive, indicating a desired outcome dependent on divine will.
- 16.736οὐδὲ δὴν χάζετο φωτός
The verb χάζομαι (to shrink back, give way) takes a genitive of separation (φωτός). This construction indicates that Patroclus did not long step back or withdraw from his target after throwing the stone.
- 16.746εἰ δή που καὶ πόντῳ ἐν ἰχθυόεντι γένοιτο
The conditional clause with the optative γένοιτο corresponds to the potential optative with ἄν in the apodosis (ἂν κορέσειεν in line 747). Rather than a contrary-to-fact condition, it presents a purely potential scenario, serving as a vehicle for Patroclus' biting sarcasm.
- 16.776μέγας μεγαλωστί
A characteristically Homeric polyptoton (figura etymologica) combining the adjective μέγας with the adverb μεγαλωστί (mightily, at full length). This emphasis underscores both the imposing stature and the tragic grandeur of the fallen warrior lying dead on the battlefield.
- 16.780ὑπὲρ αἶσαν
Meaning 'beyond fate' or 'contrary to destiny'. It is an idiomatic expression describing a situation where human actions temporarily exceed or defy the established limits of destiny or natural order, highlighting the overwhelming momentum of the Achaeans.