Slaughter at the River Xanthus and Meeting with Lycaon — Homer, Iliad Book 21 (lines 1–68), Greek & English

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πόρον ἷξον ἐϋρρεῖος ποταμοῖο

But when they reached the ford of the fair-flowing river,

Ξάνθου δινήεντος, ὃν ἀθάνατος τέκετο Ζεύς,

eddying Xanthus, whom immortal Zeus begat,

ἔνθα διατμήξας τοὺς μὲν πεδίον δὲ δίωκε

there Achilles split them and chased one part across the plain

πρὸς πόλιν, ᾗ περ Ἀχαιοὶ ἀτυζόμενοι φοβέοντο

toward the city, where the Achaeans had fled in terror

ἤματι τῷ προτέρῳ, ὅτε μαίνετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·

on the day before, when glorious Hector was raging;

τῇ ῥʼ οἵ γε προχέοντο πεφυζότες, ἠέρα δʼ Ἥρη

there they poured forward in flight, but Hera

πίτνα πρόσθε βαθεῖαν ἐρυκέμεν·¹ ἡμίσεες δὲ

spread a thick mist before them to hold them back; and the other half

ἐς ποταμὸν εἰλεῦντο βαθύρροον ἀργυροδίνην,

were hemmed in against the deep-flowing, silver-eddying river,

ἐν δʼ ἔπεσον μεγάλῳ πατάγῳ, βράχε δʼ αἰπὰ ῥέεθρα,

and they fell in with a great splash, and the steep channels resounded,

ὄχθαι δʼ ἀμφὶ περὶ μεγάλʼ ἴαχον· οἳ δʼ ἀλαλητῷ

and the banks all around rang loudly; and with shouting

ἔννεον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα ἑλισσόμενοι περὶ δίνας.

they swam here and there, spinning around in the eddies.

ὡς δʼ ὅθʼ ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς πυρὸς ἀκρίδες ἠερέθονται²

And as when locusts, driven by the blast of fire, flutter up

φευγέμεναι ποταμὸν δέ· τὸ δὲ φλέγει ἀκάματον πῦρ

to escape to a river; and the unwearied fire burns

ὄρμενον ἐξαίφνης, ταὶ δὲ πτώσσουσι καθʼ ὕδωρ·

rushing suddenly, and they cower down into the water;

ὣς ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος Ξάνθου βαθυδινήεντος

so before Achilles the roaring stream of deep-eddying Xanthus

πλῆτο ῥόος κελάδων ἐπιμὶξ ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν.

was filled with horses and men tangled together.

αὐτὰρ ὃ διογενὴς δόρυ μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ὄχθῃ

But he, the Zeus-born, left his spear there on the bank,

κεκλιμένον μυρίκῃσιν, ὃ δʼ ἔσθορε δαίμονι ἶσος

leaning against the tamarisks, and leaped in like a god

φάσγανον οἶον ἔχων, κακὰ δὲ φρεσὶ μήδετο ἔργα,

with only his sword, and devised evil deeds in his heart,

τύπτε δʼ ἐπιστροφάδην· τῶν δὲ στόνος ὄρνυτʼ ἀεικὴς

and struck turning this way and that; and a hideous groaning arose from them

ἄορι θεινομένων, ἐρυθαίνετο δʼ αἵματι ὕδωρ.

as they were struck with the sword, and the water grew red with blood.

ὡς δʼ ὑπὸ δελφῖνος μεγακήτεος ἰχθύες ἄλλοι

And as when other fish flee before a monster dolphin,

φεύγοντες πιμπλᾶσι μυχοὺς λιμένος εὐόρμου

filling the nooks of a safe harbor

δειδιότες· μάλα γάρ τε κατεσθίει ὅν κε λάβῃσιν·

in terror, for indeed he devours whomsoever he catches;

ὣς Τρῶες ποταμοῖο κατὰ δεινοῖο ῥέεθρα

so the Trojans cowered under the steep banks

πτῶσσον ὑπὸ κρημνούς. ὃ δʼ ἐπεὶ κάμε χεῖρας ἐναίρων,

along the streams of the terrible river. But when he grew weary of slaying,

ζωοὺς ἐκ ποταμοῖο δυώδεκα λέξατο κούρους

he chose twelve young men alive from the river

ποινὴν Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο θανόντος·³

as a blood-price for Patroclus, son of Menoetius, who was dead;

τοὺς ἐξῆγε θύραζε τεθηπότας ἠΰτε νεβρούς,

these he led out of the water dazed like fawns,

δῆσε δʼ ὀπίσσω χεῖρας ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσι,

and bound their hands behind them with well-cut thongs,

τοὺς αὐτοὶ φορέεσκον ἐπὶ στρεπτοῖσι χιτῶσι,

which they themselves wore on their twisted tunics,

δῶκε δʼ ἑταίροισιν κατάγειν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας.

and gave them to his companions to lead down to the hollow ships.

αὐτὰρ ὃ ἂψ ἐπόρουσε δαϊζέμεναι μενεαίνων.

But he rushed back again, eager to slay.

ἔνθʼ υἷι Πριάμοιο συνήντετο Δαρδανίδαο

There he met a son of Priam, descendant of Dardanus,

ἐκ ποταμοῦ φεύγοντι Λυκάονι, τόν ῥά ποτʼ αὐτὸς

fleeing from the river, Lycaon, whom once he himself

ἦγε λαβὼν ἐκ πατρὸς ἀλωῆς οὐκ ἐθέλοντα⁴

had taken and led away unwilling from his father’s orchard,

ἐννύχιος προμολών· ὃ δʼ ἐρινεὸν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ

coming upon him by night; and he with sharp bronze was cutting

τάμνε νέους ὄρπηκας, ἵνʼ ἅρματος ἄντυγες εἶεν·

young shoots of a wild fig-tree to be the rims of a chariot;

τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀνώϊστον κακὸν ἤλυθε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.

and upon him an unexpected evil came, noble Achilles.

καὶ τότε μέν μιν Λῆμνον ἐϋκτιμένην ἐπέρασσε

And then indeed Achilles sold him into well-built Lemnos,

νηυσὶν ἄγων, ἀτὰρ υἱὸς Ἰήσονος ὦνον ἔδωκε·

carrying him on his ships, and the son of Jason gave the price;

κεῖθεν δὲ ξεῖνός μιν ἐλύσατο πολλὰ δʼ ἔδωκεν

and from there a guest-friend ransomed him, and gave much,

Ἴμβριος Ἠετίων, πέμψεν δʼ ἐς δῖαν Ἀρίσβην·

Eetion of Imbros, and sent him to noble Arisbe;

ἔνθεν ὑπεκπροφυγὼν πατρώϊον ἵκετο δῶμα.

from there he escaped secretly and came to his father’s house.

ἕνδεκα δʼ ἤματα θυμὸν ἐτέρπετο οἷσι φίλοισιν

For eleven days he cheered his heart with his friends,

ἐλθὼν ἐκ Λήμνοιο· δυωδεκάτῃ δέ μιν αὖτις

having come from Lemnos; but on the twelfth, again

χερσὶν Ἀχιλλῆος θεὸς ἔμβαλεν, ὅς μιν ἔμελλε

a god cast him into the hands of Achilles, who was destined

πέμψειν εἰς Ἀΐδαο καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλοντα νέεσθαι.

to send him to the house of Hades, though he was unwilling to go.

τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς

And when swift-footed noble Achilles noticed him

γυμνὸν ἄτερ κόρυθός τε καὶ ἀσπίδος, οὐδʼ ἔχεν ἔγχος,

naked, without helmet and shield, nor did he have a spear,

ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν ῥʼ ἀπὸ πάντα χαμαὶ βάλε· τεῖρε γὰρ ἱδρὼς

but indeed he had thrown all these away on the ground; for sweat oppressed him

φεύγοντʼ ἐκ ποταμοῦ, κάματος δʼ ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἐδάμνα·

as he fled from the river, and weariness overcame his knees;

ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·

then, troubled, he spoke to his own great-hearted soul:

ὢ πόποι ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι·

”Ah, surely a great wonder is this that I behold with my eyes!

ἦ μάλα δὴ Τρῶες μεγαλήτορες οὕς περ ἔπεφνον

Verily the great-hearted Trojans whom I have slain

αὖτις ἀναστήσονται ὑπὸ ζόφου ἠερόεντος,

will rise up again from the murky darkness,

οἷον δὴ καὶ ὅδʼ ἦλθε φυγὼν ὕπο νηλεὲς ἦμαρ

even as this man has come back, escaping the pitiless day of death,

Λῆμνον ἐς ἠγαθέην πεπερημένος· οὐδέ μιν ἔσχε

though sold into sacred Lemnos; nor did the sea

πόντος ἁλὸς πολιῆς, ὃ πολέας ἀέκοντας ἐρύκει.

of grey water hold him back, which keeps many back against their will.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ καὶ δουρὸς ἀκωκῆς ἡμετέροιο

But come, he shall taste also of the point of our spear,

γεύσεται, ὄφρα ἴδωμαι ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἠδὲ δαείω⁵

so that I may see in my mind and learn

ἢ ἄρʼ ὁμῶς καὶ κεῖθεν ἐλεύσεται, ἦ μιν ἐρύξει

whether he will likewise return even from there, or whether

γῆ φυσίζοος, ἥ τε κατὰ κρατερόν περ ἐρύκει.

the life-giving earth will hold him down, which holds down even the strong.”

ὣς ὅρμαινε μένων· ὃ δέ οἱ σχεδὸν ἦλθε τεθηπὼς

So he pondered as he waited; but the other came near him, dazed,

γούνων ἅψασθαι μεμαώς, περὶ δʼ ἤθελε θυμῷ

eager to touch his knees, and wished in his heart

ἐκφυγέειν θάνατόν τε κακὸν καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν.

to escape evil death and black fate.

ἤτοι ὃ μὲν δόρυ μακρὸν ἀνέσχετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς

Indeed, noble Achilles raised his long spear,

οὐτάμεναι μεμαώς, ὃ δʼ ὑπέδραμε καὶ λάβε γούνων

eager to stab him, but Lycaon ran under it and grasped his knees.

Syntax notes5 items

21.6ἠέρα δʼ Ἥρη / πίτνα πρόσθε βαθεῖαν ἐρυκέμεν
The infinitive ἐρυκέμεν is an epic form for ἐρύκειν, used here as an infinitive of purpose, meaning 'to hold (them) back'.
21.12ὡς δʼ ὅθʼ ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς πυρὸς ἀκρίδες ἠερέθονται
Introduction of a simile. The phrase ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς πυρὸς ('by the blast of fire') expresses the cause or agent of the passive/middle verb ἠερέθονται ('are fluttered up' or 'take flight').
21.28ποινὴν Πατρόκλοιο... θανόντος
The accusative ποινὴν ('penalty', 'compensation', 'blood-price') functions as an accusative in apposition to the action of the sentence (selecting the twelve youths). The genitive Πατρόκλοιο... θανόντος indicates the person for whom the compensation is made.
21.36ἦγε λαβὼν ἐκ πατρὸς ἀλωῆς οὐκ ἐθέλοντα
The participle λαβών ('having taken') and the adjective οὐκ ἐθέλοντα ('unwilling') refer to Lycaon as the direct object of ἦγε ('he led away'). This relative clause explains the past capture of Lycaon. ἐκ πατρὸς ἀλωῆς ('from his father's orchard') indicates the place of origin.
21.61ὄφρα ἴδωμαι ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἠδὲ δαείω
The conjunction ὄφρα introduces a purpose clause with the subjunctives ἴδωμαι ('I may see') and δαείω ('I may learn'). The following ἤ... ἦ... in line 62 introduces a double indirect question ('whether... or whether...') which functions as the object of these verbs.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:21.1-21.68