- 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-grc2:23.830-23.897
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
Achilles hosts the iron-throwing contest, which Polypoetes wins. In the subsequent archery contest, Meriones successfully shoots down the dove to claim victory, and in the final spear-throwing contest, Achilles acknowledges Agamemnon's preeminence and awards him the prize without a fight, bringing the funeral games to a close.
στῆ δʼ ὀρθὸς καὶ μῦθον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔειπεν·
He stood upright and spoke a word among the Argives:
ὄρνυσθʼ οἳ1 καὶ τούτου ἀέθλου πειρήσεσθε.
“Arise, you who will make trial of this prize as well.
εἴ οἱ καὶ μάλα πολλὸν ἀπόπροθι πίονες ἀγροί,
Even if he has rich fields very far away indeed,
ἕξει μιν καὶ πέντε περιπλομένους ἐνιαυτοὺς
he will have this for his use for five revolving years;
χρεώμενος· οὐ μὲν γάρ οἱ ἀτεμβόμενός γε σιδήρου2
for his shepherd or plowman will not go to the city
ποιμὴν οὐδʼ ἀροτὴρ εἶσʼ ἐς πόλιν, ἀλλὰ παρέξει.
for lack of iron, but this will supply it.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὦρτο δʼ ἔπειτα μενεπτόλεμος Πολυποίτης,
So he spoke, and then arose Polypoetes, steadfast in battle,
ἂν δὲ Λεοντῆος κρατερὸν μένος ἀντιθέοιο,
and up rose the strong power of godlike Leonteus,
ἂν δʼ Αἴας Τελαμωνιάδης καὶ δῖος Ἐπειός.
and up rose Telamonian Ajax and noble Epeius.
ἑξείης δʼ ἵσταντο, σόλον δʼ ἕλε δῖος Ἐπειός,
They stood in order, and noble Epeius took the iron block,
ἧκε δὲ δινήσας· γέλασαν δʼ ἐπὶ πάντες Ἀχαιοί.
and swung and threw it; and all the Achaeans laughed at him.
δεύτερος αὖτʼ ἀφέηκε Λεοντεὺς ὄζος Ἄρηος·
Second then Leonteus, offshoot of Ares, let it fly;
τὸ τρίτον αὖτʼ ἔρριψε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας
third then great Telamonian Ajax threw it
χειρὸς ἄπο στιβαρῆς, καὶ ὑπέρβαλε σήματα πάντων.
from his sturdy hand, and surpassed the marks of all.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ σόλον εἷλε μενεπτόλεμος Πολυποίτης,
But when Polypoetes, steadfast in battle, took the iron block,
ὅσσόν τίς τʼ ἔρριψε καλαύροπα βουκόλος ἀνήρ,
as far as a herdsman throws his curved staff,
ἣ δέ θʼ3 ἑλισσομένη πέτεται διὰ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,
which flies spinning through the herded cattle,
τόσσον παντὸς ἀγῶνος ὑπέρβαλε· τοὶ δὲ βόησαν.
so far did he surpass the whole assembly; and they shouted.
ἀνστάντες δʼ ἕταροι Πολυποίταο κρατεροῖο
And the strong companions of Polypoetes, rising up,
νῆας ἔπι γλαφυρὰς ἔφερον βασιλῆος ἄεθλον.
carried the king’s prize to the hollow ships.
αὐτὰρ ὃ τοξευτῇσι τίθει ἰόεντα σίδηρον,
Then Achilles set forth dark iron for the archers,
κὰδ δʼ ἐτίθει δέκα μὲν πελέκεας, δέκα δʼ ἡμιπέλεκκα,
and laid down ten double axes, and ten single axes.
ἱστὸν δʼ ἔστησεν νηὸς κυανοπρῴροιο
He set up the mast of a dark-prowed ship
τηλοῦ ἐπὶ ψαμάθοις, ἐκ δὲ τρήρωνα πέλειαν
far off in the sands, and bound a timid dove
λεπτῇ μηρίνθῳ δῆσεν ποδός, ἧς4 ἄρʼ ἀνώγει
by her foot with a slender cord, and ordered them
τοξεύειν· ὃς μέν κε βάλῃ τρήρωνα πέλειαν,
to shoot at her: “Whosoever shall hit the timid dove,
πάντας ἀειράμενος πελέκεας οἶκον δὲ φερέσθω·
let him lift all the double axes and carry them home;
ὃς δέ κε μηρίνθοιο τύχῃ ὄρνιθος ἁμαρτών,
but whosoever shall hit the cord, missing the bird—
ἥσσων γὰρ δὴ κεῖνος, ὃ δʼ οἴσεται ἡμιπέλεκκα.
for he indeed is inferior—he shall carry away the single axes.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὦρτο δʼ ἔπειτα βίη Τεύκροιο ἄνακτος,
So he spoke, and then arose the strength of lord Teucer,
ἂν δʼ ἄρα Μηριόνης θεράπων ἐῢς Ἰδομενῆος.
and up rose Meriones, the worthy squire of Idomeneus.
κλήρους δʼ ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλον ἑλόντες,
They took lots and shook them in a bronze-plated helmet,
Τεῦκρος δὲ πρῶτος κλήρῳ λάχεν· αὐτίκα δʼ ἰὸν
and Teucer drew the first lot; and straightway he shot an arrow
ἧκεν ἐπικρατέως, οὐδʼ ἠπείλησεν5 ἄνακτι
forcibly, but he did not promise to the lord
ἀρνῶν πρωτογόνων ῥέξειν κλειτὴν ἑκατόμβην.
to sacrifice a glorious hecatomb of firstling lambs.
ὄρνιθος μὲν ἅμαρτε· μέγηρε γάρ οἱ τό γʼ Ἀπόλλων·
He missed the bird, for Apollo grudged him this success,
αὐτὰρ ὃ μήρινθον βάλε πὰρ πόδα, τῇ δέδετʼ ὄρνις·
but he hit the cord near the foot where the bird was bound;
ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἀπὸ μήρινθον τάμε πικρὸς ὀϊστός.
and the bitter arrow cut the cord clean away.
ἣ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἤϊξε πρὸς οὐρανόν, ἣ δὲ παρείθη
Then the bird darted toward the sky, and the cord
μήρινθος ποτὶ γαῖαν· ἀτὰρ κελάδησαν Ἀχαιοί.
hung down toward the earth; and the Achaeans shouted.
σπερχόμενος δʼ ἄρα Μηριόνης ἐξείρυσε χειρὸς
Meriones in haste snatched the bow from Teucer’s
τόξον· ἀτὰρ δὴ ὀϊστὸν ἔχεν πάλαι, ὡς ἴθυνεν.6
hand; but he had already been holding the arrow while Teucer was aiming.
αὐτίκα δʼ ἠπείλησεν ἑκηβόλῳ Ἀπόλλωνι
Straightway he promised to far-shooting Apollo
ἀρνῶν πρωτογόνων ῥέξειν κλειτὴν ἑκατόμβην.
to sacrifice a glorious hecatomb of firstling lambs.
ὕψι δʼ ὑπὸ νεφέων εἶδε τρήρωνα πέλειαν·
High up under the clouds he saw the timid dove;
τῇ ῥʼ ὅ γε δινεύουσαν ὑπὸ πτέρυγος βάλε μέσσην,
there, as she circled, he hit her in the middle beneath the wing,
ἀντικρὺ δὲ διῆλθε βέλος· τὸ μὲν ἂψ ἐπὶ γαίῃ
and the shaft went clean through; and it fell back on the ground
πρόσθεν Μηριόναο πάγη ποδός· αὐτὰρ ἣ ὄρνις
and was fixed before Meriones’ foot; but the bird,
ἱστῷ ἐφεζομένη νηὸς κυανοπρῴροιο
alighting on the mast of the dark-prowed ship,
αὐχένʼ ἀπεκρέμασεν, σὺν δὲ πτερὰ πυκνὰ λίασθεν.
drooped her neck, and her thick wings collapsed.
ὠκὺς δʼ ἐκ μελέων θυμὸς πτάτο, τῆλε δʼ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ
Swiftly the life flew from her limbs, and far from the mast
κάππεσε· λαοὶ δʼ αὖ θηεῦντό τε θάμβησάν τε.
she fell; and the people looked on and marveled.
ἂν δʼ ἄρα Μηριόνης πελέκεας δέκα πάντας ἄειρε,
Then Meriones took up all the ten double axes,
Τεῦκρος δʼ ἡμιπέλεκκα φέρεν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας.
and Teucer carried the single axes to the hollow ships.
αὐτὰρ Πηλεΐδης κατὰ μὲν δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος,
Then the son of Peleus brought a far-shadowing spear
κὰδ δὲ λέβητʼ ἄπυρον βοὸς ἄξιον ἀνθεμόεντα
and a cauldron untouched by fire, worth an ox, embossed with flowers,
θῆκʼ ἐς ἀγῶνα φέρων· καί ῥʼ ἥμονες ἄνδρες ἀνέσταν·
and set them in the ring; and the spear-throwers arose:
ἂν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων,
up rose the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon,
ἂν δʼ ἄρα Μηριόνης, θεράπων ἐῢς Ἰδομενῆος.
and up rose Meriones, the worthy squire of Idomeneus.
τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
Then swift-footed noble Achilles spoke among them:
Ἀτρεΐδη· ἴδμεν γὰρ ὅσον προβέβηκας ἁπάντων
“Son of Atreus, for we know how far you surpass all others
ἠδʼ ὅσσον δυνάμει τε καὶ ἥμασιν ἔπλευ ἄριστος·
and how far you are the best in power and in throwing the spear;
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν τόδʼ ἄεθλον ἔχων κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας
so do you carry this prize to the hollow ships
ἔρχευ, ἀτὰρ δόρυ Μηριόνῃ ἥρωϊ πόρωμεν,
and go, but let us give the spear to the hero Meriones,
εἰ σύ γε σῷ θυμῷ ἐθέλοις· κέλομαι γὰρ ἔγωγε.
if you are willing in your heart; for so I bid you.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·
So he spoke, and Agamemnon, king of men, did not disobey;
δῶκε δὲ Μηριόνῃ δόρυ χάλκεον· αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἥρως
he gave the bronze spear to Meriones, but the hero
Ταλθυβίῳ κήρυκι δίδου περικαλλὲς ἄεθλον.
gave the beautiful prize to the herald Talthybius.
- 23.831οἳ
The relative pronoun here acts as a demonstrative containing its own antecedent, functioning as a vocative-like subject meaning 'you who...'.
- 23.834ἀτεμβόμενός γε σιδήρου
The participle ἀτεμβόμενος ('lacking, in want of') takes the genitive σιδήρου to indicate the object of lack.
- 23.845–846ὅσσόν τίς τʼ ἔρριψε καλαύροπα βουκόλος ἀνήρ, ἣ δέ θʼ
The relative pronoun ἣ refers back to the feminine noun καλαύροπα ('herdsman's staff') in the previous line. ὅσσον ('as far as') and τόσσον in line 847 form a correlative structure.
- 23.854ἧς
The relative pronoun ἧς is feminine singular genitive, referring back to the dove (πέλειαν). It functions as the genitive object of the infinitive τοξεύειν (denoting the target of shooting).
- 23.863ἠπείλησεν
In Homer, ἠπείλησεν does not mean 'threatened' as in Classical Greek, but rather 'vowed, promised to a god'. The dative ἄνακτι (Apollo) is the recipient of this vow.
- 23.871ὡς ἴθυνεν
The conjunction ὡς expresses temporal simultaneity ('while, as'). The imperfect ἴθυνεν indicates that Meriones was already holding the arrow while Teucer was still aiming.