- 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-grc2:19.355-19.424
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
While Athena returns to heaven, the Achaean army sally forth, and Achilles arms himself with Hephaestus' armor and Peleus' spear. As he mounts his chariot, his horse Xanthus prophesies his impending death, but Achilles, fully accepting his fate, charges into battle.
αὐτὴ δὲ πρὸς πατρὸς ἐρισθενέος πυκινὸν δῶᾤχετο, τοὶ δʼ ἀπάνευθε νεῶν ἐχέοντο θοάων.
She herself went to the sturdy house of her mighty father, while they poured forth away from the swift ships.
ὡς δʼ ὅτε ταρφειαὶ νιφάδες Διὸς ἐκποτέονταιψυχραὶ ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς αἰθρηγενέος Βορέαο,
As when thick snowflakes flutter down from Zeus, cold beneath the blast of Boreas that clears the sky,
ὣς τότε ταρφειαὶ κόρυθες λαμπρὸν γανόωσαινηῶν ἐκφορέοντο καὶ ἀσπίδες ὀμφαλόεσσαι
so then thick helmets, brightly gleaming, were carried out from the ships, and bossed shields,
θώρηκές τε κραταιγύαλοι καὶ μείλινα δοῦρα.
strong-plated breastplates, and ashen spears.
αἴγλη δʼ οὐρανὸν ἷκε, γέλασσε δὲ πᾶσα περὶ χθὼνχαλκοῦ ὑπὸ στεροπῆς· ὑπὸ δὲ κτύπος ὄρνυτο ποσσὶν
And the gleam reached heaven, and all the earth around laughed beneath the flash of bronze; and a dull tramp of men’s feet arose beneath,
ἀνδρῶν· ἐν δὲ μέσοισι κορύσσετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.
and in their midst noble Achilles armed himself.
τοῦ καὶ ὀδόντων μὲν καναχὴ πέλε, τὼ δέ οἱ ὄσσελαμπέσθην ὡς εἴ τε πυρὸς σέλας, ἐν δέ οἱ ἦτορ
And of him there was a gnashing of teeth, and his two eyes blazed as it were the gleam of fire, and into his heart entered intolerable grief;
δῦνʼ ἄχος ἄτλητον· ὃ δʼ ἄρα Τρωσὶν μενεαίνωνδύσετο δῶρα θεοῦ, τά οἱ Ἥφαιστος κάμε τεύχων.
and raging against the Trojans he put on the gifts of the god, which Hephaestus had wrought for him with labor.
κνημῖδας μὲν πρῶτα περὶ κνήμῃσιν ἔθηκεκαλὰς ἀργυρέοισιν ἐπισφυρίοις ἀραρυίας·
First he placed the beautiful greaves about his legs, fitted with silver ankle-pieces;
δεύτερον αὖ θώρηκα περὶ στήθεσσιν ἔδυνεν.
next he put on the breastplate about his chest;
ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ὤμοισιν βάλετο ξίφος ἀργυρόηλονχάλκεον· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα σάκος μέγα τε στιβαρόν τεεἵλετο, τοῦ δʼ ἀπάνευθε σέλας γένετʼ ἠΰτε μήνης.
and about his shoulders he slung the bronze sword with silver studs; then he took the shield, great and sturdy, from which a gleam shone afar as of the moon.
ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἐκ πόντοιο σέλας ναύτῃσι φανήῃκαιομένοιο πυρός, τό τε καίεται ὑψόθʼ ὄρεσφι
And as when to sailors at sea there appears the gleam of a burning fire, which burns high up on the mountains in a lonely steading,
σταθμῷ ἐν οἰοπόλῳ· τοὺς δʼ οὐκ ἐθέλοντας ἄελλαιπόντον ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντα φίλων ἀπάνευθε φέρουσιν·
but storms carry them against their will over the fish-teeming deep away from their friends;
ὣς ἀπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος σάκεος σέλας αἰθέρʼ ἵκανε
so from the beautiful and fashioned shield of Achilles did the gleam reach the upper air.
καλοῦ δαιδαλέου· περὶ δὲ τρυφάλειαν ἀείραςκρατὶ θέτο βριαρήν· ἣ δʼ ἀστὴρ ὣς ἀπέλαμπεν
And lifting the heavy helmet, he set it upon his head; and it shone like a star,
ἵππουρις τρυφάλεια, περισσείοντο δʼ ἔθειραιχρύσεαι, ἃς Ἥφαιστος ἵει λόφον ἀμφὶ θαμειάς.
the helmet with plume of horse-hair, and the golden hairs rippled around it, which Hephaestus had set thickly about the crest.
πειρήθη δʼ ἕο αὐτοῦ ἐν ἔντεσι δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,εἰ οἷ ἐφαρμόσσειε καὶ ἐντρέχοι ἀγλαὰ γυῖα·
And noble Achilles made trial of himself in his armor, to see if it fitted him and if his glorious limbs had free play within;
τῷ δʼ εὖτε πτερὰ γίγνετʼ,1 ἄειρε δὲ ποιμένα λαῶν.
and to him it became as wings, and lifted up the shepherd of the people.
ἐκ δʼ ἄρα σύριγγος πατρώϊον ἐσπάσατʼ ἔγχοςβριθὺ μέγα στιβαρόν· τὸ μὲν οὐ δύνατʼ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶνπάλλειν, ἀλλά μιν οἶος ἐπίστατο πῆλαι Ἀχιλλεύς,
And from its case he drew his father’s spear, heavy and great and sturdy, which no other of the Achaeans could wield, but Achilles alone knew how to brandish it,
Πηλιάδα μελίην, τὴν πατρὶ φίλῳ πόρε ΧείρωνΠηλίου ἐκ κορυφῆς φόνον ἔμμεναι ἡρώεσσιν·
the Pelian ashen spear, which Cheiron had given to his dear father from the peak of Pelion, to be the death of heroes.
ἵππους δʼ Αὐτομέδων τε καὶ Ἄλκιμος ἀμφιέποντεςζεύγνυον· ἀμφὶ δὲ καλὰ λέπαδνʼ ἕσαν, ἐν δὲ χαλινοὺςγαμφηλῇς ἔβαλον, κατὰ δʼ ἡνία τεῖναν ὀπίσσω
And Automedon and Alcimus, busying themselves, yoked the horses, and put the beautiful collar-straps about them, and cast the bits into their jaws, and drew the reins back to the well-joined chariot.
κολλητὸν ποτὶ δίφρον. ὃ δὲ μάστιγα φαεινὴνχειρὶ λαβὼν ἀραρυῖαν ἐφʼ ἵπποιιν ἀνόρουσεν
And Automedon, grasping in his hand the bright whip that fitted it, leaped upon the chariot;
Αὐτομέδων· ὄπιθεν δὲ κορυσσάμενος βῆ Ἀχιλλεὺςτεύχεσι παμφαίνων ὥς τʼ ἠλέκτωρ Ὑπερίων,
and behind him stepped Achilles, armed for battle, gleaming in his armor like the bright sun Hyperion;
σμερδαλέον δʼ ἵπποισιν ἐκέκλετο πατρὸς ἑοῖο·
and terribly he called to the horses of his father:
Ξάνθέ τε καὶ Βαλίε τηλεκλυτὰ τέκνα Ποδάργηςἄλλως δὴ φράζεσθε2 σαωσέμεν ἡνιοχῆαἂψ Δαναῶν ἐς ὅμιλον ἐπεί χʼ ἕωμεν πολέμοιο,
”Xanthus and Balius, far-famed children of Podarge, in other wise now take thought to bring your charioteer back safe to the host of the Danaans, when we have had our fill of war,
μηδʼ ὡς Πάτροκλον λίπετʼ αὐτόθι τεθνηῶτα.
and do not leave him there dead, as you did Patroclus.”
τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὸ ζυγόφι προσέφη πόδας αἰόλος ἵπποςΞάνθος, ἄφαρ δʼ ἤμυσε καρήατι· πᾶσα δὲ χαίτηζεύγλης ἐξεριποῦσα παρὰ ζυγὸν οὖδας ἵκανεν·
Then from beneath the yoke spoke to him his swift-footed horse, Xanthus, and straightway he bowed his head, and all his mane, falling from the yoke-strap beside the yoke, reached the ground;
αὐδήεντα δʼ ἔθηκε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη·
and the white-armed goddess Hera gave him speech:
καὶ λίην σʼ ἔτι νῦν γε σαώσομεν ὄβριμʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ·ἀλλά τοι ἐγγύθεν ἦμαρ ὀλέθριον· οὐδέ τοι ἡμεῖςαἴτιοι, ἀλλὰ θεός τε μέγας καὶ Μοῖρα κραταιή.
”Aye, and still we will save you this time, mighty Achilles; yet your day of destruction is near at hand, and we are not the cause, but a great god and strong Fate.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμετέρῃ βραδυτῆτί τε νωχελίῃ τεΤρῶες ἀπʼ ὤμοιιν Πατρόκλου τεύχεʼ ἕλοντο·
For it was not by our slowness or our laziness that the Trojans stripped the armor from Patroclus’ shoulders;
ἀλλὰ θεῶν ὤριστος, ὃν ἠΰκομος τέκε Λητώ,ἔκτανʼ ἐνὶ προμάχοισι καὶ Ἕκτορι κῦδος ἔδωκε.
but the best of gods, whom fair-haired Leto bore, slew him among the foremost fighters and gave glory to Hector.
νῶϊ δὲ καί κεν ἅμα πνοιῇ Ζεφύροιο θέοιμεν,3ἥν περ ἐλαφροτάτην φάσʼ ἔμμεναι· ἀλλὰ σοὶ αὐτῷμόρσιμόν ἐστι θεῷ τε καὶ ἀνέρι ἶφι δαμῆναι.
And we two could run even as fast as the breath of the West Wind, which they say is the lightest of all; but for you yourself it is fated to be vanquished in fight by a god and a mortal.”
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσαντος Ἐρινύες ἔσχεθον αὐδήν.
When he had thus spoken, the Erinyes stopped his voice.
τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·
Then, greatly vexed, swift-footed Achilles spoke to him:
Ξάνθε τί μοι θάνατον μαντεύεαι; οὐδέ τί σε χρή.εὖ νυ τὸ οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς ὅ μοι μόρος ἐνθάδʼ ὀλέσθαι
”Xanthus, why do you prophesy my death? You have no need. Well do I know even of myself that it is my fate to perish here, far from my dear father and mother;
νόσφι φίλου πατρὸς καὶ μητέρος· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔμπηςοὐ λήξω πρὶν Τρῶας ἅδην ἐλάσαι πολέμοιο.
but nevertheless I will not cease until I have driven the Trojans to their fill of war.”
ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἐν πρώτοις ἰάχων ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους.
He spoke, and with a shout drove his single-hoofed horses among the foremost.
- 19.386τῷ δʼ εὖτε πτερὰ γίγνετʼ
The conjunction εὖτε generally means 'when', but in Homeric Greek it can function like ὥστε (as, like) to introduce a simile. Here it indicates that the armor became like wings to him, lifting his body.
- 19.401ἄλλως δὴ φράζεσθε
The adverb ἄλλως (otherwise, in another way) functions as a warning command to the horses to act 'differently' from how they did with Patroclus, ensuring they bring their living charioteer back safely this time.
- 19.415νῶϊ δὲ καί κεν ἅμα πνοιῇ Ζεφύροιο θέοιμεν
The optative θέοιμεν with the particle κεν (equivalent to ἄν) expresses potential ability ('we could even run'). The horses assert their supernatural speed, emphasizing that Achilles' impending death will not be due to any slowness on their part.