- 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-grc2:18.346-18.413
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
While the Achaeans wash Patroclus' body and lay him to rest, Zeus and Hera converse in heaven about Achilles' return. Meanwhile, Thetis arrives at the wondrous bronze mansion of Hephaestus to request new armor, and the artisan god warmly welcomes the goddess who once saved his life.
οἳ δὲ λοετροχόον τρίποδʼ ἵστασαν ἐν πυρὶ κηλέῳ,
And they set a tripod for pouring bath-water on the blazing fire,
ἐν δʼ ἄρʼ ὕδωρ ἔχεαν, ὑπὸ δὲ ξύλα δαῖον ἑλόντες.
and poured water into it, and took firewood and kindled it beneath.
γάστρην μὲν τρίποδος πῦρ ἄμφεπε, θέρμετο δʼ ὕδωρ·
The fire licked around the belly of the tripod, and the water grew warm;
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ ζέσσεν ὕδωρ ἐνὶ ἤνοπι χαλκῷ,
but when the water boiled in the gleaming bronze,
καὶ τότε δὴ λοῦσάν τε καὶ ἤλειψαν λίπʼ ἐλαίῳ,1
then they washed him and anointed him richly with olive oil,
ἐν δʼ ὠτειλὰς πλῆσαν ἀλείφατος ἐννεώροιο·
and filled his wounds with nine-year-old ointment.
ἐν λεχέεσσι δὲ θέντες ἑανῷ λιτὶ κάλυψαν
And laying him on the bed, they covered him with a fine linen sheet
ἐς πόδας ἐκ κεφαλῆς, καθύπερθε δὲ φάρεϊ λευκῷ.
from head to foot, and from above with a white robe.
παννύχιοι μὲν ἔπειτα πόδας ταχὺν ἀμφʼ Ἀχιλῆα
Then all night long, around Achilles swift of foot,
Μυρμιδόνες Πάτροκλον ἀνεστενάχοντο γοῶντες·
the Myrmidons made lamentation for Patroclus, wailing aloud.
Ζεὺς δʼ Ἥρην προσέειπε κασιγνήτην ἄλοχόν τε·
And Zeus spoke to Hera, his sister and wife:
ἔπρηξας καὶ ἔπειτα βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη
”So you have had your way at last, ox-eyed lady Hera,
ἀνστήσασʼ Ἀχιλῆα πόδας ταχύν· ἦ ῥά νυ σεῖο
having roused Achilles swift of foot. Surely
ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐγένοντο κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοί.
the long-haired Achaeans must be born of your very self.”
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη·
Then ox-eyed lady Hera answered him:
αἰνότατε Κρονίδη ποῖον τὸν μῦθον ἔειπες.
”Dread son of Cronos, what word is this you have spoken?
καὶ μὲν δή πού τις μέλλει βροτὸς ἀνδρὶ τελέσσαι,
Even a mortal man, I suppose, is to accomplish something for another man,
ὅς περ θνητός τʼ ἐστὶ καὶ οὐ τόσα μήδεα οἶδε·
one who is both mortal and knows not so many counsels;
πῶς δὴ ἔγωγʼ, ἥ φημι θεάων ἔμμεν ἀρίστη,
how then should I, who claim to be the highest of goddesses,
ἀμφότερον γενεῇ τε καὶ οὕνεκα σὴ παράκοιτις
both by birth and because I am called your wife,
κέκλημαι, σὺ δὲ πᾶσι μετʼ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσεις,
while you rule over all the immortals,
οὐκ ὄφελον Τρώεσσι κοτεσσαμένη κακὰ ῥάψαι;2
not be bound in my wrath against the Trojans to weave evils for them?”
ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον·
Thus they spoke such things to one another;
Ἡφαίστου δʼ ἵκανε δόμον Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα
but silver-footed Thetis came to the house of Hephaestus,
ἄφθιτον ἀστερόεντα μεταπρεπέʼ ἀθανάτοισι
imperishable, starry, pre-eminent among the immortals,
χάλκεον, ὅν ῥʼ αὐτὸς ποιήσατο κυλλοποδίων.
made of bronze, which the crook-footed god had made for himself.
τὸν δʼ εὗρʼ ἱδρώοντα ἑλισσόμενον περὶ φύσας
She found him sweating as he turned about his bellows
σπεύδοντα· τρίποδας γὰρ ἐείκοσι πάντας ἔτευχεν
in haste; for he was making twenty tripods in all
ἑστάμεναι περὶ τοῖχον ἐϋσταθέος μεγάροιο,
to stand around the wall of his well-built hall,
χρύσεα δέ σφʼ ὑπὸ κύκλα ἑκάστῳ πυθμένι θῆκεν,
and beneath the base of each he set golden wheels,
ὄφρά οἱ αὐτόματοι θεῖον δυσαίατʼ3 ἀγῶνα
so that of their own accord they might enter the gathering of the gods
ἠδʼ αὖτις πρὸς δῶμα νεοίατο θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι.
and return again to his house, a wonder to behold.
οἳ δʼ ἤτοι τόσσον μὲν ἔχον τέλος, οὔατα δʼ οὔ πω
These indeed were so far finished, but the cunning ears
δαιδάλεα προσέκειτο· τά ῥʼ ἤρτυε, κόπτε δὲ δεσμούς.
were not yet added; these he was preparing, and was beating out the rivets.
ὄφρʼ ὅ γε ταῦτʼ ἐπονεῖτο ἰδυίῃσι πραπίδεσσι,
While he was laboring at these things with his cunning mind,
τόφρά οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα.
meanwhile the goddess, silver-footed Thetis, drew near him.
τὴν δὲ ἴδε προμολοῦσα Χάρις λιπαροκρήδεμνος
And Charis of the gleaming veil saw her coming forward,
καλή, τὴν ὤπυιε περικλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις·
beautiful, whom the famous crook-footed god had wedded;
ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·
and she clasped her hand, and spoke to her, and addressed her:
τίπτε Θέτι τανύπεπλε ἱκάνεις ἡμέτερον δῶ
”Why, long-robed Thetis, do you come to our house,
αἰδοίη τε φίλη τε; πάρος γε μὲν οὔ τι θαμίζεις.
revered and beloved? In former times you did not use to visit us.
ἀλλʼ ἕπεο προτέρω, ἵνα τοι πὰρ ξείνια θείω.
But follow me further, so that I may set before you guest-gifts.”
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα πρόσω ἄγε δῖα θεάων.
So saying, the noble among goddesses led her forward.
τὴν μὲν ἔπειτα καθεῖσεν ἐπὶ θρόνου ἀργυροήλου
Then she seated her upon a silver-studded throne,
καλοῦ δαιδαλέου· ὑπὸ δὲ θρῆνυς ποσὶν ἦεν·
beautiful and cunningly wrought; and beneath was a footstool for her feet;
κέκλετο δʼ Ἥφαιστον κλυτοτέχνην εἶπέ τε μῦθον·
and she called famous-artisan Hephaestus and spoke to him:
Ἥφαιστε πρόμολʼ ὧδε· Θέτις νύ τι σεῖο χατίζει.
”Hephaestus, come forth hither; Thetis has some need of you.”
τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα περικλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις·
Then the famous crook-footed god answered her:
ἦ ῥά νύ μοι δεινή τε καὶ αἰδοίη θεὸς ἔνδον,
”Verily, a dread and revered goddess is within my house,
ἥ μʼ ἐσάωσʼ ὅτε μʼ ἄλγος ἀφίκετο τῆλε πεσόντα
she who saved me when pain came upon me when I fell far,
μητρὸς ἐμῆς ἰότητι κυνώπιδος, ἥ μʼ ἐθέλησε
by the will of my shameless mother, who wished
κρύψαι χωλὸν ἐόντα· τότʼ ἂν πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ,
to hide me because I was lame; then I would have suffered pain in my heart,
εἰ μή μʼ Εὐρυνόμη τε Θέτις θʼ ὑπεδέξατο κόλπῳ
if Eurynome and Thetis had not received me in their bosom—
Εὐρυνόμη θυγάτηρ ἀψορρόου Ὠκεανοῖο.
Eurynome, daughter of backward-flowing Oceanus.
τῇσι παρʼ εἰνάετες χάλκευον δαίδαλα πολλά,
With them for nine years I forged many cunning things,
πόρπας τε γναμπτάς θʼ ἕλικας κάλυκάς τε καὶ ὅρμους
brooches and curved armlets, spirals, and necklaces,
ἐν σπῆϊ γλαφυρῷ· περὶ δὲ ῥόος Ὠκεανοῖο
in their hollow cave; and around them the stream of Oceanus
ἀφρῷ μορμύρων ῥέεν ἄσπετος· οὐδέ τις ἄλλος
flowed murmuring with foam, immense; nor did any other
ᾔδεεν οὔτε θεῶν οὔτε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων,
know of it, neither of gods nor of mortal men,
ἀλλὰ Θέτις τε καὶ Εὐρυνόμη ἴσαν, αἵ μʼ ἐσάωσαν.
but Thetis and Eurynome knew, who saved me.
ἣ νῦν ἡμέτερον δόμον ἵκει· τώ με μάλα χρεὼ
She has now come to our house; therefore I must by all means
πάντα Θέτι καλλιπλοκάμῳ ζῳάγρια τίνειν.
pay to fair-tressed Thetis the full price for saving my life.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν οἱ παράθες ξεινήϊα καλά,
But set before her fair guest-gifts,
ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ φύσας ἀποθείομαι ὅπλά τε πάντα.
while I put away my bellows and all my tools.”
ἦ, καὶ ἀπʼ ἀκμοθέτοιο πέλωρ αἴητον ἀνέστη
He spoke, and from the anvil-block the monstrous giant arose,
χωλεύων· ὑπὸ δὲ κνῆμαι ῥώοντο ἀραιαί.
limping; and beneath him his slender legs moved nimbly.
φύσας μέν ῥʼ ἀπάνευθε τίθει πυρός, ὅπλά τε πάντα
The bellows he set away from the fire, and all the tools
λάρνακʼ ἐς ἀργυρέην συλλέξατο, τοῖς ἐπονεῖτο·
with which he labored he gathered into a silver chest;
- 18.350λίπʼ ἐλαίῳ
The word λίπʼ is an apocope of the neuter noun λίπα (fat, oil) in the dative, or a fossilized adverbial form used exclusively in combination with ἐλαίῳ to mean 'richly with olive oil'. It is a formulaic expression in Homeric epic.
- 18.367οὐκ ὄφελον ... ῥάψαι
The structure οὐκ ὄφελον with an infinitive originally expresses an unaccomplished wish ('ought not to have' or 'ought to have'). Here, in an ironical context introduced by the interrogative πῶς (πῶς δὴ ἔγωγʼ ... οὐκ ὄφελον ... κακὰ ῥάψαι;), it functions as a strong rhetorical statement meaning: 'How should I, the highest of goddesses, not be allowed to weave evils against the Trojans in my wrath?'
- 18.376δυσαίατʼ
The form δυσαίατʼ is the 3rd person plural aorist (or present) optative of δύνω (or δύομαι, 'to enter, go into'), featuring the Ionic and Homeric ending -ατο (equivalent to the Attic -ντο, i.e., δυσαίατο for δύναιντο). The optative is triggered by the final conjunction ὄφρα ('so that') in a subordinate purpose clause depending on a historical main verb.