Zeus's Prohibition to the Gods and Renewal of Battle — Homer, Iliad Book 8 (lines 1–69), Greek & English

Ἠὼς μὲν κροκόπεπλος ἐκίδνατο πᾶσαν ἐπʼ αἶαν,

Dawn of the saffron robe was spreading over all the earth,

Ζεὺς δὲ θεῶν ἀγορὴν ποιήσατο τερπικέραυνος

and Zeus who delights in thunder made an assembly of the gods

ἀκροτάτῃ κορυφῇ πολυδειράδος Οὐλύμποιο·

on the highest peak of many-ridged Olympus;

αὐτὸς δέ σφʼ ἀγόρευε, θεοὶ δʼ ὑπὸ πάντες ἄκουον·

and he himself spoke to them, and all the gods listened under him:

κέκλυτέ μευ πάντές τε θεοὶ πᾶσαί τε θέαιναι,

”Hear me, all you gods and all you goddesses,

ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.

so that I may tell what the heart in my breast commands.

μήτέ τις οὖν θήλεια θεὸς τό γε μήτέ τις ἄρσην

Let no female god, nor any male,

πειράτω διακέρσαι ἐμὸν ἔπος, ἀλλʼ ἅμα πάντες

attempt to thwart my word, but all of you together

αἰνεῖτʼ, ὄφρα τάχιστα τελευτήσω τάδε ἔργα.

assent, so that I may most quickly bring these works to an end.

ὃν δʼ ἂν ἐγὼν ἀπάνευθε θεῶν ἐθέλοντα νοήσω¹

Whomsoever of the gods I shall perceive apart from the others, wishing

ἐλθόντʼ ἢ Τρώεσσιν ἀρηγέμεν ἢ Δαναοῖσι

to go and help either the Trojans or the Danaans,

πληγεὶς οὐ κατὰ κόσμον ἐλεύσεται Οὔλυμπον δέ·

he shall return to Olympus smitten in unseemly wise;

ἤ μιν ἑλὼν ῥίψω ἐς Τάρταρον ἠερόεντα

or I will seize him and cast him into misty Tartarus,

τῆλε μάλʼ, ἧχι βάθιστον ὑπὸ χθονός ἐστι βέρεθρον,

far away, where is the deepest gulf beneath the earth,

ἔνθα σιδήρειαί τε πύλαι καὶ χάλκεος οὐδός,

where there are iron gates and a bronze threshold,

τόσσον ἔνερθʼ Ἀΐδεω ὅσον οὐρανός ἐστʼ ἀπὸ γαίης·

as far beneath Hades as heaven is from earth.

γνώσετʼ ἔπειθʼ ὅσον εἰμὶ θεῶν κάρτιστος ἁπάντων.

Then he shall know how much the mightiest I am of all gods.

εἰ δʼ ἄγε πειρήσασθε θεοὶ ἵνα εἴδετε πάντες·

Come now, try it, gods, so that you all may know;

σειρὴν χρυσείην ἐξ οὐρανόθεν κρεμάσαντες

hang a golden chain down from heaven,

πάντές τʼ ἐξάπτεσθε θεοὶ πᾶσαί τε θέαιναι·

and all of you, gods and goddesses, lay hold of it.

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐρύσαιτʼ² ἐξ οὐρανόθεν πεδίον δὲ

Yet you could not drag Zeus, the highest counselor, from heaven

Ζῆνʼ ὕπατον μήστωρʼ, οὐδʼ εἰ μάλα πολλὰ κάμοιτε.

down to the plain, not even if you should labor very much.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ καὶ ἐγὼ πρόφρων ἐθέλοιμι ἐρύσσαι,

But whensoever I in turn should eagerly wish to drag it,

αὐτῇ κεν γαίῃ ἐρύσαιμʼ αὐτῇ τε θαλάσσῃ·³

I would drag it up with the very earth and the very sea;

σειρὴν μέν κεν ἔπειτα περὶ ῥίον Οὐλύμποιο

then I would bind the chain around a peak of Olympus,

δησαίμην, τὰ δέ κʼ αὖτε μετήορα πάντα γένοιτο.

and all those things would then hang in the air.

τόσσον ἐγὼ περί τʼ εἰμὶ θεῶν περί τʼ εἴμʼ ἀνθρώπων.

So far am I superior to gods and superior to men.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ

Thus he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence,

μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι· μάλα γὰρ κρατερῶς ἀγόρευσεν.

marveled at his speech; for he spoke very powerfully.

ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

But at last the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, spoke among them:

ὦ πάτερ ἡμέτερε Κρονίδη ὕπατε κρειόντων

”O our father, son of Cronos, highest of rulers,

εὖ νυ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν ὅ τοι σθένος οὐκ ἐπιεικτόν·

well do we too know that your strength is unyielding;

ἀλλʼ ἔμπης Δαναῶν ὀλοφυρόμεθʼ αἰχμητάων,

yet even so we pity the Danaan spear-fighters,

οἵ κεν δὴ κακὸν οἶτον ἀναπλήσαντες ὄλωνται.

who indeed must perish, fulfilling an evil fate.

ἀλλʼ ἤτοι πολέμου μὲν ἀφεξόμεθʼ ὡς σὺ κελεύεις·

But indeed we will refrain from war, as you command;

βουλὴν δʼ Ἀργείοις ὑποθησόμεθʼ ἥ τις ὀνήσει,

yet we will suggest counsel to the Argives which will benefit them,

ὡς μὴ πάντες ὄλωνται ὀδυσσαμένοιο τεοῖο.

so that they may not all perish because of your wrath.”

τὴν δʼ ἐπιμειδήσας προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

And cloud-gathering Zeus smiled upon her and spoke:

θάρσει Τριτογένεια φίλον τέκος· οὔ νύ τι θυμῷ

”Take heart, Tritogeneia, dear child; by no means with a sincere

πρόφρονι μυθέομαι, ἐθέλω δέ τοι ἤπιος εἶναι.

heart do I speak, but I wish to be gentle to you.”

ὣς εἰπὼν ὑπʼ ὄχεσφι τιτύσκετο χαλκόποδʼ ἵππω

Having thus spoken, he harnessed beneath his chariot his bronze-hoofed horses,

ὠκυπέτα χρυσέῃσιν ἐθείρῃσιν κομόωντε,

swift-flying, with golden manes flowing long,

χρυσὸν δʼ αὐτὸς ἔδυνε περὶ χροΐ, γέντο δʼ ἱμάσθλην

and he himself put on gold about his body, and took a whip

χρυσείην εὔτυκτον, ἑοῦ δʼ ἐπεβήσετο δίφρου,

of gold, well-wrought, and stepped upon his chariot,

μάστιξεν δʼ ἐλάαν· τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην

and whipped them to drive; and the two flew not unwillingly

μεσσηγὺς γαίης τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος.

midway between earth and starry heaven.

Ἴδην δʼ ἵκανεν πολυπίδακα μητέρα θηρῶν

And he came to Ida of many springs, mother of wild beasts,

Γάργαρον, ἔνθά τέ οἱ τέμενος βωμός τε θυήεις.

to Gargarus, where he had a sacred precinct and a fragrant altar.

ἔνθʼ ἵππους ἔστησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε

There the father of men and gods stopped his horses,

λύσας ἐξ ὀχέων, κατὰ δʼ ἠέρα πουλὺν ἔχευεν.

loosing them from the chariot, and poured a thick mist around them.

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐν κορυφῇσι καθέζετο κύδεϊ γαίων

And he himself sat on the peaks exulting in his glory,

εἰσορόων Τρώων τε πόλιν καὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.

looking upon the city of the Trojans and the ships of the Achaeans.

οἳ δʼ ἄρα δεῖπνον ἕλοντο κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ

Meanwhile the long-haired Achaeans took their meal

ῥίμφα κατὰ κλισίας, ἀπὸ δʼ αὐτοῦ θωρήσσοντο.

quickly in the huts, and after that armed themselves.

Τρῶες δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἀνὰ πτόλιν ὁπλίζοντο

And the Trojans on the other side armed themselves throughout the city,

παυρότεροι· μέμασαν δὲ καὶ ὧς ὑσμῖνι μάχεσθαι

fewer in number; yet even so they were eager to fight in battle

χρειοῖ ἀναγκαίῃ, πρό τε παίδων καὶ πρὸ γυναικῶν.

of hard necessity, for their children and their wives.

πᾶσαι δʼ ὠΐγνυντο πύλαι, ἐκ δʼ ἔσσυτο λαός,

And all the gates were opened, and the host rushed out,

πεζοί θʼ ἱππῆές τε· πολὺς δʼ ὀρυμαγδὸς ὀρώρει.

both footmen and horsemen; and a great din arose.

οἳ δʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐς χῶρον ἕνα ξυνιόντες ἵκοντο

And when they had come together, meeting in one place,

σύν ῥʼ ἔβαλον ῥινούς, σὺν δʼ ἔγχεα καὶ μένεʼ ἀνδρῶν

they clashed their shields, their spears, and the might of men

χαλκεοθωρήκων· ἀτὰρ ἀσπίδες ὀμφαλόεσσαι

clad in bronze armor; and the bossed shields

ἔπληντʼ ἀλλήλῃσι, πολὺς δʼ ὀρυμαγδὸς ὀρώρει.

pressed against one another, and a great din arose.

ἔνθα δʼ ἅμʼ οἰμωγή τε καὶ εὐχωλὴ πέλεν ἀνδρῶν

And there arose at the same time the wailing and the triumph of men,

ὀλλύντων τε καὶ ὀλλυμένων, ῥέε δʼ αἵματι γαῖα.

of those slaying and those being slain, and the earth ran with blood.

ὄφρα μὲν ἠὼς ἦν καὶ ἀέξετο ἱερὸν ἦμαρ,

As long as it was morning and the sacred day was waxing,

τόφρα μάλʼ ἀμφοτέρων βέλεʼ ἥπτετο, πῖπτε δὲ λαός.

so long the missiles of both sides struck, and the people fell.

ἦμος δʼ Ἠέλιος μέσον οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκει,

But when the sun had come to mid-heaven,

καὶ τότε δὴ χρύσεια πατὴρ ἐτίταινε τάλαντα·

then indeed the father hung his golden scales;

Syntax notes3 items

8.10ὃν δʼ ἂν ἐγὼν ἀπάνευθε θεῶν ἐθέλοντα νοήσω
The relative pronoun ὃν (accusative) is the direct object of νοήσω in the relative clause. However, the subject of the main verb ἐλεύσεται (3rd person singular) is omitted, and instead, the nominative passive participle πληγείς is used. This indicates a syntactical transition where the object of the relative clause becomes the logical subject of the main clause.
8.21ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐρύσαιτʼ
This is a combination of the potential particle ἄν with the optative ἐρύσαιτε (2nd person plural), responding to the conditional clause οὐδʼ εἰ μάλα πολλὰ κάμοιτε (εἰ with the optative). It forms a potential condition (future less vivid), emphasizing strong impossibility: 'you could not drag... even if you should labor.'
8.24αὐτῇ κεν γαίῃ ἐρύσαιμʼ αὐτῇ τε θαλάσσῃ
The dative feminine of the pronoun αὐτός (αὐτῇ) modifying dative nouns (γαίῃ, θαλάσσῃ) is an idiomatic use of the dative of accompaniment (sociative dative), meaning 'together with' or 'along with.' It is translated as 'together with the very earth and the very sea.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.1-8.69