The Achaean Onslaught and the Death of Adrastus — Homer, Iliad Book 6 (lines 1–68), Greek & English

Τρώων δʼ οἰώθη¹ καὶ Ἀχαιῶν φύλοπις αἰνή·

And the dreadful battle-cry of Trojans and Achaeans was left alone;

πολλὰ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθʼ ἴθυσε μάχη πεδίοιο²

and many a time this way and that rushed the battle over the plain,

ἀλλήλων ἰθυνομένων χαλκήρεα δοῦρα

as they aimed at one another their bronze-shod spears

μεσσηγὺς Σιμόεντος ἰδὲ Ξάνθοιο ῥοάων.

between the streams of Simois and Xanthus.

Αἴας δὲ πρῶτος Τελαμώνιος ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν

And Ajax first, the Telamonian, the bulwark of the Achaeans,

Τρώων ῥῆξε φάλαγγα, φόως δʼ ἑτάροισιν ἔθηκεν,

broke a phalanx of the Trojans, and brought a light of safety to his comrades,

ἄνδρα βαλὼν ὃς ἄριστος ἐνὶ Θρῄκεσσι τέτυκτο

by striking a man who was the best among the Thracians,

υἱὸν Ἐϋσσώρου Ἀκάμαντʼ ἠΰν τε μέγαν τε.

the son of Eussorus, Acamas, both valiant and great.

τόν ῥʼ ἔβαλε πρῶτος κόρυθος φάλον ἱπποδασείης,

Him he struck first on the horn of his helmet with thick horse-hair crest,

ἐν δὲ μετώπῳ πῆξε, πέρησε δʼ ἄρʼ ὀστέον εἴσω

and drove the spear into his forehead, and the bronze point pierced through the bone inside;

αἰχμὴ χαλκείη· τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψεν.

and darkness covered his eyes.

Ἄξυλον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπεφνε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης

And Diomedes, good at the war-cry, slew Axylus,

Τευθρανίδην, ὃς ἔναιεν ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν Ἀρίσβῃ

the son of Teuthras, who dwelt in well-built Arisbe,

ἀφνειὸς βιότοιο, φίλος δʼ ἦν ἀνθρώποισι.

rich in substance, and he was dear to men;

πάντας γὰρ φιλέεσκεν ὁδῷ ἔπι οἰκία ναίων.

for he showed hospitality to all, dwelling in his house by the roadside.

ἀλλά οἱ οὔ τις τῶν γε³ τότʼ ἤρκεσε λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον

Yet of these no one then warded off from him woeful destruction

πρόσθεν ὑπαντιάσας, ἀλλʼ ἄμφω θυμὸν ἀπηύρα

by standing before him, but Diomedes took away the life of both,

αὐτὸν καὶ θεράποντα Καλήσιον, ὅς ῥα τόθʼ ἵππων

of him and of his squire Calesius, who then was the driver

ἔσκεν ὑφηνίοχος· τὼ δʼ ἄμφω γαῖαν ἐδύτην.

of his horses; so they both passed beneath the earth.

Δρῆσον δʼ Εὐρύαλος καὶ Ὀφέλτιον ἐξενάριξε·

And Euryalus stripped Dresus and Opheltius,

βῆ δὲ μετʼ Αἴσηπον καὶ Πήδασον, οὕς ποτε νύμφη

and he went after Aesepus and Pedasus, whom once the naiad nymph

νηῒς Ἀβαρβαρέη τέκʼ ἀμύμονι Βουκολίωνι.

Abarbarea bore to noble Bucolion.

Βουκολίων δʼ ἦν υἱὸς ἀγαυοῦ Λαομέδοντος

Now Bucolion was son of noble Laomedon,

πρεσβύτατος γενεῇ, σκότιον⁴ δέ ἑ γείνατο μήτηρ·

eldest by birth, but his mother bore him in secret;

ποιμαίνων δʼ ἐπʼ ὄεσσι μίγη φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ,

while shepherding his sheep he mingled with her in love and sleep,

ἣ δʼ ὑποκυσαμένη διδυμάονε γείνατο παῖδε.

and she conceiving bore twin sons.

καὶ μὲν τῶν ὑπέλυσε μένος καὶ φαίδιμα γυῖα

And indeed their strength and their glorious limbs the son of Mecisteus

Μηκιστηϊάδης καὶ ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα.

loosened, and stripped the armor from their shoulders.

Ἀστύαλον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπεφνε μενεπτόλεμος Πολυποίτης·

And Polypoetes, staunch in battle, slew Astyalus;

Πιδύτην δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς Περκώσιον ἐξενάριξεν

and Odysseus slew Pidytes of Percote

ἔγχεϊ χαλκείῳ, Τεῦκρος δʼ Ἀρετάονα δῖον.

with his bronze spear, and Teucer noble Aretaon.

Ἀντίλοχος δʼ Ἄβληρον ἐνήρατο δουρὶ φαεινῷ

And Antilochus, Nestor’s son, slew Ablerus with his bright spear,

Νεστορίδης, Ἔλατον δὲ ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

and Agamemnon, king of men, slew Elatus;

ναῖε δὲ Σατνιόεντος ἐϋρρείταο παρʼ ὄχθας

he dwelt by the banks of fair-flowing Satnioeis,

Πήδασον αἰπεινήν. Φύλακον δʼ ἕλε Λήϊτος ἥρως

in steep Pedasus. And Leitus the hero slew Phylacus

φεύγοντʼ· Εὐρύπυλος δὲ Μελάνθιον ἐξενάριξεν.

as he fled; and Eurypylus slew Melanthius.

Ἄδρηστον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος

Then Menelaus, good at the war-cry, took Adrastus

ζωὸν ἕλʼ· ἵππω γάρ οἱ ἀτυζομένω πεδίοιο

alive; for his horses, fleeing in terror over the plain,

ὄζῳ ἔνι βλαφθέντε μυρικίνῳ ἀγκύλον ἅρμα

became entangled in a tamarisk branch, and broke the curved chariot

ἄξαντʼ ἐν πρώτῳ ῥυμῷ αὐτὼ μὲν ἐβήτην

at the end of the pole, and they themselves went

πρὸς πόλιν, ᾗ περ οἱ ἄλλοι ἀτυζόμενοι φοβέοντο,

toward the city, whither the others were fleeing in terror.

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ δίφροιο παρὰ τροχὸν ἐξεκυλίσθη

But he himself was rolled out of the chariot beside the wheel,

πρηνὴς ἐν κονίῃσιν ἐπὶ στόμα· πὰρ δέ οἱ ἔστη

prone in the dust on his face; and beside him stood

Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἔχων δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος.

Menelaus, son of Atreus, holding his far-shadowing spear.

Ἄδρηστος δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα λαβὼν ἐλίσσετο γούνων·

Then Adrastus clasped his knees and entreated him:

ζώγρει Ἀτρέος υἱέ, σὺ δʼ ἄξια δέξαι ἄποινα·

“Take me alive, son of Atreus, and accept a worthy ransom;

πολλὰ δʼ ἐν ἀφνειοῦ πατρὸς κειμήλια κεῖται

many treasures lie in the house of my wealthy father,

χαλκός τε χρυσός τε πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος,

bronze and gold and iron wrought with much labor,

τῶν κέν τοι χαρίσαιτο⁵ πατὴρ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα

of these my father would grant you a ransom past counting,

εἴ κεν ἐμὲ ζωὸν πεπύθοιτʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.

if he should learn that I am alive at the ships of the Achaeans.”

ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔπειθε·

So he spoke, and began to persuade the heart within his breast;

καὶ δή μιν τάχʼ ἔμελλε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν

and indeed he was soon about to give him to his squire

δώσειν ᾧ θεράποντι καταξέμεν· ἀλλʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

to lead him to the swift ships of the Achaeans; but Agamemnon

ἀντίος ἦλθε θέων, καὶ ὁμοκλήσας ἔπος ηὔδα·

came running to meet him, and shouted and spoke a word:

ὦ πέπον ὦ Μενέλαε, τί ἢ δὲ σὺ κήδεαι οὕτως

“O gentle-hearted Menelaus, why do you care so much

ἀνδρῶν; ἦ σοὶ ἄριστα πεποίηται⁶ κατὰ οἶκον

for these men? Has best treatment indeed been done to you in your house

πρὸς Τρώων; τῶν μή τις ὑπεκφύγοι αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον

by the Trojans? Let none of them escape steep destruction

χεῖράς θʼ ἡμετέρας, μηδʼ ὅν τινα γαστέρι μήτηρ

and our hands, not even the boy whom his mother bears in her womb

κοῦρον ἐόντα φέροι, μηδʼ ὃς φύγοι, ἀλλʼ ἅμα πάντες

as a child, let not even him escape, but all together

Ἰλίου ἐξαπολοίατʼ ἀκήδεστοι καὶ ἄφαντοι.

let them perish utterly from Ilium, unmourned and unseen.”

ὣς εἰπὼν ἔτρεψεν ἀδελφειοῦ φρένας ἥρως

So speaking the hero turned his brother’s mind,

αἴσιμα παρειπών· ὃ δʼ ἀπὸ ἕθεν ὤσατο χειρὶ

advising what was right; and Menelaus pushed from him with his hand

ἥρωʼ Ἄδρηστον· τὸν δὲ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

the hero Adrastus, and the ruler Agamemnon

οὖτα κατὰ λαπάρην· ὃ δʼ ἀνετράπετʼ, Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ

struck him in the flank, and he fell backward, and the son of Atreus

λὰξ ἐν στήθεσι βὰς ἐξέσπασε μείλινον ἔγχος.

stepping with his heel upon his breast drew out the ashen spear.

Νέστωρ δʼ Ἀργείοισιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·

And Nestor called out to the Argives with a far-reaching shout:

ὦ φίλοι ἥρωες Δαναοὶ θεράποντες Ἄρηος

“O friends, Danaan heroes, squires of Ares,

μή τις νῦν ἐνάρων ἐπιβαλλόμενος μετόπισθε

let no man now throw himself upon the spoils in the rear”, */

Syntax notes6 items

6.1οἰώθη
Meaning 'was left alone' or 'was isolated'. It indicates that since the Olympian gods had departed from the battlefield, the human combat (φύλοπις αἰνή) was left to itself without divine intervention.
6.2πεδίοιο
A genitive of space indicating the area over which the action extends ('over the plain'). The following ἰθυνομένων is a genitive absolute with the implicit subject of both armies' warriors.
6.16τῶν γε
Functions as a demonstrative pronoun rather than a relative pronoun, serving as a partitive genitive ('of those very people [whom Axylus used to entertain]'). It is modified by the following participle ὑπαντιάσας.
6.24σκότιον
The neuter singular adjective functions adverbially, meaning 'in darkness,' i.e., 'secretly' or 'out of wedlock.' It indicates that the mother bore him from an unrecognized or illegitimate relationship.
6.49χαρίσαιτο
A potential optative with κέν in the main clause combined with a conditional clause of εἰ with κέν and the optative. In classical prose, such a condition is expressed by εἰ with the optative alone, but Homeric Greek often admits κέν in the protasis. It denotes a hypothetical future possibility.
6.56ἦ σοὶ ἄριστα πεποίηται
Literally 'has the best treatment indeed been done to you by the Trojans?', which functions as a strong sarcasm (irony). It rebukes Menelaus' soft-heartedness by reminding him of the terrible outrage (the abduction of Helen) the Trojans committed in his house.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.1-6.68