- 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-grc2:17.204-17.275
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Zeus pities Hector's fate while granting him strength in Achilles' armor, and Hector rouses his allies to recover Patroclus' body. At Ajax's request, Menelaus summons the Achaean leaders, and a fierce battle erupts between the two sides.
τοῦ δὴ ἑταῖρον ἔπεφνες ἐνηέα τε κρατερόν τε,
In truth you slew his companion, both gentle and strong,
τεύχεα δʼ οὐ κατὰ κόσμον ἀπὸ κρατός τε καὶ ὤμων
and unbefittingly from his head and shoulders the armor
εἵλευ· ἀτάρ τοι νῦν γε μέγα κράτος ἐγγυαλίξω,
you stripped; but to you now at least will I grant great victory,
τῶν ποινὴν ὅ1 τοι οὔ τι μάχης ἐκνοστήσαντι
as recompense for those things, since you shall not return from battle for
δέξεται Ἀνδρομάχη κλυτὰ τεύχεα Πηλεΐωνος.
Andromache to receive from you the glorious armor of Peleus’ son.
ἦ καὶ κυανέῃσιν ἐπʼ ὀφρύσι νεῦσε Κρονίων.
So spoke the son of Cronos, and nodded with his dark brows.
Ἕκτορι δʼ ἥρμοσε τεύχεʼ ἐπὶ χροΐ, δῦ δέ μιν Ἄρης
And he fitted the armor to Hector’s skin, and Ares entered him,
δεινὸς ἐνυάλιος, πλῆσθεν δʼ ἄρα οἱ μέλεʼ ἐντὸς
the dread god of war, and his limbs within were filled with
ἀλκῆς καὶ σθένεος· μετὰ δὲ κλειτοὺς ἐπικούρους
valor and strength; and he went after the glorious allies,
βῆ ῥα μέγα ἰάχων· ἰνδάλλετο δέ σφισι πᾶσι
shouting aloud; and to them all he seemed
τεύχεσι λαμπόμενος μεγαθύμου Πηλεΐωνος.
to shine in the armor of great-hearted Peleus’ son.
ὄτρυνεν δὲ ἕκαστον ἐποιχόμενος ἐπέεσσι
And going among them, he encouraged each with words,
Μέσθλην τε Γλαῦκόν τε Μέδοντά τε Θερσίλοχόν τε
Mesthles, Glaucus, Medon, Thersilochus,
Ἀστεροπαῖόν τε Δεισήνορά θʼ Ἱππόθοόν τε
Asteropaeus, Disenor, Hippothous,
Φόρκυν τε Χρομίον τε καὶ Ἔννομον οἰωνιστήν·
Phorcys, Chromius, and Ennomus the augur;
τοὺς ὅ γʼ ἐποτρύνων ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
urging them on, he addressed them with winged words:
κέκλυτε μυρία φῦλα περικτιόνων ἐπικούρων·
”Hear me, countless tribes of neighboring allies;
οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ πληθὺν διζήμενος οὐδὲ χατίζων
for I did not gather each of you here from your cities
ἐνθάδʼ ἀφʼ ὑμετέρων πολίων ἤγειρα ἕκαστον,
seeking or needing a multitude,
ἀλλʼ ἵνα μοι Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα
but that you might willingly save the wives and young children of the Trojans
προφρονέως ῥύοισθε φιλοπτολέμων ὑπʼ Ἀχαιῶν.
from the warlike Achaeans.
τὰ φρονέων δώροισι κατατρύχω καὶ ἐδωδῇ
With this in mind, I exhaust my people with gifts and food,
λαούς, ὑμέτερον δὲ ἑκάστου θυμὸν ἀέξω.
and I increase the heart of each of you.
τώ τις νῦν ἰθὺς τετραμμένος ἢ ἀπολέσθω
Therefore now let each turn straight forward and either perish
ἠὲ σαωθήτω· ἣ γὰρ πολέμου ὀαριστύς.
or be saved; for that is the dalliance of war.
ὃς δέ κε Πάτροκλον καὶ τεθνηῶτά περ ἔμπης
And whoever shall drag Patroclus, dead though he be,
Τρῶας ἐς ἱπποδάμους ἐρύσῃ, εἴξῃ δέ οἱ Αἴας,
to the horse-taming Trojans, and Ajax yields to him,
ἥμισυ τῷ ἐνάρων ἀποδάσσομαι, ἥμισυ δʼ αὐτὸς
to him will I share half of the spoils, and half myself
ἕξω ἐγώ· τὸ δέ οἱ κλέος ἔσσεται ὅσσον ἐμοί περ.
will keep; and his glory shall be as great as my own.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἰθὺς Δαναῶν βρίσαντες ἔβησαν
So he spoke, and they went straight against the Danaans with weight,
δούρατʼ ἀνασχόμενοι· μάλα δέ σφισιν ἔλπετο θυμὸς
holding up their spears; and their hearts expected greatly
νεκρὸν ὑπʼ Αἴαντος ἐρύειν Τελαμωνιάδαο
to drag the corpse from under Ajax, son of Telamon,
νήπιοι· ἦ τε πολέσσιν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ θυμὸν ἀπηύρα.
fools! for indeed he was to rob many of them of life over it.
καὶ τότʼ ἄρʼ Αἴας εἶπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸν Μενέλαον·
And then Ajax said to Menelaus, good at the war-cry:
ὦ πέπον ὦ Μενέλαε διοτρεφὲς οὐκέτι νῶϊ
”O friend, Menelaus nurtured by Zeus, no longer for the two of us
ἔλπομαι αὐτώ περ νοστησέμεν2 ἐκ πολέμοιο.
do I expect that we ourselves shall return from the war.
οὔ τι τόσον νέκυος περιδείδια Πατρόκλοιο,
I do not fear so much for the corpse of Patroclus,
ὅς κε τάχα Τρώων κορέει κύνας ἠδʼ οἰωνούς,
which will soon glut the dogs and birds of the Trojans,
ὅσσον ἐμῇ κεφαλῇ περιδείδια μή τι πάθῃσι,
as much as I fear for my own head, lest it suffer anything,
καὶ σῇ, ἐπεὶ πολέμοιο νέφος περὶ πάντα καλύπτει
and for yours, since a cloud of war covers everything,
Ἕκτωρ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτʼ ἀναφαίνεται αἰπὺς ὄλεθρος.
even Hector, and for us again steep ruin appears.
ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἀριστῆας Δαναῶν κάλει, ἤν τις ἀκούσῃ.
But come, call the chieftains of the Danaans, if anyone will hear.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος,
So he spoke, and Menelaus, good at the war-cry, did not disobey,
ἤϋσεν δὲ διαπρύσιον Δαναοῖσι γεγωνώς·
and he shouted piercingly, making himself heard to the Danaans:
ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες
”O friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives,
οἵ τε παρʼ Ἀτρεΐδῃς Ἀγαμέμνονι καὶ Μενελάῳ
who beside the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus,
δήμια πίνουσιν καὶ σημαίνουσιν ἕκαστος
drink at the public cost and command each
λαοῖς· ἐκ δὲ Διὸς τιμὴ καὶ κῦδος ὀπηδεῖ.
the people; and honor and glory attend you from Zeus.
ἀργαλέον δέ μοί ἐστι διασκοπιᾶσθαι ἕκαστον
But it is hard for me to discern each
ἡγεμόνων· τόσση γὰρ ἔρις πολέμοιο δέδηεν·
of the leaders; for so great is the blaze of the conflict of war.
ἀλλά τις αὐτὸς ἴτω, νεμεσιζέσθω δʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ
But let each one go of his own accord, and let him be angry in his heart
Πάτροκλον Τρῳῇσι κυσὶν μέλπηθρα γενέσθαι.
that Patroclus should become a plaything for the dogs of Troy.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὀξὺ δʼ ἄκουσεν Ὀϊλῆος ταχὺς Αἴας·
So he spoke, and swift Ajax, son of Oileus, heard him clearly,
πρῶτος δʼ ἀντίος ἦλθε θέων ἀνὰ δηϊοτῆτα,
and he was the first to come running to meet him through the battle;
τὸν δὲ μετʼ Ἰδομενεὺς καὶ ὀπάων Ἰδομενῆος
and after him came Idomeneus, and Idomeneus’ squire,
Μηριόνης ἀτάλαντος Ἐνυαλίῳ ἀνδρειφόντῃ.
Meriones, peer of Enyalius, slayer of men.
τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τίς κεν ᾗσι φρεσὶν οὐνόματʼ εἴποι,
But of the others, who in his mind could tell the names,
ὅσσοι δὴ μετόπισθε μάχην ἤγειραν Ἀχαιῶν;
of all those who afterwards aroused the battle of the Achaeans?
Τρῶες δὲ προὔτυψαν ἀολλέες· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρʼ Ἕκτωρ.
And the Trojans drove forward in a body, and Hector led them.
ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἐπὶ προχοῇσι3 διιπετέος ποταμοῖο
And as when at the mouth of a rain-fed river
βέβρυχεν μέγα κῦμα ποτὶ ῥόον, ἀμφὶ δέ τʼ ἄκραι
a great wave roars against the stream, and on both sides the high
ἠϊόνες βοόωσιν ἐρευγομένης ἁλὸς ἔξω,
cliffs echo as the sea belches forth;
τόσσῃ ἄρα Τρῶες ἰαχῇ ἴσαν. αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ
with so great a cry did the Trojans advance. But the Achaeans
ἕστασαν ἀμφὶ Μενοιτιάδῃ ἕνα θυμὸν ἔχοντες
stood about the son of Menoetius, possessing one heart,
φραχθέντες σάκεσιν χαλκήρεσιν· ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρά σφι
fenced in with their bronze-plated shields; and around them,
λαμπρῇσιν κορύθεσσι Κρονίων ἠέρα πολλὴν
over their bright helmets, the son of Cronos poured thick darkness,
χεῦʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ Μενοιτιάδην ἔχθαιρε πάρος γε,
since after all he did not hate the son of Menoetius before,
ὄφρα ζωὸς ἐὼν θεράπων ἦν Αἰακίδαο·
while he lived and was the squire of Aeacides.
μίσησεν δʼ ἄρα μιν δηΐων κυσὶ κύρμα γενέσθαι
And he loathed that he should become a prey to the dogs of the enemy,
Τρῳῇσιν· τὼ καί οἱ ἀμυνέμεν ὦρσεν ἑταίρους.
the Trojans; therefore he urged on his companions to defend him.
ὦσαν δὲ πρότεροι Τρῶες ἑλίκωπας Ἀχαιούς·
And the Trojans first pushed back the dark-eyed Achaeans;
νεκρὸν δὲ προλιπόντες ὑπέτρεσαν, οὐδέ τινʼ αὐτῶν
and leaving the corpse, they shrank back, yet not any of them
- 17.207τῶν ποινὴν ὅ
τῶν is a genitive plural referring to the armor (τεύχεα) mentioned in the previous sentence. ποινὴν is an accusative of apposition expressing "as a penalty/recompense" for the act. The conjunction ὅ (= ὅτι) introduces a causal clause ("because"), indicating that Andromache's inability to receive the armor from Hector serves as the reason or compensation for Zeus granting him great power now.
- 17.238νῶϊ ... αὐτώ περ νοστησέμεν
The dual pronoun νῶϊ is the accusative subject of the infinitive νοστησέμεν ("to return") in an accusative-and-infinitive construction. The emphatic αὐτώ περ agrees with νῶϊ in the dual accusative. The entire clause serves as the object of the main verb ἔλπομαι ("I expect").
- 17.263ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἐπὶ προχοῇσι
A long simile beginning with ὡς δʼ ὅτε ("as when..."). The main verbs of the simile are βέβρυχεν ("roars") and βοόωσιν ("shout/echo"). The corresponding main clause (the thing compared) starts at §17.266 with τόσσῃ ἄρα Τρῶες ἰαχῇ ἴσαν ("with so great a cry did the Trojans advance"), showing the correlation between ὡς and τόσσῃ.