- 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-grc2:20.365-20.435
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Hector encourages the Trojans to face Achilles but temporarily retreats following Apollo's warning. Achilles ruthlessly slaughters several Trojans, including Priam's youngest son Polydorus, prompting an enraged Hector to confront Achilles.
κέκλεθʼ ὁμοκλήσας, φάτο δʼ ἴμεναι ἄντʼ Ἀχιλῆος·
called out with a shout, and bade them go against Achilles:
Τρῶες ὑπέρθυμοι μὴ δείδιτε Πηλεΐωνα.
”High-spirited Trojans, do not fear the son of Peleus.
καί κεν ἐγὼ ἐπέεσσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι μαχοίμην,1
Even with the immortal gods would I fight with words,
ἔγχεϊ δʼ ἀργαλέον, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσιν.
but with the spear it is hard, since they are far stronger.
οὐδʼ Ἀχιλεὺς πάντεσσι τέλος μύθοις ἐπιθήσει,
Not even Achilles will bring all his words to fulfillment,
ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν τελέει, τὸ δὲ καὶ μεσσηγὺ κολούει.2
but one part he will fulfill, and the other he will cut short in the midst.
τοῦ δʼ ἐγὼ ἀντίος εἶμι καὶ εἰ πυρὶ χεῖρας ἔοικεν,
Against him will I go, even if his hands are like fire,
εἰ πυρὶ χεῖρας ἔοικε, μένος δʼ αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ.
even if his hands are like fire, and his fury like glowing iron.”
ὣς φάτʼ ἐποτρύνων, οἳ δʼ ἀντίοι ἔγχεʼ ἄειραν
So he spoke to urge them on, and the Trojans raised their spears face to face;
Τρῶες· τῶν δʼ ἄμυδις μίχθη μένος, ὦρτο δʼ ἀϋτή.
and their fury was joined together, and a great battle-cry arose.
καὶ τότʼ ἄρʼ Ἕκτορα εἶπε παραστὰς Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·
And then Phobus Apollo stood by Hector and spoke to him:
Ἕκτορ μηκέτι πάμπαν Ἀχιλλῆϊ προμάχιζε,
”Hector, no longer fight at all in the forefront with Achilles,
ἀλλὰ κατὰ πληθύν τε καὶ ἐκ φλοίσβοιο δέδεξο,
but await him in the throng and out of the din,
μή πώς σʼ ἠὲ βάλῃ ἠὲ σχεδὸν ἄορι τύψῃ.
lest he strike you with a cast or hit you with the sword in close fight.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἕκτωρ δʼ αὖτις ἐδύσετο οὐλαμὸν ἀνδρῶν
So he spoke, and Hector shrank back into the throng of men,
ταρβήσας, ὅτʼ ἄκουσε θεοῦ ὄπα φωνήσαντος.
seized with fear when he heard the voice of the god speaking.
ἐν δʼ Ἀχιλεὺς Τρώεσσι θόρε φρεσὶν εἱμένος ἀλκὴν
But Achilles leaped among the Trojans, clad in his mind with valor,
σμερδαλέα ἰάχων, πρῶτον δʼ ἕλεν Ἰφιτίωνα
crying a terrible cry, and first he slew Iphition,
ἐσθλὸν Ὀτρυντεΐδην πολέων ἡγήτορα λαῶν,
the noble son of Otrynteus, a leader of many hosts,
ὃν νύμφη τέκε νηῒς Ὀτρυντῆϊ πτολιπόρθῳ
whom a Naiad nymph bore to Otrynteus, sacker of cities,
Τμώλῳ ὕπο νιφόεντι Ὕδης ἐν πίονι δήμῳ·
under snowy Tmolus in the rich land of Hyde.
τὸν δʼ ἰθὺς μεμαῶτα βάλʼ ἔγχεϊ δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
As he rushed straight at him, noble Achilles struck him with his spear
μέσσην κὰκ κεφαλήν· ἣ δʼ ἄνδιχα πᾶσα κεάσθη,
full upon the head, and it was split utterly asunder.
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ὃ δʼ ἐπεύξατο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
He fell with a thud, and noble Achilles exulted over him:
κεῖσαι Ὀτρυντεΐδη πάντων ἐκπαγλότατʼ ἀνδρῶν·
”There you lie, son of Otrynteus, most dreaded of all men!
ἐνθάδε τοι θάνατος, γενεὴ δέ τοί ἐστʼ ἐπὶ λίμνῃ
Here is your death, but your birth was by the Gygaean lake,
Γυγαίῃ, ὅθι τοι τέμενος πατρώϊόν ἐστιν
where is your father’s estate, by fish-teeming Hyllus
Ὕλλῳ ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντι καὶ Ἕρμῳ δινήεντι.
and eddying Hermus.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψε.
So he spoke exulting, and darkness covered Iphition’s eyes.
τὸν μὲν Ἀχαιῶν ἵπποι ἐπισσώτροις δατέοντο
Him the horses of the Achaeans tore with their wheel-rims
πρώτῃ ἐν ὑσμίνῃ· ὃ δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ Δημολέοντα
in the forefront of the fight; and over him Achilles stabbed Demoleon,
ἐσθλὸν ἀλεξητῆρα μάχης Ἀντήνορος υἱὸν
a brave warder-off of battle, Antenor’s son,
νύξε κατὰ κρόταφον, κυνέης διὰ χαλκοπαρῄου.
in the temple through the bronze-cheeked helmet.
οὐδʼ ἄρα χαλκείη κόρυς ἔσχεθεν, ἀλλὰ διʼ αὐτῆς
Nor did the bronze helmet hold, but through it
αἰχμὴ ἱεμένη ῥῆξʼ ὀστέον, ἐγκέφαλος δὲ
the eager spearpoint broke the bone, and all the brain
ἔνδον ἅπας πεπάλακτο· δάμασσε δέ μιν μεμαῶτα.
within was spattered; so he vanquished him in his fury.
Ἱπποδάμαντα δʼ ἔπειτα καθʼ ἵππων ἀΐξαντα
Then Hippodamas, as he leaped down from his chariot
πρόσθεν ἕθεν φεύγοντα μετάφρενον οὔτασε δουρί.
and fled before him, he wounded in the back with his spear.
αὐτὰρ ὃ θυμὸν ἄϊσθε καὶ ἤρυγεν, ὡς ὅτε ταῦρος
And he gasped out his life and bellowed, even as a bull
ἤρυγεν ἑλκόμενος Ἑλικώνιον ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα3
bellows when he is dragged around the lord of Helice,
κούρων ἑλκόντων· γάνυται δέ τε τοῖς ἐνοσίχθων·
as the young men drag him; and the Earth-shaker delights in them;
ὣς ἄρα τόν γʼ ἐρυγόντα λίπʼ ὀστέα θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ·
even so did his proud spirit leave his bones as he bellowed.
αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ σὺν δουρὶ μετʼ ἀντίθεον Πολύδωρον
But he went with his spear after godlike Polydorus,
Πριαμίδην. τὸν δʼ οὔ τι πατὴρ εἴασκε μάχεσθαι,
son of Priam; whom his father would not allow to fight,
οὕνεκά οἱ μετὰ παισὶ νεώτατος ἔσκε γόνοιο,
because he was the youngest among his children,
καί οἱ φίλτατος ἔσκε, πόδεσσι δὲ πάντας ἐνίκα
and was best loved by him, and in fleetness of foot surpassed all.
δὴ τότε νηπιέῃσι ποδῶν ἀρετὴν ἀναφαίνων
And then indeed, in his folly, displaying the fleetness of his feet,
θῦνε διὰ προμάχων, εἷος φίλον ὤλεσε θυμόν.
he was rushing through the foremost fighters, until he lost his dear life.
τὸν βάλε μέσσον ἄκοντι ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
Him swift-footed noble Achilles struck with a javelin
νῶτα παραΐσσοντος, ὅθι ζωστῆρος ὀχῆες
full in the back as he darted past, where the golden clasps of the belt
χρύσειοι σύνεχον καὶ διπλόος ἤντετο θώρηξ·
were fastened, and the double breastplate met.
ἀντικρὺ δὲ διέσχε παρʼ ὀμφαλὸν ἔγχεος αἰχμή,
Straight through beside the navel passed the spearpoint,
γνὺξ δʼ ἔριπʼ οἰμώξας, νεφέλη δέ μιν ἀμφεκάλυψε
and he fell upon his knees with a groan, and a black cloud
κυανέη, προτὶ οἷ δʼ ἔλαβʼ ἔντερα χερσὶ λιασθείς.
enfolded him; and as he sank he gathered his entrails to him with his hands.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὡς ἐνόησε κασίγνητον Πολύδωρον
But when Hector saw his brother Polydorus
ἔντερα χερσὶν ἔχοντα λιαζόμενον ποτὶ γαίη
holding his entrails in his hands, sinking to the earth,
κάρ ῥά οἱ ὀφθαλμῶν κέχυτʼ ἀχλύς· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτʼ ἔτλη
a mist was poured over his eyes, nor did he still endure
δηρὸν ἑκὰς στρωφᾶσθʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀντίος ἦλθʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ
to range far off, but came against Achilles,
ὀξὺ δόρυ κραδάων φλογὶ εἴκελος· αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
brandishing his sharp spear like a flame. But Achilles,
ὡς εἶδʼ, ὣς ἀνεπᾶλτο, καὶ εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηὔδα·
when he saw him, leaped up, and spoke an exulting word:
ἐγγὺς ἀνὴρ ὃς ἐμόν γε μάλιστʼ ἐσεμάσσατο θυμόν,
”Near is the man who has most of all stung my heart,
ὅς μοι ἑταῖρον ἔπεφνε τετιμένον· οὐδʼ ἂν ἔτι δὴν
who slew my honored comrade. No longer, indeed,
ἀλλήλους πτώσσοιμεν ἀνὰ πτολέμοιο γεφύρας.4
shall we cower from each other along the dykes of battle.”
ἦ, καὶ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσεφώνεεν Ἕκτορα δῖον·
He spoke, and with a grim look addressed noble Hector:
ἆσσον ἴθʼ ὥς κεν θᾶσσον ὀλέθρου πείραθʼ ἵκηαι.
”Come nearer, so that you may the sooner reach the end of destruction.”
τὸν δʼ οὐ ταρβήσας προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
Then, with no fear, spoke to him Hector of the flashing helm:
Πηλεΐδη μὴ δὴ ἐπέεσσί με νηπύτιον ὣς
”Son of Peleus, do not expect with words to frighten me
ἔλπεο δειδίξεσθαι, ἐπεὶ σάφα οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς
like a babe, since I myself know well how
ἠμὲν κερτομίας ἠδʼ αἴσυλα μυθήσασθαι.
to speak both taunts and unseemly words.
οἶδα δʼ ὅτι σὺ μὲν ἐσθλός, ἐγὼ δὲ σέθεν πολὺ χείρων.
I know that you are brave, and I am far weaker than you.
ἀλλʼ ἤτοι μὲν ταῦτα θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται,
Yet indeed these things lie on the knees of the gods.”
- 20.367ἐπέεσσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι μαχοίμην
The dative ἐπέεσσι ('with words') modifies μαχοίμην ('I would fight'), while ἀθανάτοισι ('with the immortals') is the dative object governed by the verb. This contrasts with the subsequent phrase ἔγχεϊ δʼ ἀργαλέον ('but with the spear it is hard'), emphasizing the distinction between verbal arguments and actual physical combat.
- 20.370τὸ μὲν τελέει, τὸ δὲ καὶ μεσσηγὺ κολούει
A contrastive construction using demonstrative pronouns as relatives (tò men... tò de...). Achilles is the implied subject: 'one thing (of his words or plans) he will fulfill, but another he will cut short in the midst.'
- 20.404Ἑλικώνιον ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα
'Around the lord of Helicon (or Helice),' referring to Poseidon. The word ἄναξ ('lord') here designates Poseidon as the protector of Helice, a major center of his worship. The simile draws on the ancient ritual belief that the bellowing of a sacrificed bull pleases the deity.
- 20.427ἀνὰ πτολέμοιο γεφύρας
'Along the dykes (or bridges) of battle.' A poetic formula referring to the open paths or spaces left between opposing lines of soldiers during combat. Here it functions to mean 'in the very thick of the battle-lines.'
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1