Achilles's Choice of Fate and Plan to Return Home — Homer, Iliad Book 9 (lines 356–424), Greek & English

356

νῦν δʼ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐθέλω πολεμιζέμεν Ἕκτορι δίῳ

But now, since I do not wish to fight with noble Hector,

αὔριον ἱρὰ Διὶ ῥέξας καὶ πᾶσι θεοῖσι

tomorrow, having offered sacrifices to Zeus and all the gods,

νηήσας εὖ νῆας, ἐπὴν ἅλα δὲ προερύσσω,

and having well laden my ships, when I drag them down to the sea,

ὄψεαι, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα καὶ αἴ κέν τοι τὰ μεμήλῃ,

you shall see, if you wish and if it is of concern to you,

360

ἦρι μάλʼ Ἑλλήσποντον ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντα πλεούσας

my ships sailing early in the morning over the fish-frequented Hellespont,

νῆας ἐμάς, ἐν δʼ ἄνδρας ἐρεσσέμεναι μεμαῶτας·¹

and within them men eager to row.

εἰ δέ κεν εὐπλοίην δώῃ κλυτὸς ἐννοσίγαιος

And if the famous Earth-shaker grants a fair voyage,

ἤματί κε τριτάτῳ Φθίην ἐρίβωλον ἱκοίμην.

on the third day I should reach fertile Phthia.

ἔστι δέ μοι μάλα πολλά, τὰ κάλλιπον ἐνθάδε ἔρρων·

And I have very many possessions there, which I left behind when I came hither to my ruin.

365

ἄλλον δʼ ἐνθένδε χρυσὸν καὶ χαλκὸν ἐρυθρὸν

And yet more gold and red bronze from here,

ἠδὲ γυναῖκας ἐϋζώνους πολιόν τε σίδηρον

and fair-girdled women and grey iron

ἄξομαι, ἅσσʼ ἔλαχόν γε· γέρας δέ μοι, ὅς περ ἔδωκεν,

I will carry away, whatever fell to my share. But my prize of honor, which he himself gave,

αὖτις ἐφυβρίζων ἕλετο κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

lord Agamemnon, son of Atreus, has taken back in his insolence.

Ἀτρεΐδης· τῷ πάντʼ ἀγορευέμεν ὡς ἐπιτέλλω

Tell him all this, even as I charge you,

370

ἀμφαδόν, ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλοι ἐπισκύζωνται Ἀχαιοὶ

openly, so that the other Achaeans also may be indignant,

εἴ τινά που Δαναῶν ἔτι ἔλπεται ἐξαπατήσειν

if he hopes perhaps still to deceive some other of the Danaans,

αἰὲν ἀναιδείην ἐπιειμένος· οὐδʼ ἂν ἔμοιγε

clad ever as he is in shamelessness. Yet, not even to me,

τετλαίη κύνεός περ ἐὼν εἰς ὦπα ἰδέσθαι·

dog-like though he be, would he dare to look face to face.

οὐδέ τί οἱ βουλὰς συμφράσσομαι, οὐδὲ μὲν ἔργον·

I will take no counsel with him, nor join in any deed;

375

ἐκ γὰρ δή μʼ ἀπάτησε καὶ ἤλιτεν· οὐδʼ ἂν ἔτʼ αὖτις

for he has deceived me and sinned against me. Never again

ἐξαπάφοιτʼ ἐπέεσσιν· ἅλις δέ οἱ· ἀλλὰ ἕκηλος

shall he beguile me with his words. Enough for him! Let him go quietly

ἐρρέτω· ἐκ γάρ εὑ φρένας εἵλετο μητίετα Ζεύς.

to his ruin; for Zeus the counselor has taken away his wits.

ἐχθρὰ δέ μοι τοῦ δῶρα, τίω δέ μιν ἐν καρὸς αἴσῃ.²

Hateful to me are his gifts, and I value him at a hair’s worth.

οὐδʼ εἴ μοι δεκάκις τε καὶ εἰκοσάκις τόσα δοίη

Not even if he should give me ten times and twenty times as much

380

ὅσσά τέ οἱ νῦν ἔστι, καὶ εἴ ποθεν ἄλλα γένοιτο,

as he now has, and if yet other things should come to him from elsewhere,

οὐδʼ ὅσʼ ἐς Ὀρχομενὸν ποτινίσεται, οὐδʼ ὅσα Θήβας

not even all that flows into Orchomenus, or into Egyptian

Αἰγυπτίας, ὅθι πλεῖστα δόμοις ἐν κτήματα κεῖται,

Thebes, where the greatest treasure is stored in the houses,

αἵ θʼ ἑκατόμπυλοί εἰσι, διηκόσιοι δʼ ἀνʼ ἑκάστας

and which has a hundred gates, and through each gate two hundred

ἀνέρες ἐξοιχνεῦσι σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν·

men go forth with horses and chariots;

385

οὐδʼ εἴ μοι τόσα δοίη ὅσα ψάμαθός τε κόνις τε,

not even if he should give me as many gifts as sand and dust,

οὐδέ κεν ὧς ἔτι θυμὸν ἐμὸν πείσειʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

not even so should Agamemnon persuade my soul,

πρίν γʼ ἀπὸ πᾶσαν ἐμοὶ δόμεναι θυμαλγέα λώβην.

until he has paid me back in full for all his heart-grieving outrage.

κούρην δʼ οὐ γαμέω Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο,

And the daughter of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, I will not marry,

οὐδʼ εἰ χρυσείῃ Ἀφροδίτῃ κάλλος ἐρίζοι,

not even if she should contend in beauty with golden Aphrodite,

390

ἔργα δʼ Ἀθηναίῃ γλαυκώπιδι ἰσοφαρίζοι·

and in handiwork match grey-eyed Athena;

οὐδέ μιν ὧς γαμέω· ὃ δʼ Ἀχαιῶν ἄλλον ἑλέσθω,

not even so will I marry her. Let him choose some other of the Achaeans,

ὅς τις οἷ τʼ ἐπέοικε καὶ ὃς βασιλεύτερός ἐστιν.

who is suited to him and who is more kingly than I.

ἢν γὰρ δή με σαῶσι θεοὶ καὶ οἴκαδʼ ἵκωμαι,

For if the gods preserve me and I reach home,

Πηλεύς θήν μοι ἔπειτα γυναῖκά γε μάσσεται αὐτός.

Peleus himself will then surely seek a wife for me.

395

πολλαὶ Ἀχαιΐδες εἰσὶν ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα τε Φθίην τε

There are many Achaean maidens throughout Hellas and Phthia,

κοῦραι ἀριστήων, οἵ τε πτολίεθρα ῥύονται,

daughters of chieftains who guard the cities;

τάων ἥν κʼ ἐθέλωμι φίλην ποιήσομʼ ἄκοιτιν.

whichever of these I wish, I will make my beloved wife.

ἔνθα δέ μοι μάλα πολλὸν ἐπέσσυτο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ

And there my proud heart is exceedingly eager

γήμαντα μνηστὴν ἄλοχον ἐϊκυῖαν ἄκοιτιν

to marry a wooed wife, a fitting helpmate,

400

κτήμασι τέρπεσθαι τὰ γέρων ἐκτήσατο Πηλεύς·

and to enjoy the possessions which the old man Peleus acquired.

οὐ γὰρ ἐμοὶ ψυχῆς ἀντάξιον οὐδʼ ὅσα φασὶν

For my life is not to be bought with all that they say

Ἴλιον ἐκτῆσθαι εὖ ναιόμενον πτολίεθρον

the well-inhabited city of Ilios possessed of old

τὸ πρὶν ἐπʼ εἰρήνης, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν,

in time of peace, before the sons of the Achaeans came,

οὐδʼ ὅσα λάϊνος οὐδὸς ἀφήτορος ἐντὸς ἐέργει

nor all that the stone threshold of the Archer,

405

Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος Πυθοῖ ἔνι πετρηέσσῃ.

Phoebus Apollo, encloses within in rocky Pytho.

ληϊστοὶ μὲν γάρ τε βόες καὶ ἴφια μῆλα,

For cattle and fat sheep may be had for the stealing,

κτητοὶ δὲ τρίποδές τε καὶ ἵππων ξανθὰ κάρηνα,

and tripods and chestnut horses may be won;

ἀνδρὸς δὲ ψυχὴ πάλιν ἐλθεῖν³ οὔτε λεϊστὴ

but a man’s life cannot be won back by raiding

οὔθʼ ἑλετή, ἐπεὶ ἄρ κεν ἀμείψεται ἕρκος ὀδόντων.

nor captured, when once it has passed the barrier of his teeth.

410

μήτηρ γάρ τέ μέ φησι θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα

For my mother, the silver-footed goddess Thetis, tells me

διχθαδίας κῆρας φερέμεν⁴ θανάτοιο τέλος δέ.

that twofold fates are carrying me to the end of death.

εἰ μέν κʼ αὖθι μένων Τρώων πόλιν ἀμφιμάχωμαι,

If I remain here and fight about the city of the Trojans,

ὤλετο μέν μοι νόστος, ἀτὰρ κλέος ἄφθιτον ἔσται·

my return home is gone, but my glory shall be imperishable;

εἰ δέ κεν οἴκαδʼ ἵκωμι φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,

but if I return home to my dear native land,

415

ὤλετό μοι κλέος ἐσθλόν, ἐπὶ δηρὸν δέ μοι αἰὼν

my noble glory is gone, but my life shall be long,

ἔσσεται, οὐδέ κέ μʼ ὦκα τέλος θανάτοιο κιχείη.

and the end of death will not find me swiftly.

καὶ δʼ ἂν τοῖς ἄλλοισιν ἐγὼ παραμυθησαίμην

And I would counsel the others also

οἴκαδʼ ἀποπλείειν, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι δήετε τέκμωρ

to sail away home, since you shall no longer find the end

Ἰλίου αἰπεινῆς· μάλα γάρ ἑθεν εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

of steep Ilios; for indeed far-seeing Zeus

420

χεῖρα ἑὴν ὑπερέσχε, τεθαρσήκασι δὲ λαοί.

has stretched his hand over her, and her people have taken courage.

ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς μὲν ἰόντες ἀριστήεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν

But do you go and declare my message to the chieftains of the Achaeans,

ἀγγελίην ἀπόφασθε· τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ γερόντων·

for that is the office of elders,

ὄφρʼ ἄλλην φράζωνται ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μῆτιν ἀμείνω,

so that they may devise some other and better plan in their minds,

ἥ κέ σφιν νῆάς τε σαῷ καὶ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν

which may save their ships and the host of the Achaeans.

Syntax notes4 items

9.361ἐρεσσέμεναι μεμαῶτας
The accusative participle μεμαῶτας (eager) agrees with the implied subject of the infinitive ἐρεσσέμεναι (to row), describing the men within the ships (νῆας ἐμάς).
9.378ἐν καρὸς αἴσῃ
An idiomatic expression meaning "at a hair's worth" or "not worth a straw," where the preposition ἐν with the genitive καρός functions as a measure of value or esteem.
9.408πάλιν ἐλθεῖν
An epexegetic (explanatory) infinitive limiting the adjectives λεϊστή (winnable by raid) and ἑλετή (capturable), meaning "to come back again."
9.411διχθαδίας κῆρας φερέμεν
An accusative with infinitive construction depending on φησί (line 410), with the accusative subject pronoun μέ expressed in line 410, meaning "that I bear twofold fates."

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-grc2:9.356-9.424