- 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-grc2:7.346-7.412
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
In the Trojan assembly, Antenor proposes returning Helen and her treasures, but Paris refuses to return Helen while offering to return the treasures with compensation. Priam sends Idaeus to the Achaeans with Paris's offer and a proposal for a truce to burn the dead; led by Diomedes, the Achaeans reject the treasures but, with Agamemnon's consent, agree to the truce.
δεινὴ τετρηχυῖα,1 παρὰ Πριάμοιο θύρῃσι·
terrible and turbulent, by the gates of Priam;
τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀντήνωρ πεπνυμένος ἦρχʼ ἀγορεύειν·
and among them wise Antenor was first to speak:
κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ Δάρδανοι ἠδʼ ἐπίκουροι,
”Hear me, Trojans and Dardanians and allies,
ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.
so that I may say what the heart in my breast bids me.
δεῦτʼ ἄγετʼ Ἀργείην Ἑλένην καὶ κτήμαθʼ ἅμʼ αὐτῇ
Come now, let us give Argive Helen and her possessions with her
δώομεν Ἀτρεΐδῃσιν ἄγειν· νῦν δʼ ὅρκια πιστὰ
to the sons of Atreus to take away; for now we fight having lied
ψευσάμενοι μαχόμεσθα· τὼ οὔ νύ τι κέρδιον ἡμῖν
in our oaths. Therefore I do not expect that anything better
ἔλπομαι ἐκτελέεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ ῥέξομεν ὧδε.2
will be accomplished for us, unless we do thus.”
ἤτοι ὅ γʼ ὣς εἰπὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο· τοῖσι δʼ ἀνέστη
Having thus spoken, he sat down; and to them rose up
δῖος Ἀλέξανδρος Ἑλένης πόσις ἠϋκόμοιο,
noble Alexander, husband of fair-haired Helen,
ὅς μιν ἀμειβόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·
who answering him spoke winged words:
Ἀντῆνορ σὺ μὲν οὐκέτʼ ἐμοὶ φίλα ταῦτʼ ἀγορεύεις·
”Antenor, these things you speak are no longer pleasing to me;
οἶσθα καὶ ἄλλον μῦθον ἀμείνονα τοῦδε νοῆσαι.
you know how to devise another speech better than this.
εἰ δʼ ἐτεὸν δὴ τοῦτον ἀπὸ σπουδῆς ἀγορεύεις,
But if you truly speak this in all seriousness,
ἐξ ἄρα δή τοι ἔπειτα θεοὶ φρένας ὤλεσαν αὐτοί.
then surely the gods themselves have destroyed your senses.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ Τρώεσσι μεθʼ ἱπποδάμοις ἀγορεύσω·
But I will speak among the horse-taming Trojans:
ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἀπόφημι γυναῖκα μὲν οὐκ ἀποδώσω·
straight out I say it: my wife I will not give back;
κτήματα δʼ ὅσσʼ ἀγόμην ἐξ Ἄργεος ἡμέτερον δῶ
but the possessions that I brought home from Argos
πάντʼ ἐθέλω δόμεναι καὶ οἴκοθεν ἄλλʼ ἐπιθεῖναι.
I am willing to give them all, and to add other things from my own home.”
ἤτοι ὅ γʼ ὣς εἰπὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο· τοῖσι δʼ ἀνέστη
Having thus spoken, he sat down; and to them rose up
Δαρδανίδης Πρίαμος, θεόφιν μήστωρ ἀτάλαντος,
Priam, son of Dardanus, a counselor equal to the gods,
ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε·
who with wise intent harangued and spoke among them:
κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ Δάρδανοι ἠδʼ ἐπίκουροι,
”Hear me, Trojans and Dardanians and allies,
ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.
so that I may say what the heart in my breast bids me.
νῦν μὲν δόρπον ἕλεσθε κατὰ πτόλιν ὡς τὸ πάρος περ,
Now take your supper throughout the city as before,
καὶ φυλακῆς μνήσασθε καὶ ἐγρήγορθε ἕκαστος·
and mind your watch, and keep awake, each one;
ἠῶθεν δʼ Ἰδαῖος ἴτω κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας
but at dawn let Idaeus go to the hollow ships
εἰπέμεν Ἀτρεΐδῃς Ἀγαμέμνονι καὶ Μενελάῳ
to tell the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus,
μῦθον Ἀλεξάνδροιο, τοῦ εἵνεκα νεῖκος ὄρωρε·
the word of Alexander, for whose sake the strife has arisen;
καὶ δὲ τόδʼ εἰπέμεναι πυκινὸν ἔπος, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλωσι
and to tell them also this wise word, if they are willing
παύσασθαι πολέμοιο δυσηχέος, εἰς ὅ κε νεκροὺς
to cease from harsh-sounding war until we burn
κήομεν· ὕστερον αὖτε μαχησόμεθʼ εἰς ὅ κε δαίμων
the dead; 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.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδʼ ἐπίθοντο·
So he spoke, and they readily heard him and obeyed;
δόρπον ἔπειθʼ εἵλοντο κατὰ στρατὸν ἐν τελέεσσιν·
then they took their supper throughout the host, division by division.
ἠῶθεν δʼ Ἰδαῖος ἔβη κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας·
But at dawn Idaeus went to the hollow ships;
τοὺς δʼ εὗρʼ εἰν ἀγορῇ Δαναοὺς θεράποντας Ἄρηος
and he found the Danaans, squires of Ares, in assembly
νηῒ πάρα πρύμνῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος· αὐτὰρ ὃ τοῖσι
beside the stern of Agamemnon’s ship; and he,
στὰς ἐν μέσσοισιν μετεφώνεεν ἠπύτα κῆρυξ·
standing in their midst, spoke among them, the loud-voiced herald:
Ἀτρεΐδη τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν
”Son of Atreus and other chieftains of the Pan-Achaeans,
ἠνώγει Πρίαμός τε καὶ ἄλλοι Τρῶες ἀγαυοὶ
Priam and the other noble Trojans bid me
εἰπεῖν, αἴ κέ περ ὔμμι φίλον καὶ ἡδὺ γένοιτο,
to speak, if indeed it should be pleasing and sweet to you,
μῦθον Ἀλεξάνδροιο, τοῦ εἵνεκα νεῖκος ὄρωρε·
the word of Alexander, for whose sake the strife has arisen:
κτήματα μὲν ὅσʼ Ἀλέξανδρος κοίλῃς ἐνὶ νηυσὶν
The possessions that Alexander in his hollow ships
ἠγάγετο Τροίηνδʼ· ὡς πρὶν ὤφελλʼ ἀπολέσθαι·3
brought to Troy—would that he had perished before!—
πάντʼ ἐθέλει δόμεναι καὶ οἴκοθεν ἄλλʼ ἐπιθεῖναι·
he is willing to give them all, and to add other things from his own home;
κουριδίην δʼ ἄλοχον Μενελάου κυδαλίμοιο
but the wedded wife of glorious Menelaus
οὔ φησιν δώσειν· ἦ μὴν Τρῶές γε κέλονται.
he says he will not give, though indeed the Trojans bid him.
καὶ δὲ τόδʼ ἠνώγεον εἰπεῖν ἔπος αἴ κʼ ἐθέλητε
And they bid me also speak this word, if you are willing
παύσασθαι πολέμοιο δυσηχέος εἰς ὅ κε νεκροὺς
to cease from harsh-sounding war until we burn
κήομεν· ὕστερον αὖτε μαχησόμεθʼ εἰς ὅ κε δαίμων
the dead; 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.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ·
So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence.
ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
At length there spoke among them Diomedes, good at the war-cry:
μήτʼ ἄρ τις νῦν κτήματʼ Ἀλεξάνδροιο δεχέσθω
”Let no one now accept the possessions of Alexander,
μήθʼ Ἑλένην· γνωτὸν δὲ καὶ ὃς μάλα νήπιός ἐστιν
nor Helen; for it is obvious even to him who is a mere babe
ὡς ἤδη Τρώεσσιν ὀλέθρου πείρατʼ ἐφῆπται.
that already the bonds of destruction are fastened upon the Trojans.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπίαχον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν
So he spoke, and all the sons of the Achaeans shouted aloud,
μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο·
approving the speech of horse-taming Diomedes.
καὶ τότʼ ἄρʼ Ἰδαῖον προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων·
And then lord Agamemnon spoke to Idaeus:
Ἰδαῖʼ ἤτοι μῦθον Ἀχαιῶν αὐτὸς ἀκούεις
”Idaeus, you hear yourself the word of the Achaeans,
ὥς τοι ὑποκρίνονται· ἐμοὶ δʼ ἐπιανδάνει οὕτως
how they answer you; and my pleasure is even so.
ἀμφὶ δὲ νεκροῖσιν κατακαιέμεν οὔ τι μεγαίρω·
But as touching the dead, I do not grudge that you should burn them;
οὐ γάρ τις φειδὼ νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων
for there is no sparing of dead corpses,
γίγνετʼ ἐπεί κε θάνωσι πυρὸς4 μειλισσέμεν ὦκα.
when they are once dead, in placing them quickly upon the fire.
ὅρκια δὲ Ζεὺς ἴστω ἐρίγδουπος πόσις Ἥρης.
But let Zeus be witness to the oaths, the loud-thundering husband of Hera.”
ὣς εἰπὼν τὸ σκῆπτρον ἀνέσχεθε πᾶσι θεοῖσιν,
So saying, he held up his sceptre to all the gods,
- 7.346δεινὴ τετρηχυῖα
This participial phrase, lacking a finite verb, syntactically agrees with and modifies the feminine noun ἀγορή in the preceding line (§7.345).
- 7.353ἵνα μὴ ῥέξομεν ὧδε
The clause introduced by ἵνα μή functions as a negative conditional clause (equivalent to εἰ μή), meaning "unless we do thus".
- 7.390ὡς πρὶν ὤφελλʼ ἀπολέσθαι
The construction of ὤφελον (Homeric ὤφελλε) with an infinitive expresses an unaccomplished wish about the past ("would that he had perished before!").
- 7.410πυρὸς
This is a genitive of means or material ("with fire") dependent on the infinitive μειλισσέμεν.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1