- 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-grc2:21.69-21.132
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Achilles coldly rejects the desperate pleas of Lycaon, who begs for mercy at his knees, and after killing him, throws his body into the river to be eaten by fish.
κύψας· ἐγχείη δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὲρ νώτου ἐνὶ γαίῃ
He stooped; and the spear passed over his back into the ground
ἔστη ἱεμένη χροὸς ἄμεναι1 ἀνδρομέοιο.
and stood fast, though eager to sate itself on human flesh.
αὐτὰρ ὃ τῇ ἑτέρῃ μὲν ἑλὼν ἐλλίσσετο γούνων,
But he, grasping Achilles’ knees with one hand, besought him,
τῇ δʼ ἑτέρῃ ἔχεν ἔγχος ἀκαχμένον οὐδὲ μεθίει·
and with the other hand he held the sharp spear and would not let go.
καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
And he spoke and addressed him with winged words:
γουνοῦμαι σʼ Ἀχιλεῦ· σὺ δέ μʼ αἴδεο καί μʼ ἐλέησον·
”I clasp your knees, Achilles; respect me and have pity on me.
ἀντί τοί εἰμʼ ἱκέταο2 διοτρεφὲς αἰδοίοιο·
For I am to you in the place of a respected suppliant, O nurtured of Zeus.
πὰρ γὰρ σοὶ πρώτῳ πασάμην Δημήτερος ἀκτὴν
For at your table first I tasted Demeter’s grain,
ἤματι τῷ ὅτε μʼ εἷλες ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν ἀλωῇ,
on the day when you took me prisoner in the well-tilled orchard,
καί μʼ ἐπέρασσας ἄνευθεν ἄγων πατρός τε φίλων τε
and led me away from my father and my friends and sold me
Λῆμνον ἐς ἠγαθέην, ἑκατόμβοιον δέ τοι ἦλφον.
into sacred Lemnos, and I brought you the price of a hundred oxen.
νῦν δὲ λύμην τρὶς τόσσα πορών· ἠὼς δέ μοί ἐστιν
And now I have been ransomed for thrice as much; and this is my
ἥδε δυωδεκάτη, ὅτʼ ἐς Ἴλιον εἰλήλουθα
twelfth morning since I came to Ilios,
πολλὰ παθών· νῦν αὖ με τεῇς ἐν χερσὶν ἔθηκε
after many sufferings; yet now again destroying fate has placed me in your hands.
μοῖρʼ ὀλοή· μέλλω που ἀπεχθέσθαι Διὶ πατρί,
I must be hated, I think, by father Zeus,
ὅς με σοὶ αὖτις δῶκε· μινυνθάδιον δέ με μήτηρ
who has given me to you again; and to a brief span of life did my mother bare me,
γείνατο Λαοθόη θυγάτηρ Ἄλταο γέροντος
Laothoe, daughter of aged Altes—
Ἄλτεω, ὃς Λελέγεσσι φιλοπτολέμοισιν ἀνάσσει
Altes who rules over the war-loving Leleges,
Πήδασον αἰπήεσσαν ἔχων ἐπὶ Σατνιόεντι.
holding steep Pedasus on the Satnioeis.
τοῦ δʼ ἔχε θυγατέρα Πρίαμος, πολλὰς δὲ καὶ ἄλλας·
His daughter Priam had to wife, and many others besides;
τῆς δὲ δύω γενόμεσθα, σὺ δʼ ἄμφω δειροτομήσεις,
of her we two were born, and you will throat-cut us both.
ἤτοι τὸν πρώτοισι μετὰ πρυλέεσσι δάμασσας
Indeed, one you have already tamed among the foremost foot-soldiers,
ἀντίθεον Πολύδωρον, ἐπεὶ βάλες ὀξέϊ δουρί·
godlike Polydorus, when you struck him with your sharp spear;
νῦν δὲ δὴ ἐνθάδʼ ἐμοὶ κακὸν ἔσσεται· οὐ γὰρ ὀΐω
and now indeed evil shall be here for me; for I do not think
σὰς χεῖρας φεύξεσθαι, ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐπέλασσέ γε δαίμων.
I shall escape your hands, since a god has brought me near to you.
ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσι·
Another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it to heart:
μή με κτεῖνʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐχ ὁμογάστριος Ἕκτορός εἰμι,
slay me not, since I am not from the same womb as Hector,
ὅς τοι ἑταῖρον ἔπεφνεν ἐνηέα τε κρατερόν τε.
who slew your companion both gentle and strong.”
ὣς ἄρα μιν Πριάμοιο προσηύδα φαίδιμος υἱὸς
So spoke the glorious son of Priam to him,
λισσόμενος ἐπέεσσιν, ἀμείλικτον δʼ ὄπʼ ἄκουσε·
beseeching with words, but he heard a pitiless voice:
νήπιε μή μοι ἄποινα πιφαύσκεο μηδʼ ἀγόρευε·
”Fool, talk not to me of ransom, nor make speeches.
πρὶν μὲν γὰρ Πάτροκλον ἐπισπεῖν αἴσιμον ἦμαρ
Before Patroclus met his day of destiny,
τόφρά τί μοι πεφιδέσθαι3 ἐνὶ φρεσὶ φίλτερον ἦεν
it was more pleasing to my heart to spare the Trojans,
Τρώων, καὶ πολλοὺς ζωοὺς ἕλον ἠδʼ ἐπέρασσα·
and many of them I took alive and sold;
νῦν δʼ οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅς τις θάνατον φύγῃ ὅν κε θεός γε
but now there is not one who shall escape death, whomsoever god
Ἰλίου προπάροιθεν ἐμῇς ἐν χερσὶ βάλῃσι
shall deliver into my hands before Ilios—
καὶ πάντων Τρώων, περὶ δʼ αὖ Πριάμοιό γε παίδων.
not one of all the Trojans, and least of all the sons of Priam.
ἀλλὰ φίλος θάνε καὶ σύ· τί ἦ ὀλοφύρεαι οὕτως;
But, friend, die you too; why do you lament thus?
κάτθανε καὶ Πάτροκλος, ὅ περ σέο πολλὸν ἀμείνων.
Patroclus also died, who was a far better man than you.
οὐχ ὁράᾳς οἷος καὶ ἐγὼ καλός τε μέγας τε;
Do you not see what manner of man I am, both fair and great?
πατρὸς δʼ εἴμʼ ἀγαθοῖο, θεὰ δέ με γείνατο μήτηρ·
I am the son of a noble father, and a goddess mother bare me;
ἀλλʼ ἔπι τοι καὶ ἐμοὶ θάνατος καὶ μοῖρα κραταιή·
yet over me too hang death and mighty fate.
ἔσσεται ἢ ἠὼς ἢ δείλη ἢ μέσον ἦμαρ
There shall come a dawn or evening or midday,
ὁππότε τις καὶ ἐμεῖο Ἄρῃ ἐκ θυμὸν ἕληται
when some man shall take my life also in battle,
ἢ ὅ γε δουρὶ βαλὼν ἢ ἀπὸ νευρῆφιν ὀϊστῷ.
either casting with the spear or with an arrow from the string.”
ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ·
So he spoke, and the other’s knees and heart were loosened.
ἔγχος μέν ῥʼ ἀφέηκεν, ὃ δʼ ἕζετο χεῖρε πετάσσας
He let go the spear, and sat down with both hands outstretched.
ἀμφοτέρας· Ἀχιλεὺς δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος ξίφος ὀξὺ
But Achilles drew his sharp sword
τύψε κατὰ κληῗδα παρʼ αὐχένα, πᾶν δέ οἱ εἴσω
and struck him on the collarbone beside the neck, and all the double-edged
δῦ ξίφος ἄμφηκες· ὃ δʼ ἄρα πρηνὴς ἐπὶ γαίῃ
sword sank within him; and he fell prone upon the ground
κεῖτο ταθείς, ἐκ δʼ αἷμα μέλαν ῥέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν.
stretched out, and the dark blood flowed out and wetted the earth.
τὸν δʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ποταμὸν δὲ λαβὼν ποδὸς ἧκε φέρεσθαι,
Him Achilles seized by the foot and cast into the river to be carried away,
καί οἱ ἐπευχόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευεν·
and boasting over him spoke winged words:
ἐνταυθοῖ νῦν κεῖσο μετʼ ἰχθύσιν, οἵ σʼ ὠτειλὴν4
”Lie there now among the fish, which shall lick the blood
αἷμʼ ἀπολιχμήσονται ἀκηδέες· οὐδέ σε μήτηρ
from your wound uncaring; nor shall your mother
ἐνθεμένη λεχέεσσι γοήσεται, ἀλλὰ Σκάμανδρος
lay you on a bed and wail over you, but Scamander
οἴσει δινήεις εἴσω ἁλὸς εὐρέα κόλπον·
shall bear you eddying into the broad bosom of the sea.
θρῴσκων τις κατὰ κῦμα μέλαιναν φρῖχʼ ὑπαΐξει
Many a fish leaping through the wave shall dart beneath the dark ripple
ἰχθύς, ὅς κε φάγῃσι Λυκάονος ἀργέτα δημόν.
to eat the white fat of Lycaon.
φθείρεσθʼ εἰς ὅ κεν ἄστυ κιχείομεν Ἰλίου ἱρῆς
Perish on, until we reach the city of sacred Ilios,
ὑμεῖς μὲν φεύγοντες, ἐγὼ δʼ ὄπιθεν κεραΐζων.
you fleeing, and I slaying in your rear.
οὐδʼ ὑμῖν ποταμός περ ἐΰρροος ἀργυροδίνης
Nor shall the fair-flowing, silver-eddying river
ἀρκέσει, ᾧ δὴ δηθὰ πολέας ἱερεύετε ταύρους,
avail you, to whom long time you have sacrificed many bulls,
ζωοὺς δʼ ἐν δίνῃσι καθίετε μώνυχας ἵππους.
and cast living single-hoofed horses into its eddies.”
- 21.70ἄμεναι
The aorist infinitive of the verb āō (to sate, satisfy). It depends on the participle hiemenē (eager, straining), expressing purpose: "eager to satisfy itself on human flesh."
- 21.75ἀντί τοί εἰμʼ ἱκέταο
The preposition anti here takes the genitive hiketao (suppliant) to mean "in the place of" or "equal to," invoking the sacred duty of guest-friendship and the protection of suppliants under Zeus.
- 21.101πέφιδέσθαι
Reduplicated aorist infinitive of pheidomai (to spare). It functions as the subject of the impersonal construction philteron ēen ("it was more pleasing to my heart [to spare]").
- 21.122ὠτειλὴν
Accusative of ōteilē (wound), which together with haim' (blood) in the next line forms a double accusative construction with apolichmēsontai (will lick [the blood from the wound]).
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1