- 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-grc2:7.276-7.345
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
Heralds stop the duel, and Ajax and Hector exchange gifts to part in friendship. In the Achaean camp, Nestor proposes a truce to burn the dead and construct a defensive wall and ditch to protect the ships.
Ταλθύβιός τε καὶ Ἰδαῖος πεπνυμένω ἄμφω·
Talthybius and Idaeus, both wise heralds, came;
μέσσῳ δʼ ἀμφοτέρων σκῆπτρα σχέθον, εἶπέ τε μῦθον
they held their sceptres between the two, and a word was spoken
κῆρυξ Ἰδαῖος πεπνυμένα μήδεα εἰδώς·
by the herald Idaeus, who knew wise counsels:
μηκέτι παῖδε φίλω πολεμίζετε μηδὲ μάχεσθον·
”No longer, dear children, wage war or fight;
ἀμφοτέρω γὰρ σφῶϊ φιλεῖ νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς,
for cloud-gathering Zeus loves both of you,
ἄμφω δʼ αἰχμητά· τό γε δὴ καὶ ἴδμεν ἅπαντες.
and both are warriors; that indeed we all know.
νὺξ δʼ ἤδη τελέθει· ἀγαθὸν καὶ νυκτὶ πιθέσθαι.
But already night is coming on; it is good also to obey the night.”
τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη Τελαμώνιος Αἴας·
To him then Telamonian Ajax made answer and said:
Ἰδαῖʼ Ἕκτορα ταῦτα κελεύετε μυθήσασθαι·
”Idaeus, bid Hector to speak these words;
αὐτὸς γὰρ χάρμῃ προκαλέσσατο πάντας ἀρίστους.
for he himself challenged all our chieftains to the fight.
ἀρχέτω·1 αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μάλα πείσομαι ᾗ περ ἂν οὗτος.
Let him begin; and I will surely obey in whatever way he does.”
τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
To him then spoke great Hector of the flashing helmet:
Αἶαν ἐπεί τοι δῶκε θεὸς μέγεθός τε βίην τε
”Ajax, since God has given you stature and strength
καὶ πινυτήν, περὶ δʼ ἔγχει Ἀχαιῶν φέρτατός ἐσσι,
and wisdom, and with the spear you are the best of the Achaeans,
νῦν μὲν παυσώμεσθα μάχης καὶ δηϊοτῆτος
now let us cease from battle and strife
σήμερον· ὕστερον αὖτε μαχησόμεθʼ εἰς ὅ κε δαίμων
for today; hereafter we shall fight again until the deity
ἄμμε διακρίνῃ, δώῃ δʼ ἑτέροισί γε νίκην.
decides between us, and gives victory to one of us.
νὺξ δʼ ἤδη τελέθει· ἀγαθὸν καὶ νυκτὶ πιθέσθαι,
But already night is coming on; it is good also to obey the night,
ὡς σύ τʼ ἐϋφρήνῃς πάντας παρὰ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιούς,
so that you may gladden all the Achaeans beside the ships,
σούς τε μάλιστα ἔτας καὶ ἑταίρους, οἵ τοι ἔασιν·
and most of all your own kinsmen and companions who are yours;
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ κατὰ ἄστυ μέγα Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος
while I, throughout the great city of King Priam,
Τρῶας ἐϋφρανέω καὶ Τρῳάδας ἑλκεσιπέπλους,
shall gladden the Trojan men and the Trojan women with trailing robes,
αἵ τέ μοι εὐχόμεναι θεῖον δύσονται ἀγῶνα.2
who praying for me will enter the divine assembly.
δῶρα δʼ ἄγʼ ἀλλήλοισι περικλυτὰ δώομεν ἄμφω,
Come, let us both give famous gifts to one another,
ὄφρά τις ὧδʼ εἴπῃσιν Ἀχαιῶν τε Τρώων τε·
so that many a one of the Achaeans and Trojans may say:
ἠμὲν ἐμαρνάσθην ἔριδος πέρι θυμοβόροιο,
’These two fought indeed in a soul-devouring strife,
ἠδʼ αὖτʼ ἐν φιλότητι διέτμαγεν ἀρθμήσαντε.
but then they parted having joined in friendship.’”
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας δῶκε ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον
So he spoke, and gave him a silver-studded sword,
σὺν κολεῷ τε φέρων καὶ ἐϋτμήτῳ τελαμῶνι·
bringing it with its scabbard and well-cut belt;
Αἴας δὲ ζωστῆρα δίδου φοίνικι φαεινόν.
and Ajax gave him a girdle bright with purple.
τὼ δὲ διακρινθέντε ὃ μὲν μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν
So the two parted, and one went to the host of the Achaeans,
ἤϊʼ, ὃ δʼ ἐς Τρώων ὅμαδον κίε· τοὶ δὲ χάρησαν,
while the other went into the throng of the Trojans; and these rejoiced
ὡς εἶδον ζωόν τε καὶ ἀρτεμέα προσιόντα,
when they saw him coming alive and unharmed,
Αἴαντος προφυγόντα μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους·
having escaped the fury and invincible hands of Ajax;
καί ῥʼ ἦγον προτὶ ἄστυ ἀελπτέοντες σόον εἶναι.
and they led him toward the city, having despaired of his safety.
Αἴαντʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
And Ajax on the other side the well-greaved Achaeans
εἰς Ἀγαμέμνονα δῖον ἄγον κεχαρηότα νίκῃ.
led to noble Agamemnon, rejoicing in his victory.
οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ κλισίῃσιν ἐν Ἀτρεΐδαο γένοντο,
But when they were come to the huts of the son of Atreus,
τοῖσι δὲ βοῦν ἱέρευσεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
for them Agamemnon, lord of men, sacrificed an ox,
ἄρσενα πενταέτηρον ὑπερμενέϊ Κρονίωνι.
a male of five years, to the almighty son of Cronos.
τὸν δέρον ἀμφί θʼ ἕπον, καί μιν διέχευαν ἅπαντα,
They flayed it and busied themselves with it, and cut it all up,
μίστυλλόν τʼ ἄρʼ ἐπισταμένως πεῖράν τʼ ὀβελοῖσιν,
and divided it skillfully into small pieces and pierced them with spits,
ὄπτησάν τε περιφραδέως, ἐρύσαντό τε πάντα.
and roasted them carefully, and drew all off the spits.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ παύσαντο πόνου τετύκοντό τε δαῖτα,
But when they had ceased from their labor and made ready the feast,
δαίνυντʼ, οὐδέ τι θυμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης·
they feasted, nor did their hearts lack anything of the equal feast;
νώτοισιν δʼ Αἴαντα διηνεκέεσσι γέραιρεν
and with the long chine-pieces did the hero son of Atreus,
ἥρως Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων.
wide-ruling Agamemnon, honor Ajax.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,
But when they had put away desire for drink and food,
τοῖς ὁ γέρων πάμπρωτος ὑφαίνειν ἤρχετο μῆτιν
for them the old man was first to begin to weave counsel,
Νέστωρ, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή·
Nestor, whose advice had before also appeared the best;
ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·
he with wise intent harangued and spoke among them:
Ἀτρεΐδη τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν,
”Son of Atreus and other chieftains of the Pan-Achaeans,
πολλοὶ γὰρ τεθνᾶσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοί,
for many long-haired Achaeans are dead,
τῶν νῦν αἷμα κελαινὸν ἐΰρροον ἀμφὶ Σκάμανδρον
whose dark blood now beside fair-flowing Scamander
ἐσκέδασʼ ὀξὺς Ἄρης, ψυχαὶ δʼ Ἄϊδος δὲ κατῆλθον·
keen Ares has scattered, and their souls have gone down to Hades;
τώ σε χρὴ πόλεμον μὲν ἅμʼ ἠοῖ παῦσαι Ἀχαιῶν,
therefore you must stay the battle of the Achaeans at dawn,
αὐτοὶ δʼ ἀγρόμενοι κυκλήσομεν ἐνθάδε νεκροὺς
and we ourselves, gathering together, will bring the dead here
βουσὶ καὶ ἡμιόνοισιν· ἀτὰρ κατακήομεν αὐτοὺς
with oxen and mules; and we will burn them
τυτθὸν ἀπὸ πρὸ νεῶν, ὥς κʼ ὀστέα παισὶν ἕκαστος
a little distance from the ships, so that each may carry the bones home
οἴκαδʼ ἄγῃ3 ὅτʼ ἂν αὖτε νεώμεθα πατρίδα γαῖαν.
to their children when we return again to our native land.
τύμβον δʼ ἀμφὶ πυρὴν ἕνα χεύομεν ἐξαγαγόντες
And we will heap up one barrow about the pyre, bringing earth
ἄκριτον ἐκ πεδίου· ποτὶ δʼ αὐτὸν δείμομεν ὦκα
indiscriminately from the plain; and against it we will build quickly
πύργους ὑψηλοὺς εἶλαρ νηῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν.
high walls, a defense for the ships and for ourselves.
ἐν δʼ αὐτοῖσι πύλας ποιήσομεν εὖ ἀραρυίας,
And in them we will make well-fitted gates,
ὄφρα διʼ αὐτάων ἱππηλασίη ὁδὸς εἴη·
so that through them there may be a way for driving chariots;
ἔκτοσθεν δὲ βαθεῖαν ὀρύξομεν ἐγγύθι τάφρον,
and outside we will dig a deep ditch close by,
ἥ χʼ ἵππον καὶ λαὸν ἐρυκάκοι4 ἀμφὶς ἐοῦσα,
which being around us would hold back horse and foot,
μή ποτʼ ἐπιβρίσῃ πόλεμος Τρώων ἀγερώχων.
lest ever the war of the proud Trojans should press hard.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπῄνησαν βασιλῆες.
So he spoke, and all the kings approved.
Τρώων αὖτʼ ἀγορὴ γένετʼ Ἰλίου ἐν πόλει ἄκρῃ
But of the Trojans also there was an assembly in the high city of Ilium,
- 7.286ἀρχέτω
Third-person singular present imperative, 'let him begin'. It expresses Ajax's proud stance that Hector, who was the one to issue the challenge, should be the first to propose the truce or determine how the fight should end.
- 7.298θεῖον δύσονται ἀγῶνα
Meaning 'they will enter the divine assembly (or sacred precinct)'. Here, ἀγών denotes not a sporting contest but a 'gathering' or 'sanctuary' for prayers. The future middle (or mixed aorist) δύσονται from δύνω takes the accusative directly to express destination.
- 7.334ὥς κʼ ὀστέα παισὶν ἕκαστος / οἴκαδʼ ἄγῃ
The conjunction ὡς (with κʼ/κεν) introduces a purpose clause with the subjunctive ἄγῃ ('so that each may carry...'). The dative παισίν functions either as a dative of advantage ('for their children') or indicates the recipients ('to their children') of the bones.
- 7.342ἥ χʼ ἵππον καὶ λαὸν ἐρυκάκοι
A relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun ἥ (with the antecedent τάφρον, 'ditch') accompanied by κεν (here χʼ) and the optative ἐρυκάκοι (reduplicated aorist optative). Relative to the future main verb ὀρύξομεν, it expresses a prospective purpose or potential result ('which might hold back...').