- 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-grc2:6.337-6.402
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
Paris resolves to join the battle urged by Helen. After a brief dialogue with Helen, Hector returns home to see his wife Andromache and infant son before departing for the field, but finding her already gone to the tower, he retraces his steps and reunites with her at the Scaean gates.
νῦν δέ με παρειποῦσʼ ἄλοχος μαλακοῖς ἐπέεσσιν
But now my wife, persuading me with gentle words,
ὅρμησʼ ἐς πόλεμον· δοκέει δέ μοι ὧδε καὶ αὐτῷ
has urged me to the war; and to myself also it seems
λώϊον ἔσσεσθαι· νίκη δʼ ἐπαμείβεται ἄνδρας.
that it will be better; for victory shifts from man to man.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ἐπίμεινον, Ἀρήϊα τεύχεα δύω·
But come now, wait a while, let me put on my warlike armor;
ἢ ἴθʼ, ἐγὼ δὲ μέτειμι· κιχήσεσθαι δέ σʼ ὀΐω.
or go on, and I will follow; and I think I shall overtake you.”
ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ οὔ τι προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
So he spoke, and Hector of the flashing helm answered him not a word;
τὸν δʼ Ἑλένη μύθοισι προσηύδα μειλιχίοισι·
but Helen spoke to him with gentle words:
δᾶερ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς κακομηχάνου ὀκρυοέσσης,
“Brother-in-law of me, a dog, evil-scheming and chilling,
ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ ἤματι τῷ ὅτε με πρῶτον τέκε μήτηρ
would that on the day when first my mother bore me
οἴχεσθαι1 προφέρουσα κακὴ ἀνέμοιο θύελλα
a evil storm-wind had caught me up and carried me away
εἰς ὄρος ἢ εἰς κῦμα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης,
to some mountain or to the wave of the loud-resounding sea,
ἔνθά με κῦμʼ ἀπόερσε πάρος τάδε ἔργα γενέσθαι.
where the wave would have swept me away before these deeds came to pass.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τάδε γʼ ὧδε θεοὶ κακὰ τεκμήραντο,
But since the gods have thus ordained these evils,
ἀνδρὸς ἔπειτʼ ὤφελλον ἀμείνονος εἶναι ἄκοιτις,
then I ought to have been the wife of a better man,
ὃς ᾔδη νέμεσίν τε καὶ αἴσχεα πόλλʼ ἀνθρώπων.
who felt the anger of men and their many reproaches.
τούτῳ δʼ οὔτʼ ἂρ νῦν φρένες ἔμπεδοι οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ὀπίσσω
But in this man there is no steadfast heart now, nor ever will there be
ἔσσονται· τὼ καί μιν ἐπαυρήσεσθαι ὀΐω.
in the future; wherefore I think he will also reap the fruit thereof.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν εἴσελθε καὶ ἕζεο τῷδʼ ἐπὶ δίφρῳ
But come now, enter and sit upon this seat,
δᾶερ, ἐπεί σε μάλιστα πόνος φρένας ἀμφιβέβηκεν
brother, since trouble has encompassed your heart most of all
εἵνεκʼ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκʼ ἄτης,
because of me, dog that I am, and the folly of Alexander,
οἷσιν ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε κακὸν μόρον, ὡς καὶ ὀπίσσω
upon whom Zeus has laid an evil doom, so that even in days to come
ἀνθρώποισι πελώμεθʼ2 ἀοίδιμοι ἐσσομένοισι.
we may be a song for men that are yet to be.”
τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ
To her then great Hector of the flashing helm made answer:
μή με κάθιζʼ Ἑλένη φιλέουσά περ· οὐδέ με πείσεις·
“Bid me not sit, Helen, though you love me; you will not persuade me.
ἤδη γάρ μοι θυμὸς ἐπέσσυται ὄφρʼ ἐπαμύνω
For already my heart is eager to bring aid to
Τρώεσσʼ, οἳ μέγʼ ἐμεῖο ποθὴν ἀπεόντος ἔχουσιν.
the Trojans, who have great longing for me in my absence.
ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ ὄρνυθι τοῦτον, ἐπειγέσθω δὲ καὶ αὐτός,
But do you rouse this man, and let him also make haste,
ὥς κεν ἔμʼ ἔντοσθεν πόλιος καταμάρψῃ ἐόντα.
that he may overtake me while I am yet within the city.
καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν οἶκον δὲ ἐλεύσομαι ὄφρα ἴδωμαι
For I too will go to my house, that I may see
οἰκῆας ἄλοχόν τε φίλην καὶ νήπιον υἱόν.
my home-folk, and my dear wife, and my infant son.
οὐ γὰρ οἶδʼ εἰ ἔτι σφιν ὑπότροπος ἵξομαι αὖτις,
For I know not if I shall ever again return to them,
ἦ ἤδη μʼ ὑπὸ χερσὶ θεοὶ δαμόωσιν Ἀχαιῶν.
or if even now the gods will lay me low beneath the hands of the Achaeans.”
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
So saying, Hector of the flashing helm departed.
αἶψα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἵκανε δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας,
And quickly he came to his well-ordered house,
οὐδʼ εὗρʼ Ἀνδρομάχην λευκώλενον ἐν μεγάροισιν,
but found not white-armed Andromache in the halls;
ἀλλʼ ἥ γε ξὺν παιδὶ καὶ ἀμφιπόλῳ ἐϋπέπλῳ
but she with her child and a fair-robed handmaiden
πύργῳ ἐφεστήκει γοόωσά τε μυρομένη τε.
stood on the wall-tower, weeping and wailing.
Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὡς οὐκ ἔνδον ἀμύμονα τέτμεν ἄκοιτιν
And Hector, when he found not his noble wife within,
ἔστη ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰών, μετὰ δὲ δμῳῇσιν ἔειπεν·
went and stood upon the threshold, and spoke among the handmaidens:
εἰ δʼ ἄγε3 μοι δμῳαὶ νημερτέα μυθήσασθε·
“Come, handmaidens, tell me truly:
πῇ ἔβη Ἀνδρομάχη λευκώλενος ἐκ μεγάροιο;
whither went white-armed Andromache from the hall?
ἠέ πῃ ἐς γαλόων ἢ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων
Is she gone to the house of her husband’s sisters, or to her fair-robed brothers’ wives,
ἢ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι
or is she gone to the temple of Athena, where the other
Τρῳαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται;
fair-tressed Trojan women are appeasing the dread goddess?”
τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ ὀτρηρὴ ταμίη πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·
To him then the busy housekeeper spoke, saying:
Ἕκτορ ἐπεὶ μάλʼ ἄνωγας ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι,
“Hector, since you straitly bid us tell the truth,
οὔτέ πῃ ἐς γαλόων οὔτʼ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων
she is not gone to any of her husband’s sisters, nor to her fair-robed brothers’ wives,
οὔτʼ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι
nor yet to the temple of Athena, where the other
Τρῳαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται,
fair-tressed Trojan women are appeasing the dread goddess;
ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πύργον ἔβη μέγαν Ἰλίου, οὕνεκʼ ἄκουσε
but she went to the great tower of Ilios, because she heard
τείρεσθαι Τρῶας, μέγα δὲ κράτος εἶναι Ἀχαιῶν.
that the Trojans were being hard pressed, and that the power of the Achaeans was great.
ἣ μὲν δὴ πρὸς τεῖχος ἐπειγομένη ἀφικάνει
She indeed is making haste to the wall
μαινομένῃ ἐϊκυῖα· φέρει δʼ ἅμα παῖδα τιθήνη.
like one beside herself; and with her the nurse carries the child.”
ἦ ῥα γυνὴ ταμίη, ὃ δʼ ἀπέσσυτο δώματος Ἕκτωρ
So spoke the housekeeper, and Hector hasted from the house
τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν αὖτις ἐϋκτιμένας κατʼ ἀγυιάς.
back by the same way through the well-built streets.
εὖτε πύλας ἵκανε διερχόμενος μέγα ἄστυ
When he came to the gates as he passed through the great city,
Σκαιάς, τῇ ἄρʼ ἔμελλε διεξίμεναι πεδίον δέ,
the Scaean gates, by which he was minded to go out to the plain,
ἔνθʼ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος ἐναντίη ἦλθε θέουσα
there came running to meet him his bounteous wife,
Ἀνδρομάχη θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἠετίωνος
Andromache, daughter of great-hearted Eëtion;
Ἠετίων ὃς ἔναιεν ὑπὸ Πλάκῳ ὑληέσσῃ
Eëtion who dwelt beneath wooded Placus,
Θήβῃ Ὑποπλακίῃ Κιλίκεσσʼ ἄνδρεσσιν ἀνάσσων·
in Thebe under Placus, ruling over the men of Cilicia.
τοῦ περ δὴ θυγάτηρ ἔχεθʼ Ἕκτορι4 χαλκοκορυστῇ.
His daughter it was who was held by Hector of the bronze helm.
ἥ οἱ ἔπειτʼ ἤντησʼ, ἅμα δʼ ἀμφίπολος κίεν αὐτῇ
She then met him, and with her went the handmaiden,
παῖδʼ ἐπὶ κόλπῳ ἔχουσʼ ἀταλάφρονα νήπιον αὔτως
bearing on her bosom the tender boy, a mere babe,
Ἑκτορίδην ἀγαπητὸν ἀλίγκιον ἀστέρι καλῷ,
Hector’s loved son, like to a beautiful star,
τόν ῥʼ Ἕκτωρ καλέεσκε Σκαμάνδριον, αὐτὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι
whom Hector called Scamandrius, but the others
- 6.345ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ ... οἴχεσθαι
The construction of ὄφελον (second aorist of ὀφείλω, here the third-person singular ὤφελε with elision) with an infinitive (ὤφελε + οἴχεσθαι) expresses an unattainable wish in the past. The clitic μʼ (ἐμέ) is in the accusative case, serving as the subject of the infinitive.
- 6.357ὡς καὶ ὀπίσσω ... πελώμεθʼ
ὡς is a conjunction of purpose (or result) introducing the subjunctive πελώμεθα (first-person plural of πέλομαι, 'to be/become'). The following ἐσσομένοισι is the dative plural of the future participle of εἰμί (Epic form), modifying ἀνθρώποισι, meaning 'for men that are yet to be'.
- 6.376εἰ δʼ ἄγε
Although resembling a conditional clause, εἰ δʼ ἄγε is a formulaic expression used to introduce or encourage an imperative command ('come now', 'if you please'). It originally developed from an elliptical conditional sentence meaning 'if [you will], come [and do it]'.
- 6.398ἔχεθʼ Ἕκτορι
The imperfect passive verb ἔχετο (third-person singular with elision) takes the dative Ἕκτορι (dative of agent or interest) to mean 'was held by Hector', i.e., 'was married to Hector'.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-12)
- 2026-10-12 AI review — translation 1