Hector's Advance and the Intervention of Ajax and Menelaus — Homer, Iliad Book 17 (lines 70–135), Greek & English

ἔνθά κε ῥεῖα φέροι κλυτὰ τεύχεα Πανθοΐδαο

There easily would Atreus’ son have carried off the glorious armor of Panthous’ son,

Ἀτρεΐδης, εἰ μή¹ οἱ ἀγάσσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων,

if Phoebus Apollo had not begrudged him,

ὅς ῥά οἱ Ἕκτορʼ ἐπῶρσε θοῷ ἀτάλαντον Ἄρηϊ

who roused against him Hector, peer of swift Ares,

ἀνέρι εἰσάμενος Κικόνων ἡγήτορι Μέντῃ·

likening himself to a man, Mentes, leader of the Cicones;

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and speaking, he addressed him with winged words:

Ἕκτορ νῦν σὺ μὲν ὧδε θέεις ἀκίχητα διώκων

”Hector, now you are running thus, pursuing what cannot be caught,

ἵππους Αἰακίδαο δαΐφρονος· οἳ δʼ ἀλεγεινοὶ

the horses of wise Aeacides; but they are difficult

ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι δαμήμεναι ἠδʼ ὀχέεσθαι²

for mortal men to subdue and to drive,

ἄλλῳ γʼ ἢ Ἀχιλῆϊ, τὸν ἀθανάτη τέκε μήτηρ.

for any other than Achilles, whom an immortal mother bore.

τόφρα δέ τοι Μενέλαος ἀρήϊος Ἀτρέος υἱὸς

Meanwhile warlike Menelaus, son of Atreus,

Πατρόκλῳ περιβὰς Τρώων τὸν ἄριστον ἔπεφνε

standing over Patroclus, has slain the best of the Trojans,

Πανθοΐδην Εὔφορβον, ἔπαυσε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς.

Panthous’ son Euphorbus, and has put an end to his impetuous valor.”

ὣς εἰπὼν ὃ μὲν αὖτις ἔβη θεὸς ἂμ πόνον ἀνδρῶν,

So saying, the god went back into the toil of men,

Ἕκτορα δʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος πύκασε φρένας ἀμφὶ μελαίνας·

and dreadful grief shrouded Hector’s dark mind.

πάπτηνεν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα κατὰ στίχας, αὐτίκα δʼ ἔγνω

And he looked then along the ranks, and immediately recognized

τὸν μὲν ἀπαινύμενον κλυτὰ τεύχεα, τὸν δʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ

the one despoiling the glorious armor, and the other on the ground

κείμενον· ἔρρει δʼ αἷμα κατʼ οὐταμένην ὠτειλήν.

lying; and the blood was flowing down through the stabbed wound.

βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ

And he went through the foremost fighters, armed in flashing bronze,

ὀξέα κεκλήγων φλογὶ εἴκελος Ἡφαίστοιο

crying shrilly, like the unquenchable flame of Hephaestus;

ἀσβέστῳ· οὐδʼ υἱὸν λάθεν Ἀτρέος ὀξὺ βοήσας·

nor did he escape the notice of Atreus’ son, crying out shrilly;

ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·

and deeply moved, he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit:

ὤ μοι ἐγὼν εἰ μέν κε λίπω κάτα τεύχεα καλὰ

”Ah me, if I leave behind the beautiful armor

Πάτροκλόν θʼ, ὃς κεῖται ἐμῆς ἕνεκʼ ἐνθάδε τιμῆς,

and Patroclus, who lies here for the sake of my honor,

μή τίς μοι Δαναῶν νεμεσήσεται³ ὅς κεν ἴδηται.

lest some one of the Danaans be wroth with me, whoever sees it.

εἰ δέ κεν Ἕκτορι μοῦνος ἐὼν καὶ Τρωσὶ μάχωμαι

But if, out of shame, I fight Hector and the Trojans alone,

αἰδεσθείς, μή πώς με περιστήωσʼ ἕνα πολλοί·

lest somehow they surround me, many against one;

Τρῶας δʼ ἐνθάδε πάντας ἄγει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.

for Hector of the flashing helm is leading all the Trojans here.

ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;

But why does my own heart debate these things?

ὁππότʼ ἀνὴρ ἐθέλῃ πρὸς δαίμονα φωτὶ μάχεσθαι⁴

Whenever a man wishes to fight against a god-favored warrior whom a god honors,

ὅν κε θεὸς τιμᾷ, τάχα οἱ μέγα πῆμα κυλίσθη.

swift disaster rolls upon him.

100

τώ μʼ οὔ τις Δαναῶν νεμεσήσεται ὅς κεν ἴδηται

Therefore no one of the Danaans will be wroth with me, whoever sees me

Ἕκτορι χωρήσαντʼ, ἐπεὶ ἐκ θεόφιν πολεμίζει.

giving way to Hector, since he fights with aid from a god.

εἰ δέ που Αἴαντός γε βοὴν ἀγαθοῖο πυθοίμην,

But if I could hear the voice of Ajax, good at the war-cry,

ἄμφω κʼ αὖτις ἰόντες ἐπιμνησαίμεθα χάρμης

both of us going back would be mindful of battle,

καὶ πρὸς δαίμονά περ, εἴ πως ἐρυσαίμεθα νεκρὸν

even against a god, if somehow we might save the corpse

105

Πηλεΐδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ· κακῶν δέ κε φέρτατον εἴη.

for Achilles, son of Peleus; that would be the best of evils.”

εἷος ὁ ταῦθʼ ὅρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν

While he was pondering these things in his mind and heart,

τόφρα δʼ ἐπὶ Τρώων στίχες ἤλυθον· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρʼ Ἕκτωρ.

meanwhile the ranks of the Trojans came on; and Hector led them.

αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἐξοπίσω ἀνεχάζετο, λεῖπε δὲ νεκρὸν

But he retreated backward, and left the corpse,

ἐντροπαλιζόμενος ὥς τε λὶς ἠϋγένειος,

turning about like a deep-maned lion,

110

ὅν ῥα κύνες τε καὶ ἄνδρες ἀπὸ σταθμοῖο δίωνται

whom dogs and men drive from the fold

ἔγχεσι καὶ φωνῇ· τοῦ δʼ ἐν φρεσὶν ἄλκιμον ἦτορ

with spears and shouting; and his brave heart in his breast

παχνοῦται, ἀέκων δέ τʼ ἔβη ἀπὸ μεσσαύλοιο·

is chilled, and unwillingly he goes from the farmyard;

ὣς ἀπὸ Πατρόκλοιο κίε ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.

even so did fair-haired Menelaus go from Patroclus.

στῆ δὲ μεταστρεφθεὶς ἐπεὶ ἵκετο ἔθνος ἑταίρων

And he stood, having turned about, when he reached the crowd of his companions,

115

παπταίνων Αἴαντα μέγαν Τελαμώνιον υἱόν.

looking about for great Ajax, son of Telamon.

τὸν δὲ μάλʼ αἶψʼ ἐνόησε μάχης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ πάσης

And he noticed him very quickly on the left of the whole battle,

θαρσύνονθʼ ἑτάρους καὶ ἐποτρύνοντα μάχεσθαι·

encouraging his companions and urging them to fight;

θεσπέσιον γάρ σφιν φόβον ἔμβαλε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·

for Phoebus Apollo had cast a divine fear upon them;

βῆ δὲ θέειν, εἶθαρ δὲ παριστάμενος ἔπος ηὔδα.

and he went running, and immediately standing near, spoke to him:

120

Αἶαν δεῦρο πέπον, περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος

”Ajax, hither, friend, let us hasten for dead Patroclus,

σπεύσομεν, αἴ κε νέκυν περ Ἀχιλλῆϊ προφέρωμεν

if we may bring his corpse, bare though it be, to Achilles;

γυμνόν· ἀτὰρ τά γε τεύχεʼ ἔχει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.

but his armor is held by Hector of the flashing helm.”

ὣς ἔφατʼ, Αἴαντι δὲ δαΐφρονι θυμὸν ὄρινε·

So he spoke, and stirred the spirit of warlike Ajax;

βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων, ἅμα δὲ ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.

and he went through the foremost fighters, and with him fair-haired Menelaus.

125

Ἕκτωρ μὲν Πάτροκλον ἐπεὶ κλυτὰ τεύχεʼ ἀπηύρα,

Now Hector, when he had despoiled Patroclus of the glorious armor,

ἕλχʼ ἵνʼ ἀπʼ ὤμοιιν κεφαλὴν τάμοι ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,

was dragging him that he might cut off his head from his shoulders with the sharp bronze,

τὸν δὲ νέκυν Τρῳῇσιν ἐρυσσάμενος κυσὶ δοίη.

and give the corpse to the dogs of Troy.

Αἴας δʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε φέρων σάκος ἠΰτε πύργον·

But Ajax came near, bearing his shield like a tower;

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἂψ ἐς ὅμιλον ἰὼν ἀνεχάζεθʼ ἑταίρων,

and Hector withdrew back into the throng of his companions,

130

ἐς δίφρον δʼ ἀνόρουσε· δίδου δʼ ὅ γε τεύχεα καλὰ

and leapt into his chariot; and he gave the beautiful armor

Τρωσὶ φέρειν προτὶ ἄστυ, μέγα κλέος ἔμμεναι αὐτῷ.

to the Trojans to carry to the city, to be a great glory to him.

Αἴας δʼ ἀμφὶ Μενοιτιάδῃ σάκος εὐρὺ καλύψας

And Ajax, covering the son of Menoetius with his broad shield,

ἑστήκει ὥς τίς τε λέων περὶ οἷσι τέκεσσιν,

stood like a lion over his cubs,

ᾧ ῥά τε νήπιʼ ἄγοντι συναντήσωνται⁵ ἐν ὕλῃ

against whom, as he leads his young, in the forest

135

ἄνδρες ἐπακτῆρες· ὃ δέ τε σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνει,

huntsmen meet; and he rages in his might,

Syntax notes5 items

17.70ἔνθά κε ῥεῖα φέροι... εἰ μή
A past counterfactual condition in Homer. The protasis uses the aorist indicative (εἰ μή... ἀγάσσατο), while the apodosis has the optative (φέροι) with the particle κε. In classical Attic prose, this would require an indicative with ἄν in the apodosis, but in Homeric Greek, the optative with κε can express past unreality.
17.76οἳ δʼ ἀλεγεινοὶ ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι δαμήμεναι ἠδʼ ὀχέεσθαι
Epexegetic (explanatory) infinitives δαμήμεναι (Homeric aorist passive infinitive) and ὀχέεσθαι (present medio-passive infinitive), modifying the adjective ἀλεγεινοί (difficult). They specify in what respect the horses (represented by οἳ) are difficult for mortal men to manage.
17.91εἰ μέν κε λίπω... μή τίς μοι Δαναῶν νεμεσήσεται
The protasis εἰ... κε λίπω (aorist subjunctive with κε) is answered by a clause of fearing introduced by μή with the future indicative νεμεσήσεται (or a short-vowel subjunctive, common in Homer), expressing apprehension ('lest someone of the Danaans be angry with me').
17.98ὁππότʼ ἀνὴρ ἐθέλῃ πρὸς δαίμονα φωτὶ μάχεσθαι
A temporal-conditional clause expressing a general condition ('whenever a man wishes...'), using the subjunctive ἐθέλῃ without the modal particle ἄν or κε, which is a common epic feature. In classical prose, this would require ὁπόταν (with ἄν).
17.134ᾧ ῥά τε νήπιʼ ἄγοντι συναντήσωνται
The subjunctive συναντήσωνται used in a relative clause within a simile to express a general or hypothetical case, accompanied by the generalizing particle τε ('against whom... huntsmen meet').

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:17.70-17.135