- 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-grc2:24.472-24.537
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
Priam secretly enters Achilles' shelter and begs for his son's body by clasping Achilles' knees. Stirred by grief, Achilles laments with Priam and discusses the tragic lot that gods have spun for mortals, citing Peleus' fate.
τῇ ῥʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ἵζεσκε Διῒ φίλος· ἐν δέ μιν αὐτὸν
There Achilles, dear to Zeus, was wont to sit; and within him himself
εὗρʼ, ἕταροι δʼ ἀπάνευθε καθήατο· τὼ δὲ δύʼ οἴω
he found, and his companions sat apart; but two alone,
ἥρως Αὐτομέδων τε καὶ Ἄλκιμος ὄζος Ἄρηος
the hero Automedon and Alcimus, scion of Ares,
ποίπνυον παρεόντε· νέον δʼ ἀπέληγεν ἐδωδῆς
were busily ministering near him; and he had just ceased from food,
ἔσθων καὶ πίνων· ἔτι καὶ παρέκειτο τράπεζα.
from eating and drinking; and still the table stood beside him.
τοὺς δʼ ἔλαθʼ εἰσελθὼν1 Πρίαμος μέγας, ἄγχι δʼ ἄρα στὰς
Unseen by them great Priam entered, and coming close,
χερσὶν Ἀχιλλῆος λάβε γούνατα καὶ κύσε χεῖρας
with his hands he clasped the knees of Achilles and kissed his hands,
δεινὰς ἀνδροφόνους, αἵ οἱ πολέας κτάνον υἷας.
those terrible, man-slaying hands that had slain his many sons.
ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἄνδρʼ ἄτη πυκινὴ λάβῃ, ὅς τʼ ἐνὶ πάτρῃ
And as when a thick darkness of delusion seizes a man who in his own country
φῶτα κατακτείνας ἄλλων ἐξίκετο δῆμον
has slain a man, and he comes to the land of others,
ἀνδρὸς ἐς ἀφνειοῦ, θάμβος δʼ ἔχει εἰσορόωντας,
to the house of some rich man, and wonder seizes those who look upon him;
ὣς Ἀχιλεὺς θάμβησεν ἰδὼν Πρίαμον θεοειδέα·
even so Achilles wondered as he saw godlike Priam,
θάμβησαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι, ἐς ἀλλήλους δὲ ἴδοντο.
and the others also wondered, and looked at one another.
τὸν καὶ λισσόμενος Πρίαμος πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·
Then Priam spoke to him, making entreaty:
μνῆσαι πατρὸς σοῖο θεοῖς ἐπιείκελʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ,
”Remember your father, godlike Achilles,
τηλίκου2 ὥς περ ἐγών, ὀλοῷ ἐπὶ γήραος οὐδῷ·
of like age with me, on the grievous threshold of old age.
καὶ μέν που κεῖνον περιναιέται ἀμφὶς ἐόντες
And indeed, it may be that those who dwell around him
τείρουσʼ, οὐδέ τίς ἐστιν ἀρὴν καὶ λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι.
are wearing him down, nor is there any to ward off ruin and destruction.
ἀλλʼ ἤτοι κεῖνός γε σέθεν ζώοντος ἀκούων
Yet he, as long as he hears that you are living,
χαίρει τʼ ἐν θυμῷ, ἐπί τʼ ἔλπεται ἤματα πάντα
rejoices in his heart, and hopes day after day
ὄψεσθαι φίλον υἱὸν ἀπὸ Τροίηθεν ἰόντα·
to see his dear son returning from Troy.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ πανάποτμος, ἐπεὶ τέκον υἷας ἀρίστους
But I am utterly ill-fated, since I begot sons the best
Τροίῃ ἐν εὐρείῃ, τῶν δʼ οὔ τινά φημι λελεῖφθαι.
in wide Troy, yet of them I say not one is left.
πεντήκοντά μοι ἦσαν ὅτʼ ἤλυθον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν·
Fifty I had when the sons of the Achaeans came;
ἐννεακαίδεκα μέν μοι ἰῆς ἐκ νηδύος ἦσαν,
nineteen were born to me from one womb,
τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους μοι ἔτικτον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γυναῖκες.
and the others were borne to me by women in my halls.
τῶν μὲν πολλῶν θοῦρος Ἄρης ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἔλυσεν·
Of the many of them has furious Ares loosed the knees;
ὃς δέ μοι οἶος ἔην, εἴρυτο δὲ ἄστυ καὶ αὐτούς,
but him who alone was left to me, and who guarded the city and its people,
τὸν σὺ πρῴην κτεῖνας ἀμυνόμενον περὶ πάτρης
him you slew the other day as he fought for his country,
Ἕκτορα· τοῦ νῦν εἵνεχʼ ἱκάνω νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
Hector; for his sake I now come to the ships of the Achaeans
λυσόμενος παρὰ σεῖο, φέρω δʼ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα.
to win him back from you, and I bring ransom past telling.
ἀλλʼ αἰδεῖο θεοὺς Ἀχιλεῦ, αὐτόν τʼ ἐλέησον
But fear the gods, Achilles, and have pity on me myself,
μνησάμενος σοῦ πατρός· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐλεεινότερός περ,
remembering your own father; and I am yet more pitied,
ἔτλην δʼ οἷʼ οὔ πώ τις ἐπιχθόνιος βροτὸς ἄλλος,
and have endured what no other mortal upon earth has yet endured,
ἀνδρὸς παιδοφόνοιο ποτὶ στόμα χεῖρʼ ὀρέγεσθαι.3
to reach my hand to the mouth of the man who slew my son.”
ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα πατρὸς ὑφʼ ἵμερον ὦρσε γόοιο·
So he spoke, and in Achilles he stirred the desire to weep for his father;
ἁψάμενος δʼ ἄρα χειρὸς ἀπώσατο ἦκα γέροντα.
and taking the old man by the hand he gently pushed him away.
τὼ δὲ μνησαμένω4 ὃ μὲν Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο
So the two remembered—the one wept aloud for man-slaying Hector,
κλαῖʼ ἁδινὰ προπάροιθε ποδῶν Ἀχιλῆος ἐλυσθείς,
collapsed before Achilles’ feet,
αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς κλαῖεν ἑὸν πατέρʼ, ἄλλοτε δʼ αὖτε
while Achilles wept for his own father, and at other times
Πάτροκλον· τῶν δὲ στοναχὴ κατὰ δώματʼ ὀρώρει.
for Patroclus; and the sound of their mourning went up through the house.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥα γόοιο τετάρπετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,
But when noble Achilles had had his fill of weeping,
καί οἱ ἀπὸ πραπίδων ἦλθʼ ἵμερος ἠδʼ ἀπὸ γυίων,
and the desire for it had departed from his heart and limbs,
αὐτίκʼ ἀπὸ θρόνου ὦρτο, γέροντα δὲ χειρὸς ἀνίστη
straightway he rose from his seat, and raised the old man by the hand,
οἰκτίρων πολιόν τε κάρη πολιόν τε γένειον,
pitying his grey head and grey beard;
καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
and he spoke and addressed him with winged words:
ἆ δείλʼ, ἦ δὴ πολλὰ κάκʼ ἄνσχεο σὸν κατὰ θυμόν.
”Ah, unhappy man, surely many evils you have endured in your heart.
πῶς ἔτλης ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν ἐλθέμεν οἶος
How did you dare to come alone to the ships of the Achaeans,
ἀνδρὸς ἐς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὅς τοι πολέας τε καὶ ἐσθλοὺς
into the presence of the man who has slain your many noble sons?
υἱέας ἐξενάριξα; σιδήρειόν νύ τοι ἦτορ.
Of iron surely is your heart.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζευ ἐπὶ θρόνου, ἄλγεα δʼ ἔμπης
But come, sit upon a seat, and our sorrows we will let lie quiet
ἐν θυμῷ κατακεῖσθαι ἐάσομεν ἀχνύμενοί περ·
in our hearts, despite our grief;
οὐ γάρ τις πρῆξις πέλεται κρυεροῖο γόοιο·
for no profit comes from cold wailing.
ὡς γὰρ ἐπεκλώσαντο θεοὶ δειλοῖσι βροτοῖσι
For thus have the gods spun the thread for wretched mortals,
ζώειν ἀχνυμένοις· αὐτοὶ δέ τʼ ἀκηδέες εἰσί.
to live in sorrow, while they themselves are free from care.
δοιοὶ γάρ τε πίθοι κατακείαται ἐν Διὸς οὔδει
For two jars stand upon the floor of Zeus
δώρων οἷα δίδωσι κακῶν, ἕτερος δὲ ἑάων·
of gifts that he gives, one of evils, and another of blessings.
ᾧ μέν κʼ ἀμμίξας δώῃ Ζεὺς τερπικέραυνος,
To whomsoever Zeus who hurls the thunderbolt gives a mingled lot,
ἄλλοτε μέν τε κακῷ ὅ γε κύρεται, ἄλλοτε δʼ ἐσθλῷ·
that man meets now with evil, and now with good;
ᾧ δέ κε τῶν λυγρῶν δώῃ, λωβητὸν ἔθηκε,
but to whomsoever he gives of the grievous gifts, him he makes an outcast,
καί ἑ κακὴ βούβρωστις ἐπὶ χθόνα δῖαν ἐλαύνει,
and evil hunger drives him over the face of the sacred earth,
φοιτᾷ δʼ οὔτε θεοῖσι τετιμένος οὔτε βροτοῖσιν.
and he wanders honored neither by gods nor by mortals.
ὣς μὲν καὶ Πηλῆϊ θεοὶ δόσαν ἀγλαὰ δῶρα
Even so to Peleus did the gods give glorious gifts
ἐκ γενετῆς· πάντας γὰρ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους ἐκέκαστο
from his birth; for he excelled all men
ὄλβῳ τε πλούτῳ τε, ἄνασσε δὲ Μυρμιδόνεσσι,
in good fortune and wealth, and was king over the Myrmidons,
καί οἱ θνητῷ ἐόντι θεὰν ποίησαν ἄκοιτιν.
and though he was a mortal, they made a goddess his wife.
- 24.477τοὺς δʼ ἔλαθʼ εἰσελθὼν
The construction of λανθάνω + participle. The action of the participle (εἰσελθὼν) takes place "unnoticed by" the person in the accusative (τοὺς). Here it means that Priam entered without being noticed by Achilles and his companions.
- 24.487τηλίκου
τηλίκου (of such an age) is a genitive adjective agreeing with and standing in apposition to πατρὸς σοῖο (your father) in the preceding line, comparing Achilles' father with Priam.
- 24.506ὀρέγεσθαι
The infinitive ὀρέγεσθαι serves as the object or complement of the main verb ἔτλην (I dared, I endured) in the preceding line (§24.505), meaning "I dared to stretch out (my hand/mouth)".
- 24.509τὼ δὲ μνησαμένω
A construction of whole-and-part apposition (or nominative absolute). The sentence starts with a dual nominative subject and participle (τὼ δὲ μνησαμένω, "the two remembering"), which is then split into individual singular nominatives: ὃ μὲν... ("the one...") and αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς... ("but Achilles...").