Agamemnon's Proposal of Retreat and Diomedes's Dissent — Homer, Iliad Book 9 (lines 1–72), Greek & English

ὣς οἱ μὲν Τρῶες φυλακὰς ἔχον· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς

So the Trojans kept watch; but the Achaeans

θεσπεσίη ἔχε φύζα φόβου κρυόεντος ἑταίρη,

were held by wondrous panic, the companion of chilling fear,

πένθεϊ δʼ ἀτλήτῳ βεβολήατο πάντες ἄριστοι.

and with intolerable grief were all the leaders stricken.

ὡς δʼ ἄνεμοι δύο πόντον ὀρίνετον¹ ἰχθυόεντα

And as two winds stir up the fish-swarming sea,

Βορέης καὶ Ζέφυρος, τώ τε Θρῄκηθεν ἄητον

Boreas and Zephyrus, which blow from Thrace,

ἐλθόντʼ ἐξαπίνης· ἄμυδις δέ τε κῦμα κελαινὸν

coming suddenly; and all at once the dark wave

κορθύεται, πολλὸν δὲ παρὲξ ἅλα φῦκος ἔχευεν·

swells, and casts much seaweed out along the sea;

ὣς ἐδαΐζετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.

so was the heart rent within the breasts of the Achaeans.

Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἄχεϊ μεγάλῳ βεβολημένος ἦτορ

But the son of Atreus, stricken to the heart with great grief,

φοίτα κηρύκεσσι λιγυφθόγγοισι κελεύων

went about bidding the clear-voiced heralds

κλήδην εἰς ἀγορὴν κικλήσκειν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον,

to call every man by name to the assembly,

μὴ δὲ βοᾶν·² αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ πρώτοισι πονεῖτο.

but not to cry aloud; and he himself toiled among the foremost.

ἷζον δʼ εἰν ἀγορῇ τετιηότες· ἂν δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

And they sat in the assembly grieving; and Agamemnon

ἵστατο δάκρυ χέων ὥς τε κρήνη μελάνυδρος

stood up weeping, like a fountain of dark water,

ἥ τε κατʼ αἰγίλιπος πέτρης δνοφερὸν χέει ὕδωρ·

which pours down its dark stream from a goat-defying cliff;

ὣς ὃ βαρὺ στενάχων ἔπεʼ Ἀργείοισι μετηύδα·

so he, groaning heavily, spoke among the Argives:

ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες

”O friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives,

Ζεύς με μέγα Κρονίδης ἄτῃ³ ἐνέδησε βαρείῃ

great Zeus, son of Cronos, has bound me fast in heavy blindness,

σχέτλιος, ὃς τότε μέν μοι ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσεν

hard god, who once promised and nodded assent to me

Ἴλιον ἐκπέρσαντʼ εὐτείχεον ἀπονέεσθαι,

that I should return after destroying well-walled Ilium,

νῦν δὲ κακὴν ἀπάτην βουλεύσατο, καί με κελεύει

but now has planned an evil deceit, and bids me

δυσκλέα Ἄργος ἱκέσθαι, ἐπεὶ πολὺν ὤλεσα λαόν.

return inglorious to Argos, after I have lost many people.

οὕτω που Διὶ μέλλει ὑπερμενέϊ φίλον εἶναι,

So, I suppose, it must be pleasing to all-powerful Zeus,

ὃς δὴ πολλάων πολίων κατέλυσε κάρηνα

who indeed has brought down the heads of many cities

ἠδʼ ἔτι καὶ λύσει· τοῦ γὰρ κράτος ἐστὶ μέγιστον.

and will yet bring them down; for his power is greatest.

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες·

But come, as I shall say, let us all obey;

φεύγωμεν σὺν νηυσὶ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·

let us flee with our ships to our dear native land;

οὐ γὰρ ἔτι Τροίην αἱρήσομεν εὐρυάγυιαν.

for no longer shall we take wide-wayed Troy.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.

So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence.

δὴν δʼ ἄνεῳ ἦσαν τετιηότες υἷες Ἀχαιῶν·

Long were the grieving sons of the Achaeans silent;

ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

but at last spoke Diomedes, good at the war-cry:

Ἀτρεΐδη σοὶ πρῶτα μαχήσομαι ἀφραδέοντι,

”Son of Atreus, with you first will I contend in your folly,

ἣ θέμις ἐστὶν⁴ ἄναξ ἀγορῇ· σὺ δὲ μή τι χολωθῇς.

as is permitted, O king, in the assembly; and do not be angry.

ἀλκὴν μέν μοι πρῶτον ὀνείδισας ἐν Δαναοῖσι

My valor first you reproached among the Danaans,

φὰς ἔμεν ἀπτόλεμον καὶ ἀνάλκιδα· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα

saying that I was unwarlike and weak; and all these things

ἴσασʼ Ἀργείων ἠμὲν νέοι ἠδὲ γέροντες.

both the young and the old of the Argives know.

σοὶ δὲ διάνδιχα δῶκε Κρόνου πάϊς ἀγκυλομήτεω·

But to you the son of crooked-counseling Cronos has given but half:

σκήπτρῳ μέν τοι δῶκε τετιμῆσθαι περὶ πάντων,

with the scepter indeed he gave you to be honored above all,

ἀλκὴν δʼ οὔ τοι δῶκεν, ὅ τε κράτος ἐστὶ μέγιστον.

but valor he did not give you, which is the greatest power.

δαιμόνιʼ οὕτω που μάλα ἔλπεαι υἷας Ἀχαιῶν

Strange man, do you indeed expect the sons of the Achaeans

ἀπτολέμους τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ ἀνάλκιδας ὡς ἀγορεύεις;

to be unwarlike and weak, as you say?

εἰ δέ τοι αὐτῷ θυμὸς ἐπέσσυται ὥς τε νέεσθαι

If your own heart is eager to return,

ἔρχεο· πάρ τοι ὁδός, νῆες δέ τοι ἄγχι θαλάσσης

go; your way is open, and your ships stand near the sea,

ἑστᾶσʼ, αἵ τοι ἕποντο Μυκήνηθεν μάλα πολλαί.

very many of them, which followed you from Mycenae.

ἀλλʼ ἄλλοι μενέουσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ

But the other long-haired Achaeans will remain

εἰς ὅ κέ περ Τροίην διαπέρσομεν. εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

until we lay waste to Troy. Or, if they too wish,

φευγόντων σὺν νηυσὶ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·

let them flee with their ships to their dear native land;

νῶϊ δʼ ἐγὼ Σθένελός τε μαχησόμεθʼ εἰς ὅ κε τέκμωρ

but we two, Sthenelus and I, will fight until we find the end

Ἰλίου εὕρωμεν· σὺν γὰρ θεῷ εἰλήλουθμεν.

of Ilium; for with the aid of god have we come.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπίαχον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν

So he spoke, and all the sons of the Achaeans shouted applause,

μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.

admiring the words of horse-taming Diomedes.

τοῖσι δʼ ἀνιστάμενος μετεφώνεεν ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

Then uprose the horseman Nestor and spoke among them:

Τυδεΐδη περὶ μὲν πολέμῳ ἔνι καρτερός ἐσσι,

”Son of Tydeus, in war indeed you are mighty,

καὶ βουλῇ μετὰ πάντας ὁμήλικας ἔπλευ ἄριστος.

and in counsel you are best among all of your age.

οὔ τίς τοι τὸν μῦθον ὀνόσσεται ὅσσοι Ἀχαιοί,

No one of all the Achaeans will disparage your words,

οὐδὲ πάλιν ἐρέει· ἀτὰρ οὐ τέλος ἵκεο μύθων.

nor speak against them; but you have not reached the end of speech.

ἦ μὲν καὶ νέος ἐσσί, ἐμὸς δέ κε καὶ πάϊς εἴης

Indeed you are young, and might even be my own son,

ὁπλότατος γενεῆφιν· ἀτὰρ πεπνυμένα βάζεις

my youngest born; yet you speak wise words

Ἀργείων βασιλῆας, ἐπεὶ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες.

to the kings of the Argives, since you have spoken rightly.

ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐγών, ὃς σεῖο γεραίτερος εὔχομαι εἶναι,

But come, I who boast to be older than you

ἐξείπω καὶ πάντα διίξομαι· οὐδέ κέ τίς μοι

will speak and go through all; nor will anyone

μῦθον ἀτιμήσειʼ, οὐδὲ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων.

dishonor my words, not even lord Agamemnon.

ἀφρήτωρ ἀθέμιστος ἀνέστιός⁵ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος

Without clan, without law, without hearth is he

ὃς πολέμου ἔραται ἐπιδημίου ὀκρυόεντος.

who loves chilling civil war.

ἀλλʼ ἤτοι νῦν μὲν πειθώμεθα νυκτὶ μελαίνῃ

But indeed let us now yield to black night

δόρπά τʼ ἐφοπλισόμεσθα· φυλακτῆρες δὲ ἕκαστοι

and prepare our supper; and let the sentinels each

λεξάσθων παρὰ τάφρον ὀρυκτὴν τείχεος ἐκτός.

lie down along the dug trench outside the wall.

κούροισιν μὲν ταῦτʼ ἐπιτέλλομαι· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

To the youths I give this charge; but then,

Ἀτρεΐδη σὺ μὲν ἄρχε· σὺ γὰρ βασιλεύτατός ἐσσι.

son of Atreus, do you lead, for you are most kingly.

δαίνυ δαῖτα γέρουσιν· ἔοικέ τοι, οὔ τοι ἀεικές.

Give a feast for the elders; it is fitting for you, and not unseemly.

πλεῖαί τοι οἴνου κλισίαι, τὸν νῆες Ἀχαιῶν

Your huts are full of wine, which the ships of the Achaeans

ἠμάτιαι Θρῄκηθεν ἐπʼ εὐρέα πόντον ἄγουσι·

bring daily from Thrace over the wide sea.

Syntax notes5 items

9.4ὡς δʼ ἄνεμοι δύο πόντον ὀρίνετον
An epic simile extending from §9.4 to §9.8, comparing the turbulent winds (Boreas and Zephyrus) from Thrace that agitate the sea with the deeply troubled hearts and minds of the Achaeans.
9.11κλήδην... μὴ δὲ βοᾶν
Meaning 'calling each man by name, but not crying aloud.' This indicates Agamemnon's command for a quiet, individual summons to avoid causing a panic or alerting the nearby enemy in the tense night situation.
9.18ἄτῃ
Refers here to a divinely sent mental 'blindness' or 'delusion'. Agamemnon attributes his catastrophic error in judgment (the dispute with Achilles) to a heavy confusion imposed upon him by Zeus.
9.33ἣ θέμις ἐστίν
Meaning 'as is permitted / as is custom.' This reflects the early Greek heroic custom (themis) that allowed warriors the right of free speech, including criticizing the commander-in-chief, during assembly debates.
9.63ἀφρήτωρ ἀθέμιστος ἀνέστιος
A powerful rhetorical series of three adjectives with the alpha-privative prefix (a-), describing a lawless outcast who has no clan, no laws, and no hearth (family), meaning someone entirely excluded from civil society.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.1-9.72