- 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-grc2:7.1-7.71
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
As Hector and Paris return to the battlefield and achieve success, Athena and Apollo agree to halt the fighting for the day. Helenus senses the divine will and advises Hector to challenge the Achaeans to a single combat, which both armies sit down to hear.
ὣς εἰπὼν πυλέων ἐξέσσυτο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ,
So saying, illustrious Hector rushed out from the gates,
τῷ δʼ ἅμʼ Ἀλέξανδρος κίʼ ἀδελφεός· ἐν δʼ ἄρα θυμῷ
and with him went his brother Alexander; and in their hearts
ἀμφότεροι μέμασαν πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι.
both were eager to war and to fight.
ὡς δὲ θεὸς ναύτῃσιν ἐελδομένοισιν ἔδωκεν
And as a god gives to longing mariners
οὖρον, ἐπεί κε κάμωσιν1 ἐϋξέστῃς ἐλάτῃσι
a fair wind, when they are weary with smiting the sea
πόντον ἐλαύνοντες, καμάτῳ δʼ ὑπὸ γυῖα λέλυνται,
with well-polished oars of fir, and their limbs are loosed with weariness,
ὣς ἄρα τὼ Τρώεσσιν ἐελδομένοισι φανήτην.
even so did those two appear to the longing Trojans.
ἔνθʼ ἑλέτην ὃ μὲν υἱὸν Ἀρηϊθόοιο ἄνακτος
Then they slew, the one the son of king Areïthous,
Ἄρνῃ ναιετάοντα Μενέσθιον, ὃν κορυνήτης
Menesthius, who dwelt in Arne, whom the mace-bearer
γείνατʼ Ἀρηΐθοος καὶ Φυλομέδουσα βοῶπις·
Areïthous begat, and ox-eyed Philomedusa;
Ἕκτωρ δʼ Ἠϊονῆα βάλʼ ἔγχεϊ ὀξυόεντι
and Hector smote Eïoneus with his sharp spear
αὐχένʼ ὑπὸ στεφάνης εὐχάλκου, λύντο δὲ γυῖα.
on the neck beneath his well-bronzed helmet-rim, and loosed his limbs.
Γλαῦκος δʼ Ἱππολόχοιο πάϊς Λυκίων ἀγὸς ἀνδρῶν
And Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, leader of the Lycian men,
Ἰφίνοον βάλε δουρὶ κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην
smote Iphinous with his spear in the fierce conflict,
Δεξιάδην ἵππων ἐπιάλμενον ὠκειάων
the son of Dexias, as he sprang upon his swift mares,
ὦμον· ὃ δʼ ἐξ ἵππων χαμάδις πέσε, λύντο δὲ γυῖα.
on the shoulder; and he fell from his chariot to the ground, and his limbs were loosed.
τοὺς δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη
But when the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, perceived them
Ἀργείους ὀλέκοντας ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ,
destroying the Argives in the fierce conflict,
βῆ ῥα κατʼ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων ἀΐξασα
she went darting down from the peaks of Olympus
Ἴλιον εἰς ἱερήν· τῇ δʼ ἀντίος ὄρνυτʼ Ἀπόλλων
to sacred Ilios; and Apollo rose up to meet her,
Περγάμου ἐκκατιδών, Τρώεσσι δὲ βούλετο νίκην·
looking down from Pergamos, for he willed victory to the Trojans.
ἀλλήλοισι δὲ τώ γε συναντέσθην παρὰ φηγῷ.
So the two met each other by the oak tree.
τὴν πρότερος προσέειπεν ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων·
To her first spoke king Apollo, son of Zeus:
τίπτε σὺ δʼ αὖ μεμαυῖα Διὸς θύγατερ μεγάλοιο
“Why now art thou come again, daughter of great Zeus,
ἦλθες ἀπʼ Οὐλύμποιο, μέγας δέ σε θυμὸς ἀνῆκεν;
eagerly from Olympus, and why has thy great spirit sent thee?
ἦ ἵνα δὴ Δαναοῖσι μάχης ἑτεραλκέα νίκην
Is it that thou mayest give to the Danaans the turning victory of battle?
δῷς; ἐπεὶ οὔ τι Τρῶας ἀπολλυμένους ἐλεαίρεις.
Since thou hast no pity at all for the Trojans who perish.
ἀλλʼ εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη·2
But if thou wouldst hearken to me, which would be far better:
νῦν μὲν παύσωμεν πόλεμον καὶ δηϊοτῆτα
let us now stay the war and the fighting
σήμερον· ὕστερον αὖτε μαχήσοντʼ εἰς ὅ κε τέκμωρ
for today; hereafter they shall fight again, until they find
Ἰλίου εὕρωσιν, ἐπεὶ ὣς φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ
the end of Ilios, since thus it is well-pleasing to the hearts
ὑμῖν ἀθανάτῃσι, διαπραθέειν τόδε ἄστυ.
of you immortal goddesses, to utterly destroy this city.”
τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·
To him then made answer the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena:
ὧδʼ ἔστω ἑκάεργε· τὰ γὰρ φρονέουσα καὶ αὐτὴ
“So let it be, worker from afar; for with this intent I myself
ἦλθον ἀπʼ Οὐλύμποιο μετὰ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιούς.
came from Olympus among the Trojans and Achaeans.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε πῶς μέμονας πόλεμον καταπαυσέμεν ἀνδρῶν;
But come, how art thou minded to stay the war of men?”
τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων·
To her then made answer king Apollo, son of Zeus:
Ἕκτορος ὄρσωμεν κρατερὸν μένος ἱπποδάμοιο,
“Let us arouse the valiant spirit of horse-taming Hector,
ἤν τινά που Δαναῶν προκαλέσσεται3 οἰόθεν οἶος
if perchance he will challenge some one of the Danaans, matching himself alone
ἀντίβιον μαχέσασθαι ἐν αἰνῇ δηϊοτῆτι,
against his foe to fight in grim combat,
οἳ δέ κʼ ἀγασσάμενοι χαλκοκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
and the bronze-greaved Achaeans, being moved to anger,
οἶον ἐπόρσειαν πολεμίζειν Ἕκτορι δίῳ.
shall stir up some single man to fight with noble Hector.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.
So he spoke, and the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, did not disobey.
τῶν δʼ Ἕλενος Πριάμοιο φίλος παῖς σύνθετο θυμῷ
And Helenus, the dear son of Priam, understood in his heart
βουλήν, ἥ ῥα θεοῖσιν ἐφήνδανε μητιόωσι·
their counsel, which was well-pleasing to the deliberating gods;
στῆ δὲ παρʼ Ἕκτορʼ ἰὼν καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·
and he went and stood by Hector, and spoke to him, saying:
Ἕκτορ υἱὲ Πριάμοιο Διὶ μῆτιν ἀτάλαντε
“Hector, son of Priam, peer of Zeus in counsel,
ἦ ῥά νύ μοί τι πίθοιο, κασίγνητος δέ τοί εἰμι·
wouldst thou now hearken to me? For I am thy brother.
ἄλλους μὲν κάθισον Τρῶας καὶ πάντας Ἀχαιούς,
Make the other Trojans sit down, and all the Achaeans,
αὐτὸς δὲ προκάλεσσαι Ἀχαιῶν ὅς τις ἄριστος
and do thou challenge whoever is best of the Achaeans
ἀντίβιον μαχέσασθαι ἐν αἰνῇ δηϊοτῆτι·
to fight against thee in grim combat;
οὐ γάρ πώ τοι μοῖρα θανεῖν καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν·
for it is not yet thy fate to die and meet thy doom;
ὣς γὰρ ἐγὼ ὄπʼ ἄκουσα θεῶν αἰειγενετάων.
for thus have I heard the voice of the gods who are for ever.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἕκτωρ δʼ αὖτε χάρη μέγα μῦθον ἀκούσας,
So he spoke, and Hector rejoiced greatly when he heard his words;
καί ῥʼ ἐς μέσσον ἰὼν Τρώων ἀνέεργε φάλαγγας,
and he went into the midst and held back the phalanxes of the Trojans,
μέσσου δουρὸς ἑλών· οἳ δʼ ἱδρύνθησαν ἅπαντες.
grasping his spear by the middle; and they all sat down.
κὰδ δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων εἷσεν ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς·
And Agamemnon made the well-greaved Achaeans sit down;
κὰδ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων
and Athena and Apollo of the silver bow
ἑζέσθην ὄρνισιν ἐοικότες αἰγυπιοῖσι
sat down in the likeness of vulture birds
φηγῷ ἐφʼ ὑψηλῇ πατρὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο
upon the high oak of father Zeus who bears the aegis,
ἀνδράσι τερπόμενοι· τῶν δὲ στίχες εἵατο πυκναὶ
rejoicing in the warriors; and the ranks of these sat thick,
ἀσπίσι καὶ κορύθεσσι καὶ ἔγχεσι πεφρικυῖαι.4
bristling with shields and helms and spears.
οἵη δὲ Ζεφύροιο ἐχεύατο πόντον ἔπι φρὶξ
And even as there is spread over the sea the ripple of the West Wind
ὀρνυμένοιο νέον, μελάνει δέ τε πόντος ὑπʼ αὐτῆς,
when it is newly risen, and the sea grows black beneath it,
τοῖαι ἄρα στίχες εἵατʼ Ἀχαιῶν τε Τρώων τε
even so sat the ranks of the Achaeans and Trojans
ἐν πεδίῳ· Ἕκτωρ δὲ μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔειπε·
on the plain. And Hector spoke between the two hosts:
κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
“Hearken to me, ye Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans,
ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.
that I may speak what the spirit in my breast bids me.
ὅρκια μὲν Κρονίδης ὑψίζυγος οὐκ ἐτέλεσσεν,
Our oaths the son of Cronos, who sits on high, did not fulfill,
ἀλλὰ κακὰ φρονέων τεκμαίρεται ἀμφοτέροισιν
but with evil intent ordains for both peoples,
εἰς ὅ κεν ἢ ὑμεῖς Τροίην εὔπυργον ἕλητε
until either ye take well-towered Troy,
- 7.5ἐπεί κε κάμωσιν
The subjunctive mood with the particle κε (equivalent to ἄν) indicates a temporal clause expressing general repetition ("whenever they grow weary"). This structures the generic comparison of the tired mariners.
- 7.28εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη
The optative πίθοιο introduced by εἴ expresses a polite suggestion or entreaty in the guise of a condition ("if only you would hearken to me"). The apodosis τό κεν... εἴη (equivalent to ἄν with the optative) indicates potentiality ("that would be far better").
- 7.39ἤν τινά που Δαναῶν προκαλέσσεται
The verb προκαλέσσεται following ἤν (equivalent to ἐάν) is formally a future indicative (or a Homeric short-vowel subjunctive), forming a conditional clause of expectation or purpose ("in the hope that he might challenge someone").
- 7.62πεφρικυῖαι
The feminine plural perfect participle of the verb φρίσσω (to bristle, ripple) modifying the subject στίχες (ranks). It visually represents the ranks bristling with weapons, prefiguring the comparison to the rippling sea caused by the wind (lines 7.63ff).