- 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-grc2:18.545-18.617
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Hephaestus completes the marvelous decorations on Achilles' shield—including scenes of harvesting, vintage, pasturage, and a intricate dance—encircled by the river Oceanus. He then crafts the remaining armor, presenting the finished pieces to Thetis, who swiftly departs from snowy Olympus carrying the divine gifts.
τοῖσι δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἐν χερσὶ δέπας μελιηδέος οἴνου
And whenever they turned and reached the boundary of the field, there a man would come forward and give into their hands a cup of honey-sweet wine; and they would turn back along the furrows,
δόσκεν ἀνὴρ ἐπιών· τοὶ δὲ στρέψασκον ἀνʼ ὄγμους,
eager to reach the boundary of the deep fallow.
ἱέμενοι νειοῖο βαθείης τέλσον ἱκέσθαι.
And the field grew black behind them, and looked as if it had been plowed,
ἣ δὲ μελαίνετʼ ὄπισθεν, ἀρηρομένῃ δὲ ἐῴκει,
although it was of gold; that indeed was a marvelous thing.
χρυσείη περ ἐοῦσα·1 τὸ δὴ περὶ θαῦμα τέτυκτο.
And therein he set a king’s estate; and there the laborers were reaping with sharp sickles in their hands.
ἐν δʼ ἐτίθει τέμενος βασιλήϊον· ἔνθα δʼ ἔριθοι
Some handfuls were falling to the ground thick and fast along the furrow,
ἤμων ὀξείας δρεπάνας ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες.
and others the binders of sheaves were tying with straw bands.
δράγματα δʼ ἄλλα μετʼ ὄγμον ἐπήτριμα πῖπτον ἔραζε,
Three binders of sheaves stood over them; and behind them
ἄλλα δʼ ἀμαλλοδετῆρες ἐν ἐλλεδανοῖσι δέοντο.
boys gathering the gleanings and carrying them in their arms
τρεῖς δʼ ἄρʼ ἀμαλλοδετῆρες ἐφέστασαν· αὐτὰρ ὄπισθε
kept busy supplying them. And the king stood in silence among them
παῖδες δραγμεύοντες ἐν ἀγκαλίδεσσι φέροντες
with his staff, at the furrow’s edge, rejoicing in his heart.
ἀσπερχὲς πάρεχον· βασιλεὺς δʼ ἐν τοῖσι σιωπῇ
And apart from them heralds under an oak were preparing a feast,
σκῆπτρον ἔχων ἑστήκει ἐπʼ ὄγμου γηθόσυνος κῆρ.
and were dressing a great ox they had slain; and the women
κήρυκες δʼ ἀπάνευθεν ὑπὸ δρυῒ δαῖτα πένοντο,
were sprinkling much white barley meal for the laborers’ dinner.
βοῦν δʼ ἱερεύσαντες μέγαν ἄμφεπον· αἳ δὲ γυναῖκες
And therein he set a great vineyard heavy with clusters,
δεῖπνον ἐρίθοισιν λεύκʼ ἄλφιτα πολλὰ πάλυνον.
beautiful and of gold; and there were black grapes on it,
ἐν δʼ ἐτίθει σταφυλῇσι μέγα βρίθουσαν ἀλωὴν
and it was supported throughout on silver poles.
καλὴν χρυσείην· μέλανες δʼ ἀνὰ βότρυες ἦσαν,
And around it he ran a ditch of dark metal, and about it a fence of tin;
ἑστήκει δὲ κάμαξι διαμπερὲς ἀργυρέῃσιν.
and a single path led to it,
ἀμφὶ δὲ κυανέην κάπετον, περὶ δʼ ἕρκος ἔλασσε
by which the vintagers went when they gathered the vintage.
κασσιτέρου· μία δʼ οἴη ἀταρπιτὸς ἦεν ἐπʼ αὐτήν,
And maidens and youths, with childish minds,
τῇ νίσοντο φορῆες ὅτε τρυγόῳεν ἀλωήν.
carried the honey-sweet fruit in woven baskets.
παρθενικαὶ δὲ καὶ ἠΐθεοι ἀταλὰ φρονέοντες
And in their midst a boy played lovely music on a clear-toned lyre,
πλεκτοῖς ἐν ταλάροισι φέρον μελιηδέα καρπόν.
and sang a beautiful Linos-song with his delicate voice;
τοῖσιν δʼ ἐν μέσσοισι πάϊς φόρμιγγι λιγείῃ
and they, beating the ground in time,
ἱμερόεν κιθάριζε, λίνον δʼ ὑπὸ καλὸν ἄειδε2
followed with song and shout, skipping with their feet.
λεπταλέῃ φωνῇ· τοὶ δὲ ῥήσσοντες ἁμαρτῇ
And therein he fashioned a herd of straight-horned cattle;
μολπῇ τʼ ἰυγμῷ τε ποσὶ σκαίροντες ἕποντο.
and the cattle were made of gold and of tin,
ἐν δʼ ἀγέλην ποίησε βοῶν ὀρθοκραιράων·
and with lowing they hurried from the farmyard to the pasture
αἳ δὲ βόες χρυσοῖο τετεύχατο κασσιτέρου τε,
by the sounding river, beside the waving reed-bed.
μυκηθμῷ δʼ ἀπὸ κόπρου ἐπεσσεύοντο νομὸν δὲ
Golden herdsmen walked beside the cattle,
πὰρ ποταμὸν κελάδοντα, παρὰ ῥοδανὸν δονακῆα.
four of them, and nine fleet-footed dogs followed them.
χρύσειοι δὲ νομῆες ἅμʼ ἐστιχόωντο βόεσσι
But two terrible lions among the foremost cattle
τέσσαρες, ἐννέα δέ σφι κύνες πόδας ἀργοὶ ἕποντο.
were holding a bellowing bull; and he, roaring loudly,
σμερδαλέω δὲ λέοντε δύʼ ἐν πρώτῃσι βόεσσι
was being dragged away, while the dogs and the young men pursued.
ταῦρον ἐρύγμηλον ἐχέτην· ὃ δὲ μακρὰ μεμυκὼς
The two lions had torn open the hide of the great bull,
ἕλκετο· τὸν δὲ κύνες μετεκίαθον ἠδʼ αἰζηοί.
and were devouring its entrails and black blood; but the herdsmen
τὼ μὲν ἀναρρήξαντε βοὸς μεγάλοιο βοείην
in vain urged on the swift dogs, cheering them on.
ἔγκατα καὶ μέλαν αἷμα λαφύσσετον· οἳ δὲ νομῆες
But the dogs shrank from biting the lions,
αὔτως ἐνδίεσαν ταχέας κύνας ὀτρύνοντες.
and stood close by, barking, yet avoiding them.
οἳ δʼ ἤτοι δακέειν μὲν ἀπετρωπῶντο λεόντων,
And therein the famous lame god made a pasture in a beautiful glen,
ἱστάμενοι δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ὑλάκτεον ἔκ τʼ ἀλέοντο.
a large pasture of white-fleeced sheep,
ἐν δὲ νομὸν ποίησε περικλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις
and folds and roofed huts and pens.
ἐν καλῇ βήσσῃ μέγαν οἰῶν ἀργεννάων,
And therein the famous lame god fashioned a dancing-floor,
σταθμούς τε κλισίας τε κατηρεφέας ἰδὲ σηκούς.
like the one that once in wide Knossos Daedalus wrought for fair-haired Ariadne.
ἐν δὲ χορὸν ποίκιλλε περικλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις,
There youths and maidens who win many oxen as brides
τῷ ἴκελον οἷόν ποτʼ ἐνὶ Κνωσῷ εὐρείῃ
were dancing, holding one another by the wrist.
Δαίδαλος ἤσκησεν καλλιπλοκάμῳ Ἀριάδνῃ.
Of these, the maidens wore fine linen robes, and the youths
ἔνθα μὲν ἠΐθεοι καὶ παρθένοι ἀλφεσίβοιαι
wore well-woven tunics, slightly glistening with oil;
ὀρχεῦντʼ ἀλλήλων ἐπὶ καρπῷ χεῖρας ἔχοντες.
and the maidens had fair wreaths, and the youths
τῶν δʼ αἳ μὲν λεπτὰς ὀθόνας ἔχον, οἳ δὲ χιτῶνας
had golden daggers hanging from silver baldrics.
εἵατʼ ἐϋννήτους, ἦκα στίλβοντας ἐλαίῳ·
Now they would run very lightly on skilled feet,
καί ῥʼ αἳ μὲν καλὰς στεφάνας ἔχον, οἳ δὲ μαχαίρας
just as when a potter, sitting by his wheel, well fitted to his hands,
εἶχον χρυσείας ἐξ ἀργυρέων τελαμώνων.
makes trial of it to see if it will run;
οἳ δʼ ὁτὲ μὲν θρέξασκον ἐπισταμένοισι πόδεσσι
and now they would run in lines toward one another.
ῥεῖα μάλʼ, ὡς ὅτε τις τροχὸν ἄρμενον ἐν παλάμῃσιν
And a great crowd stood around the lovely dance,
ἑζόμενος κεραμεὺς πειρήσεται, αἴ κε θέῃσιν·3
enjoying it; and among them a divine singer sang to his lyre,
ἄλλοτε δʼ αὖ θρέξασκον ἐπὶ στίχας ἀλλήλοισι.
and two tumblers whirled in their midst as he began his song.
πολλὸς δʼ ἱμερόεντα χορὸν περιίσταθʼ ὅμιλος
And therein he set the great strength of the river Oceanus,
τερπόμενοι· μετὰ δέ σφιν ἐμέλπετο θεῖος ἀοιδὸς
along the outermost rim of the strongly fashioned shield.
φορμίζων· δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ' αὐτοὺς
But when he had fashioned the shield, great and sturdy,
μολπῆς ἐξάρχοντες ἐδίνευον κατὰ μέσσους.
he fashioned for him a breastplate brighter than the gleam of fire,
ἐν δʼ ἐτίθει ποταμοῖο μέγα σθένος Ὠκεανοῖο
and he fashioned for him a heavy helmet, fitted to his temples,
ἄντυγα πὰρ πυμάτην σάκεος πύκα ποιητοῖο.
fair and richly worked, and upon it he set a golden crest;
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῦξε σάκος μέγα τε στιβαρόν τε,
and he fashioned for him greaves of pliable tin.
τεῦξʼ ἄρα οἱ θώρηκα φαεινότερον πυρὸς αὐγῆς,
But when the famous lame god had completed all the armor,
τεῦξε δέ οἱ κόρυθα βριαρὴν κροτάφοις ἀραρυῖαν
he lifted it and set it before Achilles’ mother.
καλὴν δαιδαλέην, ἐπὶ δὲ χρύσεον λόφον ἧκε,
And she like a hawk leaped down from snowy Olympus,
τεῦξε δέ οἱ κνημῖδας ἑανοῦ κασσιτέροιο.αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πάνθʼ ὅπλα κάμε κλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις,μητρὸς Ἀχιλλῆος θῆκε προπάροιθεν ἀείρας.ἣ δʼ ἴρηξ ὣς ἆλτο κατʼ Οὐλύμπου νιφόεντος
bearing the gleaming armor from Hephaestus.
τεύχεα μαρμαίροντα παρʼ Ἡφαίστοιο φέρουσα.
bearing the gleaming armour from Hephaestus.
- 18.549χρυσείη περ ἐοῦσα
The participle ἐοῦσα (feminine singular nominative of εἰμί) accompanied by περ expresses concession ("although it was [of gold]"). It highlights the miraculous craftsmanship of Hephaestus, where the surface, though made of gold, appeared as black plowed soil.
- 18.570ὑπὸ καλὸν ἄειδε
The preposition ὑπό functions adverbially to mean "in accompaniment to" (the sound of the lyre). λίνον is interpreted as the "Linos-song" (a traditional lament) or a song sung to the linen string of the lyre.
- 18.601αἴ κε θέῃσιν
The conjunction αἴ (Aeolic/epic form of εἰ) is followed by the particle κε (equivalent to ἄν) and the subjunctive θέῃσιν (3rd person singular subjunctive of θέω "to run/spin", with epic ending), expressing a trial or condition within the simile ("to see if it will run/spin").