- 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-grc2:19.212-19.283
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Achilles insists on fighting immediately while refusing food, but Odysseus persuades him to let the army eat and organizes the reconciliation. Agamemnon swears his solemn oath of Briseis's purity, and the promised gifts are delivered to Achilles' camp.
κεῖται ἀνὰ πρόθυρον τετραμμένος,1 ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι
He lies in my hut, turned toward the doorway, and around him his companions
μύρονται· τό μοι οὔ τι μετὰ φρεσὶ ταῦτα μέμηλεν,
weep; therefore these things are in no way a care to my mind,
ἀλλὰ φόνος τε καὶ αἷμα καὶ ἀργαλέος στόνος ἀνδρῶν.
but only slaughter, and blood, and the grievous groans of men.”
τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·
And resourceful Odysseus answered him, saying:
ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ Πηλῆος υἱὲ μέγα φέρτατʼ Ἀχαιῶν,
”O Achilles, son of Peleus, far the mightiest of the Achaeans,
κρείσσων εἰς ἐμέθεν καὶ φέρτερος οὐκ ὀλίγον περ
you are stronger than I and mightier not a little
ἔγχει, ἐγὼ δέ κε σεῖο νοήματί γε προβαλοίμην2
with the spear, but I might surpass you in counsel
πολλόν, ἐπεὶ πρότερος γενόμην καὶ πλείονα οἶδα.
by far, since I was born before you and know more.
τώ τοι ἐπιτλήτω κραδίη μύθοισιν ἐμοῖσιν.
Therefore let your heart endure to listen to my words.
αἶψά τε φυλόπιδος πέλεται κόρος ἀνθρώποισιν,
Quickly does satiety of battle come to men,
ἧς τε πλείστην μὲν καλάμην χθονὶ χαλκὸς ἔχευεν,3
wherein the bronze sheds the most straw upon the earth,
ἄμητος δʼ ὀλίγιστος, ἐπὴν κλίνῃσι τάλαντα
but the harvest is smallest when Zeus inclines his scales,
Ζεύς, ὅς τʼ ἀνθρώπων ταμίης πολέμοιο τέτυκται.
Zeus, who is established as the dispenser of battle to men.
γαστέρι δʼ οὔ πως ἔστι4 νέκυν πενθῆσαι Ἀχαιούς·
It is in no way possible for the Achaeans to mourn a corpse with the belly;
λίην γὰρ πολλοὶ καὶ ἐπήτριμοι ἤματα πάντα
for too many and in heaps do they fall
πίπτουσιν· πότε κέν τις ἀναπνεύσειε πόνοιο;
every day; when then could one find respite from labor?
ἀλλὰ χρὴ τὸν μὲν καταθάπτειν ὅς κε θάνῃσι
Rather, we must bury him who dies,
νηλέα θυμὸν ἔχοντας ἐπʼ ἤματι δακρύσαντας·
keeping a relentless heart, having wept for a day;
ὅσσοι δʼ ἂν πολέμοιο περὶ στυγεροῖο λίπωνται
and all those who are left over from hateful war
μεμνῆσθαι πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος, ὄφρʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον
must remember drink and food, so that we may still more
ἀνδράσι δυσμενέεσσι μαχώμεθα νωλεμὲς αἰεὶ
fight the enemy men ever without ceasing,
ἑσσάμενοι χροῒ χαλκὸν ἀτειρέα. μηδέ τις ἄλλην
having clad our bodies in unwearied bronze. And let no one
λαῶν ὀτρυντὺν ποτιδέγμενος ἰσχαναάσθω·
of the host hold back waiting for another summons;
ἥδε γὰρ ὀτρυντὺς κακὸν ἔσσεται ὅς κε λίπηται
for this summons will be an evil thing for whoever is left
νηυσὶν ἐπʼ Ἀργείων· ἀλλʼ ἀθρόοι ὁρμηθέντες
behind at the ships of the Argives; but rushing forth in a body
Τρωσὶν ἐφʼ ἱπποδάμοισιν ἐγείρομεν ὀξὺν Ἄρηα.
against the horse-taming Trojans let us rouse fierce war.”
ἦ, καὶ Νέστορος υἷας ὀπάσσατο κυδαλίμοιο
He spoke, and took with him the sons of glorious Nestor,
Φυλεΐδην τε Μέγητα Θόαντά τε Μηριόνην τε
and Meges son of Phyleus, and Thoas, and Meriones,
καὶ Κρειοντιάδην Λυκομήδεα καὶ Μελάνιππον·
and Lycomedes son of Creon, and Melanippus;
βὰν δʼ ἴμεν ἐς κλισίην Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο.
and they went on their way to the hut of Agamemnon, son of Atreus.
αὐτίκʼ ἔπειθʼ ἅμα μῦθος ἔην, τετέλεστο δὲ ἔργον·
Forthwith, as the word was spoken, so was the deed accomplished;
ἑπτὰ μὲν ἐκ κλισίης τρίποδας φέρον, οὕς οἱ ὑπέστη,
they brought from the hut seven tripods, which he had promised,
αἴθωνας δὲ λέβητας ἐείκοσι, δώδεκα δʼ ἵππους·
and twenty gleaming cauldrons, and twelve horses;
ἐκ δʼ ἄγον αἶψα γυναῖκας ἀμύμονα ἔργα ἰδυίας
and they led out quickly seven women skilled in faultless handiwork,
ἕπτʼ, ἀτὰρ ὀγδοάτην Βρισηΐδα καλλιπάρῃον.
and the eighth was fair-cheeked Briseis.
χρυσοῦ δὲ στήσας Ὀδυσεὺς δέκα πάντα τάλαντα
And Odysseus weighed ten full talents of gold
ἦρχʼ, ἅμα δʼ ἄλλοι δῶρα φέρον κούρητες Ἀχαιῶν.
and led the way, and with him the other young men of the Achaeans carried the gifts.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν μέσσῃ ἀγορῇ θέσαν, ἂν δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων
These they placed in the midst of the assembly, and Agamemnon
ἵστατο· Ταλθύβιος δὲ θεῷ ἐναλίγκιος αὐδὴν
stood up; and Talthybius, whose voice was like a god’s,
κάπρον ἔχων ἐν χερσὶ παρίστατο ποιμένι λαῶν.
holding a boar in his hands, stood beside the shepherd of the host.
Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος χείρεσσι μάχαιραν,
And the son of Atreus drew with his hands the knife
ἥ οἱ πὰρ ξίφεος μέγα κουλεὸν αἰὲν ἄωρτο,
which always hung beside the great sheath of his sword,
κάπρου ἀπὸ τρίχας ἀρξάμενος Διὶ χεῖρας ἀνασχὼν
and cutting the first hairs from the boar, he lifted up his hands to Zeus
εὔχετο· τοὶ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπʼ αὐτόφιν εἵατο σιγῇ
and prayed; and all the Argives sat there in silence
Ἀργεῖοι κατὰ μοῖραν ἀκούοντες βασιλῆος.
in due order, listening to the king.
εὐξάμενος δʼ ἄρα εἶπεν ἰδὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν·
And he prayed, looking up into the wide heaven:
ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς πρῶτα θεῶν ὕπατος καὶ ἄριστος
”Let Zeus now be my witness, first of gods, highest and best,
Γῆ τε καὶ Ἠέλιος καὶ Ἐρινύες, αἵ θʼ ὑπὸ γαῖαν
and Earth, and Sun, and the Erinyes, who beneath the earth
ἀνθρώπους τίνυνται, ὅτις κʼ ἐπίορκον ὀμόσσῃ,
punish men, whoever swears a false oath,
μὴ μὲν ἐγὼ κούρῃ Βρισηΐδι χεῖρʼ ἐπένεικα,
that I never laid hand upon the girl Briseis,
οὔτʼ εὐνῆς πρόφασιν κεχρημένος5 οὔτέ τευ ἄλλου.
neither seeking her bed nor for any other reason.
ἀλλʼ ἔμενʼ ἀπροτίμαστος ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἐμῇσιν.
But she remained untouched in my huts.
εἰ δέ τι τῶνδʼ ἐπίορκον ἐμοὶ θεοὶ ἄλγεα δοῖεν
And if any of these oaths be false, may the gods give me
πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα διδοῦσιν ὅτίς σφʼ ἀλίτηται ὀμόσσας.
many pains, even as many as they give to whoever sins against them in swearing.”
ἦ, καὶ ἀπὸ στόμαχον κάπρου τάμε νηλέϊ χαλκῷ.
He spoke, and cut the throat of the boar with the pitiless bronze.
τὸν μὲν Ταλθύβιος πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐς μέγα λαῖτμα
And Talthybius whirled it and threw it into the great gulf of the grey sea
ῥῖψʼ ἐπιδινήσας βόσιν ἰχθύσιν· αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
to be food for the fishes; but Achilles
ἀνστὰς Ἀργείοισι φιλοπτολέμοισι μετηύδα·
stood up and spoke among the war-loving Argives:
Ζεῦ πάτερ ἦ μεγάλας ἄτας ἄνδρεσσι διδοῖσθα·
”Father Zeus, truly great are the delusions you give to men;
οὐκ ἂν δή ποτε θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐμοῖσιν
never would the son of Atreus have utterly aroused
Ἀτρεΐδης ὤρινε διαμπερές, οὐδέ κε κούρην
the anger in my breast, nor would he have led away
ἦγεν ἐμεῦ ἀέκοντος ἀμήχανος· ἀλλά ποθι Ζεὺς
the girl against my will, helpless as he is; but somehow Zeus
ἤθελʼ Ἀχαιοῖσιν θάνατον πολέεσσι γενέσθαι.
willed that death should come upon many of the Achaeans.
νῦν δʼ ἔρχεσθʼ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον, ἵνα ξυνάγωμεν Ἄρηα.
But now go to your meal, so that we may join battle.”
ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, λῦσεν δʼ ἀγορὴν αἰψηρήν.
So he spoke, and dismissed the assembly quickly.
οἳ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐσκίδναντο ἑὴν ἐπὶ νῆα ἕκαστος,
Then they scattered, each to his own ship,
δῶρα δὲ Μυρμιδόνες μεγαλήτορες ἀμφεπένοντο,
and the great-hearted Myrmidons busied themselves with the gifts,
βὰν δʼ ἐπὶ νῆα φέροντες Ἀχιλλῆος θείοιο.
and went bearing them to the ship of godlike Achilles.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν κλισίῃσι θέσαν, κάθισαν δὲ γυναῖκας,
These they placed in the huts, and seated the women,
ἵππους δʼ εἰς ἀγέλην ἔλασαν θεράποντες ἀγαυοί.
and noble squires drove the horses to the herd.
Βρισηῒς δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτʼ ἰκέλη χρυσέῃ Ἀφροδίτῃ
And Briseis, like unto golden Aphrodite,
ὡς ἴδε Πάτροκλον δεδαϊγμένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,
when she saw Patroclus mangled by the sharp bronze,
- 19.212τετραμμένος
Perfect passive participle, referring to the traditional funeral custom where the dead body was laid out in the vestibule with feet pointing toward the door.
- 19.218σεῖο νοήματί γε προβαλοίμην
The optative προβαλοίμην with the particle κε expresses potentiality ("I might surpass"). σεῖο is a genitive of comparison depending on the verb προβάλλεσθαι (to surpass), and νοήματι is a dative of respect ("in counsel/thought").
- 19.222ἧς τε πλείστην μὲν καλάμην χθονὶ χαλκὸς ἔχευεν
The genitive relative pronoun ἧς refers to the antecedent φυλόπιδος (battle). This sentence uses an agricultural metaphor of harvest, comparing battle to a field where the bronze cuts down much straw (corpses) but the actual harvest is tiny.
- 19.225γαστέρι δʼ οὔ πως ἔστι
ἔστι is impersonal, meaning "it is possible." Ἀχαιούς is the accusative subject of the infinitive πενθῆσαι. γαστέρι is a dative of means or manner ("with the belly," i.e., by fasting).
- 19.262οὔτʼ εὐνῆς πρόφασιν κεχρημένος
κεχρημένος is the perfect participle of χράομαι (to desire, need, use), which takes the genitive εὐνῆς (bed). πρόφασιν is an adverbial accusative meaning "as a pretext" or "by reason of."