- 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-grc2:3.264-3.330
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
Agamemnon and Odysseus conduct the solemn oath ritual. After Priam returns to Ilios, Hector and Odysseus shake the lots, selecting Paris to throw his spear first, who then begins to put on his armor.
ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵκοντο μετὰ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιούς,
But when indeed they came to the Trojans and Achaeans,
ἐξ ἵππων ἀποβάντες ἐπὶ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν
stepping down from the chariot onto the fertile earth,
ἐς μέσσον Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν ἐστιχόωντο.
they walked into the midst of the Trojans and Achaeans.
ὄρνυτο δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτα ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων,
Then immediately rose Agamemnon, lord of men,
ἂν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς πολύμητις· ἀτὰρ κήρυκες ἀγαυοὶ
and very wise Odysseus; and the noble heralds
ὅρκια πιστὰ θεῶν σύναγον, κρητῆρι δὲ οἶνον
gathered the trustworthy oaths of the gods, and in the mixing-bowl wine
μίσγον, ἀτὰρ βασιλεῦσιν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχευαν.
they mixed, and poured water on the hands of the kings.
Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος χείρεσσι μάχαιραν,
And the son of Atreus, drawing with his hands his knife,
ἥ οἱ πὰρ ξίφεος μέγα κουλεόν αἰὲν ἄωρτο,1
which always hung beside his sword’s great scabbard,
ἀρνῶν ἐκ κεφαλέων τάμνε τρίχας· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
he cut hairs from the heads of the lambs; and then
κήρυκες Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν νεῖμαν ἀρίστοις.
the heralds of the Trojans and Achaeans distributed them to the chiefs.
τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀτρεΐδης μεγάλʼ εὔχετο χεῖρας ἀνασχών·
And in their presence the son of Atreus prayed aloud, lifting up his hands:
Ζεῦ πάτερ Ἴδηθεν μεδέων κύδιστε μέγιστε,
”Father Zeus, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most great,
Ἠέλιός θʼ, ὃς πάντʼ ἐφορᾷς καὶ πάντʼ ἐπακούεις,
and Helios, who see all things and hear all things,
καὶ ποταμοὶ καὶ γαῖα, καὶ οἳ ὑπένερθε καμόντας
and rivers and earth, and you who below punish dead
ἀνθρώπους τίνυσθον2 ὅτις κʼ ἐπίορκον ὀμόσσῃ,
men, whoever swears a false oath,
ὑμεῖς μάρτυροι ἔστε, φυλάσσετε δʼ ὅρκια πιστά·
be witnesses, and guard the trustworthy oaths.
εἰ μέν κεν Μενέλαον Ἀλέξανδρος καταπέφνῃ
If Alexander should slay Menelaus,
αὐτὸς ἔπειθʼ Ἑλένην ἐχέτω καὶ κτήματα πάντα,
let him then keep Helen and all the possessions,
ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν νήεσσι νεώμεθα ποντοπόροισιν·
and let us return in our seafaring ships;
εἰ δέ κʼ Ἀλέξανδρον κτείνῃ ξανθὸς Μενέλαος,
but if fair-haired Menelaus slays Alexander,
Τρῶας ἔπειθʼ Ἑλένην καὶ κτήματα πάντʼ ἀποδοῦναι,3
then the Trojans shall return Helen and all the possessions,
τιμὴν δʼ Ἀργείοις ἀποτινέμεν ἥν τινʼ ἔοικεν,
and pay to the Argives a fitting recompense,
ἥ τε καὶ ἐσσομένοισι μετʼ ἀνθρώποισι πέληται.
which shall remain also among men of future generations.
εἰ δʼ ἂν ἐμοὶ τιμὴν Πρίαμος Πριάμοιό τε παῖδες
But if Priam and the sons of Priam, after Alexander falls,
τίνειν οὐκ ἐθέλωσιν Ἀλεξάνδροιο πεσόντος,
refuse to pay the recompense to me,
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ ἔπειτα μαχήσομαι εἵνεκα ποινῆς
then I will fight even thereafter for the price,
αὖθι μένων, ἧός κε τέλος πολέμοιο κιχείω.
remaining here, until I find the end of the war.”
ἦ, καὶ ἀπὸ στομάχους ἀρνῶν τάμε νηλέϊ χαλκῷ·
He spoke, and cut the throats of the lambs with the pitiless bronze;
καὶ τοὺς μὲν κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὸς ἀσπαίροντας
and laid them on the ground gasping,
θυμοῦ δευομένους· ἀπὸ γὰρ μένος εἵλετο χαλκός.
deprived of breath; for the bronze had taken away their life.
οἶνον δʼ ἐκ κρητῆρος ἀφυσσόμενοι δεπάεσσιν
And drawing wine from the mixing-bowl with cups,
ἔκχεον, ἠδʼ εὔχοντο θεοῖς αἰειγενέτῃσιν.
they poured it out, and prayed to the immortal gods.
ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν Ἀχαιῶν τε Τρώων τε·
And thus would one of the Achaeans and Trojans say:
Ζεῦ κύδιστε μέγιστε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι
”Most glorious, most great Zeus, and other immortal gods,
ὁππότεροι πρότεροι ὑπὲρ ὅρκια πημήνειαν4
whichever side first violates the oaths,
ὧδέ σφʼ ἐγκέφαλος χαμάδις ῥέοι ὡς ὅδε οἶνος
so may their brains flow to the ground as this wine,
αὐτῶν καὶ τεκέων, ἄλοχοι δʼ ἄλλοισι δαμεῖεν.
both of themselves and of their children, and may their wives be mastered by others.”
ὣς ἔφαν, οὐδʼ ἄρα πώ σφιν ἐπεκραίαινε Κρονίων.
So they spoke, but not yet indeed did the son of Cronos fulfill it for them.
τοῖσι δὲ Δαρδανίδης Πρίαμος μετὰ μῦθον ἔειπε·
And among them Priam, son of Dardanus, spoke a word:
κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί·
”Hear me, Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans;
ἤτοι ἐγὼν εἶμι προτὶ Ἴλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν
verily I will go to windy Ilios
ἄψ, ἐπεὶ οὔ πω τλήσομʼ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρᾶσθαι
back, since I cannot yet bear to look with my eyes
μαρνάμενον φίλον υἱὸν ἀρηϊφίλῳ Μενελάῳ·
upon my dear son fighting with Menelaus, dear to Ares.
Ζεὺς μέν που τό γε οἶδε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι
Zeus indeed, I suppose, knows this, and the other immortal gods,
ὁπποτέρῳ θανάτοιο τέλος πεπρωμένον ἐστίν.
to which of the two the end of death is fated.”
ἦ ῥα καὶ ἐς δίφρον ἄρνας θέτο ἰσόθεος φώς,
So spoke the godlike man, and placed the lambs in the chariot,
ἂν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔβαινʼ αὐτός, κατὰ δʼ ἡνία τεῖνεν ὀπίσσω·
and himself mounted, and drew back the reins;
πὰρ δέ οἱ Ἀντήνωρ περικαλλέα βήσετο δίφρον.
and beside him Antenor mounted the very beautiful chariot.
τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἄψορροι προτὶ Ἴλιον ἀπονέοντο·
So the two turned back and departed toward Ilios.
Ἕκτωρ δὲ Πριάμοιο πάϊς καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς
But Hector, son of Priam, and noble Odysseus
χῶρον μὲν πρῶτον διεμέτρεον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
first measured out the space, and then
κλήρους ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλον ἑλόντες,
shook the lots in a bronze-clad helmet,
ὁππότερος δὴ πρόσθεν ἀφείη χάλκεον ἔγχος.
to see which of the two indeed should first cast his bronze spear.
λαοὶ δʼ ἠρήσαντο, θεοῖσι δὲ χεῖρας ἀνέσχον,
And the people prayed, and lifted up their hands to the gods,
ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν Ἀχαιῶν τε Τρώων τε·
and thus would one of the Achaeans and Trojans say:
Ζεῦ πάτερ Ἴδηθεν μεδέων κύδιστε μέγιστε
”Father Zeus, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most great,
ὁππότερος5 τάδε ἔργα μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔθηκε,
whichever of the two brought these troubles between both sides,
τὸν δὸς ἀποφθίμενον δῦναι δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω,
grant that he may perish and go down into the house of Hades,
ἡμῖν δʼ αὖ φιλότητα καὶ ὅρκια πιστὰ γενέσθαι.
but that friendship and trustworthy oaths may be established for us.”
ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν, πάλλεν δὲ μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ
So they spoke, and great Hector of the flashing helm shook the lots,
ἂψ ὁρόων· Πάριος δὲ θοῶς ἐκ κλῆρος ὄρουσεν.
looking backward; and quickly the lot of Paris leapt out.
οἳ μὲν ἔπειθʼ ἵζοντο κατὰ στίχας, ἧχι ἑκάστῳ
Then they sat down in their ranks, where for each
ἵπποι ἀερσίποδες καὶ ποικίλα τεύχεʼ ἔκειτο·
swift-footed horses and patterned armor lay.
αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἀμφʼ ὤμοισιν ἐδύσετο τεύχεα καλὰ
But he put on his shoulders his beautiful armor,
δῖος Ἀλέξανδρος Ἑλένης πόσις ἠϋκόμοιο.
noble Alexander, husband of fair-haired Helen.
κνημῖδας μὲν πρῶτα περὶ κνήμῃσιν ἔθηκε
First he placed the greaves around his shins,
- 3.272ἄωρτο
Third-person singular pluperfect middle/passive of the verb ἀείρω (to lift, hang), without augment. Although pluperfect in form, it expresses a continuing state in the past ('was suspended/hung' beside the scabbard).
- 3.279τίνυσθον
Third-person dual present indicative of the verb τίνυμαι (to punish, avenge), agreeing with the relative pronoun οἵ. It refers to a pair of underworld deities, traditionally understood as Hades and Persephone (or the Erinyes).
- 3.285ἀποδοῦναι
Aorist infinitive of the verb ἀποδίδωμι. It functions here with the force of an imperative (imperative infinitive), with the accusative Τρῶας (the Trojans) acting as its subject. The following infinitive ἀποτινέμεν also shares this construction.
- 3.299πημήνειαν
Third-person plural aorist optative of the verb πημαίνω (to harm, violate), with the Aeolic ending -ειαν common in Homer. It is used in a relative clause expressing a future hypothetical or potential condition ('whichever side might first violate the oaths').
- 3.321ὁππότερος
Relative pronoun, here accompanied by the aorist indicative ἔθηκε, in contrast to the future-oriented optative in line 3.299. The indicative indicates a past historical reality ('whichever of the two actually brought these troubles'), identifying the specific historical culprit.