- 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-grc2:4.272-4.339
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
Agamemnon praises the brave and orderly ranks of the Ajaxes and commends the strategic deployment and wisdom of the old warrior Nestor while lamenting his advanced age. He then moves on to encounter Menestheus and Odysseus, who are waiting for the battle to reach them.
ὣς ἔφατʼ, Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ παρῴχετο γηθόσυνος κῆρ·
So he spoke, and the son of Atreus passed on with a joyful heart;
ἦλθε δʼ ἐπʼ Αἰάντεσσι κιὼν ἀνὰ οὐλαμὸν ἀνδρῶν·
and he came to the Ajaxes as he went through the crowd of warriors;
τὼ δὲ κορυσσέσθην, ἅμα δὲ νέφος εἵπετο πεζῶν.
these two were arming, and with them followed a cloud of foot-soldiers.
ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀπὸ σκοπιῆς εἶδεν νέφος αἰπόλος ἀνὴρ
And as when from a lookout place a goatherd sees a cloud
ἐρχόμενον κατὰ πόντον ὑπὸ Ζεφύροιο ἰωῆς·
coming across the deep under the blast of the West Wind;
τῷ δέ τʼ ἄνευθεν ἐόντι μελάντερον ἠΰτε πίσσα
and to him, being far off, it seems blacker than pitch
φαίνετʼ ἰὸν κατὰ πόντον, ἄγει δέ τε λαίλαπα πολλήν,
as it goes across the deep, and it brings a great tempest;
ῥίγησέν τε ἰδών, ὑπό τε σπέος ἤλασε μῆλα·
and he shudders as he sees it, and drives his flock into a cave;
τοῖαι ἅμʼ Αἰάντεσσι διοτρεφέων αἰζηῶν
even so with the Ajaxes the dense phalanxes of youths cherished by Zeus
δήϊον ἐς πόλεμον πυκιναὶ κίνυντο φάλαγγες
moved into hostile war,
κυάνεαι, σάκεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσι πεφρικυῖαι.
dark, bristling with shields and spears.
καὶ τοὺς μὲν γήθησεν ἰδὼν κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων,
Seeing them, Lord Agamemnon rejoiced,
καί σφεας φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
and he spoke to them, and addressed them with winged words:
Αἴαντʼ Ἀργείων ἡγήτορε χαλκοχιτώνων,
”Ajaxes, leaders of the bronze-clad Argives,
σφῶϊ μέν·1 οὐ γὰρ ἔοικʼ ὀτρυνέμεν· οὔ τι κελεύω·
to you two indeed—for it is not seemly to urge you—I give no command;
αὐτὼ γὰρ μάλα λαὸν ἀνώγετον ἶφι μάχεσθαι.
for you yourselves strongly bid your people fight with might.
αἲ γὰρ Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον
Would to father Zeus and Athena and Apollo,
τοῖος πᾶσιν θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι γένοιτο·
that such spirit might be in the breasts of all;
τώ κε2 τάχʼ ἠμύσειε πόλις Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος
then would the city of King Priam quickly bow,
χερσὶν ὑφʼ ἡμετέρῃσιν ἁλοῦσά τε περθομένη τε.
captured and sacked beneath our hands.”
ὣς εἰπὼν τοὺς μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ, βῆ δὲ μετʼ ἄλλους·
Having thus spoken, he left them there, and went to others;
ἔνθʼ ὅ γε Νέστορʼ ἔτετμε λιγὺν Πυλίων ἀγορητὴν
there he found Nestor, the clear-voiced speaker of the Pylians,
οὓς ἑτάρους στέλλοντα καὶ ὀτρύνοντα μάχεσθαι
marshaling his comrades and urging them to fight,
ἀμφὶ μέγαν Πελάγοντα Ἀλάστορά τε Χρομίον τε
around great Pelagon, and Alastor, and Chromius,
Αἵμονά τε κρείοντα Βίαντά τε ποιμένα λαῶν·
and lord Hemon, and Bias, shepherd of the people.
ἱππῆας μὲν πρῶτα σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφι,
The horsemen first he set with horses and chariots,
πεζοὺς δʼ ἐξόπιθε στῆσεν πολέας τε καὶ ἐσθλοὺς
and the foot-soldiers he set behind, many and brave,
ἕρκος ἔμεν πολέμοιο· κακοὺς δʼ ἐς μέσσον ἔλασσεν,
to be a bulwark of battle; but the cowards he drove into the midst,
ὄφρα καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλων τις ἀναγκαίῃ πολεμίζοι.
so that even an unwilling man must of necessity fight.
ἱππεῦσιν μὲν πρῶτʼ ἐπετέλλετο· τοὺς γὰρ ἀνώγει
To the horsemen first he gave charge; for these he bade
σφοὺς ἵππους ἐχέμεν μηδὲ κλονέεσθαι ὁμίλῳ·
to hold their horses in, and not to be confused in the crowd;
μηδέ τις ἱπποσύνῃ τε καὶ ἠνορέηφι πεποιθὼς
”And let no man, trusting in his horsemanship and his valor,
οἶος πρόσθʼ ἄλλων μεμάτω Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι,
yearn to fight with the Trojans alone, ahead of the rest,
μηδʼ ἀναχωρείτω· ἀλαπαδνότεροι γὰρ ἔσεσθε.
nor let him draw back; for you will be more easily overcome.
ὃς δέ κʼ ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ ὧν ὀχέων ἕτερʼ ἅρμαθʼ ἵκηται3
And whatever man from his own chariot comes to another chariot,
ἔγχει ὀρεξάσθω, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτερον οὕτω.
let him thrust with his spear, since surely it is far better thus.
ὧδε καὶ οἱ πρότεροι πόλεας καὶ τείχεʼ ἐπόρθεον
Thus also did men of old ravage cities and walls,
τόνδε νόον καὶ θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔχοντες.
having this mind and spirit in their breasts.”
ὣς ὃ γέρων ὄτρυνε πάλαι πολέμων ἐῢ εἰδώς·
Thus did the old man urge them, well skilled of old in wars;
καὶ τὸν μὲν γήθησεν ἰδὼν κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων,
and seeing him, Lord Agamemnon rejoiced,
καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
and he spoke to him, and addressed him with winged words:
ὦ γέρον εἴθʼ ὡς θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισιν
”Old man, would that, even as the spirit is in your own breast,
ὥς τοι γούναθʼ ἕποιτο, βίη δέ τοι ἔμπεδος εἴη·
so your knees might follow, and your strength be steadfast;
ἀλλά σε γῆρας τείρει ὁμοίϊον· ὡς ὄφελέν τις4
but age that spares no man wears you down; would that some
ἀνδρῶν ἄλλος ἔχειν, σὺ δὲ κουροτέροισι μετεῖναι.
other man had your age, and you were among the younger.”
τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·
To him then Gerenian horseman Nestor made answer:
Ἀτρεΐδη μάλα μέν τοι ἐγὼν ἐθέλοιμι καὶ αὐτὸς
”Son of Atreus, very much indeed would I myself wish
ὣς ἔμεν ὡς ὅτε δῖον Ἐρευθαλίωνα κατέκταν.
to be as when I slew noble Ereuthalion.
ἀλλʼ οὔ πως ἅμα πάντα θεοὶ δόσαν ἀνθρώποισιν·
But in no wise did the gods give all things to men at the same time;
εἰ τότε κοῦρος ἔα νῦν αὖτέ με γῆρας ὀπάζει.
if I was then a youth, now in turn old age attends me.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς ἱππεῦσι μετέσσομαι ἠδὲ κελεύσω
Yet even so will I be among the horsemen and give them charge
βουλῇ καὶ μύθοισι· τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ γερόντων.
with counsel and words; for this is the privilege of old men.
αἰχμὰς δʼ αἰχμάσσουσι νεώτεροι, οἵ περ ἐμεῖο
But the spears shall younger men wield, who
ὁπλότεροι γεγάασι πεποίθασίν τε βίηφιν.
are younger than I and trust in their strength.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ παρῴχετο γηθόσυνος κῆρ.
So he spoke, and the son of Atreus passed on with a joyful heart.
εὗρʼ υἱὸν Πετεῶο Μενεσθῆα πλήξιππον
He found the son of Peteos, Menestheus, tamer of horses,
ἑσταότʼ· ἀμφὶ δʼ Ἀθηναῖοι μήστωρες ἀϋτῆς·
standing; and around him were the Athenians, devisers of the battle-cry;
αὐτὰρ ὃ πλησίον ἑστήκει πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς,
and near him stood Odysseus of many wiles,
πὰρ δὲ Κεφαλλήνων ἀμφὶ στίχες οὐκ ἀλαπαδναὶ
and by him the ranks of the Cephallenians, not weak,
ἕστασαν· οὐ γάρ πώ σφιν ἀκούετο λαὸς ἀϋτῆς,
stood around; for not yet had the cry of battle been heard by them,
ἀλλὰ νέον συνορινόμεναι κίνυντο φάλαγγες
but newly aroused were the phalanxes moving,
Τρώων ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν· οἳ δὲ μένοντες
both of the horse-taming Trojans and the Achaeans; and these, waiting,
ἕστασαν ὁππότε πύργος Ἀχαιῶν ἄλλος ἐπελθὼν
stood until some other division of the Achaeans should come up
Τρώων ὁρμήσειε καὶ ἄρξειαν πολέμοιο.
and charge the Trojans, and begin the battle.
τοὺς δὲ ἰδὼν νείκεσσεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων,
Seeing them, Agamemnon, lord of men, upbraided them,
καί σφεας φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
and he spoke to them, and addressed them with winged words:
ὦ υἱὲ Πετεῶο διοτρεφέος βασιλῆος,
”O son of Peteos, the king cherished by Zeus,
καὶ σὺ κακοῖσι δόλοισι κεκασμένε κερδαλεόφρον
and you, preeminent in evil wiles, greedy-minded one,”
- 4.286σφῶϊ μέν
The dual accusative (or dative) σφῶϊ acts as the object of an implied verb of commanding or urging connected with the following ὀτρυνέμεν or κελεύω. The ellipsis of the main verb here serves to heighten the rhetorical force of the address, contrasting with the subsequent αὐτὼ γὰρ....
- 4.290τώ κε
The adverbial dative τώ means "in that case" or "then," taking up the preceding unattainable wish (αἲ γὰρ...) as a protasis. The particle κε combined with the optative ἠμύσειε forms the potential apodosis of the condition.
- 4.306ὃς δέ κʼ ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ ὧν ὀχέων ἕτερʼ ἅρμαθʼ ἵκηται
A general conditional relative clause with the subjunctive ἵκηται. While some interpret ἀπὸ ὧν ὀχέων ἕτερʼ ἅρμαθʼ ἵκηται as "dismounting from one's own chariot to reach another," the context of keeping chariot ranks and preventing individual disarray (§4.297-302) strongly favors the interpretation: "whoever, while remaining on his own chariot, reaches (approaches) an enemy's chariot."
- 4.315ὡς ὄφελέν τις
This construction expresses an unattainable wish in the past or present. The past tense form ὄφελεν (from ὀφείλω, meaning "ought to") acts with the infinitives ἔχειν and μετεῖναι to indicate that something should have been otherwise but is not, conveying regret or longing.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1