Hector's Return to the City and Diomedes Facing Glaucus — Homer, Iliad Book 6 (lines 69–137), Greek & English

μιμνέτω¹ ὥς κε πλεῖστα φέρων ἐπὶ νῆας ἵκηται,

“Let no man now remain behind, so that he may come to the ships carrying the most spoils,

ἀλλʼ ἄνδρας κτείνωμεν· ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἕκηλοι

but let us kill the men; and then afterward at your ease

νεκροὺς ἂμ πεδίον συλήσετε τεθνηῶτας.

you shall strip the dead corpses throughout the plain.”

ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.

So speaking he aroused the strength and heart of each man.

ἔνθά κεν αὖτε Τρῶες ἀρηϊφίλων ὑπʼ Ἀχαιῶν

Then indeed the Trojans would have fled back into Ilium before the Achaeans, dear to Ares,

Ἴλιον εἰσανέβησαν ἀναλκείῃσι δαμέντες,

subdued by their own cowardice,

εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ Αἰνείᾳ τε καὶ Ἕκτορι εἶπε² παραστὰς

if Helenus, son of Priam, far the best of augurs,

Πριαμίδης Ἕλενος οἰωνοπόλων ὄχʼ ἄριστος·

had not stood by Aeneas and Hector and spoken to them:

Αἰνεία τε καὶ Ἕκτορ, ἐπεὶ πόνος ὔμμι μάλιστα

“Aeneas and Hector, since upon you most of all the toil of the Trojans and Lycians

Τρώων καὶ Λυκίων ἐγκέκλιται, οὕνεκʼ ἄριστοι

is laid, because you are the best for every undertaking, both to fight and to counsel,

πᾶσαν ἐπʼ ἰθύν ἐστε μάχεσθαί τε φρονέειν τε,

both to fight and to counsel, hold your ground here, and hold back the host before the gates,

στῆτʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ λαὸν ἐρυκάκετε πρὸ πυλάων

going everywhere among them, before

πάντῃ ἐποιχόμενοι πρὶν αὖτʼ ἐν χερσὶ γυναικῶν

they flee and fall into the arms of their wives,

φεύγοντας πεσέειν, δηΐοισι δὲ χάρμα γενέσθαι.

and become a laughing-stock to the foes.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κε φάλαγγας ἐποτρύνητον ἁπάσας,

But when you have heartened all our phalanxes,

ἡμεῖς μὲν Δαναοῖσι μαχησόμεθʼ αὖθι μένοντες,

we indeed will hold our ground here and fight the Danaans,

καὶ μάλα τειρόμενοί περ· ἀναγκαίη γὰρ ἐπείγει·

though we are sore pressed; for necessity constrains us.

Ἕκτορ ἀτὰρ σὺ πόλιν δὲ μετέρχεο, εἰπὲ δʼ ἔπειτα

But you, Hector, go to the city, and speak then

μητέρι σῇ καὶ ἐμῇ· ἣ δὲ ξυνάγουσα γεραιὰς

to your mother and mine; let her gather the elder women

νηὸν Ἀθηναίης γλαυκώπιδος ἐν πόλει ἄκρῃ

to the temple of flashing-eyed Athena on the citadel,

οἴξασα κληῗδι θύρας ἱεροῖο δόμοιο

and having opened with the key the doors of the holy house,

πέπλον, ὅς οἱ δοκέει χαριέστατος ἠδὲ μέγιστος

let her place the robe which seems to her the most beautiful and largest

εἶναι ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ καί οἱ πολὺ φίλτατος αὐτῇ,

in her palace, and which is by far the dearest to herself,

θεῖναι³ Ἀθηναίης ἐπὶ γούνασιν ἠϋκόμοιο,

upon the knees of fair-haired Athena,

καί οἱ ὑποσχέσθαι δυοκαίδεκα βοῦς ἐνὶ νηῷ

and let her promise to sacrifice to her in the temple twelve heifers,

ἤνις ἠκέστας ἱερευσέμεν, αἴ κʼ ἐλεήσῃ

yearlings untouched by the goad, if she will have pity

ἄστύ τε καὶ Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα,

on the city and the wives of the Trojans and their little children;

ὥς κεν Τυδέος υἱὸν ἀπόσχῃ Ἰλίου ἱρῆς

if she will hold back the son of Tydeus from sacred Ilium,

ἄγριον αἰχμητὴν κρατερὸν μήστωρα φόβοιο,

that savage spearman, the mighty orchestrator of terror,

ὃν δὴ ἐγὼ κάρτιστον Ἀχαιῶν φημι γενέσθαι.

whom I declare to have become the strongest of the Achaeans.

οὐδʼ Ἀχιλῆά ποθʼ ὧδέ γʼ ἐδείδιμεν ὄρχαμον ἀνδρῶν,

Not even Achilles did we ever fear so much, that leader of men,

100

ὅν πέρ φασι θεᾶς ἐξέμμεναι· ἀλλʼ ὅδε λίην

whom they say is born of a goddess; but this man rages

μαίνεται, οὐδέ τίς οἱ δύναται μένος ἰσοφαρίζειν.

beyond measure, and no one can match his might.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἕκτωρ δʼ οὔ τι κασιγνήτῳ ἀπίθησεν.

So he spoke, and Hector did not disobey his brother.

αὐτίκα δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων σὺν τεύχεσιν ἆλτο χαμᾶζε,

Straightway he leaped from his chariot in his armor to the ground,

πάλλων δʼ ὀξέα δοῦρα κατὰ στρατὸν ᾤχετο πάντῃ

and brandishing his sharp spears he went everywhere through the host,

105

ὀτρύνων μαχέσασθαι, ἔγειρε δὲ φύλοπιν αἰνήν.

urging them to fight, and he aroused the dreadful battle-cry.

οἳ δʼ ἐλελίχθησαν καὶ ἐναντίοι ἔσταν Ἀχαιῶν·

And they wheeled about and stood to face the Achaeans;

Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ὑπεχώρησαν, λῆξαν δὲ φόνοιο,

and the Argives gave way and ceased from slaughter,

φὰν δέ τινʼ ἀθανάτων ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος

and they thought that some of the immortals had come down from the starry heaven

Τρωσὶν ἀλεξήσοντα κατελθέμεν,⁴ ὡς ἐλέλιχθεν.

to help the Trojans, so did they wheel about.

110

Ἕκτωρ δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·

And Hector called to the Trojans with a far-reaching shout:

Τρῶες ὑπέρθυμοι τηλεκλειτοί τʼ ἐπίκουροι

“High-hearted Trojans and far-famed allies,

ἀνέρες ἔστε φίλοι, μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς,

be men, my friends, and remember furious valor,

ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ βείω προτὶ Ἴλιον, ἠδὲ γέρουσιν

while I go to Ilium and tell the elders

εἴπω βουλευτῇσι καὶ ἡμετέρῃς ἀλόχοισι

who counsel, and our wives,

115

δαίμοσιν ἀρήσασθαι, ὑποσχέσθαι δʼ ἑκατόμβας.

to pray to the gods and to promise hecatombs.”

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

So speaking, crest-waving Hector departed;

ἀμφὶ δέ μιν σφυρὰ τύπτε καὶ αὐχένα δέρμα κελαινὸν

and the dark hide struck his ankles and his neck,

ἄντυξ ἣ πυμάτη θέεν ἀσπίδος ὀμφαλοέσσης.

the rim that ran as the outermost edge of his bossed shield.

Γλαῦκος δʼ Ἱππολόχοιο πάϊς καὶ Τυδέος υἱὸς

But Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, and the son of Tydeus

120

ἐς μέσον ἀμφοτέρων συνίτην μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι.

came together into the midst between both sides, eager to fight.

οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντε,

And when they were near, coming against each other,

τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

Diomedes, good at the war-cry, spoke first to him:

τίς δὲ σύ ἐσσι φέριστε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων;

“Who are you, noble sir, of mortal men?

οὐ μὲν γάρ ποτʼ ὄπωπα μάχῃ ἔνι κυδιανείρῃ

For never have I seen you in battle that brings glory to men

125

τὸ πρίν· ἀτὰρ μὲν νῦν γε πολὺ προβέβηκας ἁπάντων

before this; but now indeed you have come far ahead of all

σῷ θάρσει, ὅ τʼ⁵ ἐμὸν δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος ἔμεινας·

in your boldness, in that you have awaited my long-shadowing spear.

δυστήνων δέ τε παῖδες ἐμῷ μένει ἀντιόωσιν.

Children of unhappy men face my might.

εἰ δέ τις ἀθανάτων γε κατʼ οὐρανοῦ εἰλήλουθας,

But if you are one of the immortals come down from heaven,

οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγε θεοῖσιν ἐπουρανίοισι μαχοίμην.

I would not fight with the heavenly gods.

130

οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ Δρύαντος υἱὸς κρατερὸς Λυκόοργος

For not even the son of Dryas, mighty Lycurgus,

δὴν ἦν, ὅς ῥα θεοῖσιν ἐπουρανίοισιν ἔριζεν·

lived long, who strove with the heavenly gods;

ὅς ποτε μαινομένοιο Διωνύσοιο τιθήνας

who once drove the nurses of frenzied Dionysus

σεῦε κατʼ ἠγάθεον Νυσήϊον· αἳ δʼ ἅμα πᾶσαι

down the sacred mount of Nysa; and they all together

θύσθλα χαμαὶ κατέχευαν ὑπʼ ἀνδροφόνοιο Λυκούργου

let fall their wands on the ground, smitten by the ox-goad

135

θεινόμεναι βουπλῆγι· Διώνυσος δὲ φοβηθεὶς

of murderous Lycurgus; and Dionysus, terrified,

δύσεθʼ ἁλὸς κατὰ κῦμα, Θέτις δʼ ὑπεδέξατο κόλπῳ

plunged beneath the wave of the sea, and Thetis received him in her bosom,

δειδιότα· κρατερὸς γὰρ ἔχε τρόμος ἀνδρὸς ὁμοκλῇ.

trembling; for strong trembling seized him at the man’s shout.”

Syntax notes5 items

6.69μιμνέτω
This third-person singular imperative has as its subject the indefinite pronoun τις from the preceding line (§6.68). It continues Nestor's prohibition, meaning "let no one remain behind [to gather spoils] so that he may come to the ships carrying the most."
6.73ἔνθά κεν ... εἰσανέβησαν ... εἰ μὴ ... εἶπε
A past counterfactual conditional structure consisting of the past indicative with κε in the apodosis (εἰσανέβησαν) and εἰ μή with the past indicative in the protasis (εἶπε). It expresses a dramatic turn: "then the Trojans would have fled back into Ilium... if Helenus had not spoken."
6.92θεῖναι
The infinitive θεῖναι is used with an imperative force (the infinitive for imperative), conveying Helenus's instructions to Hector about what their mother Hecabe should do (to place the robe on Athena's knees).
6.109κατελθέμεν
An accusative and infinitive construction (Aci) introduced by the verb φάν ("they thought/said"). The subject of the aorist infinitive κατελθέμεν (Homeric form of κατελθεῖν) is the accusative τινʼ (τινά), meaning "they thought that some of the immortals had come down."
6.126ὅ τʼ
The conjunction ὅ τε (Homeric equivalent of ὅτι) is used here in a causal sense ("in that," "since"), explaining the reason for Diomedes' astonishment expressed in the preceding line: "since you have awaited my long-shadowing spear."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-12)

2026-10-12 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.69-6.137