- 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-grc2:20.293-20.364
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Poseidon intervenes to save Aeneas' life by blinding Achilles with a mist and carrying Aeneas to safety. Upon regaining his sight, Achilles marvels at the miracle but quickly rallies his men to resume the fierce assault.
ὢ πόποι ἦ μοι1 ἄχος μεγαλήτορος Αἰνείαο,
”Ah, indeed, I have heavy grief for great-hearted Aeneas,
ὃς τάχα Πηλεΐωνι δαμεὶς Ἄϊδος δὲ κάτεισι
who will soon go down to Hades, slain by the son of Peleus,
πειθόμενος μύθοισιν Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκάτοιο
because he listened to the words of far-shooting Apollo—
νήπιος, οὐδέ τί οἱ χραισμήσει λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον.
fool that he was, nor will Apollo ward off grim destruction from him at all.
ἀλλὰ τί ἢ νῦν οὗτος ἀναίτιος ἄλγεα πάσχει
But why does this innocent man now suffer woes
μὰψ ἕνεκʼ ἀλλοτρίων ἀχέων, κεχαρισμένα δʼ αἰεὶ
in vain because of others’ griefs, though he always gives
δῶρα θεοῖσι δίδωσι τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν;
pleasing gifts to the gods who hold the wide heaven?
ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ ἡμεῖς πέρ μιν ὑπὲκ θανάτου ἀγάγωμεν,
But come, let us at least lead him away from death,
μή πως καὶ Κρονίδης κεχολώσεται,2 αἴ κεν Ἀχιλλεὺς
lest the son of Cronos be angry if Achilles
τόνδε κατακτείνῃ· μόριμον δέ οἵ ἐστʼ ἀλέασθαι,
slay this man; for it is fated for him to escape,
ὄφρα μὴ ἄσπερμος γενεὴ καὶ ἄφαντος ὄληται
so that the race may not perish without seed and be seen no more—
Δαρδάνου, ὃν Κρονίδης περὶ πάντων φίλατο παίδων
the race of Dardanus, whom the son of Cronos loved above all the children
οἳ ἕθεν ἐξεγένοντο γυναικῶν τε θνητάων.
who were born to him from mortal women.
ἤδη γὰρ Πριάμου γενεὴν ἔχθηρε Κρονίων·
For already the son of Cronos hates the race of Priam;
νῦν δὲ δὴ Αἰνείαο βίη Τρώεσσιν ἀνάξει
and now indeed the mighty Aeneas shall rule over the Trojans,
καὶ παίδων παῖδες, τοί κεν μετόπισθε γένωνται.
and his children’s children, who shall be born in aftertime.”
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη·
Then the ox-eyed queenly Hera answered him:
ἐννοσίγαιʼ, αὐτὸς σὺ μετὰ φρεσὶ σῇσι νόησον
”Earth-shaker, do you yourself consider in your own heart,
Αἰνείαν ἤ κέν μιν ἐρύσσεαι ἦ κεν ἐάσῃς
whether you will rescue Aeneas or let him
Πηλεΐδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ δαμήμεναι,3 ἐσθλὸν ἐόντα.
be slain by Achilles, son of Peleus, noble though he is.
ἤτοι μὲν γὰρ νῶϊ πολέας ὠμόσσαμεν ὅρκους
For indeed we two have sworn many oaths
πᾶσι μετʼ ἀθανάτοισιν ἐγὼ καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη
before all the immortals, I and Pallas Athena,
μή ποτʼ ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀλεξήσειν κακὸν ἦμαρ,
never to ward off the evil day from the Trojans,
μηδʼ ὁπότʼ ἂν Τροίη μαλερῷ πυρὶ πᾶσα δάηται
not even when all Troy shall burn with consuming fire,
καιομένη, καίωσι δʼ ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν.
and the warlike sons of the Achaeans shall burn it.”
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τό γʼ ἄκουσε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων,
But when Poseidon, the earth-shaker, heard this,
βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν ἄν τε μάχην καὶ ἀνὰ κλόνον ἐγχειάων,
he went through the battle and the clash of spears,
ἷξε δʼ ὅθʼ Αἰνείας ἠδʼ ὃ κλυτὸς ἦεν Ἀχιλλεύς.
and came to where Aeneas and glorious Achilles were.
αὐτίκα τῷ μὲν ἔπειτα κατʼ ὀφθαλμῶν χέεν ἀχλὺν
Straightway then he poured a mist over the eyes
Πηλεΐδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ· ὃ δὲ μελίην εὔχαλκον
of Achilles, son of Peleus; and he drew the bronze-headed ashen spear
ἀσπίδος ἐξέρυσεν μεγαλήτορος Αἰνείαο·
out from the shield of great-hearted Aeneas;
καὶ τὴν μὲν προπάροιθε ποδῶν Ἀχιλῆος ἔθηκεν,
and this he laid before the feet of Achilles,
Αἰνείαν δʼ ἔσσευεν ἀπὸ χθονὸς ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας.
but Aeneas he swept away, lifting him high from the earth.
πολλὰς δὲ στίχας ἡρώων, πολλὰς δὲ καὶ ἵππων
And over many lines of heroes and many of horses
Αἰνείας ὑπερᾶλτο θεοῦ ἀπὸ χειρὸς ὀρούσας,
did Aeneas leap, springing from the hand of the god,
ἷξε δʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχατιὴν πολυάϊκος πολέμοιο,
and he came to the verge of the furious battle,
ἔνθά τε Καύκωνες πόλεμον μέτα θωρήσσοντο.
where the Caucones were arming themselves for the war.
τῷ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων,
And to him came Poseidon, the earth-shaker, very near,
καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
and spoke to him, addressing him with winged words:
Αἰνεία, τίς σʼ ὧδε θεῶν ἀτέοντα κελεύει
”Aeneas, which of the gods bids you thus blindly
ἀντία Πηλεΐωνος ὑπερθύμοιο μάχεσθαι,
to fight face to face with the high-spirited son of Peleus,
ὃς σεῦ ἅμα κρείσσων καὶ φίλτερος ἀθανάτοισιν;
who is both stronger than you and dearer to the immortals?
ἀλλʼ ἀναχωρῆσαι ὅτε κεν συμβλήσεαι αὐτῷ,
Nay, draw back whenever you meet him,
μὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ μοῖραν δόμον Ἄϊδος εἰσαφίκηαι.4
lest even contrary to fate you enter the house of Hades.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κʼ Ἀχιλεὺς θάνατον καὶ πότμον ἐπίσπῃ,
But when Achilles has met his death and fate,
θαρσήσας δὴ ἔπειτα μετὰ πρώτοισι μάχεσθαι·
then indeed take courage to fight among the foremost;
οὐ μὲν γάρ τίς σʼ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν ἐξεναρίξει.
for no other of the Achaeans shall slay you.”
ὣς εἰπὼν λίπεν αὐτόθʼ, ἐπεὶ διεπέφραδε πάντα.
So saying, he left him there, when he had made all things clear.
αἶψα δʼ ἔπειτʼ Ἀχιλῆος ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν σκέδασʼ ἀχλὺν
And straightway then he scattered the wondrous mist from the eyes
θεσπεσίην· ὃ δʼ ἔπειτα μέγʼ ἔξιδεν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν,
of Achilles; and he stared wide with his eyes,
ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·
and in vexation spoke to his own great-hearted spirit:
ὢ πόποι ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι·
”Ah, indeed, a great wonder is this that I behold with my eyes!
ἔγχος μὲν τόδε κεῖται ἐπὶ χθονός, οὐδέ τι φῶτα
Here lies the spear upon the ground, yet I do not see
λεύσσω, τῷ ἐφέηκα κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων.
the man at whom I hurled it, eager to slay him.
ἦ ῥα καὶ Αἰνείας φίλος ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν
Surely Aeneas too was dear to the immortal gods,
ἦεν· ἀτάρ μιν ἔφην μὰψ αὔτως εὐχετάασθαι.5
though I thought he boasted in vain.
ἐρρέτω· οὔ οἱ θυμὸς ἐμεῦ ἔτι πειρηθῆναι
Let him go! He will have no heart to test me again,
ἔσσεται, ὃς καὶ νῦν φύγεν ἄσμενος ἐκ θανάτοιο.
seeing that even now he is glad to have escaped from death.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ Δαναοῖσι φιλοπτολέμοισι κελεύσας
But come, let me call to the war-loving Danaans
τῶν ἄλλων Τρώων πειρήσομαι ἀντίος ἐλθών.
and go to face the rest of the Trojans and test them.”
ἦ, καὶ ἐπὶ στίχας ἆλτο, κέλευε δὲ φωτὶ ἑκάστῳ·
He spoke, and leaped along the lines, and called to each man:
μηκέτι νῦν Τρώων ἑκὰς ἕστατε δῖοι Ἀχαιοί,
”No longer stand far from the Trojans, noble Achaeans,
ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἀνὴρ ἄντʼ ἀνδρὸς ἴτω, μεμάτω δὲ μάχεσθαι.
but come, let man face man, and be eager to fight.
ἀργαλέον δέ μοί ἐστι καὶ ἰφθίμῳ περ ἐόντι
Hard is it for me, strong though I am,
τοσσούσδʼ ἀνθρώπους ἐφέπειν καὶ πᾶσι μάχεσθαι·
to pursue so many men and fight with them all;
οὐδέ κʼ Ἄρης, ὅς περ θεὸς ἄμβροτος, οὐδέ κʼ Ἀθήνη
not even Ares, who is an immortal god, nor Athena
τοσσῆσδʼ ὑσμίνης ἐφέποι στόμα καὶ πονέοιτο·
could face the brunt of such a battle and toil in it.
ἀλλʼ ὅσσον μὲν ἐγὼ δύναμαι χερσίν τε ποσίν τε
But as far as I can with hands and feet
καὶ σθένει, οὔ μʼ ἔτι φημὶ μεθησέμεν οὐδʼ ἠβαιόν,
and strength, I say I will no longer hold back, not even a little,
ἀλλὰ μάλα στιχὸς εἶμι διαμπερές, οὐδέ τινʼ οἴω
but I will go straight through the line, nor do I think
Τρώων χαιρήσειν, ὅς τις σχεδὸν ἔγχεος ἔλθῃ.
any of the Trojans will rejoice, whoever comes near my spear.”
ὣς φάτʼ ἐποτρύνων· Τρώεσσι δὲ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ
So he spoke to urge them on; and to the Trojans glorious Hector
- 20.293μοι
Ethical dative indicating the speaker's (Poseidon's) deep concern and sympathy for Aeneas, rather than a simple dative of possession.
- 20.301κεχολώσεται
Either a short-vowel subjunctive or a future indicative in Homer, used with the particle μή to express a fear or apprehension ("lest the son of Cronos be angry").
- 20.312δαμήμεναι
Aorist passive infinitive (Homeric form) of δάμνημι, meaning "to be subdued" or "to be slain". It functions as the complement of ἐάσῃς ("let him be slain") in the preceding line.
- 20.336εἰσαφίκηαι
Second person singular aorist middle subjunctive (Homeric form for εἰσαφίκῃ). Introduced by μὴ to express a strong negative purpose or fear ("lest you arrive").
- 20.348εὐχετάασθαι
Present infinitive (Homeric form) of εὐχέομαι ("to boast"). It is part of an accusative and infinitive construction introduced by the main verb ἔφην ("I thought"), with the accusative pronoun μιν acting as its subject.