Teucer's Archery and His Wounding by Hector — Homer, Iliad Book 8 (lines 283–352), Greek & English

283

πατρί τε σῷ Τελαμῶνι, ὅ σʼ ἔτρεφε τυτθὸν ἐόντα,

and to your father Telamon, who reared you when you were a child,

καί σε νόθον περ ἐόντα¹ κομίσσατο ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ·

and, though you were a bastard, took care of you in his own house;

285

τὸν καὶ τηλόθʼ ἐόντα ἐϋκλείης ἐπίβησον.

bring him, far away though he is, to glorious renown.

σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ ἐξερέω ὡς καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται·

And I will declare to you how it shall indeed be fulfilled:

αἴ κέν μοι δώῃ Ζεύς τʼ αἰγίοχος καὶ Ἀθήνη

if aegis-bearing Zeus and Athena grant me

Ἰλίου ἐξαλαπάξαι ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον,

to sack the well-built city of Ilios,

πρώτῳ τοι μετʼ ἐμὲ πρεσβήϊον ἐν χερὶ θήσω,

first to you, after myself, will I place a prize of honor in your hands,

290

ἢ τρίποδʼ ἠὲ δύω ἵππους αὐτοῖσιν ὄχεσφιν

either a tripod, or two horses with their chariot,

ἠὲ γυναῖχʼ, ἥ κέν τοι ὁμὸν λέχος εἰσαναβαίνοι.²

or a woman who may go up into one bed with you.”

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσεφώνεε Τεῦκρος ἀμύμων·

And peerless Teucer answered him and said:

Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε τί με σπεύδοντα καὶ αὐτὸν

”Most glorious son of Atreus, why do you urge me on who am myself already

ὀτρύνεις; οὐ μέν τοι ὅση δύναμίς γε πάρεστι

eager? Truly, as far as strength is in me, I do

295

παύομαι, ἀλλʼ ἐξ οὗ προτὶ Ἴλιον ὠσάμεθʼ αὐτοὺς

not cease, but ever since we drove them back toward Ilios,

ἐκ τοῦ δὴ τόξοισι δεδεγμένος ἄνδρας ἐναίρω.

from that time I lie in wait and slay men with my bow.

ὀκτὼ δὴ προέηκα τανυγλώχινας ὀϊστούς,

Eight long-pointed arrows have I already let fly,

πάντες δʼ ἐν χροῒ πῆχθεν ἀρηϊθόων αἰζηῶν·

and they have all been fixed in the flesh of swift-fighting youths;

τοῦτον δʼ οὐ δύναμαι βαλέειν κύνα λυσσητῆρα.

but this mad dog here I cannot hit.”

300

ἦ ῥα καὶ ἄλλον ὀϊστὸν ἀπὸ νευρῆφιν ἴαλλεν

He spoke, and shot another arrow from the string

Ἕκτορος ἀντικρύ, βαλέειν δέ ἑ ἵετο θυμός·

straight at Hector, and his heart was set on hitting him.

καὶ τοῦ μέν ῥʼ ἀφάμαρθʼ, ὃ δʼ ἀμύμονα Γοργυθίωνα

And he missed him indeed, but his arrow hit peerless Gorgythion

υἱὸν ἐῢν Πριάμοιο κατὰ στῆθος βάλεν ἰῷ,

in the chest, the noble son of Priam,

τόν ῥʼ ἐξ Αἰσύμηθεν ὀπυιομένη τέκε μήτηρ

whom a mother wedded from Aisyme had borne,

305

καλὴ Καστιάνειρα δέμας ἐϊκυῖα θεῇσι.

beautiful Castianeira, in form like the goddesses.

μήκων δʼ ὡς ἑτέρωσε κάρη βάλεν,³ ἥ τʼ ἐνὶ κήπῳ

And as a poppy in a garden lets bow its head to one side,

καρπῷ βριθομένη νοτίῃσί τε εἰαρινῇσιν,

heavy with fruit and spring showers,

ὣς ἑτέρωσʼ ἤμυσε κάρη πήληκι βαρυνθέν.

even so he bowed his head to one side, weighed down by his helmet.

Τεῦκρος δʼ ἄλλον ὀϊστὸν ἀπὸ νευρῆφιν ἴαλλεν

And Teucer shot another arrow from the string

310

Ἕκτορος ἀντικρύ, βαλέειν δέ ἑ ἵετο θυμός.

straight at Hector, and his heart was set on hitting him.

ἀλλʼ ὅ γε καὶ τόθʼ ἅμαρτε· παρέσφηλεν γὰρ Ἀπόλλων·

But he missed him even then, for Apollo turned it aside;

ἀλλʼ Ἀρχεπτόλεμον θρασὺν Ἕκτορος ἡνιοχῆα

yet he hit Archeptolemus, the bold charioteer of Hector,

ἱέμενον πόλεμον δὲ βάλε στῆθος παρὰ μαζόν·

as he rushed into battle, in the chest beside the nipple.

ἤριπε δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, ὑπερώησαν δέ οἱ ἵπποι

And he fell from the chariot, and the swift-footed horses

315

ὠκύποδες· τοῦ δʼ αὖθι λύθη ψυχή τε μένος τε.

swerved aside; and there his life and strength were undone.

Ἕκτορα δʼ αἰνὸν ἄχος πύκασε φρένας ἡνιόχοιο·

And dread grief clouded Hector’s mind for his charioteer.

τὸν μὲν ἔπειτʼ εἴασε καὶ ἀχνύμενός περ ἑταίρου,

Yet he let him lie, though grieving for his comrade,

Κεβριόνην δʼ ἐκέλευσεν ἀδελφεὸν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα

and bade his brother Cebriones, who was near,

ἵππων ἡνίʼ ἑλεῖν· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ οὐκ ἀπίθησεν ἀκούσας.

to take the reins of the horses; and he did not disobey when he heard.

320

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ δίφροιο χαμαὶ θόρε παμφανόωντος

But Hector himself leaped to the ground from his gleaming chariot,

σμερδαλέα ἰάχων· ὃ δὲ χερμάδιον λάβε χειρί,

crying out terribly; and he grasped a large stone in his hand,

βῆ δʼ ἰθὺς Τεύκρου, βαλέειν δέ ἑ θυμὸς ἀνώγει.

and went straight at Teucer, and his heart bade him strike him.

ἤτοι ὃ μὲν φαρέτρης ἐξείλετο πικρὸν ὀϊστόν,

Now Teucer had drawn a sharp arrow from his quiver

θῆκε δʼ ἐπὶ νευρῇ· τὸν δʼ αὖ κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ

and laid it upon the string; but even as he was drawing it back, Hector of the flashing helm

325

αὐερύοντα παρʼ ὦμον, ὅθι κληῒς ἀποέργει

struck him beside the shoulder, where the collarbone parts

αὐχένα τε στῆθός τε, μάλιστα δὲ καίριόν ἐστι,

neck and chest, and where is the most deadly spot;

τῇ ῥʼ ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαῶτα βάλεν⁴ λίθῳ ὀκριόεντι,

there, as he was aiming eagerly at him, he struck him with the jagged stone,

ῥῆξε δέ οἱ νευρήν· νάρκησε δὲ χεὶρ ἐπὶ καρπῷ,

and broke his bowstring; and his hand grew numb at the wrist,

στῆ δὲ γνὺξ ἐριπών, τόξον δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρός.

and he fell on his knees and remained, and the bow fell from his hand.

330

Αἴας δʼ οὐκ ἀμέλησε κασιγνήτοιο πεσόντος,

And Ajax did not neglect his fallen brother,

ἀλλὰ θέων περίβη καί οἱ σάκος ἀμφεκάλυψε.

but ran and stood over him, and covered him with his shield.

τὸν μὲν ἔπειθʼ ὑποδύντε δύω ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι

Then two trusty comrades,

Μηκιστεὺς Ἐχίοιο πάϊς καὶ δῖος Ἀλάστωρ

Mecisteus, son of Echius, and noble Alastor,

νῆας ἔπι γλαφυρὰς φερέτην βαρέα στενάχοντα.

stepped beneath him and carried him, groaning heavily, to the hollow ships.

335

ἂψ δʼ αὖτις Τρώεσσιν Ὀλύμπιος ἐν μένος ὦρσεν·

And once again the Olympian stirred up strength in the Trojans;

οἳ δʼ ἰθὺς τάφροιο βαθείης ὦσαν Ἀχαιούς·

and they drove the Achaeans straight back to the deep trench;

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἐν πρώτοισι κίε σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνων.

Hector went in the forefront, exulting in his might.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε τίς τε κύων συὸς ἀγρίου ἠὲ λέοντος

And as when a hound with swift feet pursues

ἅπτηται κατόπισθε ποσὶν ταχέεσσι διώκων

a wild boar or a lion, and clings to him from behind,

340

ἰσχία τε γλουτούς τε, ἑλισσόμενόν τε δοκεύει,

at hip and buttock, and watches him as he turns,

ὣς Ἕκτωρ ὤπαζε κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιούς,

so Hector pressed hard upon the long-haired Achaeans,

αἰὲν ἀποκτείνων τὸν ὀπίστατον· οἳ δὲ φέβοντο.

always slaying the hindmost; and they fled.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ διά τε σκόλοπας καὶ τάφρον ἔβησαν

But when they had passed through the palisade and the trench

φεύγοντες, πολλοὶ δὲ δάμεν Τρώων ὑπὸ χερσίν,

in their flight, and many had been slain at the hands of the Trojans,

345

οἳ μὲν δὴ παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐρητύοντο μένοντες,

they stayed their flight and remained beside the ships,

ἀλλήλοισί τε κεκλόμενοι καὶ πᾶσι θεοῖσι

calling to one another and lifting up their hands to all the gods,

χεῖρας ἀνίσχοντες μεγάλʼ εὐχετόωντο ἕκαστος·

praying aloud, each one of them;

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἀμφιπεριστρώφα καλλίτριχας ἵππους

but Hector wheeled his beautiful-maned horses this way and that,

Γοργοῦς ὄμματʼ ἔχων ἠδὲ βροτολοιγοῦ Ἄρηος.

with the eyes of the Gorgon or of Ares, destroyer of men.

350

τοὺς δὲ ἰδοῦσʼ ἐλέησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,

And the white-armed goddess Hera saw them and pitied them,

αἶψα δʼ Ἀθηναίην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and straightway spoke winged words to Athena:

ὢ πόποι αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος οὐκέτι νῶϊ

”Alas, child of aegis-bearing Zeus, shall we two no longer...”

Syntax notes4 items

8.284νόθον περ ἐόντα
The particle περ combined with the participle ἐόντα (accusative present participle of εἰμί) expresses a clear concessive meaning, "although you were (a bastard)."
8.291ἥ κέν τοι ὁμὸν λέχος εἰσαναβαίνοι
In the relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun ἥ, the particle κεν (Homeric equivalent of ἄν) is used with the optative εἰσαναβαίνοι to express a future possibility or expected characteristic/purpose ("a woman who would/might share your bed").
8.306μήκων δʼ ὡς ἑτέρωσε κάρη βάλεν
The aorist verb βάλεν within the subordinate clause introducing the simile (ὡς clause) is a gnomic aorist, expressing a universal truth of nature. It corresponds with the aorist ἤμυσε in the main clause (line 308) to complete the comparison.
8.327τῇ ῥʼ ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαῶτα βάλεν
In this long period, the subject is Ἕκτωρ and the main verb is βάλεν. The dative pronoun οἷ refers reflexively to Hector ("against him [Hector]"), while the accusative perfect participle μεμαῶτα (eagerly aiming) modifies the implied direct object Teucer (referring back to αὐερύοντα in line 325).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.283-8.352