- 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-grc2:23.209-23.278
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
The funeral pyre of Patroclus is finally consumed by fire with the help of the winds, and Achilles gathers his bones. Achilles then establishes funeral games in honor of his fallen friend, presenting glorious prizes for the chariot race.
ἐλθεῖν ἀρᾶται, καὶ ὑπίσχεται ἱερὰ καλά,
prays them to come, and promises fair offerings,
ὄφρα πυρὴν ὄρσητε καήμεναι,1 ᾗ ἔνι κεῖται
so that you may arouse the pyre to burn, on which lies
Πάτροκλος, τὸν πάντες ἀναστενάχουσιν Ἀχαιοί.
Patroclus, whom all the Achaeans lament.”
ἣ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἀπεβήσετο, τοὶ δʼ ὀρέοντο
So she spoke and departed, and they rushed forth
ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ νέφεα κλονέοντε πάροιθεν.
with a wondrous roar, driving the clouds before them.
αἶψα δὲ πόντον ἵκανον ἀήμεναι,2 ὦρτο δὲ κῦμα
And quickly they came to the sea to blow upon it, and the wave arose
πνοιῇ ὕπο λιγυρῇ· Τροίην δʼ ἐρίβωλον ἱκέσθην,
under their shrill blast; and they came to fertile Troy,
ἐν δὲ πυρῇ πεσέτην, μέγα δʼ ἴαχε θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ.
and fell upon the pyre, and the wondrously blazing fire roared aloud.
παννύχιοι δʼ ἄρα τοί γε πυρῆς ἄμυδις φλόγʼ ἔβαλλον
All night long they together beat upon the flame of the pyre,
φυσῶντες λιγέως· ὃ δὲ πάννυχος ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεὺς
blowing shrilly; and all night long swift Achilles,
χρυσέου ἐκ κρητῆρος ἑλὼν δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον
taking a two-handled cup from a golden bowl,
οἶνον ἀφυσσόμενος χαμάδις χέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν
drawing wine poured it upon the ground, and wet the earth,
ψυχὴν κικλήσκων Πατροκλῆος δειλοῖο.
calling upon the soul of unhappy Patroclus.
ὡς δὲ πατὴρ οὗ παιδὸς ὀδύρεται ὀστέα καίων
And as a father wails for his son, burning his bones,
νυμφίου, ὅς τε θανὼν δειλοὺς ἀκάχησε τοκῆας,
a bridegroom, who by his death has grieved his unhappy parents,
ὣς Ἀχιλεὺς ἑτάροιο ὀδύρετο ὀστέα καίων,
so Achilles wailed for his companion, burning his bones,
ἑρπύζων παρὰ πυρκαϊὴν ἁδινὰ στεναχίζων.
dragging himself beside the funeral pyre, groaning heavily.
ἦμος δʼ ἑωσφόρος εἶσι φόως ἐρέων ἐπὶ γαῖαν,
But when the morning star goes forth to herald light to the earth,
ὅν τε μέτα κροκόπεπλος ὑπεὶρ ἅλα κίδναται ἠώς,
whom after the saffron-robed Dawn spreads over the sea,
τῆμος πυρκαϊὴ ἐμαραίνετο, παύσατο δὲ φλόξ.
then the pyre grew dim, and the flame ceased.
οἳ δʼ ἄνεμοι πάλιν αὖτις ἔβαν οἶκον δὲ νέεσθαι
And the winds went back again to return home
Θρηΐκιον κατὰ πόντον· ὃ δʼ ἔστενεν οἴδματι θύων.
over the Thracian sea; and it groaned, raging with swelling waves.
Πηλεΐδης δʼ ἀπὸ πυρκαϊῆς ἑτέρωσε λιασθεὶς
But the son of Peleus, turning away from the pyre,
κλίνθη κεκμηώς, ἐπὶ δὲ γλυκὺς ὕπνος ὄρουσεν·
lay down exhausted, and sweet sleep leaped upon him;
οἳ δʼ ἀμφʼ Ἀτρεΐωνα ἀολλέες ἠγερέθοντο·
but they who were with the son of Atreus gathered in a crowd;
τῶν μιν ἐπερχομένων ὅμαδος καὶ δοῦπος ἔγειρεν,
the clamor and din of their coming awoke him,
ἕζετο δʼ ὀρθωθεὶς καί σφεας πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·
and he sat upright and spoke to them:
Ἀτρεΐδη τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν,
”Son of Atreus, and you other leaders of the whole body of Achaeans,
πρῶτον μὲν κατὰ πυρκαϊὴν σβέσατʼ αἴθοπι οἴνῳ
first quench the funeral pyre with gleaming wine
πᾶσαν, ὁπόσσον ἐπέσχε πυρὸς μένος· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
wholly, as far as the power of the fire spread; and then
ὀστέα Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο λέγωμεν
let us gather the bones of Patroclus, son of Menoetius,
εὖ διαγιγνώσκοντες· ἀριφραδέα δὲ τέτυκται·3
distinguishing them well; and they are easy to recognize;
ἐν μέσσῃ γὰρ ἔκειτο πυρῇ, τοὶ δʼ ἄλλοι ἄνευθεν
for he lay in the middle of the pyre, but the others apart
ἐσχατιῇ καίοντʼ ἐπιμὶξ ἵπποι τε καὶ ἄνδρες.
were burned on the edge, mingled together, horses and men.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν χρυσέῃ φιάλῃ καὶ δίπλακι δημῷ
And his bones let us place in a golden urn and a double layer of fat,
θείομεν, εἰς ὅ κεν αὐτὸς ἐγὼν Ἄϊδι κεύθωμαι.4
until I myself am hidden in Hades.
τύμβον δʼ οὐ μάλα πολλὸν ἐγὼ πονέεσθαι ἄνωγα,
And a tomb I bid you labor at not very huge,
ἀλλʼ ἐπιεικέα τοῖον· ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἀχαιοὶ
but only such as is fitting; and hereafter you Achaeans
εὐρύν θʼ ὑψηλόν τε τιθήμεναι, οἵ κεν ἐμεῖο
shall make it both broad and high, you who
δεύτεροι ἐν νήεσσι πολυκλήϊσι λίπησθε.
shall be left behind me in the many-bench ships.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἐπίθοντο ποδώκεϊ Πηλεΐωνι.
So he spoke, and they obeyed the swift-footed son of Peleus.
πρῶτον μὲν κατὰ πυρκαϊὴν σβέσαν αἴθοπι οἴνῳ
First they quenched the funeral pyre with gleaming wine
ὅσσον ἐπὶ φλὸξ ἦλθε, βαθεῖα δὲ κάππεσε τέφρη·
as far as the flame had come, and the deep ashes fell down;
κλαίοντες δʼ ἑτάροιο ἐνηέος ὀστέα λευκὰ
and weeping they gathered the white bones of their gentle companion
ἄλλεγον ἐς χρυσέην φιάλην καὶ δίπλακα δημόν,
into a golden urn and a double layer of fat,
ἐν κλισίῃσι δὲ θέντες ἑανῷ λιτὶ κάλυψαν·
and placing them in the tents they covered them with a soft linen cloth;
τορνώσαντο δὲ σῆμα θεμείλιά τε προβάλοντο
and they marked out the circle of the tomb and laid the foundations
ἀμφὶ πυρήν· εἶθαρ δὲ χυτὴν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἔχευαν,
around the pyre; and straightway they heaped up the piled earth,
χεύαντες δὲ τὸ σῆμα πάλιν κίον. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς
and having heaped the tomb they went back. But Achilles
αὐτοῦ λαὸν ἔρυκε καὶ ἵζανεν εὐρὺν ἀγῶνα,
held the people there and made them sit in a wide assembly,
νηῶν δʼ ἔκφερʼ ἄεθλα λέβητάς τε τρίποδάς τε
and from his ships he brought out prizes, cauldrons and tripods,
ἵππους θʼ ἡμιόνους τε βοῶν τʼ ἴφθιμα κάρηνα,
and horses and mules and strong heads of oxen,
ἠδὲ γυναῖκας ἐϋζώνους πολιόν τε σίδηρον.
and fair-girdled women and grey iron.
ἱππεῦσιν μὲν πρῶτα ποδώκεσιν ἀγλάʼ ἄεθλα
For the swift-footed horsemen first glorious prizes
θῆκε γυναῖκα ἄγεσθαι ἀμύμονα ἔργα ἰδυῖαν
he set, a woman to take away, faultless, skilled in work,
καὶ τρίποδʼ ὠτώεντα δυωκαιεικοσίμετρον
and an eared tripod of twenty-two measures
τῷ πρώτῳ· ἀτὰρ αὖ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἵππον ἔθηκεν
for the first; and for the second he set a mare
ἑξέτεʼ ἀδμήτην βρέφος ἡμίονον κυέουσαν·
six years old, unbroken, pregnant with a mule foal;
αὐτὰρ τῷ τριτάτῳ ἄπυρον κατέθηκε λέβητα
and for the third he set a cauldron untouched by fire,
καλὸν τέσσαρα μέτρα κεχανδότα λευκὸν ἔτʼ αὔτως·
beautiful, holding four measures, still white just as it was;
τῷ δὲ τετάρτῳ θῆκε δύω χρυσοῖο τάλαντα,
and for the fourth he set two talents of gold,
πέμπτῳ δʼ ἀμφίθετον φιάλην ἀπύρωτον ἔθηκε.
and for the fifth a two-handled pan untouched by fire.
στῆ δʼ ὀρθὸς καὶ μῦθον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔειπεν·
And he stood upright and spoke his word among the Argives:
Ἀτρεΐδη τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
”Son of Atreus, and you other well-greaved Achaeans,
ἱππῆας τάδʼ ἄεθλα δεδεγμένα κεῖτʼ ἐν ἀγῶνι.5
these prizes lie in the assembly awaiting the horsemen.
εἰ μὲν νῦν ἐπὶ ἄλλῳ ἀεθλεύοιμεν Ἀχαιοὶ
If we Achaeans were now contending in honor of another,
ἦ τʼ ἂν ἐγὼ τὰ πρῶτα λαβὼν κλισίην δὲ φεροίμην.
surely I should take the first prizes and carry them to my tent.
ἴστε γὰρ ὅσσον ἐμοὶ ἀρετῇ περιβάλλετον ἵπποι·
For you know how far my horses surpass in excellence;
ἀθάνατοί τε γάρ εἰσι, Ποσειδάων δὲ πόρʼ αὐτοὺς
for they are immortal, and Poseidon gave them
πατρὶ ἐμῷ Πηλῆϊ, ὃ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐμοὶ ἐγγυάλιξεν.
to my father Peleus, and he in turn delivered them to me.”
- 23.210ὄρσητε καήμεναι
The infinitive καήμεναι (Aorist Passive) expresses purpose or result ("to burn"). It is used in combination with the verb ὄρσητε (Aorist Subjunctive) to mean "arouse the pyre so that it burns."
- 23.214ἀήμεναι
A present infinitive ("to blow") following the verb ἵκανον. It functions as an adverbial infinitive of purpose.
- 23.240ἀριφραδέα δὲ τέτυκται
The adjective ἀριφραδέα is neuter plural but serves as a predicate to the third person singular verb τέτυκται. This follows the standard Greek rule of agreement where a neuter plural subject (here ὀστέα, "bones") takes a singular verb.
- 23.244εἰς ὅ κεν αὐτὸς ἐγὼν Ἄϊδι κεύθωμαι
A temporal clause introduced by the conjunction phrase εἰς ὅ κεν followed by the subjunctive κεύθωμαι (present or aorist middle), expressing an indefinite future event ("until I myself am hidden in Hades"). The dative Ἄϊδι functions as a dative of direction or place ("in/to the house of Hades").
- 23.273ἱππῆας τάδʼ ἄεθλα δεδεγμένα κεῖτʼ ἐν ἀγῶνι
The participle δεδεγμένα, a medio-passive participle of δέχομαι, can be construed as modifying the neuter plural subject ἄεθλα while taking ἱππῆας as its object ("the prizes lie awaiting the horsemen"). This is the most natural interpretation.