- 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-grc2:17.276-17.346
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Ajax drives back the Trojans and slays Hippothous, who was dragging Patroclus' body, as well as Phorcys. Just as the Achaeans are about to rout the Trojans, Apollo encourages Aeneas, prompting Aeneas and Hector to rally their forces and launch a counterattack.
Τρῶες ὑπέρθυμοι ἕλον1 ἔγχεσιν ἱέμενοί περ,
Yet not any of them could the high-spirited Trojans slay with their spears, eager though they were,
ἀλλὰ νέκυν ἐρύοντο· μίνυνθα δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ἀχαιοὶ
but they were dragging the corpse; yet for but a little while were the Achaeans to be holding back from it;
μέλλον ἀπέσσεσθαι· μάλα γάρ σφεας ὦκʼ ἐλέλιξεν
for right quickly did Ajax rally them,
Αἴας, ὃς περὶ μὲν εἶδος, περὶ δʼ ἔργα τέτυκτο
he who in form and in deeds of war was fashioned the best
τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν μετʼ ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα.
of the other Danaans after the blameless son of Peleus.
ἴθυσεν δὲ διὰ προμάχων συῒ εἴκελος ἀλκὴν
And he rushed through the foremost fighters like a wild boar in strength,
καπρίῳ, ὅς τʼ ἐν ὄρεσσι κύνας θαλερούς τʼ αἰζηοὺς
a boar which in the mountains easily scatters dogs and lusty youths,
ῥηϊδίως ἐκέδασσεν, ἑλιξάμενος διὰ βήσσας·
wheeling about through the glens;
ὣς υἱὸς Τελαμῶνος ἀγαυοῦ φαίδιμος Αἴας
even so the glorious Ajax, son of lordly Telamon,
ῥεῖα μετεισάμενος Τρώων ἐκέδασσε φάλαγγας
easily entering among them, scattered the phalanxes of the Trojans
οἳ περὶ Πατρόκλῳ βέβασαν, φρόνεον δὲ μάλιστα
who had stood about Patroclus, and were most of all minding
ἄστυ πότι σφέτερον ἐρύειν καὶ κῦδος ἀρέσθαι.
to drag him to their city and win glory.
ἤτοι τὸν Λήθοιο Πελασγοῦ φαίδιμος υἱὸς
Indeed, the glorious son of Lethus the Pelasgian,
Ἱππόθοος ποδὸς ἕλκε κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην
Hippothous, was dragging him by the foot through the mighty conflict,
δησάμενος τελαμῶνι παρὰ σφυρὸν ἀμφὶ τένοντας
having bound him with a strap about the tendons by the ankle,
Ἕκτορι καὶ Τρώεσσι χαριζόμενος· τάχα δʼ αὐτῷ
doing a pleasure to Hector and the Trojans; but quickly to himself
ἦλθε κακόν, τό οἱ οὔ τις ἐρύκακεν ἱεμένων περ.
came evil, which no one warded off from him, eager though they were.
τὸν δʼ υἱὸς Τελαμῶνος ἐπαΐξας διʼ ὁμίλου
For the son of Telamon, darting through the crowd,
πλῆξʼ αὐτοσχεδίην κυνέης διὰ χαλκοπαρῄου·
struck him in close fight through his bronze-cheeked helmet;
ἤρικε δʼ ἱπποδάσεια κόρυς περὶ δουρὸς ἀκωκῇ
and the horse-hair crested helmet was split about the spear-point,
πληγεῖσʼ ἔγχεΐ τε μεγάλῳ καὶ χειρὶ παχείῃ,
stricken by the great spear and the stout hand,
ἐγκέφαλος δὲ παρʼ αὐλὸν ἀνέδραμεν ἐξ ὠτειλῆς
and the brain ran out from the wound along the socket of the spear,
αἱματόεις· τοῦ δʼ αὖθι λύθη μένος, ἐκ δʼ ἄρα χειρῶν
all bloody; and his strength was slackened there, and from his hands
Πατρόκλοιο πόδα μεγαλήτορος ἧκε χαμᾶζε
he let fall the foot of great-hearted Patroclus to lie upon the ground,
κεῖσθαι· ὃ δʼ ἄγχʼ αὐτοῖο πέσε πρηνὴς ἐπὶ νεκρῷ
and he himself fell headlong near him upon the corpse,
τῆλʼ ἀπὸ Λαρίσης ἐριβώλακος, οὐδὲ τοκεῦσι
far from fertile Larisa, nor did he repay to his dear parents
θρέπτρα φίλοις ἀπέδωκε, μινυνθάδιος δέ οἱ αἰὼν
the cost of his nurture, and short was his span of life,
ἔπλεθʼ ὑπʼ Αἴαντος μεγαθύμου δουρὶ δαμέντι.
laid low by the spear of great-hearted Ajax.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ αὖτʼ Αἴαντος ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ·
And Hector in turn cast at Ajax with his bright spear;
ἀλλʼ ὃ μὲν ἄντα ἰδὼν ἠλεύατο χάλκεον ἔγχος
but he, looking face to face at it, avoided the bronze spear by a little;
τυτθόν· ὃ δὲ Σχεδίον μεγαθύμου Ἰφίτου υἱὸν
but Hector struck Schedius, son of great-hearted Iphitus,
Φωκήων ὄχʼ ἄριστον, ὃς ἐν κλειτῷ Πανοπῆϊ
far the best of the Phocians, who dwelt in his home in glorious Panopeus,
οἰκία ναιετάασκε πολέσσʼ ἄνδρεσσιν ἀνάσσων,
ruling over many men;
τὸν βάλʼ ὑπὸ κληῗδα μέσην· διὰ δʼ ἀμπερὲς ἄκρη
him he struck beneath the middle of the collar-bone, and right through
αἰχμὴ χαλκείη παρὰ νείατον ὦμον ἀνέσχε·
and out at the base of the shoulder the bronze point stood forth;
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.
and he fell with a thud, and his armor clanged upon him.
Αἴας δʼ αὖ Φόρκυνα δαΐφρονα Φαίνοπος υἱὸν
And Ajax in turn struck warlike Phorcys, son of Phaenops,
Ἱπποθόῳ περιβάντα μέσην κατὰ γαστέρα τύψε·
as he bestrode Hippothous, right in the middle of the belly;
ῥῆξε δὲ θώρηκος γύαλον, διὰ δʼ ἔντερα χαλκὸς
and he broke the plate of his corselet, and the bronze let out
ἤφυσʼ· ὃ δʼ ἐν κονίῃσι πεσὼν ἕλε γαῖαν ἀγοστῷ.
his bowels; and he fell in the dust and clutched the earth with his palm.
χώρησαν δʼ ὑπό τε πρόμαχοι καὶ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·
Then the foremost fighters and glorious Hector gave way;
Ἀργεῖοι δὲ μέγα ἴαχον, ἐρύσαντο δὲ νεκροὺς
and the Argives shouted aloud, and dragged away the dead,
Φόρκυν θʼ Ἱππόθοόν τε, λύοντο δὲ τεύχεʼ ἀπʼ ὤμων.
both Phorcys and Hippothous, and stripped the armor from their shoulders.
ἔνθά κεν2 αὖτε Τρῶες ἀρηϊφίλων ὑπʼ Ἀχαιῶν
Then indeed would the Trojans have gone up again to Ilium,
Ἴλιον εἰσανέβησαν ἀναλκείῃσι δαμέντες,
vanquished by their own cowardice before the Achaeans dear to Ares,
Ἀργεῖοι δέ κε κῦδος ἕλον καὶ ὑπὲρ Διὸς αἶσαν
and the Argives would have won glory even beyond the ordinance of Zeus
κάρτεϊ καὶ σθένεϊ σφετέρῳ· ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς Ἀπόλλων
by their own might and strength; had not Apollo himself
Αἰνείαν ὄτρυνε δέμας Περίφαντι ἐοικὼς
aroused Aeneas, in the likeness of Periphas the herald, son of Epytus,
κήρυκι Ἠπυτίδῃ, ὅς οἱ παρὰ πατρὶ γέροντι
who beside his old father had grown old as a herald,
κηρύσσων γήρασκε φίλα φρεσὶ μήδεα εἰδώς·τῷ μιν ἐεισάμενος προσέφη Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων·
knowing thoughts friendly to his heart; in his likeness spoke Apollo, the son of Zeus, to him:
Αἰνεία πῶς ἂν καὶ ὑπὲρ θεὸν εἰρύσσαισθε
”Aeneas, how could you ever defend steep Ilium,
Ἴλιον αἰπεινήν; ὡς δὴ ἴδον ἀνέρας ἄλλους
even against the will of a god? As I have seen other men do,
κάρτεΐ τε σθένεΐ τε πεποιθότας ἠνορέῃ τε
trusting in their own might and strength and valor,
πλήθεΐ τε σφετέρῳ καὶ ὑπερδέα δῆμον ἔχοντας·
and in their own multitude, and possessing a people that fears nothing;
ἡμῖν δὲ Ζεὺς μὲν πολὺ βούλεται ἢ Δαναοῖσι
whereas for us Zeus wills victory far more than for the Danaans;
νίκην· ἀλλʼ αὐτοὶ τρεῖτʼ ἄσπετον οὐδὲ μάχεσθε.
yet you yourselves tremble without measure and fight not.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, Αἰνείας δʼ ἑκατηβόλον Ἀπόλλωνα
So he spoke, and Aeneas, looking face to face at him, knew far-darting Apollo,
ἔγνω ἐς ἄντα ἰδών, μέγα δʼ Ἕκτορα εἶπε βοήσας·
and he shouted aloud and spoke to Hector:
Ἕκτόρ τʼ ἠδʼ ἄλλοι Τρώων ἀγοὶ ἠδʼ ἐπικούρων
”Hector and you other leaders of the Trojans and allies,
αἰδὼς3 μὲν νῦν ἥδε γʼ ἀρηϊφίλων ὑπʼ Ἀχαιῶν
a shame indeed is this now, that we should go up again to Ilium,
Ἴλιον εἰσαναβῆναι ἀναλκείῃσι δαμέντας.
vanquished by our own cowardice before the Achaeans dear to Ares.
ἀλλʼ ἔτι γάρ τίς φησι θεῶν ἐμοὶ ἄγχι παραστὰς
But still some one of the gods, standing near me, says
Ζῆνʼ ὕπατον μήστωρα μάχης ἐπιτάρροθον εἶναι·
that Zeus supreme, the counselor of battle, is our helper;
τώ ῥʼ ἰθὺς Δαναῶν ἴομεν, μηδʼ οἵ γε ἕκηλοι
therefore let us go straight against the Danaans, nor let them at their ease
Πάτροκλον νηυσὶν πελασαίατο τεθνηῶτα.
bring the dead Patroclus near to the ships.”
ὣς φάτο, καί ῥα πολὺ προμάχων ἐξάλμενος ἔστη·
So he spoke, and leaping far before the foremost fighters, he stood;
οἳ δʼ ἐλελίχθησαν καὶ ἐναντίοι ἔσταν Ἀχαιῶν.
and they rallied and stood face to face with the Achaeans.
ἔνθʼ αὖτʼ Αἰνείας Λειώκριτον οὔτασε δουρὶ
Then Aeneas wounded with his spear Leocritus, son of Arisbas,
υἱὸν Ἀρίσβαντος Λυκομήδεος ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον.
the brave companion of Lycomedes.
τὸν δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησεν ἀρηΐφιλος Λυκομήδης,
And as he fell, Lycomedes, dear to Ares, pitied him,
- 17.276ἕλον
The negative particle οὐδέ from the previous line (§17.275) also conditions this verb, meaning "they could not slay (anyone)."
- 17.319ἔνθά κεν
The past indicative verbs (εἰσανέβησαν and ἕλον in §17.321) with the particle κεν express a past contrary-to-fact condition, describing what would have happened without divine intervention.
- 17.336αἰδὼς
The noun meaning "shame." Here it functions predicatively as "it is a shame," with the following infinitive εἰσαναβῆναι ("to go up") serving as its logical subject.