The Rampage of Diomedes and Pandarus's Regret — Homer, Iliad Book 5 (lines 140–208), Greek & English

140

ἀλλὰ κατὰ σταθμοὺς δύεται, τὰ δʼ ἐρῆμα φοβεῖται·

but slinks into the shelters, and the flock is left deserted and terrified;

αἳ μέν τʼ ἀγχιστῖναι ἐπʼ ἀλλήλῃσι κέχυνται,

and they are heaped close one upon another,

αὐτὰρ ὃ ἐμμεμαὼς βαθέης ἐξάλλεται αὐλῆς·

but he rages and leaps out of the deep fold;

ὣς μεμαὼς Τρώεσσι μίγη κρατερὸς Διομήδης.

even so in his fury did mighty Diomedes mingle with the Trojans.

ἔνθʼ ἕλεν Ἀστύνοον καὶ Ὑπείρονα ποιμένα λαῶν,

Then he slew Astynous and Hypeiron, shepherd of the people,

145

τὸν μὲν ὑπὲρ μαζοῖο βαλὼν χαλκήρεϊ δουρί,

striking the one above the nipple with his bronze-shod spear,

τὸν δʼ ἕτερον ξίφεϊ μεγάλῳ κληῗδα παρʼ ὦμον

and the other beside the shoulder on the collarbone with his great sword,

πλῆξʼ, ἀπὸ δʼ αὐχένος ὦμον ἐέργαθεν ἠδʼ ἀπὸ νώτου.

and he sheared the shoulder away from the neck and from the back.

τοὺς μὲν ἔασʼ, ὃ δʼ Ἄβαντα μετῴχετο καὶ Πολύειδον

These he left, and went in pursuit of Abas and Polyidus,

υἱέας Εὐρυδάμαντος ὀνειροπόλοιο γέροντος·

sons of Eurydamas, the old reader of dreams;

150

τοῖς οὐκ ἐρχομένοις ὃ γέρων ἐκρίνατʼ ὀνείρους,¹

yet the old man did not interpret dreams for them when they went,

ἀλλά σφεας κρατερὸς Διομήδης ἐξενάριξε·

but mighty Diomedes despoiled them.

βῆ δὲ μετὰ Ξάνθόν τε Θόωνά τε Φαίνοπος υἷε

Then he went after Xanthus and Thoon, the two sons of Phaenops,

ἄμφω τηλυγέτω· ὃ δὲ τείρετο γήραϊ λυγρῷ,

both late-born; and he was worn with grievous old age,

υἱὸν δʼ οὐ τέκετʼ ἄλλον ἐπὶ κτεάτεσσι λιπέσθαι.

and begot no other son to leave over his possessions.

155

ἔνθʼ ὅ γε τοὺς ἐνάριζε, φίλον δʼ ἐξαίνυτο θυμὸν

There he despoiled them, and took away the sweet life

ἀμφοτέρω, πατέρι δὲ γόον καὶ κήδεα λυγρὰ

of both, and to their father he left mourning and grievous cares,

λεῖπʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐ ζώοντε μάχης ἐκνοστήσαντε

since he did not welcome them returning alive from battle;

δέξατο· χηρωσταὶ δὲ διὰ κτῆσιν δατέοντο.

and the next of kin divided his possessions.

ἔνθʼ υἷας Πριάμοιο δύω λάβε Δαρδανίδαο

Then he took two sons of Priam, son of Dardanus,

160

εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντας Ἐχέμμονά τε Χρομίον τε.

being in one chariot, Echemmon and Chromius.

ὡς δὲ λέων ἐν βουσὶ θορὼν ἐξ αὐχένα ἄξῃ

And as a lion leaping among the cattle breaks the neck

πόρτιος ἠὲ βοὸς ξύλοχον κάτα βοσκομενάων,

of a heifer or a cow as they graze in a thicket,

ὣς τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐξ ἵππων Τυδέος υἱὸς

even so did the son of Tydeus bring both of them from their chariot

βῆσε κακῶς ἀέκοντας, ἔπειτα δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα·

sadly against their will, and then he stripped off their armor;

165

ἵππους δʼ οἷς ἑτάροισι δίδου μετὰ νῆας ἐλαύνειν.

and the horses he gave to his comrades to drive to the ships.

τὸν δʼ ἴδεν Αἰνείας ἀλαπάζοντα στίχας ἀνδρῶν,

And Aeneas saw him devastating the ranks of men,

βῆ δʼ ἴμεν ἄν τε μάχην καὶ ἀνὰ κλόνον ἐγχειάων

and went through the battle and through the clash of spears

Πάνδαρον ἀντίθεον διζήμενος εἴ που ἐφεύροι·

seeking godlike Pandarus, if anywhere he might find him;

εὗρε Λυκάονος υἱὸν ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε,

he found Lycaon’s son, both blameless and strong,

170

στῆ δὲ πρόσθʼ αὐτοῖο ἔπος τέ μιν ἀντίον ηὔδα·

and stood before him, and spoke a word to him face to face:

Πάνδαρε ποῦ τοι τόξον ἰδὲ πτερόεντες ὀϊστοὶ

”Pandarus, where are your bow and your winged arrows,

καὶ κλέος; ᾧ οὔ τίς τοι ἐρίζεται ἐνθάδε γʼ ἀνήρ,

and your fame, in which no man here rivals you,

οὐδέ τις ἐν Λυκίῃ σέο γʼ εὔχεται εἶναι ἀμείνων.

nor does anyone in Lycia boast to be better than you?

ἀλλʼ ἄγε τῷδʼ ἔφες ἀνδρὶ βέλος Διὶ χεῖρας ἀνασχὼν

But come, hold up your hands to Zeus and shoot an arrow at this man,

175

ὅς τις ὅδε κρατέει καὶ δὴ κακὰ πολλὰ ἔοργε

whoever he is that dominates here and has already done much harm

Τρῶας, ἐπεὶ πολλῶν τε καὶ ἐσθλῶν γούνατʼ ἔλυσεν·

to the Trojans, since he has loosed the knees of many and brave men;

εἰ μή τις θεός ἐστι κοτεσσάμενος Τρώεσσιν

unless indeed he is some god angry with the Trojans,

ἱρῶν μηνίσας· χαλεπὴ δὲ θεοῦ ἔπι μῆνις.

wroth because of sacrifices; and hard is the wrath of a god to bear.”

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

To him then spoke the glorious son of Lycaon:

180

Αἰνεία Τρώων βουληφόρε χαλκοχιτώνων

”Aeneas, counselor of the bronze-clad Trojans,

Τυδεΐδῃ μιν ἔγωγε δαΐφρονι πάντα ἐΐσκω,

to the wise son of Tydeus I liken him in all things,

ἀσπίδι γιγνώσκων αὐλώπιδί τε τρυφαλείῃ,

knowing him by his shield and his crested helmet,

ἵππους τʼ εἰσορόων· σάφα δʼ οὐκ οἶδʼ εἰ θεός ἐστιν.

and looking upon his horses; but I do not know for sure if he is a god.

εἰ δʼ ὅ γʼ ἀνὴρ ὅν φημι δαΐφρων Τυδέος υἱὸς

But if he is the man I say, the wise son of Tydeus,

185

οὐχ ὅ γʼ ἄνευθε θεοῦ τάδε μαίνεται, ἀλλά τις ἄγχι

not without a god does he rage thus, but some immortal

ἕστηκʼ ἀθανάτων νεφέλῃ εἰλυμένος ὤμους,

stands near him, his shoulders wrapped in a cloud,

ὃς τούτου βέλος ὠκὺ κιχήμενον ἔτραπεν ἄλλῃ.

who turned aside from this man the swift arrow as it reached him.

ἤδη γάρ οἱ ἐφῆκα βέλος, καί μιν βάλον ὦμον

For already I shot an arrow at him, and struck his right shoulder

δεξιὸν ἀντικρὺ διὰ θώρηκος γυάλοιο·

straight through the plate of his corselet;

190

καί μιν ἔγωγʼ ἐφάμην Ἀϊδωνῆϊ προϊάψειν,

and I thought I would send him to Hades,

ἔμπης δʼ οὐκ ἐδάμασσα· θεός νύ τίς ἐστι κοτήεις.

yet I did not vanquish him; surely he is some angry god.

ἵπποι δʼ οὐ παρέασι καὶ ἅρματα τῶν κʼ ἐπιβαίην·

And horses have I none at hand, nor chariot which I might mount;

ἀλλά που ἐν μεγάροισι Λυκάονος ἕνδεκα δίφροι

yet somewhere in Lycaon’s halls are eleven chariots,

καλοὶ πρωτοπαγεῖς νεοτευχέες· ἀμφὶ δὲ πέπλοι

beautiful, newly built, fresh from the joiner; and cloths are spread

195

πέπτανται· παρὰ δέ σφιν ἑκάστῳ δίζυγες ἵπποι

around them; and beside each of them stand two yoked horses

ἑστᾶσι κρῖ λευκὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι καὶ ὀλύρας.

champing white barley and spelt.

ἦ μέν μοι μάλα πολλὰ γέρων αἰχμητὰ Λυκάων

Indeed, very many things did the old spearman Lycaon

ἐρχομένῳ ἐπέτελλε δόμοις ἔνι ποιητοῖσιν·

charge me when I set out in his well-built house;

ἵπποισίν μʼ ἐκέλευε καὶ ἅρμασιν ἐμβεβαῶτα

he bade me mount my horses and chariot

200

ἀρχεύειν Τρώεσσι κατὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας·

and lead the Trojans in the mighty conflicts;

ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐ πιθόμην· ἦ τʼ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν·²

but I did not obey—indeed, it would have been much better—

ἵππων φειδόμενος, μή μοι δευοίατο φορβῆς

sparing my horses, lest they should lack fodder

ἀνδρῶν εἰλομένων εἰωθότες ἔδμεναι ἄδην.

when the men were crowded together, accustomed as they were to eat their fill.

ὣς λίπον, αὐτὰρ πεζὸς ἐς Ἴλιον εἰλήλουθα

So I left them, and have come on foot to Ilium,

205

τόξοισιν πίσυνος· τὰ δέ μʼ οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον ὀνήσειν.

trusting in my bow; but this, it seems, was to avail me nothing.

ἤδη γὰρ δοιοῖσιν ἀριστήεσσιν ἐφῆκα

For already at two chieftains have I let fly,

Τυδεΐδῃ τε καὶ Ἀτρεΐδῃ, ἐκ δʼ ἀμφοτέροιιν

at the son of Tydeus and the son of Atreus, and from both of them

ἀτρεκὲς αἷμʼ ἔσσευα βαλών, ἤγειρα δὲ μᾶλλον.

I drew clear blood when I struck them, but I only aroused them the more.”

Syntax notes2 items

5.150τοῖς οὐκ ἐρχομένοις ὃ γέρων ἐκρίνατʼ ὀνείρους
The present participle ἐρχομένοις (when they were setting out) is negated by οὐκ. It is generally understood as 'the old man did not interpret dreams for them when they set out' (and thus could not avert their fate). The dative τοῖς serves as a dative of interest or functions relatively as 'for those who were setting out'.
5.201ἦ τʼ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν
A contrary-to-fact conditional apodosis using the particle ἄν with the imperfect indicative ἦεν. It expresses a past unfulfilled possibility: 'it would indeed have been much better' (implying the speaker regrets not having obeyed his father's advice).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.140-5.208