The Golden Scales of Zeus and Athena's Deception — Homer, Iliad Book 22 (lines 196–259), Greek & English

196

εἴ πως¹ οἷ καθύπερθεν ἀλάλκοιεν βελέεσσι,

if somehow they might protect him from above with missiles.

τοσσάκι μιν προπάροιθεν ἀποστρέψασκε παραφθὰς

But as often as he made a start, Achilles would outrun him and turn him back

πρὸς πεδίον· αὐτὸς δὲ ποτὶ πτόλιος πέτετʼ αἰεί.

toward the plain; while he himself always flew on the side of the city.

ὡς δʼ ἐν ὀνείρῳ οὐ δύναται φεύγοντα διώκειν·

And as in a dream one cannot pursue a fleeing man,

200

οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ὃ τὸν δύναται ὑποφεύγειν οὔθʼ ὃ διώκειν·

neither can the one escape from the other, nor the other pursue,

ὣς ὃ τὸν οὐ δύνατο μάρψαι ποσίν, οὐδʼ ὃς ἀλύξαι.

so the one could not catch the other with his feet, nor could the other escape.

πῶς δέ κεν Ἕκτωρ κῆρας ὑπεξέφυγεν θανάτοιο,

And how could Hector have escaped the fates of death,

εἰ μή² οἱ πύματόν τε καὶ ὕστατον ἤντετʼ Ἀπόλλων

had not Apollo met him for the very last time,

ἐγγύθεν, ὅς οἱ ἐπῶρσε μένος λαιψηρά τε γοῦνα;

close at hand, who roused in him strength and swift knees?

205

λαοῖσιν δʼ ἀνένευε καρήατι δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,

But noble Achilles shook his head to his people,

οὐδʼ ἔα ἱέμεναι ἐπὶ Ἕκτορι πικρὰ βέλεμνα,

nor did he allow them to let fly bitter missiles at Hector,

μή τις κῦδος ἄροιτο βαλών, ὃ δὲ δεύτερος ἔλθοι.

lest someone, having struck him, should win glory, and he himself come second.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸ τέταρτον ἐπὶ κρουνοὺς ἀφίκοντο,

But when indeed for the fourth time they reached the springs,

καὶ τότε δὴ χρύσεια πατὴρ ἐτίταινε τάλαντα,

then indeed the Father stretched out his golden scales,

210

ἐν δʼ ἐτίθει δύο κῆρε τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο,

and placed in them two fates of death that brings long grief,

τὴν μὲν Ἀχιλλῆος, τὴν δʼ Ἕκτορος ἱπποδάμοιο,

one of Achilles, and the other of horse-taming Hector,

ἕλκε δὲ μέσσα λαβών· ῥέπε δʼ Ἕκτορος αἴσιμον ἦμαρ,

and he held them by the middle and raised them; and the fated day of Hector sank,

ᾤχετο δʼ εἰς Ἀΐδαο, λίπεν δέ ἑ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων.

and went down to Hades, and Phoebus Apollo left him.

Πηλεΐωνα δʼ ἵκανε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,

And to the son of Peleus came the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena,

215

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱσταμένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and standing near, she spoke winged words to him:

νῦν δὴ νῶι ἔολπα Διῒ φίλε φαίδιμʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ

”Now indeed, glorious Achilles, dear to Zeus, I hope that we two

οἴσεσθαι μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιοῖσι προτὶ νῆας

shall bring great glory to the Achaeans at the ships,

Ἕκτορα δῃώσαντε³ μάχης ἄατόν περ ἐόντα.

having slain Hector, insatiable of battle though he be.

οὔ οἱ νῦν ἔτι γʼ ἔστι πεφυγμένον ἄμμε γενέσθαι,

Now no longer is it possible for him to escape us,

220

οὐδʼ εἴ κεν μάλα πολλὰ πάθοι ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων

not even if Apollo, who works from afar, should suffer ever so much,

προπροκυλινδόμενος πατρὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

grovelling before father Zeus who holds the aegis.

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν νῦν στῆθι καὶ ἄμπνυε, τόνδε δʼ ἐγώ τοι

But do you now stand still and take breath, and this man I

οἰχομένη πεπιθήσω ἐναντίβιον μαχέσασθαι.

will go and persuade to fight you face to face.”

ὣς φάτʼ Ἀθηναίη, ὃ δʼ ἐπείθετο, χαῖρε δὲ θυμῷ,

So spoke Athena, and he obeyed, and rejoiced in his heart,

225

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπὶ μελίης χαλκογλώχινος ἐρεισθείς.

and stood leaning upon his bronze-pointed ash spear.

ἣ δʼ ἄρα τὸν μὲν ἔλειπε, κιχήσατο δʼ Ἕκτορα δῖον

And she left him, and came upon noble Hector,

Δηϊφόβῳ ἐϊκυῖα δέμας καὶ ἀτειρέα φωνήν·

likening herself to Deiphobus in form and untiring voice;

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱσταμένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and standing near, she spoke winged words to him:

ἠθεῖʼ ἦ μάλα δή σε βιάζεται ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεὺς

”Dear brother, truly indeed does swift Achilles press you hard,

230

ἄστυ πέρι Πριάμοιο ποσὶν ταχέεσσι διώκων·

pursuing you with swift feet around the city of Priam;

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ στέωμεν καὶ ἀλεξώμεσθα μένοντες.

but come, let us stand and defend ourselves, remaining here.”

τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

To her then spoke great Hector of the flashing helmet:

Δηΐφοβʼ ἦ μέν μοι τὸ πάρος πολὺ φίλτατος ἦσθα

”Deiphobus, surely in the past you were by far the dearest to me

γνωτῶν οὓς Ἑκάβη ἠδὲ Πρίαμος τέκε παῖδας·

of my brothers, whom Hecabe and Priam bore as children;

235

νῦν δʼ ἔτι καὶ μᾶλλον νοέω φρεσὶ τιμήσασθαι,

but now still more in my heart I think to honor you,

ὃς ἔτλης ἐμεῦ εἵνεκʼ, ἐπεὶ ἴδες ὀφθαλμοῖσι,

who have dared for my sake, when you saw with your eyes,

τείχεος ἐξελθεῖν, ἄλλοι δʼ ἔντοσθε μένουσι.

to come out from the wall, while the others remain within.”

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

To him then spoke the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena:

ἠθεῖʼ ἦ μὲν πολλὰ πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

”Dear brother, truly indeed did our father and lady mother

240

λίσσονθʼ ἑξείης γουνούμενοι, ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι,

entreat me in turn, clasping my knees, and around them my companions,

αὖθι μένειν· τοῖον γὰρ ὑποτρομέουσιν ἅπαντες·

to remain there; for so terribly do they all tremble;

ἀλλʼ ἐμὸς ἔνδοθι θυμὸς ἐτείρετο πένθεϊ λυγρῷ.

but my heart within was worn with grievous sorrow.

νῦν δʼ ἰθὺς μεμαῶτε μαχώμεθα, μὴ δέ τι δούρων

But now let us fight straight on with eager heart, and let there be no

ἔστω φειδωλή, ἵνα εἴδομεν εἴ κεν Ἀχιλλεὺς

sparing of spears, so that we may know whether Achilles,

245

νῶϊ κατακτείνας ἔναρα βροτόεντα φέρηται

having slain us two, shall carry our blood-stained spoils

νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς, ἦ κεν σῷ δουρὶ δαμήῃ.

to the hollow ships, or whether he shall be vanquished by your spear.”

ὣς φαμένη καὶ κερδοσύνῃ ἡγήσατʼ Ἀθήνη·

So speaking, Athena led the way with guile;

οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες,

and when they indeed were near, coming against one another,

τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

to him spoke first great Hector of the flashing helmet:

250

οὔ σʼ ἔτι Πηλέος υἱὲ φοβήσομαι, ὡς τὸ πάρος περ

”No longer, son of Peleus, shall I flee before you, as before

τρὶς περὶ ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμου δίον, οὐδέ ποτʼ ἔτλην

thrice I fled around the great city of Priam, nor ever did I dare

μεῖναι ἐπερχόμενον· νῦν αὖτέ με θυμὸς ἀνῆκε

to await your onset; but now again my heart prompts me

στήμεναι ἀντία σεῖο· ἕλοιμί κεν ἤ κεν ἁλοίην.

to stand face to face with you; let me either slay or be slain.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δεῦρο θεοὺς ἐπιδώμεθα· τοὶ γὰρ ἄριστοι

But come, let us call the gods to witness here; for they will be the best

255

μάρτυροι ἔσσονται καὶ ἐπίσκοποι ἁρμονιάων·

witnesses and guardians of our covenants;

οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ σʼ ἔκπαγλον ἀεικιῶ, αἴ κεν ἐμοὶ Ζεὺς

for I will not treat you with terrible outrage, if Zeus

δώῃ καμμονίην, σὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἀφέλωμαι·

grants me endurance, and I take away your life;

ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ ἄρ κέ σε συλήσω κλυτὰ τεύχεʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ

but when I have stripped you of your glorious armor, Achilles,

νεκρὸν Ἀχαιοῖσιν δώσω πάλιν· ὣς δὲ σὺ ῥέζειν.⁴

I will give your corpse back to the Achaeans; and do you do likewise.”

Syntax notes4 items

22.196εἴ πως
A subordinate clause depending on "whenever he made a start" (§22.194), expressing hope or purpose ("in the hope that they might somehow protect him from above with missiles").
22.202πῶς δέ κεν Ἕκτωρ κῆρας ὑπεξέφυγεν θανάτοιο, εἰ μή
An unfulfilled condition or past potential in past time with the particle κεν and the aorist indicative, introduced by εἰ μή ("if not"). It means "How indeed could Hector have escaped the fates of death, had not Apollo met him...".
22.216νῶι ἔολπα ... οἴσεσθαι ... Ἕκτορα δῃώσαντε
The verb ἔολπα ("I expect") takes the future infinitive οἴσεσθαι. Since the subject of the infinitive is the same as the speaker and the addressed person, it is expressed in the nominative dual νῶι ("we two") and agreed with the dual participle δῃώσαντε ("having slain").
22.259ὣς δὲ σὺ ῥέζειν
The infinitive ῥέζειν is used in an imperative sense (infinitivus pro imperativo), with the subject pronoun σὺ retained in the nominative. Hector is urging Achilles to do likewise.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:22.196-22.259