Menelaus Defends Patroclus' Body and Slays Euphorbus — Homer, Iliad Book 17 (lines 1–69), Greek & English

οὐδʼ ἔλαθʼ¹ Ἀτρέος υἱὸν ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον

Nor did it escape the notice of Atreus’ son, Menelaus dear to Ares,

Πάτροκλος Τρώεσσι δαμεὶς ἐν δηϊοτῆτι.

that Patroclus had been slain by the Trojans in the fight.

βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ,

He went through the foremost fighters, armed in flashing bronze,

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῷ βαῖνʼ ὥς τις περὶ πόρτακι μήτηρ

and stood over him as a mother cow over her calf,

πρωτοτόκος κινυρὴ οὐ πρὶν εἰδυῖα τόκοιο·

having brought forth her first-born, uttering plaintive cries, not having known birth before;

ὣς περὶ Πατρόκλῳ βαῖνε ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.

so did fair-haired Menelaus stand over Patroclus.

πρόσθε δέ οἱ δόρυ τʼ ἔσχε καὶ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην,

And before him he held his spear and his shield equal on all sides,

τὸν κτάμεναι μεμαὼς ὅς τις τοῦ γʼ ἀντίος ἔλθοι.

ready to slay whoever should come against him.

οὐδʼ ἄρα Πάνθου υἱὸς ἐϋμμελίης ἀμέλησε

Nor indeed did the son of Panthous, of the good ashen spear, neglect

Πατρόκλοιο πεσόντος ἀμύμονος· ἄγχι δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτοῦ

the fallen peerless Patroclus; but he stood near him

ἔστη, καὶ προσέειπεν ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον·

and spoke to Menelaus dear to Ares:

Ἀτρεΐδη Μενέλαε διοτρεφὲς ὄρχαμε λαῶν

”Menelaus, son of Atreus, nurtured by Zeus, leader of the people,

χάζεο, λεῖπε δὲ νεκρόν, ἔα δʼ ἔναρα βροτόεντα·

give way, and leave the corpse, and let be the bloody spoils;

οὐ γάρ τις πρότερος Τρώων κλειτῶν τʼ ἐπικούρων

for no one before me of the Trojans and their famous allies

Πάτροκλον βάλε δουρὶ κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην·

struck Patroclus with the spear in the mighty combat.

τώ με ἔα κλέος ἐσθλὸν ἐνὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρέσθαι,

Therefore let me win noble glory among the Trojans,

μή σε βάλω, ἀπὸ δὲ μελιηδέα θυμὸν ἕλωμαι.

lest I strike you and take away your honey-sweet life.”

τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέφη ξανθὸς Μενέλαος·

Then greatly moved, fair-haired Menelaus spoke to him:

Ζεῦ πάτερ οὐ μὲν καλὸν ὑπέρβιον εὐχετάασθαι.

”Father Zeus, surely it is not good to boast beyond measure.

οὔτʼ οὖν παρδάλιος τόσσον μένος οὔτε λέοντος

Neither is the strength of a leopard so great, nor of a lion,

οὔτε συὸς κάπρου ὀλοόφρονος, οὗ τε μέγιστος

nor of a destructive wild boar, whose mighty spirit

θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι περὶ σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνει,

rages in his breast with strength,

ὅσσον Πάνθου υἷες ἐϋμμελίαι φρονέουσιν.²

as the pride of the sons of Panthous, of the good ashen spear.

οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδὲ βίη Ὑπερήνορος ἱπποδάμοιο

Yet indeed not even the strength of horse-taming Hyperenor

ἧς ἥβης³ ἀπόνηθʼ, ὅτε μʼ ὤνατο καί μʼ ὑπέμεινε

had the enjoyment of his youth, when he mocked me and withstood me,

καί μʼ ἔφατʼ ἐν Δαναοῖσιν ἐλέγχιστον πολεμιστὴν

and said that I was the most contemptible warrior among the Danaans;

ἔμμεναι· οὐδέ ἕ φημι πόδεσσί γε οἷσι κιόντα

yet I say he did not return on his own feet

εὐφρῆναι ἄλοχόν τε φίλην κεδνούς τε τοκῆας.

to gladden his dear wife and his revered parents.

ὥς θην καὶ σὸν ἐγὼ λύσω μένος εἴ κέ μευ ἄντα

So indeed I will undo your strength too, if you stand against me;

στήῃς· ἀλλά σʼ ἔγωγʼ ἀναχωρήσαντα κελεύω

but I bid you draw back into the multitude,

ἐς πληθὺν ἰέναι, μηδʼ ἀντίος ἵστασʼ ἐμεῖο

and do not stand against me

πρίν τι κακὸν παθέειν· ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω.⁴

before you suffer some harm; once a thing is done, even a fool understands it.”

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ οὐ πεῖθεν· ἀμειβόμενος δὲ προσηύδα·

So he spoke, but did not persuade him; and replying he spoke to him:

νῦν μὲν δὴ Μενέλαε διοτρεφὲς ἦ μάλα τείσεις

”Now indeed, Menelaus nurtured by Zeus, you shall pay

γνωτὸν ἐμὸν τὸν ἔπεφνες, ἐπευχόμενος δʼ ἀγορεύεις,

for my brother whom you slew, and you speak exultingly,

χήρωσας δὲ γυναῖκα μυχῷ θαλάμοιο νέοιο,

and you made his wife a widow in the chamber of her new bridal room,

ἀρητὸν δὲ τοκεῦσι γόον καὶ πένθος ἔθηκας.

and brought accursed mourning and grief to his parents.

ἦ κέ σφιν δειλοῖσι γόου κατάπαυμα γενοίμην

Surely I would be a cessation of grief to those wretched ones,

εἴ κεν ἐγὼ κεφαλήν τε τεὴν καὶ τεύχεʼ ἐνείκας

if I should carry your head and your armor

Πάνθῳ ἐν χείρεσσι βάλω καὶ Φρόντιδι δίῃ.

and place them in the hands of Panthous and noble Phrontis.

ἀλλʼ οὐ μὰν ἔτι δηρὸν ἀπείρητος πόνος ἔσται

But indeed no longer shall the struggle be untried,

οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἀδήριτος ἤτʼ ἀλκῆς ἤτε φόβοιο.

nor uncontested, whether it be for strength or for fear.”

ὣς εἰπὼν οὔτησε κατʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην·

So saying, he struck his shield equal on all sides;

οὐδʼ ἔρρηξεν χαλκός, ἀνεγνάμφθη δέ οἱ αἰχμὴ

but the bronze did not break through, and his spear-point was bent

ἀσπίδʼ ἐνὶ κρατερῇ· ὃ δὲ δεύτερος ὄρνυτο χαλκῷ

in the strong shield. Then next Atreus’ son,

Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἐπευξάμενος Διὶ πατρί·

Menelaus, rushed on with his bronze spear, praying to father Zeus;

ἂψ δʼ ἀναχαζομένοιο⁵ κατὰ στομάχοιο θέμεθλα

and as he drew back, he stabbed him at the base of the throat,

νύξʼ, ἐπὶ δʼ αὐτὸς ἔρεισε βαρείῃ χειρὶ πιθήσας·

and pressed upon the spear himself, trusting in his heavy hand;

ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἁπαλοῖο διʼ αὐχένος ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκή,

and clean through his tender neck went the point.

δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.

He fell with a thud, and his armor clattered upon him.

αἵματί οἱ δεύοντο κόμαι Χαρίτεσσιν ὁμοῖαι

With blood his hair was wet, beautiful as the Graces,

πλοχμοί θʼ, οἳ χρυσῷ τε καὶ ἀργύρῳ ἐσφήκωντο.

and his locks that were bound with gold and silver.

οἷον δὲ τρέφει ἔρνος ἀνὴρ ἐριθηλὲς ἐλαίης

And as a man rears a lusty shoot of an olive tree

χώρῳ ἐν οἰοπόλῳ, ὅθʼ ἅλις ἀναβέβροχεν ὕδωρ,

in a lonely place, where water wells up abundantly,

καλὸν τηλεθάον· τὸ δέ τε πνοιαὶ δονέουσι

fair and flourishing; and the breaths of all kinds of winds

παντοίων ἀνέμων, καί τε βρύει ἄνθεϊ λευκῷ·

shake it, and it bursts into white blossom;

ἐλθὼν δʼ ἐξαπίνης ἄνεμος σὺν λαίλαπι πολλῇ

but suddenly a wind comes with a great tempest,

βόθρου τʼ ἐξέστρεψε καὶ ἐξετάνυσσʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ·

and tears it from its trench, and stretches it out upon the earth;

τοῖον Πάνθου υἱὸν ἐϋμμελίην Εὔφορβον

even so did Menelaus, son of Atreus, despoil Euphorbus,

Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἐπεὶ κτάνε τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα.

son of Panthous, of the good ashen spear, when he had slain him.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε τίς τε λέων ὀρεσίτροφος ἀλκὶ πεποιθὼς

And as when a mountain-bred lion, trusting in his might,

βοσκομένης ἀγέλης βοῦν ἁρπάσῃ ἥ τις ἀρίστη·

seizes from a grazing herd a cow which is the best;

τῆς δʼ ἐξ αὐχένʼ ἔαξε λαβὼν κρατεροῖσιν ὀδοῦσι

her neck he breaks first, seizing it with his strong teeth,

πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δέ θʼ αἷμα καὶ ἔγκατα πάντα λαφύσσει

and then gulps down the blood and all the entrails,

δῃῶν· ἀμφὶ δὲ τόν γε κύνες τʼ ἄνδρές τε νομῆες

tearing her; while around him dogs and herdsmen

πολλὰ μάλʼ ἰύζουσιν ἀπόπροθεν οὐδʼ ἐθέλουσιν

clamor loudly from afar, but are not willing

ἀντίον ἐλθέμεναι· μάλα γὰρ χλωρὸν δέος αἱρεῖ·

to go against him; for pale fear seizes them;

ὣς τῶν οὔ τινι θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐτόλμα

even so the heart in the breast of none of them dared

ἀντίον ἐλθέμεναι Μενελάου κυδαλίμοιο.

to go against glorious Menelaus.

Syntax notes5 items

17.1οὐδʼ ἔλαθʼ
The construction consists of the verb λανθάνω with an accusative object (Ἀτρέος υἱὸν... Μενέλαον) and a nominative participle (δαμείς), meaning 'it did not escape the notice of Menelaus that Patroclus was slain,' which functions as a double negative meaning 'Menelaus immediately noticed Patroclus' fall.'
17.23ὅσσον Πάνθου υἷες ἐϋμμελίαι φρονέουσιν
A comparative correlative construction. While the main clause (lines 20-22) uses nouns (μένος, θυμός) as subjects ('neither the strength of a leopard, lion, nor boar...'), the comparative clause (line 23) shifts to a verbal phrase ('as the sons of Panthous think/are proud'). Despite the syntactic asymmetry, semantically it emphasizes that the arrogance of Panthous' sons exceeds even the ferocity of wild beasts.
17.25ἧς ἥβης
The verb ἀπονίναμαι (here in the aorist middle ἀπόνητο) governs the genitive case, meaning 'to enjoy' or 'to derive benefit from.' Here, ἧς ἥβης (his own youth) is the genitive object of this verb.
17.32ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω
ῥεχθέν is the aorist passive participle neuter nominative of ῥέζω (to do). This is a proverbial Homeric expression: 'once a thing is done, even a fool understands it,' meaning that foolish people only learn from experience after disaster has already struck.
17.47ἀναχαζομένοιο
Genitive singular present participle. It is placed adjacent to the genitive στομάχοιο θέμεθλα (the base of the throat) and functions semantically as a genitive of reference ('of him as he was drawing back'), modifying the bodily part that was struck.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:17.1-17.69