- 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-grc2:24.538-24.601
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
Achilles consoles Priam by sharing the bittersweet fate of his father Peleus, contrasts it with Priam's past prosperity and current misery, and prepares Hector's body for return. After asking forgiveness from Patroclus' ghost, Achilles returns to inform Priam that his son is released and suggests they eat.
ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ καὶ τῷ θῆκε θεὸς κακόν, ὅττί οἱ οὔ τι
But upon him too did the god bring evil, in that no
παίδων ἐν μεγάροισι γονὴ γένετο κρειόντων,
offspring of ruling sons was born to him in his halls,
ἀλλʼ ἕνα παῖδα τέκεν παναώριον· οὐδέ νυ τόν γε
but he begot one only son, doomed to an untimely death; nor do I indeed
γηράσκοντα κομίζω,1 ἐπεὶ μάλα τηλόθι πάτρης
tend him as he grows old, since far, far from my country
ἧμαι ἐνὶ Τροίῃ, σέ τε κήδων ἠδὲ σὰ τέκνα.
I sit here in Troy, grieving you and your children.
καὶ σὲ γέρον τὸ πρὶν μὲν ἀκούομεν ὄλβιον εἶναι·
And of you, old man, we hear that aforetime you were happy;
ὅσσον Λέσβος ἄνω Μάκαρος ἕδος ἐντὸς ἐέργει
as much as Lesbos, Macar’s seat, shuts in from above,
καὶ Φρυγίη καθύπερθε καὶ Ἑλλήσποντος ἀπείρων,
and Phrygia in the upland, and the limitless Hellespont,
τῶν σε γέρον πλούτῳ τε καὶ υἱάσι φασὶ κεκάσθαι.
over all these, old man, they say you excelled in wealth and in sons.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί τοι πῆμα τόδʼ ἤγαγον Οὐρανίωνες
But since the heavenly gods brought this bane upon you,
αἰεί τοι περὶ ἄστυ μάχαι τʼ ἀνδροκτασίαι τε.
ever around your city are battles and slayings of men.
ἄνσχεο, μὴ δʼ ἀλίαστον ὀδύρεο σὸν κατὰ θυμόν·
Endure, and do not grieve endlessly in your heart;
οὐ γάρ τι πρήξεις ἀκαχήμενος υἷος ἑῆος,
for you will gain nothing by grieving for your noble son,
οὐδέ μιν ἀνστήσεις, πρὶν καὶ κακὸν ἄλλο πάθῃσθα.2
nor will you raise him up, before you suffer yet another evil.
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα γέρων Πρίαμος θεοειδής·
Then godlike Priam the old man answered him:
μή πω μʼ ἐς θρόνον ἵζε διοτρεφὲς ὄφρά κεν Ἕκτωρ
”Seat me not yet upon a seat, O fostered of Zeus, while Hector
κεῖται ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἀκηδής, ἀλλὰ τάχιστα
lies uncared for in the huts, but with all speed
λῦσον ἵνʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδω· σὺ δὲ δέξαι ἄποινα
free him, that I may look upon him with my eyes; and do you accept the ransom,
πολλά, τά τοι φέρομεν· σὺ δὲ τῶνδʼ ἀπόναιο, καὶ ἔλθοις
the great ransom we bring you; and may you have joy thereof, and reach
σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν, ἐπεί με πρῶτον ἔασας
your own native land, since you have first suffered me
αὐτόν τε ζώειν καὶ ὁρᾶν φάος ἠελίοιο.
to live myself and look upon the light of the sun.”
τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·
Then with a dark scowl swift-footed Achilles spoke to him:
μηκέτι νῦν μʼ ἐρέθιζε γέρον· νοέω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς
”Provoke me no more now, old man; of myself I am minded
Ἕκτορά τοι λῦσαι, Διόθεν δέ μοι ἄγγελος ἦλθε
to free Hector to you, and to me from Zeus came a messenger,
μήτηρ, ἥ μʼ ἔτεκεν, θυγάτηρ ἁλίοιο γέροντος.
the mother who bore me, daughter of the old man of the sea.
καὶ δέ σε γιγνώσκω Πρίαμε φρεσίν, οὐδέ με λήθεις,
And I know you, Priam, in my heart, nor does it escape me,
ὅττι θεῶν τίς σʼ ἦγε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
that some god led you to the swift ships of the Achaeans.
οὐ γάρ κε τλαίη βροτὸς ἐλθέμεν, οὐδὲ μάλʼ ἡβῶν,
For no mortal would dare to come, not even in his prime,
ἐς στρατόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν φυλάκους λάθοι, οὐδέ κʼ ὀχῆα
into the camp; for he could not escape the watch, nor easily
ῥεῖα μετοχλίσσειε θυράων ἡμετεράων.
push back the bolt of our doors.
τὼ νῦν μή μοι μᾶλλον ἐν ἄλγεσι θυμὸν ὀρίνῃς,
Therefore stir my heart no more in my sorrows,
μή σε γέρον οὐδʼ αὐτὸν ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἐάσω3
lest, old man, I spare not even you within the huts,
καὶ ἱκέτην περ ἐόντα, Διὸς δʼ ἀλίτωμαι ἐφετμάς.
supplicant though you are, and so transgress the commands of Zeus.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἔδεισεν δʼ ὃ γέρων καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθῳ.
So he spoke, and the old man feared and obeyed his word.
Πηλεΐδης δʼ οἴκοιο λέων ὣς ἆλτο θύραζε
And the son of Peleus sprang like a lion from the door of the house,
οὐκ οἶος, ἅμα τῷ γε δύω θεράποντες ἕποντο
not alone, but with him two attendants followed,
ἥρως Αὐτομέδων ἠδʼ Ἄλκιμος, οὕς ῥα μάλιστα
the hero Automedon and Alcimus, whom Achilles
τῖʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ἑτάρων μετὰ Πάτροκλόν γε θανόντα,
honored most of his companions after dead Patroclus;
οἳ τόθʼ ὑπὸ ζυγόφιν λύον ἵππους ἡμιόνους τε,
they then loosed from the yoke the horses and the mules,
ἐς δʼ ἄγαγον κήρυκα καλήτορα τοῖο γέροντος,
and led within the loud-voiced herald of the old man,
κὰδ δʼ ἐπὶ δίφρου εἷσαν· ἐϋξέστου δʼ ἀπʼ ἀπήνης
and seated him on a chair; and from the well-polished wagon
ᾕρεον Ἑκτορέης κεφαλῆς ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα.
they took the countless ransom for Hector’s head.
κὰδ δʼ ἔλιπον δύο φάρεʼ ἐΰννητόν τε χιτῶνα,
But they left two cloaks and a well-spun tunic,
ὄφρα νέκυν πυκάσας δοίη οἶκον δὲ φέρεσθαι.
that he might wrap the dead and give him to be carried home.
δμῳὰς δʼ ἐκκαλέσας λοῦσαι κέλετʼ ἀμφί τʼ ἀλεῖψαι
And Achilles called forth the handmaids and bade them wash and anoint him,
νόσφιν ἀειράσας, ὡς μὴ Πρίαμος ἴδοι υἱόν,
carrying him apart, so that Priam might not see his son,
μὴ ὃ μὲν ἀχνυμένῃ κραδίῃ χόλον οὐκ ἐρύσαιτο
lest in his grieving heart he should not check his wrath
παῖδα ἰδών, Ἀχιλῆϊ δʼ ὀρινθείη φίλον ἦτορ,
at seeing his child, and Achilles’ own heart be stirred to anger,
καί ἑ κατακτείνειε, Διὸς δʼ ἀλίτηται ἐφετμάς.
and he slay him, and transgress the commands of Zeus.
τὸν δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν δμῳαὶ λοῦσαν καὶ χρῖσαν ἐλαίῳ,
So when the handmaids had washed him and anointed him with oil,
ἀμφὶ δέ μιν φᾶρος καλὸν βάλον ἠδὲ χιτῶνα,
and had cast about him a fair cloak and a tunic,
αὐτὸς τόν γʼ Ἀχιλεὺς λεχέων ἐπέθηκεν ἀείρας,
then Achilles himself lifted him and laid him upon a bier,
σὺν δʼ ἕταροι ἤειραν ἐϋξέστην ἐπʼ ἀπήνην.
and his companions with him lifted it onto the well-polished wagon.
ᾤμωξέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα, φίλον δʼ ὀνόμηνεν ἑταῖρον·
Then he uttered a groan, and called upon his dear companion by name:
μή4 μοι Πάτροκλε σκυδμαινέμεν, αἴ κε πύθηαι
”Be not angry with me, Patroclus, if you hear,
εἰν Ἄϊδός περ ἐὼν ὅτι Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔλυσα
even though you are in the house of Hades, that I have freed noble Hector
πατρὶ φίλῳ, ἐπεὶ οὔ μοι ἀεικέα δῶκεν ἄποινα.
to his dear father, since he has given me ransom not unseemly.
σοὶ δʼ αὖ ἐγὼ καὶ τῶνδʼ ἀποδάσσομαι ὅσσʼ ἐπέοικεν.
And to you of this also I will give such portion as is meet.”
ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἐς κλισίην πάλιν ἤϊε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,
So spoke noble Achilles, and went back into the hut,
ἕζετο δʼ ἐν κλισμῷ πολυδαιδάλῳ ἔνθεν ἀνέστη
and sat down on the richly-wrought seat from which he had risen,
τοίχου τοῦ ἑτέρου, ποτὶ δὲ Πρίαμον φάτο μῦθον·
by the opposite wall, and spoke to Priam:
υἱὸς μὲν δή τοι λέλυται γέρον ὡς ἐκέλευες,
”Your son is freed to you, old man, as you did bid,
κεῖται δʼ ἐν λεχέεσσʼ· ἅμα δʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφιν
and lies upon a bier; and with the showing of the dawn
ὄψεαι αὐτὸς ἄγων· νῦν δὲ μνησώμεθα δόρπου.
you shall look upon him yourself as you bear him away; but now let us think of supper.”
- 24.540οὐδέ νυ τόν γε γηράσκοντα κομίζω
Meaning "neither do I tend him as he grows old." The present participle γηράσκοντα modifies τόν γε (Peleus). The present tense verb κομίζω expresses the ongoing reality that Achilles, being far away in Troy, cannot care for his aging father.
- 24.551πρὶν καὶ κακὸν ἄλλο πάθῃσθα
The conjunction πρίν followed by the subjunctive (here πάθῃσθα, 2nd person singular) with a negative in the main clause (οὐδέ). It conveys a strong warning: "before you suffer yet another evil," implying that further grief is imminent if he persists.
- 24.569μή σε γέρον οὐδʼ αὐτὸν ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἐάσω
The conjunction μή introducing a clause of fear or apprehension, governing the subjunctives ἐάσω and ἀλίτωμαι, following the prohibitive subjunctive ὀρίνῃς in line 568. It expresses Achilles' fear of his own anger: "lest I spare not even you... and transgress the commands of Zeus."
- 24.583ὡς μὴ Πρίαμος ἴδοι υἱόν, μή
The purpose clause ὡς μή with the optative ἴδοι (due to the past main verb κέλετʼ) is followed by a subsequent clause of fear introduced by the second μή. The first expresses "lest Priam see his son," and the second expresses the feared consequence: "lest he, in his grieving heart, fail to check his wrath."