- 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-grc2:21.270-21.337
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Achilles struggles against the fierce onslaught of the River Scamander and prays to Zeus, but Poseidon and Athena encourage him. Scamander then enlists the aid of Simois to overwhelm Achilles, prompting Hera to call upon Hephaestus to intervene with fire to save him.
θυμῷ ἀνιάζων· ποταμὸς δʼ ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἐδάμνα
vexed in his heart; and the River kept wearing out his knees from beneath,
λάβρος ὕπαιθα ῥέων, κονίην δʼ ὑπέρεπτε ποδοῖιν.
flowing violently from beneath, and kept scraping away the earth from under his feet.
Πηλεΐδης δʼ ᾤμωξεν ἰδὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν·
And the son of Peleus groaned, looking into the broad heaven:
Ζεῦ πάτερ ὡς οὔ τίς με θεῶν ἐλεεινὸν ὑπέστη
”Father Zeus, how is it that no one of the gods has undertaken to take pity and save me
ἐκ ποταμοῖο σαῶσαι· ἔπειτα δὲ καί τι πάθοιμι.1
from the River! After that, let me even suffer anything.
ἄλλος δʼ οὔ τις μοι τόσον αἴτιος Οὐρανιώνων,
No other of the heavenly ones is so much to blame in my eyes,
ἀλλὰ φίλη μήτηρ, ἥ με ψεύδεσσιν ἔθελγεν·
but my dear mother, who beguiled me with falsehoods;
ἥ μʼ ἔφατο Τρώων ὑπὸ τείχεϊ θωρηκτάων
she said that beneath the wall of the armored Trojans
λαιψηροῖς ὀλέεσθαι Ἀπόλλωνος βελέεσσιν.
I should perish by the swift arrows of Apollo.
ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ Ἕκτωρ κτεῖναι2 ὃς ἐνθάδε γʼ ἔτραφʼ ἄριστος·
Would that Hector had slain me, the best of those bred here;
τώ κʼ ἀγαθὸς μὲν ἔπεφνʼ, ἀγαθὸν δέ κεν ἐξενάριξε·
then a brave man would have slain, and a brave man would he have despoiled.
νῦν δέ με λευγαλέῳ θανάτῳ εἵμαρτο ἁλῶναι
But now it is my fate to be caught by a miserable death,
ἐρχθέντʼ3 ἐν μεγάλῳ ποταμῷ ὡς παῖδα συφορβόν,
pent in a great river like a swineherd boy,
ὅν ῥά τʼ ἔναυλος ἀποέρσῃ χειμῶνι περῶντα.
whom a torrent sweeps away as he crosses it in winter.”
ὣς φάτο, τῷ δὲ μάλʼ ὦκα Ποσειδάων καὶ Ἀθήνη
So he spoke, and very quickly Poseidon and Athena
στήτην ἐγγὺς ἰόντε, δέμας δʼ ἄνδρεσσιν ἐΐκτην,
came near and stood by him, in form like to men,
χειρὶ δὲ χεῖρα λαβόντες ἐπιστώσαντʼ ἐπέεσσι.
and taking his hand in their hands, they reassured him with words.
τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων·
And among them Poseidon, the shaker of earth, was first to speak:
Πηλεΐδη μήτʼ ἄρ τι λίην τρέε μήτέ τι τάρβει·
”Son of Peleus, tremble not too much, neither be afraid;
τοίω γάρ τοι νῶϊ θεῶν ἐπιταρρόθω εἰμὲν
for such helpers are we two to you from among the gods,
Ζηνὸς ἐπαινήσαντος ἐγὼ καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη·
with the approval of Zeus, even I and Pallas Athena;
ὡς οὔ τοι ποταμῷ γε δαμήμεναι αἴσιμόν ἐστιν,
so it is not your fate to be vanquished by a river,
ἀλλʼ ὅδε μὲν τάχα λωφήσει, σὺ δὲ εἴσεαι αὐτός·
but he shall soon abate, and you shall yourself know it.
αὐτάρ τοι πυκινῶς ὑποθησόμεθʼ αἴ κε πίθηαι·
But we will give you wise counsel, if you will obey:
μὴ πρὶν παύειν χεῖρας ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο
cease not your hands from equally-shared war
πρὶν κατὰ Ἰλιόφι κλυτὰ τείχεα λαὸν ἐέλσαι
until you have penned the Trojan host within Ilium’s famous walls,
Τρωϊκόν, ὅς κε φύγῃσι· σὺ δʼ Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἀπούρας
whoever of them shall escape; but when you have reft Hector of life,
ἂψ ἐπὶ νῆας ἴμεν· δίδομεν δέ τοι εὖχος ἀρέσθαι.
go back to the ships; and we grant you to win glory.”
τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰπόντε μετʼ ἀθανάτους ἀπεβήτην·
The two, having thus spoken, went away to the immortals;
αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ, μέγα γάρ ῥα θεῶν ὄτρυνεν ἐφετμή,
but he went on—for the command of the gods urged him greatly—
ἐς πεδίον· τὸ δὲ πᾶν πλῆθʼ ὕδατος ἐκχυμένοιο,
into the plain; and it was all filled with flooded water,
πολλὰ δὲ τεύχεα καλὰ δαὶ κταμένων αἰζηῶν
and many fair arms of slain youths
πλῶον καὶ νέκυες· τοῦ δʼ ὑψόσε γούνατʼ ἐπήδα
and corpses were floating; but his knees leapt high
πρὸς ῥόον ἀΐσσοντος ἀνʼ ἰθύν, οὐδέ μιν ἴσχεν
as he rushed straight against the flood, nor did it hold him back,
εὐρὺ ῥέων ποταμός· μέγα γὰρ σθένος ἔμβαλʼ Ἀθήνη.
the wide-flowing river; for Athena had put great strength into him.
οὐδὲ Σκάμανδρος ἔληγε τὸ ὃν μένος, ἀλλʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον
Nor did Scamander stay his own wrath, but even more
χώετο Πηλεΐωνι, κόρυσσε δὲ κῦμα ῥόοιο
was he wroth with the son of Peleus, and he crested the wave of his flood,
ὑψόσʼ ἀειρόμενος, Σιμόεντι δὲ κέκλετʼ ἀΰσας·
lifting himself on high, and called to Simois with a shout:
φίλε κασίγνητε σθένος ἀνέρος ἀμφότεροί περ
”Dear brother, the strength of this man let us both
σχῶμεν, ἐπεὶ τάχα ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος
hold back, since soon he will utterly sack the great city of king Priam,
ἐκπέρσει, Τρῶες δὲ κατὰ μόθον οὐ μενέουσιν.
and the Trojans will not abide in the battle.
ἀλλʼ ἐπάμυνε τάχιστα, καὶ ἐμπίπληθι ῥέεθρα
But bring help with all speed, and fill your streams
ὕδατος ἐκ πηγέων, πάντας δʼ ὀρόθυνον ἐναύλους,
with water from your springs, and rouse all your torrents,
ἵστη δὲ μέγα κῦμα, πολὺν δʼ ὀρυμαγδὸν ὄρινε
and raise up a great wave, and stir up a great din
φιτρῶν καὶ λάων, ἵνα παύσομεν4 ἄγριον ἄνδρα
of logs and stones, that we may stay this wild man
ὃς δὴ νῦν κρατέει, μέμονεν δʼ ὅ γε ἶσα θεοῖσι.
who now has sway and rages even as a god.
φημὶ γὰρ οὔτε βίην χραισμησέμεν οὔτέ τι εἶδος
For I say that neither his strength shall avail him, nor yet his beauty,
οὔτε τὰ τεύχεα καλά, τά που μάλα νειόθι λίμνης
nor his beautiful armor, which somewhere deep beneath the mere
κείσεθʼ ὑπʼ ἰλύος κεκαλυμμένα· κὰδ δέ μιν αὐτὸν
shall lie covered over with slime; and himself
εἰλύσω ψαμάθοισιν ἅλις χέραδος περιχεύας
I will envelop in sands, pouring over him shingle past measuring,
μυρίον, οὐδέ οἱ ὀστέʼ ἐπιστήσονται Ἀχαιοὶ
so that the Achaeans shall not know where to gather his bones,
ἀλλέξαι· τόσσην οἱ ἄσιν καθύπερθε καλύψω.
so great a heap of silt will I cover over him.
αὐτοῦ οἱ καὶ σῆμα τετεύξεται, οὐδέ τί μιν χρεὼ
There too shall his tomb be built, nor shall he have any need
ἔσται τυμβοχόης, ὅτε μιν θάπτωσιν Ἀχαιοί.
of a mound of earth, when the Achaeans bury him.”
ἦ, καὶ ἐπῶρτʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ κυκώμενος ὑψόσε θύων
He spoke, and rushed upon Achilles, in a tumult, raging on high,
μορμύρων ἀφρῷ τε καὶ αἵματι καὶ νεκύεσσι.
murmuring with foam and blood and corpses.
πορφύρεον δʼ ἄρα κῦμα διιπετέος ποταμοῖο
And the purple wave of the rain-fed river
ἵστατʼ ἀειρόμενον, κατὰ δʼ ᾕρεε Πηλεΐωνα·
stood rising on high, and was taking down the son of Peleus.
Ἥρη δὲ μέγʼ ἄϋσε περιδείσασʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ
But Hera cried out aloud, fearing greatly for Achilles,
μή μιν ἀποέρσειε μέγας ποταμὸς βαθυδίνης,
lest the great deep-eddying River should sweep him away;
αὐτίκα δʼ Ἥφαιστον προσεφώνεεν ὃν φίλον υἱόν·
and straightway she spoke to Hephaestus, her own dear son:
ὄρσεο κυλλοπόδιον ἐμὸν τέκος· ἄντα σέθεν γὰρ
”Rouse you, lamefoot, my child! For against you
Ξάνθον δινήεντα μάχῃ ἠΐσκομεν εἶναι·
we deemed eddying Xanthus to be a match in fight;
ἀλλʼ ἐπάμυνε τάχιστα, πιφαύσκεο δὲ φλόγα πολλήν.
but bring help with all speed, and show forth a great flame.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ Ζεφύροιο καὶ ἀργεστᾶο Νότοιο
But I will go and rouse from the sea a fierce tempest
εἴσομαι ἐξ ἁλόθεν χαλεπὴν ὄρσουσα θύελλαν,
of Zephyrus and clearing Notus,
ἥ κεν ἀπὸ Τρώων κεφαλὰς καὶ τεύχεα κήαι
which shall burn the heads and armor of the Trojans,
φλέγμα κακὸν φορέουσα· σὺ δὲ Ξάνθοιο παρʼ ὄχθας
carrying an evil flame. But you along the banks of Xanthus...”
- 21.274ἔπειτα δὲ καί τι πάθοιμι
Optative of wish or potential expressing a concessive desire: "after that, may I suffer even anything." This emphasizes that once his primary prayer of being saved from the river is granted, he is prepared to face any fate, even death.
- 21.279ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ Ἕκτωρ κτεῖναι
An expression of an unattainable past wish, utilizing ὤφελον (aorist of ὀφείλω) followed by the infinitive κτεῖναι: "Would that Hector had slain me (which did not happen)."
- 21.282ἐρχθέντʼ
The elided form of ἐρχθέντα, which is the passive aorist participle (masculine singular accusative) of εἴργω ("to pent/shut in"). Syntactically, it agrees with the pronoun με ("me") in the main clause, meaning "having been shut in/pent."
- 21.314ἵνα παύσομεν
Following the purpose conjunction ἵνα, the verb is either a future indicative or a short-vowel aorist subjunctive (Homeric dialect) παύσομεν, expressing a certain and intended future purpose: "in order that we shall stop/stay (him)."
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1