Aeneas and Pandarus Confront Diomedes — Homer, Iliad Book 5 (lines 209–276), Greek & English

209

τώ ῥα κακῇ αἴσῃ ἀπὸ πασσάλου ἀγκύλα τόξα

Therefore, under an evil destiny, did I take down my curved bow from its peg

210

ἤματι τῷ ἑλόμην ὅτε Ἴλιον εἰς ἐρατεινὴν

on that day when I set out for lovely Ilium,

ἡγεόμην Τρώεσσι φέρων χάριν Ἕκτορι δίῳ.

leading the Trojans to do a pleasure to noble Hector.

εἰ δέ κε νοστήσω καὶ ἐσόψομαι ὀφθαλμοῖσι

But if I shall return and behold with my eyes

πατρίδʼ ἐμὴν ἄλοχόν τε καὶ ὑψερεφὲς μέγα δῶμα,

my native land and my wife and my great high-roofed house,

αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπʼ ἐμεῖο κάρη τάμοι ἀλλότριος φὼς

straightway then may some alien cut my head from me,

215

εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ τάδε τόξα φαεινῷ ἐν πυρὶ θείην¹

if I do not break this bow with my hands

χερσὶ διακλάσσας· ἀνεμώλια γάρ μοι ὀπηδεῖ.

and cast it into the blazing fire; for it accompanies me in vain.

τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Αἰνείας Τρώων ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·

To him then Aeneas, leader of the Trojans, spoke in answer:

μὴ δʼ οὕτως ἀγόρευε· πάρος δʼ οὐκ ἔσσεται ἄλλως,

”Speak not thus; things will not be otherwise

πρίν γʼ ἐπὶ νὼ τῷδʼ ἀνδρὶ σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν

before we two with horses and chariot go to face this man

220

ἀντιβίην ἐλθόντε σὺν ἔντεσι πειρηθῆναι.

and make trial of him with our weapons.

ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐμῶν ὀχέων ἐπιβήσεο, ὄφρα ἴδηαι

But come, mount my chariot, so that you may see

οἷοι Τρώϊοι ἵπποι ἐπιστάμενοι πεδίοιο²

what manner of horses are those of Tros, well-skilled over the plain

κραιπνὰ μάλʼ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διωκέμεν ἠδὲ φέβεσθαι·

to pursue swiftly here and there, and to flee;

τὼ καὶ νῶϊ πόλιν δὲ σαώσετον, εἴ περ ἂν αὖτε

they will also bring us two safely to the city, even if once more

225

Ζεὺς ἐπὶ Τυδεΐδῃ Διομήδεϊ κῦδος ὀρέξῃ.

Zeus should grant glory to Diomedes, son of Tydeus.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν μάστιγα καὶ ἡνία σιγαλόεντα

But come, now take the whip and the shining reins,

δέξαι, ἐγὼ δʼ ἵππων ἀποβήσομαι ὄφρα μάχωμαι·

and I will dismount from the chariot to fight;

ἠὲ σὺ τόνδε δέδεξο, μελήσουσιν δʼ ἐμοὶ ἵπποι.

or do you face this man, and the horses shall be my care.”

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

To him then the glorious son of Lycaon spoke in answer:

230

Αἰνεία σὺ μὲν αὐτὸς ἔχʼ ἡνία καὶ τεὼ ἵππω·

”Aeneas, do you yourself keep the reins and drive your own horses;

μᾶλλον ὑφʼ ἡνιόχῳ εἰωθότι καμπύλον ἅρμα

better will the curved chariot be drawn under its accustomed charioteer,

οἴσετον, εἴ περ ἂν αὖτε φεβώμεθα Τυδέος υἱόν·

even if once more we must flee from the son of Tydeus;

μὴ τὼ μὲν δείσαντε ματήσετον, οὐδʼ ἐθέλητον

lest they, being frightened, should falter, and refuse

ἐκφερέμεν πολέμοιο τεὸν φθόγγον ποθέοντε,

to carry us out of the battle, longing for your voice,

235

νῶϊ δʼ ἐπαΐξας μεγαθύμου Τυδέος υἱὸς

and the son of great-hearted Tydeus, rushing upon us two,

αὐτώ τε κτείνῃ καὶ ἐλάσσῃ μώνυχας ἵππους.

should slay ourselves and drive away the whole-hoofed horses.

ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ αὐτὸς ἔλαυνε τέʼ ἅρματα καὶ τεὼ ἵππω,

But do you yourself drive your chariot and your own horses,

τὸν δὲ δʼ ἐγὼν ἐπιόντα δεδέξομαι ὀξέϊ δουρί.

and I will await his onset with my sharp spear.”

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσαντες ἐς ἅρματα ποικίλα βάντες

So having spoken they mounted the inlaid chariot,

240

ἐμμεμαῶτʼ ἐπὶ Τυδεΐδῃ ἔχον ὠκέας ἵππους.

and eagerly directed the swift horses against the son of Tydeus.

τοὺς δὲ ἴδε Σθένελος Καπανήϊος ἀγλαὸς υἱός,

And Sthenelus, the glorious son of Capaneus, saw them,

αἶψα δὲ Τυδεΐδην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and straightway spoke winged words to the son of Tydeus:

Τυδεΐδη Διόμηδες ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ,

”Diomedes, son of Tydeus, dear to my heart,

ἄνδρʼ ὁρόω κρατερὼ ἐπὶ σοὶ μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι

I see two strong men eager to fight against you,

245

ἶνʼ ἀπέλεθρον ἔχοντας· ὃ μὲν τόξων ἐῢ εἰδὼς

possessing measureless strength; the one is well-skilled in the bow,

Πάνδαρος, υἱὸς δʼ αὖτε Λυκάονος εὔχεται εἶναι·

Pandarus, and he boasts to be the son of Lycaon;

Αἰνείας δʼ υἱὸς μὲν ἀμύμονος Ἀγχίσαο

and Aeneas boasts to be born as the son of blameless Anchises,

εὔχεται ἐκγεγάμεν, μήτηρ δέ οἵ ἐστʼ Ἀφροδίτη.

and his mother is Aphrodite.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ χαζώμεθʼ ἐφʼ ἵππων, μηδέ μοι οὕτω

But come, let us withdraw on our chariot, and I pray you

250

θῦνε διὰ προμάχων, μή πως φίλον ἦτορ ὀλέσσῃς.

rage not thus through the foremost fighters, lest you lose your life.”

τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

Then with an angry glance mighty Diomedes spoke to him:

μή τι φόβον δʼ ἀγόρευʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ σὲ πεισέμεν οἴω.

”Talk not to me of flight, for I deem you will not persuade me.

οὐ γάρ μοι γενναῖον³ ἀλυσκάζοντι μάχεσθαι

It is not in my blood to fight while shrinking back,

οὐδὲ καταπτώσσειν· ἔτι μοι μένος ἔμπεδόν ἐστιν·

nor yet to cower; still is my strength firm within me.

255

ὀκνείω δʼ ἵππων ἐπιβαινέμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὔτως

I shrink to mount the chariot, but even as I am

ἀντίον εἶμʼ αὐτῶν· τρεῖν μʼ οὐκ ἐᾷ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.

I will go to meet them face to face; Pallas Athena suffers me not to fear.

τούτω δʼ οὐ πάλιν αὖτις ἀποίσετον ὠκέες ἵπποι

And those two, their swift horses shall not carry them

ἄμφω ἀφʼ ἡμείων, εἴ γʼ οὖν ἕτερός γε φύγῃσιν.

both back from us, even if indeed one of them should escape.

ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν·

And another thing will I tell you, and do you lay it to heart:

260

αἴ κέν μοι πολύβουλος Ἀθήνη κῦδος ὀρέξῃ

if wise Athena should grant me the glory

ἀμφοτέρω κτεῖναι, σὺ δὲ τούσδε μὲν ὠκέας ἵππους

to slay both of them, do you hold back these swift horses of ours

αὐτοῦ ἐρυκακέειν ἐξ ἄντυγος ἡνία τείνας,

here, fastening the reins to the chariot-rim,

Αἰνείαο δʼ ἐπαΐξαι μεμνημένος ἵππων,

and remember to rush upon the horses of Aeneas

ἐκ δʼ ἐλάσαι Τρώων μετʼ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.

and drive them from the Trojans to the well-greaved Achaeans.

265

τῆς γάρ τοι γενεῆς ἧς Τρωΐ περ εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

For they are of that stock which far-seeing Zeus

δῶχʼ υἷος ποινὴν Γανυμήδεος, οὕνεκʼ ἄριστοι

gave to Tros as a recompense for his son Ganymede, because they are the best

ἵππων ὅσσοι ἔασιν ὑπʼ ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε,

of all horses that are beneath the dawn and the sun;

τῆς γενεῆς⁴ ἔκλεψεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγχίσης

from this stock Anchises, king of men, stole

λάθρῃ Λαομέδοντος ὑποσχὼν θήλεας ἵππους·

secretly from Laomedon, putting mares beneath them;

270

τῶν οἱ ἓξ ἐγένοντο ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γενέθλη.

of these six were bred for him in his halls.

τοὺς μὲν τέσσαρας αὐτὸς ἔχων ἀτίταλλʼ ἐπὶ φάτνῃ,

Four of them he kept himself and reared at the manger,

τὼ δὲ δύʼ Αἰνείᾳ δῶκεν μήστωρε φόβοιο.

but two he gave to Aeneas, devisers of rout.

εἰ τούτω κε λάβοιμεν, ἀροίμεθά κε κλέος ἐσθλόν.

If we could take these two, we should win noble glory.”

ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

Thus they spoke such things to one another,

275

τὼ δὲ τάχʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθον ἐλαύνοντʼ ὠκέας ἵππους.

and those two quickly came near, driving the swift horses.

τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

And the glorious son of Lycaon spoke first to Diomedes:

Syntax notes4 items

5.214τάμοι... θείην
The optative τάμοι in the apodosis and θείην in the protasis (introduced by εἰ μή) express a strong potential condition or wish in the present, serving as a solemn self-imprecation.
5.222πεδίοιο
A genitive of place ('over the plain'), modifying the participle ἐπιστάμενοι rather than acting as its direct object, describing the horses' skill in navigating the terrain.
5.253γενναῖον
A neuter singular adjective serving as the predicate for the subject infinitive μάχεσθαι. The dative μοι is a dative of interest, meaning 'it is not in my noble nature to fight while shrinking back.'
5.268της... γενεῆς
A genitive of source or partitive dependent on the verb ἔκλεψεν in line 268. The noun phrase τῆς... γενεῆς from line 265 is repeated in line 268, creating a hyperbaton separated by the relative clause.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.209-5.276