- 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-grc2:19.284-19.354
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Briseis flings herself upon Patroclus' corpse, lamenting his kindness and her own tragic fate, while Achilles refuses food, weeping as he recalls their past days and thinks of his father and son back home. As the elders weep with him, Athena, sent by Zeus, instills nectar and ambrosia into the fasting Achilles to sustain his strength.
ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ χυμένη λίγʼ ἐκώκυε, χερσὶ δʼ ἄμυσσε
Clinging to him she wailed shrilly, and with her hands she tore
στήθεά τʼ ἠδʼ ἁπαλὴν δειρὴν ἰδὲ καλὰ πρόσωπα.
her breast and tender neck and beautiful face.
εἶπε δʼ ἄρα κλαίουσα γυνὴ ἐϊκυῖα θεῇσι·
And then weeping spoke the woman like unto the goddesses:
Πάτροκλέ μοι δειλῇ πλεῖστον κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ
”O Patroclus, dearest to my wretched heart,
ζωὸν μέν σε ἔλειπον ἐγὼ κλισίηθεν ἰοῦσα,
alive indeed I left you when departing from the hut,
νῦν δέ σε τεθνηῶτα κιχάνομαι ὄρχαμε λαῶν
but now I find you dead, O leader of hosts,
ἂψ ἀνιοῦσʼ· ὥς μοι δέχεται κακὸν ἐκ κακοῦ αἰεί.
returning back; thus ever does evil follow evil for me.
ἄνδρα μὲν ᾧ ἔδοσάν με πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ
The husband indeed to whom my father and honored mother gave me
εἶδον πρὸ πτόλιος δεδαϊγμένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,
I saw before the city mangled by the sharp bronze,
τρεῖς τε κασιγνήτους, τούς μοι μία γείνατο μήτηρ,
and my three brothers, whom one mother bore to me,
κηδείους, οἳ πάντες ὀλέθριον ἦμαρ ἐπέσπον.
beloved ones, who all met their day of destruction.
οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδέ μʼ ἔασκες, ὅτʼ ἄνδρʼ ἐμὸν ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεὺς
Yet you would not even let me, when swift Achilles
ἔκτεινεν, πέρσεν δὲ πόλιν θείοιο Μύνητος,
slew my husband, and sacked the city of godlike Mynes,
κλαίειν, ἀλλά μʼ ἔφασκες Ἀχιλλῆος θείοιο
weep, but you said you would make me of godlike Achilles
κουριδίην ἄλοχον θήσειν, ἄξειν τʼ ἐνὶ νηυσὶν
the wedded wife, and would lead me in the ships
ἐς Φθίην, δαίσειν δὲ γάμον μετὰ Μυρμιδόνεσσι.
to Phthia, and would celebrate the marriage feast among the Myrmidons.
τώ σʼ ἄμοτον κλαίω τεθνηότα μείλιχον αἰεί.
Therefore I weep for you without ceasing now that you are dead, you who were ever gentle.”
ὣς ἔφατο κλαίουσʼ, ἐπὶ δὲ στενάχοντο γυναῖκες
Thus she spoke weeping, and the women wailed in response,
Πάτροκλον πρόφασιν,1 σφῶν δʼ αὐτῶν κήδεʼ ἑκάστη.
with Patroclus as a pretext, but each for her own sorrows.
αὐτὸν δʼ ἀμφὶ γέροντες Ἀχαιῶν ἠγερέθοντο
And around Achilles the elders of the Achaeans gathered,
λισσόμενοι δειπνῆσαι· ὃ δʼ ἠρνεῖτο στεναχίζων·
entreating him to take food; but he refused, groaning:
λίσσομαι, εἴ τις ἔμοιγε φίλων ἐπιπείθεθʼ ἑταίρων,
”I entreat you, if any of my dear companions obeys me,
μή με πρὶν σίτοιο κελεύετε μηδὲ ποτῆτος
do not bid me before the time with food or drink
ἄσασθαι φίλον ἦτορ, ἐπεί μʼ ἄχος αἰνὸν ἱκάνει·
satiate my dear heart, since dread grief has come upon me;
δύντα δʼ ἐς ἠέλιον μενέω καὶ τλήσομαι ἔμπης.
but until the sun goes down I will wait and endure anyway.”
ὣς εἰπὼν ἄλλους μὲν ἀπεσκέδασεν βασιλῆας,
So saying, he sent away the other kings,
δοιὼ δʼ Ἀτρεΐδα μενέτην καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς
but the two sons of Atreus remained, and noble Odysseus,
Νέστωρ Ἰδομενεύς τε γέρων θʼ ἱππηλάτα Φοῖνιξ
Nestor and Idomeneus, and the old horseman Phoenix,
τέρποντες πυκινῶς ἀκαχήμενον· οὐδέ τι θυμῷ
trying to comfort him in his deep sorrow; but in no way in his heart
τέρπετο, πρὶν πολέμου στόμα δύμεναι2 αἱματόεντος.
was he comforted, before he should enter the mouth of bloody war.
μνησάμενος δʼ ἁδινῶς ἀνενείκατο φώνησέν τε·
And remembering, he sighed deeply and spoke:
ἦ ῥά νύ μοί ποτε καὶ σὺ δυσάμμορε φίλταθʼ ἑταίρων
”Surely once even you, O ill-fated one, dearest of companions,
αὐτὸς ἐνὶ κλισίῃ λαρὸν παρὰ δεῖπνον ἔθηκας
yourself in the hut would set a savory meal before me
αἶψα καὶ ὀτραλέως, ὁπότε σπερχοίατʼ Ἀχαιοὶ
quickly and busily, whenever the Achaeans would hasten
Τρωσὶν ἐφʼ ἱπποδάμοισι φέρειν πολύδακρυν Ἄρηα.
against the horse-taming Trojans to bring tearful war.
νῦν δὲ σὺ μὲν κεῖσαι δεδαϊγμένος, αὐτὰρ ἐμὸν κῆρ
But now you lie there mangled, while my heart
ἄκμηνον πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος, ἔνδον ἐόντων,
is fasting from drink and food, though they are within,
σῇ ποθῇ· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι κακώτερον ἄλλο πάθοιμι,
from longing for you; for I could suffer nothing worse than this,
οὐδʼ εἴ κεν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀποφθιμένοιο πυθοίμην,
not even if I should hear of the death of my father,
ὅς που νῦν Φθίηφι τέρεν κατὰ δάκρυον εἴβει
who now surely in Phthia lets fall a tender tear
χήτεϊ τοιοῦδʼ υἷος· ὃ δʼ ἀλλοδαπῷ ἐνὶ δήμῳ
for want of such a son; while I in a foreign land
εἵνεκα ῥιγεδανῆς Ἑλένης Τρωσὶν πολεμίζω·
for the sake of cold Helen war with the Trojans;
ἠὲ τὸν ὃς Σκύρῳ μοι ἔνι τρέφεται φίλος υἱός,
or of him who is being reared for me in Scyros, my dear son,
εἴ που ἔτι ζώει γε Νεοπτόλεμος θεοειδής.
if indeed godlike Neoptolemus still lives.
πρὶν μὲν γάρ μοι θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐώλπει
For before, the heart in my breast hoped
οἶον ἐμὲ φθίσεσθαι ἀπʼ Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο
that I alone should perish far from horse-pasturing Argos,
αὐτοῦ ἐνὶ Τροίῃ, σὲ δέ τε Φθίην δὲ νέεσθαι,
here in Troy, and that you should return to Phthia,
ὡς ἄν μοι τὸν παῖδα θοῇ ἐνὶ νηῒ μελαίνῃ
so that you might bring my boy in a swift black ship
Σκυρόθεν ἐξαγάγοις καί οἱ δείξειας ἕκαστα
out of Scyros, and show him everything,
κτῆσιν ἐμὴν δμῶάς τε καὶ ὑψερεφὲς μέγα δῶμα.
my possessions, my thralls, and my great high-roofed house.
ἤδη γὰρ Πηλῆά γʼ ὀΐομαι ἢ κατὰ πάμπαν
For already I think Peleus is either utterly
τεθνάμεν, ἤ που τυτθὸν ἔτι ζώοντʼ ἀκάχησθαι
dead, or is still barely alive and in sorrow
γήραΐ τε στυγερῷ καὶ ἐμὴν ποτιδέγμενον αἰεὶ
with hateful old age, and ever expecting my
λυγρὴν ἀγγελίην, ὅτʼ ἀποφθιμένοιο πύθηται.
grievous tidings, when he shall hear of my death.”
ὣς ἔφατο κλαίων, ἐπὶ δὲ στενάχοντο γέροντες,
So he spoke weeping, and the elders wailed in response,
μνησάμενοι τὰ ἕκαστος ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔλειπον·
remembering each what they had left in their own halls.
μυρομένους δʼ ἄρα τούς γε ἰδὼν ἐλέησε Κρονίων,
But seeing them weeping, the son of Cronos pitied them,
αἶψα δʼ Ἀθηναίην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
and quickly spoke winged words to Athena:
τέκνον ἐμόν, δὴ πάμπαν ἀποίχεαι ἀνδρὸς ἑῆος.3
”My child, you have altogether deserted your own warrior.
ἦ νύ τοι οὐκέτι πάγχυ μετὰ φρεσὶ μέμβλετʼ Ἀχιλλεύς;
Is Achilles indeed no longer any care to your heart?
κεῖνος ὅ γε προπάροιθε νεῶν ὀρθοκραιράων
Yonder he sits before the straight-horned ships,
ἧσται ὀδυρόμενος ἕταρον φίλον· οἳ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι
mourning his dear companion; while the others indeed
οἴχονται μετὰ δεῖπνον, ὃ δʼ ἄκμηνος καὶ ἄπαστος.
are gone to their meal, but he is fasting and without food.
ἀλλʼ ἴθι οἱ νέκτάρ τε καὶ ἀμβροσίην ἐρατεινὴν
But go, drop nectar and lovely ambrosia
στάξον ἐνὶ στήθεσσʼ, ἵνα μή μιν λιμὸς ἵκηται.
into his breast, so that hunger may not come upon him.”
ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε πάρος μεμαυῖαν Ἀθήνην·
So saying, he urged on Athena, who was already eager;
ἣ δʼ ἅρπῃ ἐϊκυῖα τανυπτέρυγι λιγυφώνῳ
and she, like a long-winged, shrill-voiced bird of prey,
οὐρανοῦ ἐκκατεπᾶλτο διʼ αἰθέρος. αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ
swooped down from heaven through the air. Meanwhile the Achaeans
αὐτίκα θωρήσσοντο κατὰ στρατόν· ἣ δʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ
were straightway arming throughout the host; and she into Achilles’
νέκταρ ἐνὶ στήθεσσι καὶ ἀμβροσίην ἐρατεινὴν
breast dropped nectar and lovely ambrosia,
στάξʼ, ἵνα μή μιν λιμὸς ἀτερπὴς γούναθʼ ἵκοιτο·
so that grievous hunger should not weaken his knees.
- 19.302Πάτροκλον πρόφασιν
The accusative πρόφασιν functions grammatically as an adverbial accusative of manner or apposition to the action ("under the pretext of Patroclus"). It masterfully conveys a psychological duality: while the women outwardly weep for Patroclus, each is actually lamenting her own miserable plight as a captive of war.
- 19.313πρὶν πολέμου στόμα δύμεναι
The conjunction πρίν introduces the aorist infinitive δύμεναι (Homeric form for δῦναι), meaning "before entering." The subject of the infinitive is omitted because it is identical to that of the main verb (Achilles). The phrase "mouth of war" (πολέμου στόμα) is a powerful metaphor for the front line of battle or the devouring nature of combat.
- 19.342ἀνδρὸς ἑῆος
The word ἑῆος here is not the genitive of the adjective ἐύς / ἠΰς ("noble"), but rather the epic genitive of the possessive adjective ἑός ("one's own"), used here to mean "your own (favorite) warrior." This highlights Zeus's appeal to Athena regarding her special care and affection for Achilles.