- 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-grc2:23.487-23.554
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
Diomedes wins the chariot race, while Antilochus takes second place ahead of Menelaus. Achilles proposes to award the second prize to Eumelus, who finished last due to an accident, but Antilochus strongly protests this decision.
ὁππότεραι πρόσθʼ ἵπποι, ἵνα γνώῃς ἀποτίνων.
which horses are in front, so that you may know by paying the wager.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὄρνυτο δʼ αὐτίκʼ Ὀϊλῆος ταχὺς Αἴας
So he spoke, and swift Ajax, son of Oileus, rose up at once,
χωόμενος χαλεποῖσιν ἀμείψασθαι ἐπέεσσι·
grieved to answer with harsh words.
καί νύ κε δὴ προτέρω ἔτʼ ἔρις γένετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν,
And now the strife between them would have gone even further,
εἰ μὴ Ἀχιλλεὺς αὐτὸς ἀνίστατο1 καὶ φάτο μῦθον·
if Achilles himself had not stood up and spoke:
μηκέτι νῦν χαλεποῖσιν ἀμείβεσθον ἐπέεσσιν
”No longer now answer with harsh words,
Αἶαν Ἰδομενεῦ τε κακοῖς, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἔοικε.
Ajax and Idomeneus, with evil terms, for it is not fitting.
καὶ δʼ ἄλλῳ νεμεσᾶτον ὅτις τοιαῦτά γε ῥέζοι.
You both would be angry with any other who should do such things.
ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἀγῶνι καθήμενοι εἰσοράασθε
But sit in the assembly and look upon
ἵππους· οἳ δὲ τάχʼ αὐτοὶ ἐπειγόμενοι περὶ νίκης
the horses; they themselves will soon come here in their eagerness
ἐνθάδʼ ἐλεύσονται· τότε δὲ γνώσεσθε ἕκαστος
for victory; and then you will each know
ἵππους Ἀργείων, οἳ δεύτεροι οἵ τε πάροιθεν.
the horses of the Argives, which are second and which are in front.”
ὣς φάτο, Τυδεΐδης δὲ μάλα σχεδὸν ἦλθε διώκων,
So he spoke, and the son of Tydeus came driving very near,
μάστι δʼ αἰὲν ἔλαυνε κατωμαδόν· οἳ δέ οἱ ἵπποι
and with his lash he always drove from the shoulder; and his horses
ὑψόσʼ ἀειρέσθην ῥίμφα πρήσσοντε κέλευθον.
lifted their feet high as they swiftly sped on their way.
αἰεὶ δʼ ἡνίοχον κονίης ῥαθάμιγγες ἔβαλλον,
And always the drops of dust hit the charioteer,
ἅρματα δὲ χρυσῷ πεπυκασμένα κασσιτέρῳ τε
and the chariot overlaid with gold and tin
ἵπποις ὠκυπόδεσσιν ἐπέτρεχον· οὐδέ τι πολλὴ
ran close upon the swift-footed horses; nor was there much
γίγνετʼ ἐπισσώτρων ἁρματροχιὴ κατόπισθεν
track of the wheel-tires behind
ἐν λεπτῇ κονίῃ· τὼ δὲ σπεύδοντε πετέσθην.
in the fine dust; but the two flew on in their haste.
στῆ δὲ μέσῳ ἐν ἀγῶνι, πολὺς δʼ ἀνεκήκιεν ἱδρὼς
He stood in the midst of the assembly, and much sweat gushed
ἵππων ἔκ τε λόφων καὶ ἀπὸ στέρνοιο χαμᾶζε.
to the ground from the horses’ necks and from their chests.
αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ δίφροιο χαμαὶ θόρε παμφανόωντος,
And he himself leapt to the ground from the shining chariot-seat,
κλῖνε δʼ ἄρα μάστιγα ποτὶ ζυγόν· οὐδὲ μάτησεν
and leaned his whip against the yoke; nor did brave Sthenelus
ἴφθιμος Σθένελος, ἀλλʼ ἐσσυμένως λάβʼ ἄεθλον,
delay, but eagerly took the prize,
δῶκε δʼ ἄγειν ἑτάροισιν ὑπερθύμοισι γυναῖκα
and gave the woman to his high-spirited companions to lead away,
καὶ τρίποδʼ ὠτώεντα φέρειν· ὃ δʼ ἔλυεν ὑφʼ ἵππους.
and the tripod with ears to carry; and he himself loosed the horses from the yoke.
τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ2 Ἀντίλοχος Νηλήϊος ἤλασεν ἵππους
And after him Antilochus, son of Neleus, drove his horses,
κέρδεσιν, οὔ τι τάχει γε, παραφθάμενος Μενέλαον·
having passed Menelaus by craft, and not at all by speed;
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς Μενέλαος ἔχʼ ἐγγύθεν ὠκέας ἵππους.
yet even so Menelaus kept his swift horses close.
ὅσσον δὲ τροχοῦ ἵππος ἀφίσταται, ὅς ῥα ἄνακτα
As far as a horse is distant from the wheel, which draws
ἕλκῃσιν πεδίοιο τιταινόμενος σὺν ὄχεσφι·
its master with the chariot, straining over the plain;
τοῦ μέν τε ψαύουσιν ἐπισσώτρου τρίχες ἄκραι
and the outermost hairs of its tail touch the wheel-tire,
οὐραῖαι· ὃ δέ τʼ ἄγχι μάλα τρέχει, οὐδέ τι πολλὴ
and it runs very near, nor is there much
χώρη μεσσηγὺς πολέος πεδίοιο θέοντος·
space between them as it speeds over the wide plain;
τόσσον δὴ Μενέλαος ἀμύμονος Ἀντιλόχοιο
so far indeed Menelaus was left behind by noble Antilochus;
λείπετʼ· ἀτὰρ τὰ πρῶτα καὶ ἐς δίσκουρα λέλειπτο,
yet though at first he had been left behind as far as a discus-cast,
ἀλλά μιν αἶψα κίχανεν· ὀφέλλετο γὰρ μένος ἠῢ
he quickly caught him up; for the good strength was increasing
ἵππου τῆς Ἀγαμεμνονέης καλλίτριχος Αἴθης·
of Agamemnon’s horse, beautiful-maned Aethe.
εἰ δέ κʼ ἔτι προτέρω γένετο δρόμος ἀμφοτέροισι,
And if the race had been even further for both of them,
τώ κέν μιν παρέλασσʼ οὐδʼ ἀμφήριστον ἔθηκεν.
she would have passed him, and not left the matter in doubt.
αὐτὰρ Μηριόνης θεράπων ἐῢς Ἰδομενῆος
But Meriones, the brave attendant of Idomeneus,
λείπετʼ ἀγακλῆος Μενελάου δουρὸς ἐρωήν·
was left behind a spear’s throw from glorious Menelaus;
βάρδιστοι μὲν γάρ οἱ ἔσαν καλλίτριχες ἵπποι,
for his beautiful-maned horses were the slowest,
ἤκιστος δʼ ἦν αὐτὸς ἐλαυνέμεν ἅρμʼ ἐν ἀγῶνι.
and he himself was the least skilled at driving a chariot in the race.
υἱὸς δʼ Ἀδμήτοιο πανύστατος ἤλυθεν ἄλλων
And the son of Admetus came last of all the others,
ἕλκων ἅρματα καλὰ ἐλαύνων πρόσσοθεν ἵππους.
dragging his beautiful chariot and driving his horses before him.
τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ᾤκτειρε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,
And seeing him, swift-footed noble Achilles pitied him,
στὰς δʼ ἄρʼ ἐν Ἀργείοις ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευε·
and standing up among the Argives spoke winged words:
λοῖσθος ἀνὴρ ὤριστος ἐλαύνει μώνυχας ἵππους·
”The best man is driving his single-hoofed horses last;
ἀλλʼ ἄγε δή οἱ δῶμεν ἀέθλιον ὡς ἐπιεικὲς
but come, let us give him a prize, as is fitting,
δεύτερʼ· ἀτὰρ τὰ πρῶτα φερέσθω Τυδέος υἱός.
the second; but let the son of Tydeus carry off the first.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπῄνεον ὡς ἐκέλευε.
So he spoke, and they all approved as he ordered.
καί νύ κέ οἱ πόρεν ἵππον, ἐπῄνησαν γὰρ Ἀχαιοί,
And now he would have given him the horse, for the Achaeans approved,
εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ Ἀντίλοχος μεγαθύμου Νέστορος υἱὸς
if Antilochus, son of great-hearted Nestor,
Πηλεΐδην Ἀχιλῆα δίκῃ ἠμείψατʼ3 ἀναστάς·
had not stood up and answered Achilles, son of Peleus, with justice:
ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ μάλα τοι κεχολώσομαι αἴ κε τελέσσῃς
”O Achilles, I shall be very angry with you if you perform
τοῦτο ἔπος· μέλλεις γὰρ ἀφαιρήσεσθαι ἄεθλον
this word; for you are about to take away my prize,
τὰ φρονέων ὅτι οἱ βλάβεν ἅρματα καὶ ταχέʼ ἵππω
thinking of this, that his chariot and swift horses were harmed,
αὐτός τʼ ἐσθλὸς ἐών· ἀλλʼ ὤφελεν ἀθανάτοισιν
and he himself is a brave man; but he ought to have prayed to the immortals;
εὔχεσθαι· τό κεν οὔ τι πανύστατος ἦλθε διώκων.
then he would not have come last of all in the pursuit.
εἰ δέ μιν οἰκτίρεις καί τοι φίλος ἔπλετο θυμῷ
But if you pity him and he is dear to your heart,
ἔστί τοι ἐν κλισίῃ χρυσὸς πολύς, ἔστι δὲ χαλκὸς
you have much gold in your tent, and bronze,
καὶ πρόβατʼ, εἰσὶ δέ τοι δμῳαὶ καὶ μώνυχες ἵπποι·
and sheep, and you have handmaids and single-hoofed horses;
τῶν οἱ ἔπειτʼ ἀνελὼν δόμεναι καὶ μεῖζον ἄεθλον
of these give him a greater prize hereafter, taking from them,
ἠὲ καὶ αὐτίκα νῦν, ἵνα σʼ αἰνήσωσιν Ἀχαιοί.
or even right now, so that the Achaeans may praise you.
τὴν δʼ ἐγὼ οὐ δώσω· περὶ δʼ αὐτῆς πειρηθήτω
But this mare I will not give; let him who wishes among men
ἀνδρῶν ὅς κʼ ἐθέλῃσιν ἐμοὶ χείρεσσι μάχεσθαι.
try to fight with me with his hands for her.”
- 23.490καί νύ κε δὴ προτέρω ἔτʼ ἔρις γένετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν, εἰ μὴ Ἀχιλλεὺς αὐτὸς ἀνίστατο
A contrary-to-fact conditional construction expressing a past unfulfilled condition, marked by past indicative tenses (the aorist γένετο and the imperfect ἀνίστατο) with the particle κέ. It translates as: "and now the strife between them would have gone even further, if Achilles himself had not stood up."
- 23.514τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ
The preposition ἐπί is placed after the demonstrative pronoun τῷ (referring to Diomedes), undergoing anastrophe (the shift of the accent to the first syllable of the preposition). It means "after him" or "following him."
- 23.540καί νύ κέ οἱ πόρεν... εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ Ἀντίλοχος... ἠμείψατʼ
Another contrary-to-fact conditional construction in the past, consisting of the past indicative with κέ in the apodosis (πόρεν, aorist) and εἰ μή with the past indicative in the protasis (ἠμείψατο, aorist). It means: "And now he would have given him [the mare], if Antilochus had not answered."