- 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-grc2:21.475-21.543
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Hera beats Artemis and sends her fleeing to Olympus, while Hermes avoids a fight with Leto. Meanwhile, the fleeing Trojans, pursued by the raging Achilles, escape through the city gates opened by Priam's command.
μή σευ νῦν ἔτι πατρὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἀκούσω1
”Let me now no longer hear you boasting in the halls of your father,
εὐχομένου, ὡς τὸ πρὶν ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν,
as you did before among the immortal gods,
ἄντα Ποσειδάωνος ἐναντίβιον πολεμίζειν.
that you would fight face to face against Poseidon with might.”
ὣς φάτο, τὴν δʼ οὔ τι προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων,
So she spoke, and the worker from afar, Apollo, spoke no word to her;
ἀλλὰ χολωσαμένη Διὸς αἰδοίη παράκοιτις
but the revered consort of Zeus, being wroth,
νείκεσεν ἰοχέαιραν ὀνειδείοις ἐπέεσσι·
chid the showerer of arrows with words of reviling:
πῶς δὲ σὺ νῦν μέμονας κύον ἀδεὲς ἀντίʼ ἐμεῖο
”How are you now eager, fearless dog, to stand against me?
στήσεσθαι; χαλεπή τοι ἐγὼ μένος ἀντιφέρεσθαι2
I am a hard opponent for you to match your might with,
τοξοφόρῳ περ ἐούσῃ, ἐπεὶ σὲ λέοντα γυναιξὶ
even though you are a bow-bearer, since Zeus has made you a lion to women,
Ζεὺς θῆκεν, καὶ ἔδωκε κατακτάμεν ἥν κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα.
and has granted you to slay whomsoever you will.
ἤτοι βέλτερόν ἐστι κατʼ οὔρεα θῆρας ἐναίρειν
Truly, it is better to slay wild beasts on the mountains,
ἀγροτέρας τʼ ἐλάφους ἢ κρείσσοσιν ἶφι μάχεσθαι.
and wild deer, than to fight by force with those who are stronger.
εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις πολέμοιο δαήμεναι, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῇς
But if you wish to learn of war, that you may well know
ὅσσον φερτέρη εἴμʼ, ὅτι μοι μένος ἀντιφερίζεις.
how much better I am, since you match your strength against mine—“
ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμφοτέρας ἐπὶ καρπῷ χεῖρας ἔμαρπτε
She spoke, and caught both her hands at the wrist
σκαιῇ, δεξιτερῇ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ ὤμων αἴνυτο τόξα,
with her left, and with her right she took the bow from her shoulders,
αὐτοῖσιν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔθεινε παρʼ οὔατα μειδιόωσα
and therewith she smote her about the ears, smiling,
ἐντροπαλιζομένην· ταχέες δʼ ἔκπιπτον ὀϊστοί.
as she turned this way and that; and the swift arrows fell out.
δακρυόεσσα δʼ ὕπαιθα θεὰ φύγεν ὥς τε πέλεια,
And weeping, the goddess fled from beneath her like a dove,
ἥ ῥά θʼ ὑπʼ ἴρηκος κοίλην εἰσέπτατο πέτρην
which flies from a hawk into a hollow rock,
χηραμόν· οὐδʼ ἄρα τῇ γε ἁλώμεναι αἴσιμον ἦεν·3
a cleft; and it was not fated for her to be caught;
ὣς ἣ δακρυόεσσα φύγεν, λίπε δʼ αὐτόθι τόξα.
so she fled weeping, and left her bow there.
Λητὼ δὲ προσέειπε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης·
But to Leto spoke the guide, Argeiphontes:
Λητοῖ ἐγὼ δέ τοι οὔ τι μαχήσομαι· ἀργαλέον δὲ
”Leto, I will by no means fight with you; a difficult thing
πληκτίζεσθʼ ἀλόχοισι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο·
it is to bandy blows with the wives of cloud-gathering Zeus;
ἀλλὰ μάλα πρόφρασσα μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν
but very freely among the immortal gods
εὔχεσθαι4 ἐμὲ νικῆσαι κρατερῆφι βίηφιν.
boast that you vanquished me with your mighty strength.”
ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, Λητὼ δὲ συναίνυτο καμπύλα τόξα
So he spoke, and Leto gathered up the curved bow and the arrows,
πεπτεῶτʼ ἄλλυδις ἄλλα μετὰ στροφάλιγγι κονίης.
fallen here and there in the whirl of dust.
ἣ μὲν τόξα λαβοῦσα πάλιν κίε θυγατέρος ἧς·
She took the bow and went back after her daughter;
ἣ δʼ ἄρʼ Ὄλυμπον ἵκανε Διὸς ποτὶ χαλκοβατὲς δῶ,
and the daughter came to Olympus, to the bronze-floored house of Zeus,
δακρυόεσσα δὲ πατρὸς ἐφέζετο γούνασι κούρη,
and weeping the maiden sat upon her father’s knees,
ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀμβρόσιος ἑανὸς τρέμε· τὴν δὲ προτὶ οἷ
and her immortal robe trembled about her; but to him
εἷλε πατὴρ Κρονίδης, καὶ ἀνείρετο ἡδὺ γελάσσας·
her father, the son of Kronos, took her, and asked her, laughing sweetly:
τίς νύ σε τοιάδʼ ἔρεξε φίλον τέκος Οὐρανιώνων
”Who now of the heavenly gods has done such things to you, dear child,
μαψιδίως, ὡς εἴ τι κακὸν ῥέζουσαν ἐνωπῇ;
wantonly, as though you were doing some evil openly?”
τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἐϋστέφανος κελαδεινή·
To him again spoke the fair-crowned goddess of the loud-sounding chase:
σή μʼ ἄλοχος στυφέλιξε πάτερ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,
”It was your wife who maltreated me, father, white-armed Hera,
ἐξ ἧς ἀθανάτοισιν ἔρις καὶ νεῖκος ἐφῆπται.
from whom strife and contention are fastened upon the immortals.”
ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον·
Thus they spoke such things to one another;
αὐτὰρ Ἀπόλλων Φοῖβος ἐδύσετο Ἴλιον ἱρήν·
but Phoebus Apollo entered sacred Ilios;
μέμβλετο γάρ οἱ τεῖχος ἐϋδμήτοιο πόληος
for the wall of the well-built city was a care to him,
μὴ Δαναοὶ πέρσειαν5 ὑπὲρ μόρον ἤματι κείνῳ.
lest the Danaans should destroy it beyond fate on that day.
οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἴσαν θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες,
But the other gods who are forever went to Olympus,
οἳ μὲν χωόμενοι, οἳ δὲ μέγα κυδιόωντες·
some in anger, and some greatly glorying;
κὰδ δʼ ἷζον παρὰ πατρὶ κελαινεφεῖ· αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
and they sat down beside their father, the lord of the dark cloud; but Achilles
Τρῶας ὁμῶς αὐτούς τʼ ὄλεκεν καὶ μώνυχας ἵππους.
was slaying the Trojans, both themselves and their single-hooved horses.
ὡς δʼ ὅτε καπνὸς ἰὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἵκηται
And as when smoke rising goes to the broad heaven
ἄστεος αἰθομένοιο, θεῶν δέ ἑ μῆνις ἀνῆκε,
from a burning city, and the wrath of the gods has sent it,
πᾶσι δʼ ἔθηκε πόνον, πολλοῖσι δὲ κήδεʼ ἐφῆκεν,
and has brought toil upon all, and sent grief upon many,
ὣς Ἀχιλεὺς Τρώεσσι πόνον καὶ κήδεʼ ἔθηκεν.
so Achilles brought toil and grief upon the Trojans.
ἑστήκει δʼ ὃ γέρων Πρίαμος θείου ἐπὶ πύργου,
And the old man Priam stood upon the sacred tower,
ἐς δʼ ἐνόησʼ Ἀχιλῆα πελώριον· αὐτὰρ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ
and beheld the monstrous Achilles; and before him
Τρῶες ἄφαρ κλονέοντο πεφυζότες, οὐδέ τις ἀλκὴ
the Trojans were routed in headlong flight, nor was there any strength
γίγνεθʼ· ὃ δʼ οἰμώξας ἀπὸ πύργου βαῖνε χαμᾶζε
left in them; and with a groan he went down from the tower to the ground,
ὀτρύνων παρὰ τεῖχος ἀγακλειτοὺς πυλαωρούς·
urging the glorious gate-keepers along the wall:
πεπταμένας ἐν χερσὶ πύλας ἔχετʼ εἰς ὅ κε λαοὶ
”Hold the gates wide open in your hands until the people
ἔλθωσι προτὶ ἄστυ πεφυζότες· ἦ γὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
come to the city in their flight; for lo, Achilles
ἐγγὺς ὅδε κλονέων· νῦν οἴω λοίγιʼ ἔσεσθαι.
is here close at hand routing them; now I think there will be ruin.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κʼ ἐς τεῖχος ἀναπνεύσωσιν ἀλέντες,
But when they have found breath again, being gathered within the wall,
αὖτις ἐπανθέμεναι σανίδας πυκινῶς ἀραρυίας·
shut again the close-fitting gate-wings;
δείδια γὰρ μὴ οὖλος ἀνὴρ ἐς τεῖχος ἅληται.
for I fear lest that destructive man leap inside the wall.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄνεσάν τε πύλας καὶ ἀπῶσαν ὀχῆας·
So he spoke, and they flung open the gates and thrust back the bolts;
αἳ δὲ πετασθεῖσαι τεῦξαν φάος· αὐτὰρ Ἀπόλλων
and these being opened brought light; but Apollo
ἀντίος ἐξέθορε Τρώων ἵνα λοιγὸν ἀλάλκοι.
leaped forth to meet them that he might ward off ruin from the Trojans.
οἳ δʼ ἰθὺς πόλιος καὶ τείχεος ὑψηλοῖο
And they straight for the city and the high wall,
δίψῃ καρχαλέοι κεκονιμένοι ἐκ πεδίοιο
parched with thirst and covered with dust from the plain,
φεῦγον· ὃ δὲ σφεδανὸν ἔφεπʼ ἔγχεϊ, λύσσα δέ οἱ κῆρ
were fleeing; and he followed fiercely with his spear, and strong madness
αἰὲν ἔχε κρατερή, μενέαινε δὲ κῦδος ἀρέσθαι.
always possessed his heart, and he was eager to win glory.
- 21.475μή σευ νῦν ἔτι πατρὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἀκούσω
The negative particle μή with the first-person singular aorist subjunctive ἀκούσω expresses a strong negative wish or prohibition ("let me not hear"). The genitive pronoun σευ (epic form of σοῦ) functions as the subject of the participle εὐχομένου while being directly governed by the verb of hearing ἀκούσω.
- 21.482χαλεπή τοι ἐγὼ μένος ἀντιφέρεσθαι
The infinitive ἀντιφέρεσθαι ("to match/oppose") limits the adjective χαλεπή ("hard/difficult"), indicating the respect in which the statement holds ("I am hard for you to oppose in might"). The nominative χαλεπή and ἐγώ agree with the subject of the clause.
- 21.495οὐδʼ ἄρα τῇ γε ἁλώμεναι αἴσιμον ἦεν
The infinitive ἁλώμεναι (epic form of ἁλῶναι, the aorist passive infinitive of ἁλίσκομαι, "to be caught") serves as the subject of the impersonal expression αἴσιμον ἦεν ("it was fated"). The dative τῇ designates the person of interest ("for her/the dove").
- 21.501εὔχεσθαι
The infinitive is used with the force of an imperative (the infinitive for imperative), expressing Hermes' strong suggestion to Leto ("boast then").
- 21.516μέμβλετο γάρ οἱ τεῖχος... μὴ Δαναοὶ πέρσειαν
The verb μέμβλετο (pluperfect of μέλω, "was a care/worry") is followed by the negative particle of fear μή and the optative πέρσειαν. The optative is used in the subordinate clause of fear because the governing verb is in a past tense (pluperfect).