- 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-grc2:5.554-5.623
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
To avenge Crethon and Orsilochus slain by Aeneas, Menelaus steps forward and, with the help of Antilochus, kills Pylaemenes and Mydon. In response, Hector, accompanied by Ares, leads an offensive, forcing Diomedes and Telamonian Aias to retreat while putting up a defense.
οἵω τώ γε λέοντε δύω ὄρεος κορυφῇσιν
As two lions on the mountain tops
ἐτραφέτην ὑπὸ μητρὶ βαθείης τάρφεσιν ὕλης·
were reared under their mother in the thickets of a deep forest;
τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἁρπάζοντε βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα
these two, seizing cattle and fat sheep,
σταθμοὺς ἀνθρώπων κεραΐζετον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὼ
ravage the farmsteads of men, until they themselves also
ἀνδρῶν ἐν παλάμῃσι κατέκταθεν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ·
are slain by the hands of men with sharp bronze;
τοίω τὼ χείρεσσιν ὑπʼ Αἰνείαο δαμέντε
so these two, vanquished under the hands of Aeneas,
καππεσέτην, ἐλάτῃσιν ἐοικότες ὑψηλῇσι.
fell, like tall pine trees.
τὼ δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος,
And Menelaus, dear to Ares, pitied them as they fell,
βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ
and went through the foremost fighters, armed in gleaming bronze, shaking his spear;
σείων ἐγχείην· τοῦ δʼ ὄτρυνεν μένος Ἄρης,1
and Ares aroused his might,
τὰ φρονέων ἵνα χερσὶν ὑπʼ Αἰνείαο δαμείη.
with this intent, that he might be vanquished under the hands of Aeneas.
τὸν δʼ ἴδεν Ἀντίλοχος μεγαθύμου Νέστορος υἱός,
But Antilochus, son of great-hearted Nestor, saw him,
βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων· περὶ γὰρ δίε ποιμένι λαῶν
and went through the foremost fighters; for he feared greatly for the shepherd of the host,
μή τι πάθοι, μέγα δέ σφας ἀποσφήλειε πόνοιο.2
lest he should suffer some harm, and utterly frustrate them of their labor.
τὼ μὲν δὴ χεῖράς τε καὶ ἔγχεα ὀξυόεντα
So these two were holding their hands and sharp spears
ἀντίον ἀλλήλων ἐχέτην μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι·
against each other, eager to fight;
Ἀντίλοχος δὲ μάλʼ ἄγχι παρίστατο ποιμένι λαῶν.
and Antilochus stood very close to the shepherd of the host.
Αἰνείας δʼ οὐ μεῖνε θοός περ ἐὼν πολεμιστὴς
And Aeneas did not remain, swift warrior though he was,
ὡς εἶδεν δύο φῶτε παρʼ ἀλλήλοισι μένοντε.
when he saw two men staying side by side.
οἳ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν νεκροὺς ἔρυσαν μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν,
And when they had dragged the dead bodies into the host of the Achaeans,
τὼ μὲν ἄρα δειλὼ3 βαλέτην ἐν χερσὶν ἑταίρων,
they cast the two hapless ones into the hands of their comrades,
αὐτὼ δὲ στρεφθέντε μετὰ πρώτοισι μαχέσθην.
and themselves turned back and fought among the foremost.
ἔνθα Πυλαιμένεα ἑλέτην ἀτάλαντον Ἄρηϊ
Then they slew Pylaemenes, peer of Ares,
ἀρχὸν Παφλαγόνων μεγαθύμων ἀσπιστάων.
leader of the Paphlagonians, great-hearted shield-bearing men.
τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἀτρεΐδης δουρικλειτὸς Μενέλαος
Him then the son of Atreus, spear-famed Menelaus,
ἑσταότʼ ἔγχεϊ νύξε κατὰ κληῗδα τυχήσας·
struck with his spear as he stood, hitting him upon the collarbone;
Ἀντίλοχος δὲ Μύδωνα βάλʼ ἡνίοχον θεράποντα
and Antilochus struck Mydon, his squire and charioteer,
ἐσθλὸν Ἀτυμνιάδην· ὃ δʼ ὑπέστρεφε μώνυχας ἵππους·
the brave son of Atymnius, just as he was turning the single-hoofed horses;
χερμαδίῳ ἀγκῶνα τυχὼν μέσον· ἐκ δʼ ἄρα χειρῶν
striking him with a stone upon the middle of the elbow; and from his hands
ἡνία λεύκʼ ἐλέφαντι χαμαὶ πέσον ἐν κονίῃσιν.
the reins, white with ivory, fell to the ground in the dust.
Ἀντίλοχος δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπαΐξας ξίφει ἤλασε κόρσην·
And Antilochus leapt upon him and struck him with his sword upon the temple;
αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἀσθμαίνων εὐεργέος ἔκπεσε δίφρου
and he, gasping, fell from the well-wrought chariot
κύμβαχος ἐν κονίῃσιν ἐπὶ βρεχμόν τε καὶ ὤμους.
headlong in the dust upon his head and shoulders.
δηθὰ μάλʼ ἑστήκει· τύχε γάρ ῥʼ ἀμάθοιο βαθείης·
Very long he stood there, for he chanced to light upon deep sand,
ὄφρʼ ἵππω πλήξαντε χαμαὶ βάλον ἐν κονίῃσι·
until the horses struck him and cast him to the ground in the dust;
τοὺς ἵμασʼ Ἀντίλοχος, μετὰ δὲ στρατὸν ἤλασʼ Ἀχαιῶν.
these Antilochus whipped and drove into the host of the Achaeans.
τοὺς δʼ Ἕκτωρ ἐνόησε κατὰ στίχας, ὦρτο δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς
But Hector saw them through the ranks, and rushed upon them shouting;
κεκλήγων· ἅμα δὲ Τρώων εἵποντο φάλαγγες
and with him followed the strong phalanxes of the Trojans;
καρτεραί· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρα σφιν Ἄρης καὶ πότνιʼ Ἐνυώ,
and Ares led them, and queen Enyo,
ἣ μὲν ἔχουσα Κυδοιμὸν ἀναιδέα δηϊοτῆτος,
she bringing the shameless Din of battle,
Ἄρης δʼ ἐν παλάμῃσι πελώριον ἔγχος ἐνώμα,
while Ares brandished in his hands a monstrous spear,
φοίτα δʼ ἄλλοτε μὲν πρόσθʼ Ἕκτορος, ἄλλοτʼ ὄπισθε.
and stalked now in front of Hector, now behind him.
τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ῥίγησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
And Diomedes, good at the war cry, shuddered when he saw him;
ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ἀπάλαμνος4 ἰὼν πολέος πεδίοιο
and even as a man, helpless as he crosses a great plain,
στήῃ ἐπʼ ὠκυρόῳ ποταμῷ ἅλα δὲ προρέοντι
stands at the brink of a swift-flowing river that runs to the sea,
ἀφρῷ μορμύροντα ἰδών, ἀνά τʼ ἔδραμʼ ὀπίσσω,
and seeing it bubbling with foam, leaps backward,
ὣς τότε Τυδεΐδης ἀνεχάζετο, εἶπέ τε λαῷ·
even so then did the son of Tydeus shrink back, and spoke to the host:
ὦ φίλοι οἷον δὴ θαυμάζομεν Ἕκτορα δῖον
”O friends, how we were wont to marvel at noble Hector,
αἰχμητήν τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ θαρσαλέον πολεμιστήν·
as a spearman and a daring warrior!
τῷ δʼ αἰεὶ πάρα εἷς γε θεῶν, ὃς λοιγὸν ἀμύνει·
Yet by his side there is always one of the gods who wards off destruction;
καὶ νῦν οἱ πάρα κεῖνος Ἄρης βροτῷ ἀνδρὶ ἐοικώς.
and now by him stands yonder Ares in the likeness of a mortal man.
ἀλλὰ πρὸς Τρῶας τετραμμένοι αἰὲν ὀπίσσω
But turn your faces toward the Trojans and ever backward
εἴκετε, μηδὲ θεοῖς μενεαινέμεν ἶφι μάχεσθαι.
give way, and do not desire to fight amain with gods.”
ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, Τρῶες δὲ μάλα σχεδὸν ἤλυθον αὐτῶν.
So he spoke, and the Trojans came very near them.
ἔνθʼ Ἕκτωρ δύο φῶτε κατέκτανεν εἰδότε χάρμης
Then Hector slew two men well-skilled in fight,
εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντε, Μενέσθην Ἀγχίαλόν τε.
being in one chariot, Menesthes and Anchialus.
τὼ δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας·
And as they fell great Telamonian Aias pitied them;
στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰών, καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ,
and he came and stood very near, and hurled with his bright spear,
καὶ βάλεν Ἄμφιον Σελάγου υἱόν, ὅς ῥʼ ἐνὶ Παισῷ
and struck Amphius, son of Selagus, who in Paesus
ναῖε πολυκτήμων πολυλήϊος· ἀλλά ἑ μοῖρα
dwelt, rich in substance, rich in cornland; but fate
ἦγʼ ἐπικουρήσοντα μετὰ Πρίαμόν τε καὶ υἷας.
led him to go as an ally to Priam and his sons.
τόν ῥα κατὰ ζωστῆρα βάλεν Τελαμώνιος Αἴας,
Him then Telamonian Aias struck upon the belt,
νειαίρῃ δʼ ἐν γαστρὶ πάγη δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος,
and in his lower belly was fixed the long-shadowed spear;
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών· ὃ δʼ ἐπέδραμε φαίδιμος Αἴας
and he fell with a thud; and glorious Aias rushed upon him
τεύχεα συλήσων· Τρῶες δʼ ἐπὶ δούρατʼ ἔχευαν
to strip him of his armor; but the Trojans poured upon him spears,
ὀξέα παμφανόωντα· σάκος δʼ ἀνεδέξατο πολλά.
sharp, gleaming bright; and his shield received many.
αὐτὰρ ὃ λὰξ προσβὰς ἐκ νεκροῦ χάλκεον ἔγχος
But he set his foot upon the corpse and out of it dragged the bronze spear;
ἐσπάσατʼ· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτʼ ἄλλα δυνήσατο τεύχεα καλὰ
yet he could not also strip other fair armor
ὤμοιιν ἀφελέσθαι· ἐπείγετο γὰρ βελέεσσι.
from his shoulders, for he was pressed hard with missiles.
δεῖσε δʼ ὅ γʼ ἀμφίβασιν κρατερὴν Τρώων ἀγερώχων,
And he feared the strong defense of the lordly Trojans,
- 5.563τοῦ δʼ ὄτρυνεν μένος Ἄρης
The genitive τοῦ, acting as a personal pronoun, refers to Menelaus and modifies μένος ("his courage/might"). This indicates that Ares aroused Menelaus' courage. Contextually and grammatically, it naturally refers to Menelaus.
- 5.567μή τι πάθοι, μέγα δέ σφας ἀποσφήλειε πόνοιο
A fear clause introduced by μή with optatives (πάθοι, ἀποσφήλειε) following περὶ γὰρ δίε ("for he feared greatly"). The pronoun σφας ("them") refers to the fellow Achaeans whose battle efforts would be rendered in vain if their leader were to perish.
- 5.574δειλὼ
A dual accusative adjective referring to the two fallen brothers, Crethon and Orsilochus ("the two hapless ones"). Similarly, the verb βαλέτην in the same sentence is in the dual, referring to the subject pair, Menelaus and Antilochus.
- 5.597ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ἀπάλαμνος
Marks the beginning of a long simile comparing Diomedes' retreat upon seeing Ares to a traveler turning back before a raging torrent. The correlation of ὡς δʼ ὅτε ("even as when") is completed by ὣς τότε ("so then") in §5.600.