The Grief of Achilles and the Arrival of Thetis — Homer, Iliad Book 18 (lines 1–69), Greek & English

ὣς οἳ μὲν μάρναντο δέμας πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο,

Thus they fought like a blazing fire;

Ἀντίλοχος δʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ πόδας ταχὺς ἄγγελος ἦλθε.

but Antilochus, swift of foot, came as a messenger to Achilles.

τὸν δʼ εὗρε προπάροιθε νεῶν ὀρθοκραιράων

He found him before the ships with upright horns,

τὰ φρονέοντʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἃ δὴ τετελεσμένα ἦεν·¹

foreboding in his heart those very things which were now indeed accomplished.

ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·

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

ὤ μοι ἐγώ, τί τʼ ἄρʼ αὖτε κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ

”Ah, woe is me, why are the long-haired Achaeans again

νηυσὶν ἔπι κλονέονται ἀτυζόμενοι πεδίοιο;

driven in rout over the plain and crowding toward the ships?

μὴ δή μοι τελέσωσι θεοὶ κακὰ κήδεα θυμῷ,²

May the gods not have brought to pass grim sorrows for my heart,

ὥς ποτέ μοι μήτηρ διεπέφραδε καί μοι ἔειπε

even as my mother once declared to me and said

Μυρμιδόνων τὸν ἄριστον ἔτι ζώοντος ἐμεῖο³

that while I yet lived, the best of the Myrmidons

χερσὶν ὕπο Τρώων λείψειν φάος ἠελίοιο.

should leave the light of the sun under the hands of the Trojans.

ἦ μάλα δὴ τέθνηκε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱὸς

Surely indeed the brave son of Menoetius is dead,

σχέτλιος· ἦ τʼ ἐκέλευον ἀπωσάμενον δήϊον πῦρ

headstrong man! And yet I bid him, when he had driven off the consuming fire,

ἂψ ἐπὶ νῆας ἴμεν, μηδʼ Ἕκτορι ἶφι μάχεσθαι.

to come back to the ships, and not to fight with Hector in main might.”

εἷος ὃ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,

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

τόφρά οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθεν ἀγαυοῦ Νέστορος υἱὸς

meanwhile the son of lordly Nestor came near to him,

δάκρυα θερμὰ χέων, φάτο δʼ ἀγγελίην ἀλεγεινήν·

shedding hot tears, and spoke the grievous tidings:

ὤ μοι Πηλέος υἱὲ δαΐφρονος ἦ μάλα λυγρῆς

”Ah, woe is me, son of wise Peleus, surely a right bitter

πεύσεαι ἀγγελίης, ἣ μὴ ὤφελλε γενέσθαι.⁴

message you must hear, which would that it had never been.

κεῖται Πάτροκλος, νέκυος δὲ δὴ ἀμφιμάχονται

Patroclus lies low, and they are fighting around his body,

γυμνοῦ· ἀτὰρ τά γε τεύχεʼ ἔχει κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.

naked as it is; but his armor is held by Hector of the flashing helm.”

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ ἄχεος νεφέλη ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα·

So he spoke, and a black cloud of grief enfolded Achilles.

ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἑλὼν κόνιν αἰθαλόεσσαν

With both his hands he took the soot-stained dust

χεύατο κὰκ κεφαλῆς, χαρίεν δʼ ᾔσχυνε πρόσωπον·

and poured it over his head, and defiled his comely face;

νεκταρέῳ δὲ χιτῶνι μέλαινʼ ἀμφίζανε τέφρη.

and on his fragrant tunic the black ashes settled.

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐν κονίῃσι μέγας μεγαλωστὶ τανυσθεὶς

And he himself, massive in his bulk, lay outstretched in the dust,

κεῖτο, φίλῃσι δὲ χερσὶ κόμην ᾔσχυνε δαΐζων.

and with his own hands he tore and disfigured his hair.

δμῳαὶ δʼ ἃς Ἀχιλεὺς ληΐσσατο Πάτροκλός τε

And the handmaidens whom Achilles and Patroclus had taken as booty

θυμὸν ἀκηχέμεναι μεγάλʼ ἴαχον, ἐκ δὲ θύραζε

shrieked aloud in grief of heart, and ran out of the doors

ἔδραμον ἀμφʼ Ἀχιλῆα δαΐφρονα, χερσὶ δὲ πᾶσαι

around wise Achilles, and all beat their breasts

στήθεα πεπλήγοντο, λύθεν δʼ ὑπὸ γυῖα ἑκάστης.

with their hands, and the limbs of each one were loosed.

Ἀντίλοχος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ὀδύρετο δάκρυα λείβων

And Antilochus on the other side wailed and shed tears,

χεῖρας ἔχων Ἀχιλῆος· ὃ δʼ ἔστενε κυδάλιμον κῆρ·

holding the hands of Achilles; and he groaned in his noble heart,

δείδιε γὰρ μὴ λαιμὸν ἀπαμήσειε σιδήρῳ.⁵

for Antilochus feared lest he should cut his throat with the iron blade.

σμερδαλέον δʼ ᾤμωξεν· ἄκουσε δὲ πότνια μήτηρ

Terribly did Achilles cry aloud, and his lady mother heard him

ἡμένη ἐν βένθεσσιν ἁλὸς παρὰ πατρὶ γέροντι,

as she sat in the depths of the sea beside her ancient father,

κώκυσέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα· θεαὶ δέ μιν ἀμφαγέροντο

and she wailed then; and the goddesses gathered about her,

πᾶσαι ὅσαι κατὰ βένθος ἁλὸς Νηρηΐδες ἦσαν.

all the Nereids that were in the deep of the sea.

ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ἔην Γλαύκη τε Θάλειά τε Κυμοδόκη τε

There were Glauce and Thaleia and Cymodoce,

Νησαίη Σπειώ τε Θόη θʼ Ἁλίη τε βοῶπις

Nesaea and Speio and Thoe and ox-eyed Halie,

Κυμοθόη τε καὶ Ἀκταίη καὶ Λιμνώρεια

Cymothoe and Actaea and Limnoreia,

καὶ Μελίτη καὶ Ἴαιρα καὶ Ἀμφιθόη καὶ Ἀγαυὴ

and Melite and Iaera and Amphithoe and Agave,

Δωτώ τε Πρωτώ τε Φέρουσά τε Δυναμένη τε

Doto and Proto and Pherusa and Dynamene,

Δεξαμένη τε καὶ Ἀμφινόμη καὶ Καλλιάνειρα

Dexamene and Amphinome and Callianeira,

Δωρὶς καὶ Πανόπη καὶ ἀγακλειτὴ Γαλάτεια

Doris and Panope and glorious Galatea,

Νημερτής τε καὶ Ἀψευδὴς καὶ Καλλιάνασσα·

Nemertes and Apseudes and Callianassa;

ἔνθα δʼ ἔην Κλυμένη Ἰάνειρά τε καὶ Ἰάνασσα

there were Clymene and Ianeira and Ianassa,

Μαῖρα καὶ Ὠρείθυια ἐϋπλόκαμός τʼ Ἀμάθεια

Maera and Orithyia and fair-tressed Amathia,

ἄλλαι θʼ αἳ κατὰ βένθος ἁλὸς Νηρηΐδες ἦσαν.

and other Nereids that were in the deep of the sea.

τῶν δὲ καὶ ἀργύφεον πλῆτο σπέος· αἳ δʼ ἅμα πᾶσαι

With them the silvery cave was filled; and they all together

στήθεα πεπλήγοντο, Θέτις δʼ ἐξῆρχε γόοιο·

beat their breasts, and Thetis led the lament:

κλῦτε κασίγνηται Νηρηΐδες, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ πᾶσαι

”Hear me, sister Nereids, so that you all may well

εἴδετʼ ἀκούουσαι ὅσʼ ἐμῷ ἔνι κήδεα θυμῷ.

know, as you listen, what sorrows are in my heart.

ὤ μοι ἐγὼ δειλή, ὤ μοι δυσαριστοτόκεια,

Ah, woe is me, wretched, ah, woe is me, who to my sorrow bore the best of men!

ἥ τʼ ἐπεὶ ἂρ τέκον υἱὸν ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε

For after I had borne a son, peerless and strong,

ἔξοχον ἡρώων· ὃ δʼ ἀνέδραμεν ἔρνεϊ ἶσος·

preeminent among heroes; and he shot up like a young sapling.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ θρέψασα φυτὸν ὣς γουνῷ ἀλωῆς

I nurtured him like a plant on the fertile slope of an orchard,

νηυσὶν ἐπιπροέηκα κορωνίσιν Ἴλιον εἴσω

and sent him forth in the curved ships to Ilium,

Τρωσὶ μαχησόμενον· τὸν δʼ οὐχ ὑποδέξομαι αὖτις

to fight with the Trojans; but I shall never welcome him back again

οἴκαδε νοστήσαντα δόμον Πηλήϊον εἴσω.

returning home to the house of Peleus.

ὄφρα δέ μοι ζώει καὶ ὁρᾷ φάος ἠελίοιο

And while he yet lives for me and beholds the light of the sun,

ἄχνυται, οὐδέ τί οἱ δύναμαι χραισμῆσαι ἰοῦσα.

he suffers grief, nor can I aid him at all though I go to him.

ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ, ὄφρα ἴδωμι φίλον τέκος, ἠδʼ ἐπακούσω

Yet I will go, that I may see my dear child, and hear

ὅττί μιν ἵκετο πένθος ἀπὸ πτολέμοιο μένοντα.

what grief has come upon him as he holds aloof from the war.”

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα λίπε σπέος· αἳ δὲ σὺν αὐτῇ

So saying, she left the cave; and they went with her

δακρυόεσσαι ἴσαν, περὶ δέ σφισι κῦμα θαλάσσης

weeping, and around them the wave of the sea

ῥήγνυτο· ταὶ δʼ ὅτε δὴ Τροίην ἐρίβωλον ἵκοντο

was broken; and when they came to fertile Troy,

ἀκτὴν εἰσανέβαινον ἐπισχερώ, ἔνθα θαμειαὶ

they went up on the beach one after another, where close together

Μυρμιδόνων εἴρυντο νέες ταχὺν ἀμφʼ Ἀχιλῆα.

the many ships of the Myrmidons were drawn up around swift Achilles.

Syntax notes5 items

18.4τὰ φρονέοντʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἃ δὴ τετελεσμένα ἦεν
The present participle φρονέοντα functions predicatively (or descriptively) modifying τὸν (Achilles), which is the direct object of εὗρε. The neuter plural accusative τὰ serves both as the direct object of φρονέοντα and as the antecedent of the relative clause ἃ δὴ τετελεσμένα ἦεν ("the things which had indeed already been accomplished").
18.8μὴ δή μοι τελέσωσι θεοὶ κακὰ κήδεα θυμῷ
The combination of the negative particle μὴ and the aorist subjunctive (τελέσωσι) in an independent clause expresses a strong apprehension ("lest the gods bring to pass") or a negative wish ("may the gods not bring to pass"), reflecting Achilles' fear that his premonitions have become reality.
18.10ἔτι ζώοντος ἐμεῖο
This is a genitive absolute construction consisting of the present participle ζώοντος and the genitive personal pronoun ἐμεῖο, serving as an adverbial modifier denoting time ("while I am yet alive").
18.19ἣ μὴ ὤφελλε γενέσθαι
The verb ὤφελλε (an Ionic aorist indicative of ὀφείλω) followed by the negative particle μὴ and the infinitive γενέσθαι expresses an unfulfilled wish or a regret concerning the past ("which ought not to have happened" but did).
18.34δείδιε γὰρ μὴ λαιμὸν ἀπαμήσειε σιδήρῳ
A μὴ-clause introduced by the verb of fearing δείδιε (functioning as a historical present). Since the main clause is set in a past context, the optative mood (ἀπαμήσειε) is used in the subordinate clause (optative of oblique mood), meaning "for he feared lest Achilles should cut his throat."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.1-18.69