- 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-grc2:16.73-16.145
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Achilles lends his armor to Patroclus, instructing him to return once the ships are saved and not to pursue the Trojans too far. Seeing Ajax overwhelmed and a ship set on fire, Achilles sends Patroclus into battle, who then arms himself with Achilles' armor.
ἤπια εἰδείη· νῦν δὲ στρατὸν ἀμφιμάχονται.
would be kindly disposed; but now they are fighting around the host.
οὐ γὰρ Τυδεΐδεω Διομήδεος ἐν παλάμῃσι
For no longer in the hands of Diomedes, son of Tydeus,
μαίνεται ἐγχείη Δαναῶν ἀπὸ λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι·
does the spear rage to ward off ruin from the Danaans;
οὐδέ πω Ἀτρεΐδεω ὀπὸς ἔκλυον αὐδήσαντος
nor have I yet heard the voice of the son of Atreus speaking
ἐχθρῆς ἐκ κεφαλῆς· ἀλλʼ Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο
from his hated head; but the voice of man-slaying Hector,
Τρωσὶ κελεύοντος περιάγνυται, οἳ δʼ ἀλαλητῷ
calling to the Trojans, resounds all around, and they with a war-cry
πᾶν πεδίον κατέχουσι μάχῃ νικῶντες Ἀχαιούς.
hold all the plain, defeating the Achaeans in battle.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς Πάτροκλε νεῶν ἄπο λοιγὸν ἀμύνων
But even so, Patroclus, warding off ruin from the ships,
ἔμπεσʼ ἐπικρατέως, μὴ δὴ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο
fall upon them mightily, lest they burn the ships with blazing fire,
νῆας ἐνιπρήσωσι, φίλον δʼ ἀπὸ νόστον ἕλωνται.
and take away our precious return.
πείθεο δʼ ὥς τοι ἐγὼ μύθου τέλος1 ἐν φρεσὶ θείω,
Obey, so that I may put in your mind the sum of my counsel,
ὡς ἄν μοι τιμὴν μεγάλην καὶ κῦδος ἄρηαι
so that you may win great honor and glory for me
πρὸς πάντων Δαναῶν, ἀτὰρ οἳ περικαλλέα κούρην
from all the Danaans, and they may send back the beautiful girl,
ἂψ ἀπονάσσωσιν, ποτὶ δʼ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα πόρωσιν.
and provide splendid gifts besides.
ἐκ νηῶν ἐλάσας ἰέναι πάλιν· εἰ δέ κεν αὖ τοι
Drive them from the ships and return; and if the loud-thundering husband of Hera
δώῃ κῦδος ἀρέσθαι ἐρίγδουπος πόσις Ἥρης,
grant you to win glory,
μὴ σύ γʼ ἄνευθεν ἐμεῖο λιλαίεσθαι2 πολεμίζειν
do not desire to fight without me against the war-loving Trojans;
Τρωσὶ φιλοπτολέμοισιν· ἀτιμότερον δέ με θήσεις·
you will make me more unhonored.
μὴ δʼ ἐπαγαλλόμενος πολέμῳ καὶ δηϊοτῆτι
And do not, exulting in war and battle,
Τρῶας ἐναιρόμενος προτὶ Ἴλιον ἡγεμονεύειν,
slaying the Trojans, lead on to Ilium,
μή τις ἀπʼ Οὐλύμποιο θεῶν αἰειγενετάων
lest some of the everlasting gods from Olympus
ἐμβήῃ· μάλα τούς γε φιλεῖ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων·
intervene; for far-darting Apollo loves them dearly.
ἀλλὰ πάλιν τρωπᾶσθαι, ἐπὴν φάος ἐν νήεσσι
But turn back when you have set a light of deliverance among the ships,
θήῃς, τοὺς δʼ ἔτʼ ἐᾶν πεδίον κάτα δηριάασθαι.
and leave the others to contend along the plain.
αἲ γὰρ Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον
For would, O father Zeus and Athena and Apollo,
μήτέ τις οὖν Τρώων θάνατον φύγοι ὅσσοι ἔασι,
that not one of all the Trojans might escape death,
μήτέ τις Ἀργείων, νῶϊν δʼ ἐκδῦμεν3 ὄλεθρον,
nor any of the Argives, but that we two might escape destruction,
ὄφρʼ οἶοι Τροίης ἱερὰ κρήδεμνα λύωμεν.
so that we alone might loose the sacred battlements of Troy.”
ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,
Thus they spoke such things to one another,
Αἴας δʼ οὐκ ἔτʼ ἔμιμνε· βιάζετο γὰρ βελέεσσι·
but Ajax no longer stood his ground, for he was hard pressed by missiles;
δάμνα μιν Ζηνός τε νόος καὶ Τρῶες ἀγαυοὶ
the mind of Zeus and the noble Trojans vanquished him,
βάλλοντες· δεινὴν δὲ περὶ κροτάφοισι φαεινὴ
striking him; and terribly around his temples did his bright helmet
πήληξ βαλλομένη καναχὴν ἔχε, βάλλετο δʼ αἰεὶ
ring as it was struck, and it was struck continually
κὰπ φάλαρʼ εὐποίηθʼ· ὃ δʼ ἀριστερὸν ὦμον ἔκαμνεν
on the well-made cheek-pieces; and he grew weary in his left shoulder
ἔμπεδον αἰὲν ἔχων σάκος αἰόλον· οὐδὲ δύναντο
holding his glittering shield steadfastly; yet they could not
ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ πελεμίξαι ἐρείδοντες βελέεσσιν.
shake him around, pressing him hard with missiles.
αἰεὶ δʼ ἀργαλέῳ ἔχετʼ ἄσθματι, κὰδ δέ οἱ ἱδρὼς
And always he was distressed by painful gasping, and sweat
πάντοθεν ἐκ μελέων πολὺς ἔρρεεν, οὐδέ πῃ εἶχεν
poured down from all his limbs, nor had he any way
ἀμπνεῦσαι· πάντῃ δὲ κακὸν κακῷ ἐστήρικτο.
to draw breath; and everywhere evil was heaped upon evil.
ἔσπετε νῦν μοι Μοῦσαι Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχουσαι,
Tell me now, Muses who have dwellings on Olympus,
ὅππως δὴ πρῶτον πῦρ ἔμπεσε νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.
how first the fire fell upon the ships of the Achaeans.
Ἕκτωρ Αἴαντος δόρυ μείλινον ἄγχι παραστὰς
Hector stood near and struck the ash spear of Ajax
πλῆξʼ ἄορι μεγάλῳ αἰχμῆς παρὰ καυλὸν ὄπισθεν,
with his great sword, behind the socket of the point,
ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἀπάραξε· τὸ μὲν Τελαμώνιος Αἴας
and cut it clean through; and Telamonian Ajax
πῆλʼ αὔτως ἐν χειρὶ κόλον δόρυ, τῆλε δʼ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ
brandished uselessly in his hand the maimed spear, and far from him
αἰχμὴ χαλκείη χαμάδις βόμβησε πεσοῦσα.
the bronze point fell ringing to the ground.
γνῶ δʼ Αἴας κατὰ θυμὸν ἀμύμονα ῥίγησέν τε
And Ajax knew in his noble heart and shuddered at
ἔργα θεῶν, ὅ ῥα πάγχυ μάχης ἐπὶ μήδεα κεῖρε4
the deeds of the gods, how Zeus who thunders on high cut off
Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης, Τρώεσσι δὲ βούλετο νίκην·
his plans of battle, and willed victory for the Trojans;
χάζετο δʼ ἐκ βελέων. τοὶ δʼ ἔμβαλον ἀκάματον πῦρ
and he drew back from the missiles. And they cast unwearied fire
νηῒ θοῇ· τῆς δʼ αἶψα κατʼ ἀσβέστη κέχυτο φλόξ.
upon the swift ship, and at once an unquenchable flame spread over it.
ὣς τὴν μὲν πρυμνὴν πῦρ ἄμφεπεν· αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
So the fire encompassed the stern; but Achilles
μηρὼ πληξάμενος Πατροκλῆα προσέειπεν·
struck his thighs and spoke to Patroclus:
ὄρσεο διογενὲς Πατρόκλεες ἱπποκέλευθε·
”Rouse yourself, Patroclus, sprung from Zeus, rider of horses!
λεύσσω δὴ παρὰ νηυσὶ πυρὸς δηΐοιο ἰωήν·
I see indeed the rush of consuming fire by the ships;
μὴ δὴ νῆας ἕλωσι καὶ οὐκέτι φυκτὰ πέλωνται·
let them not take the ships, so that there be no longer any escape;
δύσεο τεύχεα θᾶσσον, ἐγὼ δέ κε λαὸν ἀγείρω.
put on your armor quickly, and I will gather the host.”
ὣς φάτο, Πάτροκλος δὲ κορύσσετο νώροπι χαλκῷ.
So he spoke, and Patroclus arrayed himself in gleaming bronze.
κνημῖδας μὲν πρῶτα περὶ κνήμῃσιν ἔθηκε
The greaves first he placed about his legs,
καλάς, ἀργυρέοισιν ἐπισφυρίοις ἀραρυίας·
beautiful greaves, fitted with silver ankle-guards;
δεύτερον αὖ θώρηκα περὶ στήθεσσιν ἔδυνε
next, he put on the breastplate about his chest,
ποικίλον ἀστερόεντα ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο.
the starry, richly-worked breastplate of the swift-footed grandson of Aeacus.
ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ὤμοισιν βάλετο ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον
And about his shoulders he cast the silver-studded sword
χάλκεον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα σάκος μέγα τε στιβαρόν τε·
of bronze, and then the shield great and sturdy;
κρατὶ δʼ ἐπʼ ἰφθίμῳ κυνέην εὔτυκτον ἔθηκεν
upon his mighty head he set the well-wrought helmet
ἵππουριν· δεινὸν δὲ λόφος καθύπερθεν ἔνευεν.
with horse-hair plume; and terribly did the crest nod from above.
εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμα δοῦρε, τά οἱ παλάμηφιν ἀρήρει.
And he took two brave spears, which fitted his hands.
ἔγχος δʼ οὐχ ἕλετʼ οἶον ἀμύμονος Αἰακίδαο
Only he did not take the spear of the noble grandson of Aeacus,
βριθὺ μέγα στιβαρόν· τὸ μὲν οὐ δύνατʼ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν
heavy, huge, and sturdy; which no other of the Achaeans was able
πάλλειν, ἀλλά μιν οἶος ἐπίστατο πῆλαι Ἀχιλλεὺς
to wield, but Achilles alone knew how to brandish it,
Πηλιάδα μελίην, τὴν πατρὶ φίλῳ πόρε Χείρων
that Pelian ash spear, which Chiron had given to his dear father
Πηλίου ἐκ κορυφῆς, φόνον ἔμμεναι ἡρώεσσιν.
from the peak of Pelion, to be the death of heroes.
ἵππους δʼ Αὐτομέδοντα θοῶς ζευγνῦμεν ἄνωγε,
And he commanded Automedon to yoke the horses quickly,
- 16.83μύθου τέλος
Meaning "the end of my words" or "the sum of my counsel." In context, it refers to the core of the tactical warnings Achilles is about to give Patroclus.
- 16.89λιλαίεσθαι
An infinitive used in an imperative sense (infinitive of command). Accompanied by the negative particle μή, it expresses a strong prohibition: "do not desire."
- 16.99ἐκδῦμεν
The Homeric form of the aorist infinitive ἐκδῦναι. It either depends on the wish introduced by αἲ γάρ in line 97 or functions as an infinitive of wish/command for the first-person dual ("we two").
- 16.120ὅ ῥα πάγχυ μάχης ἐπὶ μήδεα κεῖρε
A relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun ὅ (= ὅς). The noun μήδεα ("plans") is the object of κεῖρε ("was shearing"), creating a metaphor that mirrors the physical shearing of Ajax's spear (lines 115–116) with Zeus's shearing of his battle plans.