Retaliation by Odysseus and Encouragement from the Gods — Homer, Iliad Book 4 (lines 478–544), Greek & English

478

θρέπτρα φίλοις ἀπέδωκε, μινυνθάδιος δέ οἱ αἰὼν

nor did he pay back the recompense of nurture to his dear parents, and his life was short,

ἔπλεθʼ ὑπʼ Αἴαντος μεγαθύμου δουρὶ δαμέντι.¹

laid low as he was beneath the spear of great-hearted Ajax.

480

πρῶτον γάρ μιν ἰόντα βάλε στῆθος παρὰ μαζὸν

For as he came on first, Ajax struck him upon the chest by the right

δεξιόν· ἀντικρὺ δὲ διʼ ὤμου χάλκεον ἔγχος

breast, and straight through his shoulder the bronze spear

ἦλθεν· ὁ δʼ ἐν κονίῃσι χαμαὶ πέσεν αἴγειρος ὣς

passed; and he fell to the ground in the dust like a poplar tree

ἥ ῥά τʼ ἐν εἱαμενῇ ἕλεος μεγάλοιο πεφύκει

which has grown in the meadow of a great marsh,

λείη, ἀτάρ τέ οἱ ὄζοι ἐπʼ ἀκροτάτῃ πεφύασι·

smooth, yet with branches growing at its very top;

485

τὴν μέν θʼ ἁρματοπηγὸς ἀνὴρ αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ

which a chariot-maker has cut down with the gleaming iron

ἐξέταμʼ, ὄφρα ἴτυν κάμψῃ περικαλλέϊ δίφρῳ·

so that he might bend a rim for a beautiful chariot;

ἣ μέν τʼ ἀζομένη κεῖται ποταμοῖο παρʼ ὄχθας.

and it lies drying by the banks of a river.

τοῖον ἄρʼ Ἀνθεμίδην Σιμοείσιον ἐξενάριξεν

In such a way did Zeus-born Ajax despoil Simoeisius, son of Anthemion;

Αἴας διογενής· τοῦ δʼ Ἄντιφος αἰολοθώρηξ

and at him Antiphus of the gleaming corselet,

490

Πριαμίδης καθʼ ὅμιλον ἀκόντισεν ὀξέϊ δουρί.

the son of Priam, cast with his sharp spear through the throng.

τοῦ μὲν ἅμαρθʼ, ὃ δὲ Λεῦκον Ὀδυσσέος ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον

Him he missed, but Leucus, the brave companion of Odysseus,

βεβλήκει βουβῶνα, νέκυν ἑτέρωσʼ ἐρύοντα·

he struck in the groin as he was dragging the corpse to one side;

ἤριπε δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ, νεκρὸς δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρός.

so he fell upon it, and the dead man fell from his hand.

τοῦ δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς μάλα θυμὸν ἀποκταμένοιο χολώθη,

But Odysseus was wondrously angered in heart for his slain companion,

495

βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ,

and went through the foremost fighters, harnessed in gleaming bronze;

στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰὼν καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ

he came and stood very near, and having glanced around him

ἀμφὶ ἓ παπτήνας· ὑπὸ δὲ Τρῶες κεκάδοντο

cast with his bright spear; and back shrank the Trojans

ἀνδρὸς ἀκοντίσσαντος· ὃ δʼ οὐχ ἅλιον βέλος ἧκεν,

as the warrior cast; and he did not let fly a fruitless weapon,

ἀλλʼ υἱὸν Πριάμοιο νόθον βάλε Δημοκόωντα

but struck Democoon, the bastard son of Priam,

500

ὅς οἱ Ἀβυδόθεν ἦλθε παρʼ ἵππων ὠκειάων.

who had come to him from Abydus, from the pastures of swift mares.

τόν ῥʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ἑτάροιο χολωσάμενος βάλε δουρὶ

Him Odysseus, in anger for his companion, struck with his spear

κόρσην· ἣ δʼ ἑτέροιο διὰ κροτάφοιο πέρησεν

on the temple, and through the other temple passed

αἰχμὴ χαλκείη· τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψε,

the bronze spear-point; and darkness covered his eyes,

δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.

and he fell with a thud, and his armor clattered upon him.

505

χώρησαν δʼ ὑπό τε πρόμαχοι καὶ φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·

And the foremost fighters and glorious Hector shrank back;

Ἀργεῖοι δὲ μέγα ἴαχον, ἐρύσαντο δὲ νεκρούς,

and the Argives shouted aloud, and dragged away the dead,

ἴθυσαν δὲ πολὺ προτέρω· νεμέσησε δʼ Ἀπόλλων

and charged far further onward. But Apollo

Περγάμου ἐκκατιδών, Τρώεσσι δὲ κέκλετʼ ἀΰσας·

looked down from Pergamus and was wroth, and called aloud to the Trojans:

ὄρνυσθʼ ἱππόδαμοι Τρῶες μηδʼ εἴκετε χάρμης

”Rouse yourselves, horse-taming Trojans, and yield not the battle

510

Ἀργείοις, ἐπεὶ οὔ σφι λίθος χρὼς οὐδὲ σίδηρος

to the Argives; for their flesh is not stone nor iron,

χαλκὸν ἀνασχέσθαι ταμεσίχροα βαλλομένοισιν·

to withstand the flesh-cleaving bronze when they are struck.

οὐ μὰν οὐδʼ Ἀχιλεὺς Θέτιδος πάϊς ἠϋκόμοιο

Nay, and Achilles too, the son of fair-haired Thetis,

μάρναται, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶ χόλον θυμαλγέα πέσσει.

fights not, but by the ships nurses his heart-grieving wrath.”

ὣς φάτʼ ἀπὸ πτόλιος δεινὸς θεός· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς

So spoke the dread god from the city; but the Achaeans

515

ὦρσε Διὸς θυγάτηρ κυδίστη Τριτογένεια

were urged on by the daughter of Zeus, most glorious Tritogeneia,

ἐρχομένη καθʼ ὅμιλον, ὅθι μεθιέντας ἴδοιτο.

as she went through the throng, wherever she saw them slackening.

ἔνθʼ Ἀμαρυγκείδην Διώρεα μοῖρα πέδησε·

Then was Diores, son of Amarynceus, fettered by fate;

χερμαδίῳ γὰρ βλῆτο παρὰ σφυρὸν ὀκριόεντι

for he was struck on the right leg near the ankle

κνήμην δεξιτερήν· βάλε δὲ Θρῃκῶν ἀγὸς ἀνδρῶν

with a jagged stone; and it was the leader of the Thracian warriors,

520

Πείρως Ἰμβρασίδης ὃς ἄρʼ Αἰνόθεν εἰληλούθει.

Peiros, son of Imbrasus, who had come from Aenus, that struck him.

ἀμφοτέρω δὲ τένοντε καὶ ὀστέα λᾶας ἀναιδὴς

Both the tendons and the bones did the shameless stone

ἄχρις ἀπηλοίησεν· ὃ δʼ ὕπτιος ἐν κονίῃσι

utterly crush; and he fell backward in the dust,

κάππεσεν ἄμφω χεῖρε φίλοις ἑτάροισι πετάσσας

stretching out both his hands to his dear companions,

θυμὸν ἀποπνείων· ὃ δʼ ἐπέδραμεν ὅς ῥʼ ἔβαλέν περ

breathing out his life; and Peiros ran up, he who had struck him,

525

Πείροος, οὖτα δὲ δουρὶ παρʼ ὀμφαλόν· ἐκ δʼ ἄρα πᾶσαι

and stabbed him with his spear beside the navel; and all

χύντο χαμαὶ χολάδες, τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψε.

his bowels gushed out upon the ground, and darkness covered his eyes.

τὸν δὲ Θόας Αἰτωλὸς ἀπεσσύμενον βάλε δουρὶ

But as he sprang back, Thoas the Aetolian struck him with his spear

στέρνον ὑπὲρ μαζοῖο, πάγη δʼ ἐν πνεύμονι χαλκός·

on the chest above the breast, and the bronze fixed in his lung.

ἀγχίμολον δέ οἱ ἦλθε Θόας, ἐκ δʼ ὄβριμον ἔγχος

And Thoas came close to him, and from his chest

530

ἐσπάσατο στέρνοιο, ἐρύσσατο δὲ ξίφος ὀξύ,

dragged the heavy spear, and drew his sharp sword

τῷ ὅ γε γαστέρα τύψε μέσην, ἐκ δʼ αἴνυτο θυμόν.

with which he struck him full in the belly, and took away his life.

τεύχεα δʼ οὐκ ἀπέδυσε· περίστησαν γὰρ ἑταῖροι

Yet he did not strip off his armor; for his companions encompassed him,

Θρήϊκες ἀκρόκομοι δολίχʼ ἔγχεα χερσὶν ἔχοντες,

Thracians with hair-tufts on their crowns, holding long spears in their hands,

οἵ ἑ μέγαν περ ἐόντα καὶ ἴφθιμον καὶ ἀγαυὸν

who, great though he was, and mighty, and noble,

535

ὦσαν ἀπὸ σφείων· ὃ δὲ χασσάμενος πελεμίχθη.

thrust him from them; and he gave ground and was shaken.

ὣς τώ γʼ ἐν κονίῃσι παρʼ ἀλλήλοισι τετάσθην,

So these two lay stretched in the dust beside each other,

ἤτοι ὃ μὲν Θρῃκῶν, ὃ δʼ Ἐπειῶν χαλκοχιτώνων

leaders, the one of the Thracians, the other of the bronze-clad Epeians;

ἡγεμόνες· πολλοὶ δὲ περὶ κτείνοντο καὶ ἄλλοι.

and many others besides were slain around them.

ἔνθά κεν οὐκέτι ἔργον ἀνὴρ ὀνόσαιτο² μετελθών,

Then could no man any more have made light of the battle, if anyone

540

ὅς τις ἔτʼ ἄβλητος καὶ ἀνούτατος ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ

as yet unhit and unwounded by the sharp bronze

δινεύοι κατὰ μέσσον, ἄγοι δέ ἑ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη

should range through the midst, and Pallas Athena should lead him

χειρὸς ἑλοῦσʼ, αὐτὰρ βελέων ἀπερύκοι ἐρωήν·

by the hand and ward off the rush of missiles;

πολλοὶ γὰρ Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν ἤματι κείνῳ

for many of the Trojans and Achaeans on that day

πρηνέες ἐν κονίῃσι παρʼ ἀλλήλοισι τέταντο.

lay stretched prone in the dust beside one another.

Syntax notes2 items

4.479δαμέντι
A dative participle (aorist passive) agreeing with the pronoun οἱ ("to him" / "his") in line 4.478. The literal syntax is "and his life was short for him, laid low beneath the spear of great-hearted Ajax."
4.539ἔνθά κεν οὐκέτι ἔργον ἀνὴρ ὀνόσαιτο
A conditional sentence consisting of the optative ὀνόσαιτο with the particle κεν in the main clause, and optatives in the relative conditional clauses (δινεύοι, ἄγοι, ἀπερύκοι in lines 540-542). It expresses a potential or hypothetical situation: if there were a man who could range through the midst unwounded and led by Athena, he would not make light of the battle (ἔργον).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.478-4.544