- 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-grc2:22.451-22.515
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Andromache rushes to the city wall and faints upon seeing Hector's corpse dragged by Achilles. After reviving, she laments her husband's death, their shared tragic fate, and the cruel future awaiting their orphaned son, Astyanax.
αἰδοίης ἑκυρῆς ὀπὸς ἔκλυον, ἐν δʼ ἐμοὶ αὐτῇ
I heard the voice of my revered mother-in-law, and in my own
στήθεσι πάλλεται ἦτορ ἀνὰ στόμα, νέρθε δὲ γοῦνα
breast my heart leaps to my mouth, and beneath me my knees
πήγνυται· ἐγγὺς δή τι κακὸν Πριάμοιο τέκεσσιν.
are stiffened; surely some evil is near for the children of Priam.
αἲ γὰρ ἀπʼ οὔατος εἴη ἐμεῦ ἔπος·1 ἀλλὰ μάλʼ αἰνῶς
Would that such a word might be far from my ear! But most terribly
δείδω μὴ δή μοι θρασὺν Ἕκτορα δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς2
I fear lest noble Achilles may have cut off brave Hector all
μοῦνον ἀποτμήξας πόλιος πεδίον δὲ δίηται,
alone from the city and driven him to the plain,
καὶ δή μιν καταπαύσῃ ἀγηνορίης ἀλεγεινῆς
and indeed put an end to the grievous pride
ἥ μιν ἔχεσκʼ, ἐπεὶ οὔ ποτʼ ἐνὶ πληθυῖ μένεν ἀνδρῶν,
that possessed him; for he would never remain in the throng of men,
ἀλλὰ πολὺ προθέεσκε, τὸ ὃν μένος οὐδενὶ εἴκων.
but would run far out in front, yielding to no one in his might.
ὣς φαμένη μεγάροιο διέσσυτο μαινάδι ἴση
So saying she rushed through the hall like a madwoman,
παλλομένη κραδίην· ἅμα δʼ ἀμφίπολοι κίον αὐτῇ
with throbbing heart; and her handmaids went with her.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πύργόν τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν ἷξεν ὅμιλον
But when she came to the wall and the throng of men,
ἔστη παπτήνασʼ ἐπὶ τείχεϊ, τὸν δὲ νόησεν
she stood on the wall, looking about, and descried him
ἑλκόμενον πρόσθεν πόλιος· ταχέες δέ μιν ἵπποι
being dragged before the city; and swift horses
ἕλκον ἀκηδέστως κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
were dragging him ruthlessly toward the hollow ships of the Achaeans.
τὴν δὲ κατʼ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐρεβεννὴ νὺξ ἐκάλυψεν,
Then dark night veiled her eyes,
ἤριπε δʼ ἐξοπίσω, ἀπὸ δὲ ψυχὴν ἐκάπυσσε.
and she fell backward, and gasped out her spirit.
τῆλε δʼ ἀπὸ κρατὸς βάλε δέσματα σιγαλόεντα,
Far from her head she cast the bright head-bands,
ἄμπυκα κεκρύφαλόν τε ἰδὲ πλεκτὴν ἀναδέσμην
the diadem, the net, and the woven band,
κρήδεμνόν θʼ, ὅ ῥά οἱ δῶκε χρυσῆ Ἀφροδίτη
and the veil which golden Aphrodite had given her
ἤματι τῷ ὅτε μιν κορυθαίολος ἠγάγεθʼ Ἕκτωρ
on the day when Hector of the flashing helm led her
ἐκ δόμου Ἠετίωνος, ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα.
from the house of Eëtion, after he had given countless bridal gifts.
ἀμφὶ δέ μιν γαλόῳ τε καὶ εἰνατέρες ἅλις ἔσταν,
And around her stood thronging her husband’s sisters and his brothers’ wives,
αἵ ἑ μετὰ σφίσιν εἶχον ἀτυζομένην ἀπολέσθαι.
who held her up among them, distracted even to death.
ἣ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔμπνυτο καὶ ἐς φρένα θυμὸς ἀγέρθη
But when she revived, and her spirit was gathered back into her breast,
ἀμβλήδην γοόωσα μετὰ Τρῳῇσιν ἔειπεν·
with deep sobs she spoke among the Trojan women:
Ἕκτορ ἐγὼ δύστηνος· ἰῇ ἄρα γεινόμεθʼ αἴσῃ
”Hector, unhappy me! to one and the same fate, it seems, we were both
ἀμφότεροι, σὺ μὲν ἐν Τροίῃ Πριάμου κατὰ δῶμα,
born, you in Troy in the house of Priam,
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ Θήβῃσιν ὑπὸ Πλάκῳ ὑληέσσῃ
and I in Thebe under wooded Placos,
ἐν δόμῳ Ἠετίωνος, ὅ μʼ ἔτρεφε τυτθὸν ἐοῦσαν
in the house of Eëtion, who reared me when I was a little one,
δύσμορος αἰνόμορον· ὡς μὴ ὤφελλε τεκέσθαι.3
ill-fated father of an ill-fated child; would that he had never begotten me!
νῦν δὲ σὺ μὲν Ἀΐδαο δόμους ὑπὸ κεύθεσι γαίης
And now you are gone to the house of Hades beneath the depths of the earth,
ἔρχεαι, αὐτὰρ ἐμὲ στυγερῷ ἐνὶ πένθεϊ λείπεις
but you leave me in bitter grief,
χήρην ἐν μεγάροισι· πάϊς δʼ ἔτι νήπιος αὔτως,
a widow in the halls; and our child is still but a babe,
ὃν τέκομεν σύ τʼ ἐγώ τε δυσάμμοροι· οὔτε σὺ τούτῳ
whom we begot, you and I, ill-fated that we are; and neither shall you
ἔσσεαι Ἕκτορ ὄνειαρ ἐπεὶ θάνες, οὔτε σοὶ οὗτος.
be a blessing to him, Hector, since you are dead, nor he to you.
ἤν περ γὰρ πόλεμόν γε φύγῃ πολύδακρυν Ἀχαιῶν,
For even if he escapes the tearful war of the Achaeans,
αἰεί τοι τούτῳ γε πόνος καὶ κήδεʼ ὀπίσσω
yet evermore shall labor and sorrows be his lot hereafter;
ἔσσοντʼ· ἄλλοι γάρ οἱ ἀπουρίσσουσιν ἀρούρας.
for others will take away his fields by altering the boundaries.
ἦμαρ δʼ ὀρφανικὸν παναφήλικα παῖδα τίθησι·
The day of orphanhood makes a child utterly companionless;
πάντα δʼ ὑπεμνήμυκε, δεδάκρυνται δὲ παρειαί,
and his head is ever bowed down, and his cheeks are wet with tears,
δευόμενος δέ τʼ ἄνεισι πάϊς ἐς πατρὸς ἑταίρους,
and in his need the child goes up to his father’s companions,
ἄλλον μὲν χλαίνης ἐρύων, ἄλλον δὲ χιτῶνος·
tugging one by his cloak and another by his tunic;
τῶν δʼ ἐλεησάντων κοτύλην τις τυτθὸν ἐπέσχε·
and of those who pity him, one holds out a little cup for a moment:
χείλεα μέν τʼ ἐδίηνʼ, ὑπερῴην δʼ οὐκ ἐδίηνε.
it wets his lips, but does not wet his palate.
τὸν δὲ καὶ ἀμφιθαλὴς ἐκ δαιτύος ἐστυφέλιξε
And one whose parents both are living thrusts him from the feast,
χερσὶν πεπλήγων καὶ ὀνειδείοισιν ἐνίσσων·
striking him with his hands and reviling him with mocking words:
ἔρρʼ οὕτως· οὐ σός γε πατὴρ μεταδαίνυται ἡμῖν.
’Get gone, you! No father of yours dines with us.’
δακρυόεις δέ τʼ ἄνεισι πάϊς ἐς μητέρα χήρην
Then weeping the child goes back to his widowed mother,
Ἀστυάναξ, ὃς πρὶν μὲν ἑοῦ ἐπὶ γούνασι πατρὸς
even Astyanax, who before on his father’s knees
μυελὸν οἶον ἔδεσκε καὶ οἰῶν πίονα δημόν·
would eat only marrow and the rich fat of sheep;
αὐτὰρ ὅθʼ ὕπνος ἕλοι, παύσαιτό τε νηπιαχεύων,
and when sleep came upon him and he ceased from his childish play,
εὕδεσκʼ ἐν λέκτροισιν ἐν ἀγκαλίδεσσι τιθήνης
he would sleep in a bed in the arms of his nurse,
εὐνῇ ἔνι μαλακῇ θαλέων ἐμπλησάμενος κῆρ·
on a soft couch, his heart filled with good things.
νῦν δʼ ἂν πολλὰ πάθῃσι4 φίλου ἀπὸ πατρὸς ἁμαρτὼν
But now, since he has lost his dear father, many things will he suffer,
Ἀστυάναξ, ὃν Τρῶες ἐπίκλησιν καλέουσιν·
even Astyanax, whom the Trojans call by this name;
οἶος γάρ σφιν ἔρυσο πύλας καὶ τείχεα μακρά.
because you alone defended their gates and long walls.
νῦν δὲ σὲ μὲν παρὰ νηυσὶ κορωνίσι νόσφι τοκήων
But now by the curved ships, far from your parents,
αἰόλαι εὐλαὶ ἔδονται, ἐπεί κε κύνες κορέσωνται
writhing worms will devour you, when the dogs have had their fill of your
γυμνόν· ἀτάρ τοι εἵματʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι κέονται
naked body; yet in your halls there lie garments
λεπτά τε καὶ χαρίεντα τετυγμένα χερσὶ γυναικῶν.
fine and gracious, wrought by the hands of women.
ἀλλʼ ἤτοι τάδε πάντα καταφλέξω πυρὶ κηλέῳ
But verily all these I will burn with blazing fire,
οὐδὲν σοί γʼ ὄφελος, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐγκείσεαι αὐτοῖς,
of no use to you, since you will not lie in them,
ἀλλὰ πρὸς Τρώων καὶ Τρωϊάδων κλέος εἶναι.
but to be an honor to you from the men and women of Troy.”
ὣς ἔφατο κλαίουσʼ, ἐπὶ δὲ στενάχοντο γυναῖκες.
So she spoke weeping, and the women lamented therewith.
- 22.454αἲ γὰρ ἀπʼ οὔατος εἴη ἐμεῦ ἔπος
An independent clause with the optative of wish (εἴη). Literally meaning "would that this word were far from my ear," it is an idiomatic expression expressing the hope that her fears will turn out to be groundless.
- 22.455δείδω μὴ δή μοι θρασὺν Ἕκτορα δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
The verb of fearing in the present tense, δείδω, governs the following μὴ clause which contains the present subjunctive δίηται (line 456) and the aorist subjunctive καταπαύσῃ (line 457), expressing a vivid fear of what might happen.
- 22.481ὡς μὴ ὤφελλε τεκέσθαι
A construction expressing an unaccomplished wish in the past using ὤφελλε (poetic past form of ὀφείλω) with the infinitive τεκέσθαι. The subject is Eëtion (Ἠετίων) mentioned in the previous line. Literally, "would that he had never begotten me."
- 22.505νῦν δʼ ἂν πολλά πάθῃσι
The combination of ἄν with the subjunctive (πάθῃσι) in an independent clause expresses a strong probability or expectation regarding the future ("now he will likely suffer many things"), a characteristic usage in Homeric Greek.