Achilles' Vow of Revenge and Thetis' Warning — Homer, Iliad Book 18 (lines 70–136), Greek & English

τῷ δὲ βαρὺ στενάχοντι παρίστατο πότνια μήτηρ,

As he groaned heavily, his lady mother stood beside him,

ὀξὺ δὲ κωκύσασα κάρη λάβε παιδὸς ἑοῖο,

and crying out shrilly she took the head of her son,

καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and mourning she spoke to him winged words:

τέκνον τί κλαίεις; τί δέ σε φρένας ἵκετο πένθος;

”My child, why do you weep? What grief has come upon your heart?

ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθε· τὰ μὲν δή τοι τετέλεσται

Speak out, hide it not. Those things indeed have been accomplished for you

ἐκ Διός, ὡς ἄρα δὴ πρίν γʼ εὔχεο χεῖρας ἀνασχὼν

by Zeus, even as you prayed before, lifting up your hands,

πάντας ἐπὶ πρύμνῃσιν ἀλήμεναι¹ υἷας Ἀχαιῶν

that all the sons of the Achaeans should be hemmed in at the ships’ sterns,

σεῦ ἐπιδευομένους, παθέειν τʼ ἀεκήλια ἔργα.

having need of you, and should suffer unseemly things.”

τὴν δὲ βαρὺ στενάχων προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

Then, groaning heavily, swift-footed Achilles spoke to her:

μῆτερ ἐμή, τὰ μὲν ἄρ μοι Ὀλύμπιος ἐξετέλεσσεν·

”My mother, those things indeed the Olympian has accomplished for me;

ἀλλὰ τί μοι τῶν ἦδος ἐπεὶ φίλος ὤλεθʼ ἑταῖρος

but what pleasure have I in them, since my dear companion is dead,

Πάτροκλος, τὸν ἐγὼ περὶ πάντων τῖον ἑταίρων

Patroclus, whom I honored above all my companions,

ἶσον ἐμῇ κεφαλῇ; τὸν ἀπώλεσα, τεύχεα δʼ Ἕκτωρ

equal to my own life? Him have I lost, and Hector

δῃώσας ἀπέδυσε πελώρια θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι

has slain him and stripped off his armor, massive, a wonder to behold,

καλά· τὰ μὲν Πηλῆϊ θεοὶ δόσαν ἀγλαὰ δῶρα

beautiful; which the gods gave as a glorious gift to Peleus

ἤματι τῷ ὅτε σε βροτοῦ ἀνέρος ἔμβαλον εὐνῇ.

on the day when they cast you into the bed of a mortal man.

αἴθʼ ὄφελες σὺ μὲν αὖθι μετʼ ἀθανάτῃς ἁλίῃσι

Would that you had continued to dwell there among the immortal sea-goddesses,

ναίειν, Πηλεὺς δὲ θνητὴν ἀγαγέσθαι ἄκοιτιν.

and that Peleus had taken to himself a mortal wife.

νῦν δʼ ἵνα καὶ σοὶ πένθος ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μυρίον εἴη²

But now, it was so that you too might have countless grief in your heart

παιδὸς ἀποφθιμένοιο, τὸν οὐχ ὑποδέξεαι αὖτις

for your son who is to perish, whom you shall never again welcome

οἴκαδε νοστήσαντʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐδʼ ἐμὲ θυμὸς ἄνωγε

returning home, since my own spirit bids me not

ζώειν οὐδʼ ἄνδρεσσι μετέμμεναι, αἴ κε μὴ Ἕκτωρ

to live or to abide among men, unless Hector

πρῶτος ἐμῷ ὑπὸ δουρὶ τυπεὶς ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσῃ,

first, smitten by my spear, shall lose his life

Πατρόκλοιο δʼ ἕλωρα Μενοιτιάδεω ἀποτίσῃ.

and pay the price for the spoiling of Patroclus, son of Menoetius.”

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Θέτις κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα·

And Thetis spoke to him again, shedding tears:

ὠκύμορος δή μοι τέκος ἔσσεαι, οἷʼ ἀγορεύεις·

”Short-lived indeed, my child, you shall be, from what you say;

αὐτίκα γάρ τοι ἔπειτα μεθʼ Ἕκτορα πότμος ἑτοῖμος.

for straightway after Hector your own doom is ready.”

τὴν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

Then, deeply moved, swift-footed Achilles spoke to her:

αὐτίκα τεθναίην, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον ἑταίρῳ

”May I die straightway, since I was not, as it seems, to aid my companion

κτεινομένῳ ἐπαμῦναι· ὃ μὲν μάλα τηλόθι πάτρης

as he was slain; he has perished far indeed from his native land,

100

ἔφθιτʼ, ἐμεῖο δὲ δῆσεν³ ἀρῆς ἀλκτῆρα γενέσθαι.

and had need of me to be a warder off of ruin.

νῦν δʼ ἐπεὶ οὐ νέομαί γε φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,

And now, since I go not back to my dear native land,

οὐδέ τι Πατρόκλῳ γενόμην φάος οὐδʼ ἑτάροισι

nor was I any light of deliverance to Patroclus or to my other companions,

τοῖς ἄλλοις, οἳ δὴ πολέες δάμεν Ἕκτορι δίῳ,

who have been slain in great numbers by noble Hector,

ἀλλʼ ἧμαι παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐτώσιον ἄχθος ἀρούρης,

but sit here beside the ships, a useless burden on the earth,

105

τοῖος ἐὼν οἷος οὔ τις Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων

though I am such as is no other of the bronze-clad Achaeans

ἐν πολέμῳ· ἀγορῇ δέ τʼ ἀμείνονές εἰσι καὶ ἄλλοι.

in war, though in the assembly there are others better.

ὡς ἔρις ἔκ τε θεῶν ἔκ τʼ ἀνθρώπων ἀπόλοιτο

Would that strife might perish from among gods and from among men,

καὶ χόλος, ὅς τʼ ἐφέηκε πολύφρονά περ χαλεπῆναι,

and anger, which drives even a wise man to be harsh,

ὅς τε πολὺ γλυκίων μέλιτος καταλειβομένοιο

and which, far sweeter than trickling honey,

110

ἀνδρῶν ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀέξεται ἠΰτε καπνός·

grows like smoke in the breasts of men;

ὡς ἐμὲ νῦν ἐχόλωσεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων.

even as but now Agamemnon, king of men, angered me.

ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν προτετύχθαι ἐάσομεν ἀχνύμενοί περ,

But we will let these things be as past and done, for all our grief,

θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλον δαμάσαντες ἀνάγκῃ·

subduing by necessity the heart within our breasts.

νῦν δʼ εἶμʼ ὄφρα φίλης κεφαλῆς ὀλετῆρα κιχείω

And now I will go, that I may find Hector, the slayer of my beloved friend;

115

Ἕκτορα· κῆρα δʼ ἐγὼ τότε δέξομαι ὁππότε κεν δὴ

and my death I will accept at whatever time

Ζεὺς ἐθέλῃ τελέσαι ἠδʼ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι.

Zeus wills to accomplish it and the other immortal gods.

οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ βίη Ἡρακλῆος φύγε κῆρα,

For not even the mighty Heracles escaped death,

ὅς περ φίλτατος ἔσκε Διὶ Κρονίωνι ἄνακτι·

who was most dear to lord Zeus, son of Cronos;

ἀλλά ἑ μοῖρα δάμασσε καὶ ἀργαλέος χόλος Ἥρης.

but fate subdued him, and the grievous wrath of Hera.

120

ὣς καὶ ἐγών, εἰ δή μοι ὁμοίη μοῖρα τέτυκται,

So also I, if a like fate has been fashioned for me,

κείσομʼ ἐπεί κε θάνω· νῦν δὲ κλέος ἐσθλὸν ἀροίμην,

shall lie low when I am dead; but now may I win glorious renown,

καί τινα Τρωϊάδων καὶ Δαρδανίδων βαθυκόλπων

and make many a one of the deep-bosomed Trojan and Dardanian women

ἀμφοτέρῃσιν χερσὶ παρειάων ἁπαλάων

with both her hands to wipe the tears from her tender cheeks

δάκρυʼ ὀμορξαμένην ἁδινὸν στοναχῆσαι ἐφείην,⁴

and groan aloud in close-thronged lament;

125

γνοῖεν δʼ ὡς δὴ δηρὸν ἐγὼ πολέμοιο πέπαυμαι·

and let them know that indeed too long have I kept aloof from war.

μὴ δέ μʼ ἔρυκε μάχης φιλέουσά περ· οὐδέ με πείσεις.

Hold me not back from battle, though you love me; you shall not persuade me.”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα·

Then the silver-footed goddess Thetis answered him:

ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε τέκνον ἐτήτυμον οὐ κακόν ἐστι

”Yes, indeed, my child, this that you say is true; it is no bad thing

τειρομένοις ἑτάροισιν ἀμυνέμεν αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον.

to ward off sheer destruction from your hard-pressed companions.

130

ἀλλά τοι ἔντεα καλὰ μετὰ Τρώεσσιν ἔχονται

But your beautiful armor is held among the Trojans,

χάλκεα μαρμαίροντα· τὰ μὲν κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ

all gleaming with bronze; this Hector of the flashing helm

αὐτὸς ἔχων ὤμοισιν ἀγάλλεται· οὐδέ ἕ φημι

himself wears on his shoulders and exults in it; yet I tell you

δηρὸν ἐπαγλαϊεῖσθαι, ἐπεὶ φόνος ἐγγύθεν αὐτῷ.

he shall not long triumph in it, for his own death is near.

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν μή πω καταδύσεο μῶλον Ἄρηος

But do not enter the turmoil of Ares

135

πρίν γʼ ἐμὲ δεῦρʼ ἐλθοῦσαν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδηαι·

until you see me with your own eyes returning hither;

ἠῶθεν γὰρ νεῦμαι ἅμʼ ἠελίῳ ἀνιόντι

for at dawn I shall return at the rising of the sun,

Syntax notes4 items

18.76ἀλήμεναι
The infinitives ἀλήμεναι (line 76) and παθέειν (line 77) function as the complement of εὔχεο ('you prayed', line 75) in an accusative-with-infinitive construction, with υἷας Ἀχαιῶν (line 76) acting as their subject.
18.88ἵνα... εἴη
In νῦν δʼ ἵνα... εἴη, the conjunction ἵνα followed by the optative εἴη (3rd sg. pres. opt. of εἰμί) indicates a resulting purpose with the main verb (such as 'this has been brought about') being elliptical: 'but now [this has happened] so that you too may have endless grief.'
18.100δῆσεν
The verb δῆσεν (aorist of δέω, used impersonally as 'there was need of') takes the genitive of lack ἐμεῖο ('of me') and the infinitive γενέσθαι to mean 'he had need of me to be a warder off of ruin.'
18.124ἐφείην
The verb ἐφείην (1st sg. aor. act. opt. of ἐφίημι, expressing a wish) governs the accusative pronoun τινα (line 122) as the subject of the participle ὀμορξαμένην and the infinitive στοναχῆσαι, meaning 'I would send her [some Trojan woman] to wipe away tears and groan aloud.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.70-18.136