Catalogue of Ships: Central Greece and the Northern Peloponnese — Homer, Iliad Book 2 (lines 502–577), Greek & English

502

Κώπας Εὔτρησίν τε πολυτρήρωνά τε Θίσβην,

Copae, and Eutresis, and Thisbe, the haunt of many doves;

οἵ τε Κορώνειαν καὶ ποιήενθʼ Ἁλίαρτον,

and they who dwelt in Coroneia and grassy Haliartus,

οἵ τε Πλάταιαν ἔχον ἠδʼ οἳ Γλισᾶντʼ ἐνέμοντο,

and they who held Plataea and they who dwelt in Glisas,

505

οἵ θʼ Ὑποθήβας εἶχον ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον,

and they who held Hypothebae, the well-built city,

Ὀγχηστόν θʼ ἱερὸν Ποσιδήϊον ἀγλαὸν ἄλσος,

and sacred Onchestus, the bright grove of Poseidon;

οἵ τε πολυστάφυλον Ἄρνην ἔχον, οἵ τε Μίδειαν

and they who held Arne, rich in vines, and they who held Midea,

Νῖσάν τε ζαθέην Ἀνθηδόνα τʼ ἐσχατόωσαν·

and sacred Nisa and Anthedon on the furthest border.

τῶν μὲν πεντήκοντα νέες κίον, ἐν δὲ ἑκάστῃ

Of these there went fifty ships, and on each

510

κοῦροι Βοιωτῶν ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσι βαῖνον.

went a hundred and twenty youths of the Boeotians.

οἳ δʼ Ἀσπληδόνα ναῖον ἰδʼ Ὀρχομενὸν Μινύειον,

And they who dwelt in Aspledon and Orchomenus of the Minyae,

τῶν ἦρχʼ Ἀσκάλαφος καὶ Ἰάλμενος υἷες Ἄρηος

these were led by Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Ares,

οὓς τέκεν Ἀστυόχη δόμῳ Ἄκτορος Ἀζεΐδαο,

whom Astyoche bore in the palace of Actor, son of Azeus,

παρθένος αἰδοίη ὑπερώϊον εἰσαναβᾶσα

a maiden reverent, when she had gone up to her upper chamber,

515

Ἄρηϊ κρατερῷ·¹ ὃ δέ οἱ παρελέξατο λάθρῃ·

to strong Ares, and he lay with her in secret.

τοῖς δὲ τριήκοντα γλαφυραὶ νέες ἐστιχόωντο.

And with these thirty hollow ships went in order.

αὐτὰρ Φωκήων Σχεδίος καὶ Ἐπίστροφος ἦρχον

But of the Phocians, Schedius and Epistrophus were captains,

υἷες Ἰφίτου μεγαθύμου Ναυβολίδαο,

sons of great-hearted Iphitus, son of Naubolus,

οἳ Κυπάρισσον ἔχον Πυθῶνά τε πετρήεσσαν

who held Cyparissus, and rocky Pytho,

520

Κρῖσάν τε ζαθέην καὶ Δαυλίδα καὶ Πανοπῆα,

and sacred Crisa, and Daulis, and Panopeus,

οἵ τʼ Ἀνεμώρειαν καὶ Ὑάμπολιν ἀμφενέμοντο,

and they who dwelt about Anemoreia and Hyampolis,

οἵ τʼ ἄρα πὰρ ποταμὸν Κηφισὸν δῖον ἔναιον,

and they who dwelt by the divine river Cephisus,

οἵ τε Λίλαιαν ἔχον πηγῇς ἔπι Κηφισοῖο·

and they who held Lilaea by the springs of Cephisus.

τοῖς δʼ ἅμα τεσσαράκοντα μέλαιναι νῆες ἕποντο.

And with these followed forty black ships.

525

οἳ μὲν Φωκήων στίχας ἵστασαν ἀμφιέποντες,

These indeed busied themselves in marshalling the ranks of the Phocians,

Βοιωτῶν δʼ ἔμπλην ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ θωρήσσοντο.

and they were armed close by the Boeotians on their left.

Λοκρῶν δʼ ἡγεμόνευεν Ὀϊλῆος ταχὺς Αἴας

And of the Locrians the leader was swift Ajax, son of Oileus,

μείων, οὔ τι τόσος γε ὅσος Τελαμώνιος Αἴας

the lesser, not by any means so great as Telamonian Ajax,

ἀλλὰ πολὺ μείων· ὀλίγος μὲν ἔην λινοθώρηξ,

but far less; small indeed he was, wearing a linen corselet,

530

ἐγχείῃ δʼ ἐκέκαστο Πανέλληνας καὶ Ἀχαιούς·²

but with the spear he excelled all the Hellenes and Achaeans;

οἳ Κῦνόν τʼ ἐνέμοντʼ Ὀπόεντά τε Καλλίαρόν τε

they who dwelt in Cynus, and Opus, and Calliarus,

Βῆσσάν τε Σκάρφην τε καὶ Αὐγειὰς ἐρατεινὰς

and Bessa, and Scarpha, and lovely Augeiae,

Τάρφην τε Θρόνιον τε Βοαγρίου ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρα·

and Tarphe, and Thronium about the streams of Boagrius.

τῷ δʼ ἅμα τεσσαράκοντα μέλαιναι νῆες ἕποντο

And with him followed forty black ships

535

Λοκρῶν, οἳ ναίουσι πέρην ἱερῆς Εὐβοίης.

of the Locrians, who dwell across from sacred Euboea.

οἳ δʼ Εὔβοιαν ἔχον μένεα πνείοντες Ἄβαντες

And they who held Euboea, the Abantes breathing fury,

Χαλκίδα τʼ Εἰρέτριάν τε πολυστάφυλόν θʼ Ἱστίαιαν

they of Chalcis, and Eretria, and Histiaea, rich in vines,

Κήρινθόν τʼ ἔφαλον Δίου τʼ αἰπὺ πτολίεθρον,

and Cerinthus by the sea, and the steep city of Dium,

οἵ τε Κάρυστον ἔχον ἠδʼ οἳ Στύρα ναιετάασκον,

and they who held Carystus, and they who dwelt in Styra.

540

τῶν αὖθʼ ἡγεμόνευʼ Ἐλεφήνωρ ὄζος Ἄρηος

Of these again Elephenor, scion of Ares, was leader,

Χαλκωδοντιάδης μεγαθύμων ἀρχὸς Ἀβάντων.

son of Chalcodon, captain of the great-hearted Abantes.

τῷ δʼ ἅμʼ Ἄβαντες ἕποντο θοοὶ ὄπιθεν κομόωντες

And with him followed the swift Abantes, letting their hair grow long behind,

αἰχμηταὶ μεμαῶτες ὀρεκτῇσιν μελίῃσι

spearmen eager with outstretched ashen spears

θώρηκας ῥήξειν δηΐων ἀμφὶ στήθεσσι·

to break the corselets about the breasts of the foemen.

545

τῷ δʼ ἅμα τεσσαράκοντα μέλαιναι νῆες ἕποντο.

And with him followed forty black ships.

οἳ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἀθήνας εἶχον ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον

And they who held Athens, the well-built city,

δῆμον Ἐρεχθῆος μεγαλήτορος, ὅν ποτʼ Ἀθήνη

the land of great-hearted Erechtheus, whom once Athena,

θρέψε Διὸς θυγάτηρ, τέκε δὲ ζείδωρος ἄρουρα,

daughter of Zeus, nurtured, but the grain-giving earth bore him,

κὰδ δʼ ἐν Ἀθήνῃς εἷσεν ἑῷ ἐν πίονι νηῷ·³

and she established him in Athens in her own rich temple;

550

ἔνθα δέ μιν ταύροισι καὶ ἀρνειοῖς ἱλάονται

there do the youths of the Athenians propitiate him

κοῦροι Ἀθηναίων περιτελλομένων ἐνιαυτῶν·

with bulls and rams as the years roll round.

τῶν αὖθʼ ἡγεμόνευʼ υἱὸς Πετεῶο Μενεσθεύς.

These again were led by Menestheus, son of Peteos.

τῷ δʼ οὔ πώ τις ὁμοῖος ἐπιχθόνιος γένετʼ ἀνὴρ

To him there was no man like on the face of the earth

κοσμῆσαι ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας·⁴

for the marshalling of horses and shielded men;

555

Νέστωρ οἶος ἔριζεν· ὃ γὰρ προγενέστερος ἦεν·

Nestor alone rivalled him, for he was the elder.

τῷ δʼ ἅμα πεντήκοντα μέλαιναι νῆες ἕποντο.

And with him followed fifty black ships.

Αἴας δʼ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος ἄγεν δυοκαίδεκα νῆας,

And Ajax led twelve ships from Salamis,

στῆσε δʼ ἄγων ἵνʼ Ἀθηναίων ἵσταντο φάλαγγες.

and stationing them, led where the phalanxes of the Athenians stood.

οἳ δʼ Ἄργός τʼ εἶχον Τίρυνθά τε τειχιόεσσαν

And they who held Argos, and Tiryns of the great walls,

560

Ἑρμιόνην Ἀσίνην τε, βαθὺν κατὰ κόλπον ἐχούσας,

and Hermione and Asine that hold the deep gulf,

Τροιζῆνʼ Ἠϊόνας τε καὶ ἀμπελόεντʼ Ἐπίδαυρον,

and Troezen, and Eionae, and Epidaurus rich in vines,

οἵ τʼ ἔχον Αἴγιναν Μάσητά τε κοῦροι Ἀχαιῶν,

and they who held Aegina and Mases, youths of the Achaeans,

τῶν αὖθʼ ἡγεμόνευε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης

these again were led by Diomedes, good at the war-cry,

καὶ Σθένελος, Καπανῆος ἀγακλειτοῦ φίλος υἱός·

and Sthenelus, dear son of far-famed Capaneus.

565

τοῖσι δʼ ἅμʼ Εὐρύαλος τρίτατος κίεν ἰσόθεος φὼς

And with them went as a third leader Euryalus, a godlike man,

Μηκιστέος υἱὸς Ταλαϊονίδαο ἄνακτος·

son of king Mecisteus, son of Talaus;

συμπάντων δʼ ἡγεῖτο βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

but over them all was leader Diomedes, good at the war-cry.

τοῖσι δʼ ἅμʼ ὀγδώκοντα μέλαιναι νῆες ἕποντο.

And with these followed eighty black ships.

οἳ δὲ Μυκήνας εἶχον ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον

And they who held Mycenae, the well-built city,

570

ἀφνειόν τε Κόρινθον ἐϋκτιμένας τε Κλεωνάς,

and wealthy Corinth, and well-built Cleonae,

Ὀρνειάς τʼ ἐνέμοντο Ἀραιθυρέην τʼ ἐρατεινὴν

and they who dwelt in Orneiae, and lovely Araethyrea,

καὶ Σικυῶνʼ, ὅθʼ ἄρʼ Ἄδρηστος πρῶτʼ ἐμβασίλευεν,

and Sicyon, where Adrastus first was king,

οἵ θʼ Ὑπερησίην τε καὶ αἰπεινὴν Γονόεσσαν

and they who held Hyperesia, and steep Gonoessa,

Πελλήνην τʼ εἶχον ἠδʼ Αἴγιον ἀμφενέμοντο

and they who held Pellene, and they who dwelt about Aegium,

575

Αἰγιαλόν τʼ ἀνὰ πάντα καὶ ἀμφʼ Ἑλίκην εὐρεῖαν,

and along all the Coast, and about wide Helice;

τῶν ἑκατὸν νηῶν ἦρχε κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

of their hundred ships was leader lord Agamemnon,

Ἀτρεΐδης· ἅμα τῷ γε πολὺ πλεῖστοι καὶ ἄριστοι

son of Atreus; and with him followed by far the most and best host.

Syntax notes4 items

2.513οὓς τέκεν Ἀστυόχη δόμῳ Ἄκτορος Ἀζεΐδαο, παρθένος αἰδοίη ὑπερώϊον εἰσαναβᾶσα / Ἄρηϊ κρατερῷ
The participle εἰσαναβᾶσα (having gone up) functions as an action prior to or situational to the main verb τέκεν (bore). The dative Ἄρηϊ (to/with Ares) is syntactically anticipated by the subsequent clause παρελέξατο (he lay with her), but stands in close context with her ascent to the god.
2.530ἐγχείῃ δʼ ἐκέκαστο Πανέλληνας καὶ Ἀχαιούς
The verb κέκαστο (excelled, surpassed) takes the accusative of person (Πανέλληνας καὶ Ἀχαιούς) as its object of comparison and is accompanied by the dative of respect or means ἐγχείῃ (in/with the spear) indicating the field of excellence.
2.549κὰδ δʼ ἐν Ἀθήνῃς εἷσεν ἑῷ ἐν πίονι νηῷ
The phrase exhibits tmesis of the preposition κατά and the verb ἷσεν (seated, established), with the postpositive particle δέ placed in between. The double use of the preposition ἐν (ἐν Ἀθήνῃς and ἐν πίονι νηῷ) successively restricts the location from the general area (Athens) to the specific spot (her own rich temple).
2.553τῷ δʼ οὔ πώ τις ὁμοῖος ἐπιχθόνιος γένετʼ ἀνὴρ κοσμῆσαι ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας
The dative τῷ is governed by the adjective ὁμοῖος (like, equal to), referring to Menestheus. The infinitive κοσμῆσαι (to marshal, to array) functions as an epexegetical infinitive, limiting or specifying the respect in which no earthly man was his equal.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.502-2.577