- 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-grc2:22.323-22.385
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Achilles pierces Hector's exposed throat with his spear, ruthlessly rejects his dying plea for body return, and desecrates the corpse together with the gathering Achaeans.
καλά, τὰ Πατρόκλοιο βίην1 ἐνάριξε κατακτάς·
the beautiful armor, which he had stripped when he slew the strength of Patroclus.
φαίνετο δʼ ᾗ κληῗδες ἀπʼ ὤμων αὐχένʼ ἔχουσι
But his throat was exposed, where the collarbones hold the neck from the shoulders,
λαυκανίην, ἵνα τε ψυχῆς ὤκιστος ὄλεθρος·
where is the quickest destruction of life.
τῇ ῥʼ ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαῶτʼ ἔλασʼ ἔγχεϊ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,
There noble Achilles drove his spear as Hector charged upon him,
ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἁπαλοῖο διʼ αὐχένος ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκή·
and the point went straight through his tender neck.
οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ ἀσφάραγον μελίη τάμε2 χαλκοβάρεια,
Yet the heavy bronze-weighted ashen spear did not cut through his windpipe,
ὄφρά τί μιν προτιείποι ἀμειβόμενος ἐπέεσσιν.
so that he might yet speak some words and answer him.
ἤριπε δʼ ἐν κονίῃς· ὃ δʼ ἐπεύξατο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
He fell in the dust, and noble Achilles triumphed over him:
Ἕκτορ ἀτάρ που ἔφης Πατροκλῆʼ ἐξεναρίζων
”Hector, surely you thought, when you were stripping Patroclus,
σῶς ἔσσεσθʼ, ἐμὲ δʼ οὐδὲν ὀπίζεο νόσφιν ἐόντα
that you would be safe, and you cared nothing for me who was far away,
νήπιε· τοῖο δʼ ἄνευθεν ἀοσσητὴρ μέγʼ ἀμείνων
fool! Far from him, a helper far mightier,
νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐγὼ μετόπισθε λελείμμην,
I was left behind at the hollow ships,
ὅς τοι γούνατʼ ἔλυσα· σὲ μὲν κύνες ἠδʼ οἰωνοὶ
I who have loosed your knees. You shall dogs and birds
ἑλκήσουσʼ ἀϊκῶς, τὸν δὲ κτεριοῦσιν Ἀχαιοί.
tear ingloriously, but him shall the Achaeans bury.”
τὸν δʼ ὀλιγοδρανέων προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
Then, growing faint, Hector of the flashing helm spoke to him:
λίσσομʼ ὑπὲρ ψυχῆς3 καὶ γούνων σῶν τε τοκήων
”I entreat you by your life and knees and your own parents,
μή με ἔα παρὰ νηυσὶ κύνας καταδάψαι Ἀχαιῶν,
leave me not for dogs to devour by the ships of the Achaeans;
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν χαλκόν τε ἅλις χρυσόν τε δέδεξο
but accept bronze and gold in abundance,
δῶρα τά τοι δώσουσι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ,
gifts that my father and lady mother will give you,
σῶμα δὲ οἴκαδʼ ἐμὸν δόμεναι πάλιν, ὄφρα πυρός με
and give my body back to my home, so that of fire
Τρῶες καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι λελάχωσι θανόντα.
the Trojans and the wives of the Trojans may give me my share when dead.”
τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεὺς·
Then, looking at him grimly, swift-footed Achilles addressed him:
μή με κύον γούνων γουνάζεο μὴ δὲ τοκήων·
”Entreat me not, dog, by knees nor by parents.
αἲ γάρ4 πως αὐτόν με μένος καὶ θυμὸς ἀνήη
Would that my anger and my soul might drive me
ὤμʼ ἀποταμνόμενον κρέα ἔδμεναι, οἷα ἔοργας,
to carve your flesh and eat it raw, for the things you have done,
ὡς οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὃς σῆς γε κύνας κεφαλῆς ἀπαλάλκοι,
as surely as there is no man who shall ward off the dogs from your head;
οὐδʼ εἴ κεν δεκάκις τε καὶ εἰκοσινήριτʼ ἄποινα
not even if they should bring here and weigh out ten- or twenty-fold ransom,
στήσωσʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἄγοντες, ὑπόσχωνται δὲ καὶ ἄλλα,
and promise yet more besides;
οὐδʼ εἴ κέν σʼ αὐτὸν χρυσῷ ἐρύσασθαι ἀνώγοι
not even if Priam, son of Dardanus, should bid pay your weight
Δαρδανίδης Πρίαμος· οὐδʼ ὧς σέ γε πότνια μήτηρ
in gold; not even so shall your lady mother
ἐνθεμένη λεχέεσσι γοήσεται ὃν τέκεν αὐτή,
lay you on a bed and weep for him whom she herself bore;
ἀλλὰ κύνες τε καὶ οἰωνοὶ κατὰ πάντα δάσονται.
but dogs and birds shall tear you all to pieces.”
τὸν δὲ καταθνῄσκων προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
Then, as he died, Hector of the flashing helm spoke to him:
ἦ σʼ εὖ γιγνώσκων προτιόσσομαι, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον
”Indeed, I know you well and look upon you, nor was I destined
πείσειν· ἦ γὰρ σοί γε σιδήρεος ἐν φρεσὶ θυμός.
to persuade you; for surely the heart in your breast is of iron.
φράζεο νῦν, μή τοί τι θεῶν μήνιμα γένωμαι
Bethink you now, lest I become a cause of gods’ wrath to you
ἤματι τῷ ὅτε κέν σε Πάρις καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων
on that day when Paris and Phoebus Apollo
ἐσθλὸν ἐόντʼ ὀλέσωσιν ἐνὶ Σκαιῇσι πύλῃσιν.
shall slay you, brave though you are, at the Scaean gates.”
ὣς ἄρα μιν εἰπόντα τέλος θανάτοιο κάλυψε,
Even as he spoke, the end of death enfolded him,
ψυχὴ δʼ ἐκ ῥεθέων πταμένη Ἄϊδος δὲ βεβήκει
and his soul flitting from his limbs went down to the house of Hades,
ὃν πότμον γοόωσα λιποῦσʼ ἀνδροτῆτα καὶ ἥβην.
mourning its fate, leaving manliness and youth behind.
τὸν καὶ τεθνηῶτα προσηύδα δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
And noble Achilles spoke to him, dead though he was:
τέθναθι· κῆρα δʼ ἐγὼ τότε δέξομαι ὁππότε κεν δὴ
”Lie dead; as for my fate, I shall accept it whensoever
Ζεὺς ἐθέλῃ τελέσαι ἠδʼ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι.
Zeus and the other immortal gods are pleased to bring it to pass.”
ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἐκ νεκροῖο ἐρύσσατο χάλκεον ἔγχος,
He spoke, and from the corpse drew out his bronze spear,
καὶ τό γʼ ἄνευθεν ἔθηχʼ, ὃ δʼ ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα
and laid it aside, and stripped from his shoulders the armor,
αἱματόεντʼ· ἄλλοι δὲ περίδραμον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν,
stained with blood; and the other sons of the Achaeans ran up around,
οἳ καὶ θηήσαντο φυὴν καὶ εἶδος ἀγητὸν
who gazed with wonder at the stature and fair form
Ἕκτορος· οὐδʼ ἄρα οἵ τις ἀνουτητί γε παρέστη.5
of Hector; nor did any man stand by without inflicting a wound.
ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν ἰδὼν ἐς πλησίον ἄλλον·
And thus would one look at his neighbor and say:
ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ μαλακώτερος ἀμφαφάασθαι
”Ah, indeed, Hector is far softer to handle now
Ἕκτωρ ἢ ὅτε νῆας ἐνέπρησεν πυρὶ κηλέῳ.
than when he burned the ships with blazing fire.”
ὣς ἄρα τις εἴπεσκε καὶ οὐτήσασκε παραστάς.
Thus would one speak, and standing by would deal a wound.
τὸν δʼ ἐπεὶ ἐξενάριξε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,
But when swift-footed noble Achilles had stripped him,
στὰς ἐν Ἀχαιοῖσιν ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευεν·
he stood among the Achaeans and spoke winged words:
ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες
”Friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives,
ἐπεὶ δὴ τόνδʼ ἄνδρα θεοὶ δαμάσασθαι ἔδωκαν,
since the gods have granted us to vanquish this man,
ὃς κακὰ πόλλʼ ἔρρεξεν ὅσʼ οὐ σύμπαντες οἱ ἄλλοι,
who has done much more evil than all the others together,
εἰ δʼ ἄγετʼ ἀμφὶ πόλιν σὺν τεύχεσι πειρηθῶμεν,
come, let us make trial about the city in our armor,
ὄφρά κʼ ἔτι γνῶμεν Τρώων νόον ὅν τινʼ ἔχουσιν,
that we may yet know what mind the Trojans have,
ἢ καταλείψουσιν πόλιν ἄκρην τοῦδε πεσόντος,
whether they will leave the high city now that he has fallen,
ἦε μένειν μεμάασι καὶ Ἕκτορος οὐκέτʼ ἐόντος.
or whether they purpose to remain even though Hector is no more.
ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;6
But why does my heart within me hold debate on this?”
- 22.323Πατρόκλοιο βίην
The phrase meaning "the strength of Patroclus" is a formulaic periphrasis in epic poetry, referring to "the mighty Patroclus" himself.
- 22.328ἀπʼ ... τάμε
Tmesis of the verb ἀποτέμνω (to cut off). The preposition ἀπό is separated from the verbal form τάμε (aorist), with other words placed in between.
- 22.338ὑπὲρ ψυχῆς
The preposition ὑπέρ with the genitive is used here in a strong supplication, meaning "by/for the sake of your life," a characteristic usage of epic poetry.
- 22.346αἲ γάρ
Used with the subjunctive ἀνήη to express an unattainable but passionately desired wish, highlighting Achilles' fierce hatred toward Hector.
- 22.371οὐδʼ ἄρα οἵ τις ἀνουτητί γε παρέστη
A double negative statement literally meaning "no one stood by him without wounding him," emphasizing that every Achaean who approached stabbed Hector's corpse.
- 22.385τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;
A formulaic self-question in epic poetry used when a speaker cuts off his current train of thought and redirects attention to a more urgent concern (here, the burial of Patroclus).