The Litai and the Myth of Meleager — Homer, Iliad Book 9 (lines 500–571), Greek & English

500

λοιβῇ τε κνίσῃ τε παρατρωπῶσʼ ἄνθρωποι

with libations and the savour of burnt offering men turn them aside,

λισσόμενοι, ὅτε κέν τις ὑπερβήῃ καὶ ἁμάρτῃ.

praying to them, whenever anyone has transgressed and sinned.

καὶ γάρ τε λιταί εἰσι Διὸς κοῦραι μεγάλοιο

For Prayers also are the daughters of great Zeus,

χωλαί τε ῥυσαί τε παραβλῶπές τʼ ὀφθαλμώ,

lame and wrinkled and squinting of eye,

αἵ ῥά τε καὶ μετόπισθʼ ἄτης ἀλέγουσι κιοῦσαι.¹

who trouble themselves to walk behind Ruin.

505

ἣ δʼ ἄτη σθεναρή τε καὶ ἀρτίπος, οὕνεκα πάσας

But Ruin is strong and fleet of foot, wherefore she far outruns

πολλὸν ὑπεκπροθέει, φθάνει δέ τε πᾶσαν ἐπʼ αἶαν

all of them, and goes before them over all the earth,

βλάπτουσʼ ἀνθρώπους· αἳ δʼ ἐξακέονται ὀπίσσω.

bringing harm to men; and they heal the hurt after.

ὃς μέν τʼ αἰδέσεται κούρας Διὸς ἆσσον ἰούσας,

Whoso reveres the daughters of Zeus as they draw near,

τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὤνησαν καί τʼ ἔκλυον εὐχομένοιο·

him they greatly profit, and they hear him when he prays;

510

ὃς δέ κʼ ἀνήνηται καί τε στερεῶς ἀποείπῃ,

but whoso denies them and stiffly refuses,

λίσσονται δʼ ἄρα ταί γε Δία Κρονίωνα κιοῦσαι

then they go and pray to Zeus, son of Cronos,

τῷ ἄτην ἅμʼ ἕπεσθαι, ἵνα βλαφθεὶς ἀποτίσῃ.

that Ruin may follow after him, so that he may be harmed and pay the penalty.

ἀλλʼ Ἀχιλεῦ πόρε καὶ σὺ Διὸς κούρῃσιν ἕπεσθαι

But, Achilles, do you also grant that respect accompany

τιμήν,² ἥ τʼ ἄλλων περ ἐπιγνάμπτει νόον ἐσθλῶν.

the daughters of Zeus, which bends the minds of other good men.

515

εἰ μὲν γὰρ μὴ δῶρα φέροι τὰ δʼ ὄπισθʼ ὀνομάζοι

For if the son of Atreus were not bringing gifts, and did not name others hereafter,

Ἀτρεΐδης, ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἐπιζαφελῶς χαλεπαίνοι,

but were always furiously angry,

οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγέ σε μῆνιν ἀπορρίψαντα κελοίμην

I indeed would not bid you cast away your anger

Ἀργείοισιν ἀμυνέμεναι χατέουσί περ ἔμπης·

and defend the Argives, though they need you ever so much;

νῦν δʼ ἅμα τʼ αὐτίκα πολλὰ διδοῖ τὰ δʼ ὄπισθεν ὑπέστη,

but now he at once gives many things, and has promised others hereafter,

520

ἄνδρας δὲ λίσσεσθαι ἐπιπροέηκεν ἀρίστους

and has sent foremost men to entreat you,

κρινάμενος κατὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιϊκόν, οἵ τε σοὶ αὐτῷ

chosen from the host of the Achaeans, who to yourself

φίλτατοι Ἀργείων· τῶν μὴ σύ γε μῦθον ἐλέγξῃς

are dearest of the Argives; do not bring their words to naught

μηδὲ πόδας· πρὶν δʼ οὔ τι νεμεσσητὸν κεχολῶσθαι.

nor yet their journey hither; though before this none could blame you for being angry.

οὕτω καὶ τῶν πρόσθεν ἐπευθόμεθα κλέα ἀνδρῶν

Thus also did we hear of the fame of men of old,

525

ἡρώων, ὅτε κέν τινʼ ἐπιζάφελος χόλος ἵκοι·

heroes of old, when furious anger came upon any;

δωρητοί τε πέλοντο παράρρητοί τʼ ἐπέεσσι.

they were won by gifts, and could be turned by words.

μέμνημαι τόδε ἔργον ἐγὼ πάλαι οὔ τι νέον γε

I remember this deed of old, and not of yesterday,

ὡς ἦν· ἐν δʼ ὑμῖν ἐρέω πάντεσσι φίλοισι.

how it was; and I will tell it among you, who are all my friends.

Κουρῆτές τʼ ἐμάχοντο καὶ Αἰτωλοὶ μενεχάρμαι

The Curetes and the warlike Aetolians fought

530

ἀμφὶ πόλιν Καλυδῶνα καὶ ἀλλήλους ἐνάριζον,

around the city of Calydon and slew one another,

Αἰτωλοὶ μὲν ἀμυνόμενοι Καλυδῶνος ἐραννῆς,

the Aetolians defending lovely Calydon,

Κουρῆτες δὲ διαπραθέειν μεμαῶτες Ἄρηϊ.

and the Curetes eager to lay it waste in war.

καὶ γὰρ τοῖσι κακὸν χρυσόθρονος Ἄρτεμις ὦρσε

For upon them had golden-throned Artemis sent an evil,

χωσαμένη ὅ οἱ οὔ τι θαλύσια γουνῷ ἀλωῆς

wroth because Oeneus did not offer her the first-fruits of the orchard-land

535

Οἰνεὺς ῥέξʼ· ἄλλοι δὲ θεοὶ δαίνυνθʼ ἑκατόμβας,

on the hill; while the other gods feasted on hecatombs,

οἴῃ δʼ οὐκ ἔρρεξε Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο.

to her alone, the daughter of great Zeus, he made no offering.

ἢ λάθετʼ ἢ οὐκ ἐνόησεν· ἀάσατο δὲ μέγα θυμῷ.

Either he forgot, or did not think of it; and he sinned greatly in his heart.

ἣ δὲ χολωσαμένη δῖον γένος ἰοχέαιρα

And she, the archer-goddess, wroth in her heart,

ὦρσεν ἔπι χλούνην σῦν ἄγριον ἀργιόδοντα,

sent against him a wild boar with flashing tusks, a forest beast,

540

ὃς κακὰ πόλλʼ ἕρδεσκεν ἔθων Οἰνῆος ἀλωήν·

that wrought much evil, wasting Oeneus’ orchard-land.

πολλὰ δʼ ὅ γε προθέλυμνα χαμαὶ βάλε δένδρεα μακρὰ

Many a tall tree did he lay low on the ground, root and branch,

αὐτῇσιν ῥίζῃσι καὶ αὐτοῖς ἄνθεσι μήλων.

with the very roots and the fair blossoms of the apple-trees.

τὸν δʼ υἱὸς Οἰνῆος ἀπέκτεινεν Μελέαγρος

But him did Meleager, son of Oeneus, slay,

πολλέων ἐκ πολίων θηρήτορας ἄνδρας ἀγείρας

gathering hunters and hounds from many cities;

545

καὶ κύνας· οὐ μὲν γάρ κε δάμη παύροισι βροτοῖσι·

for by few men could he have been tamed,

τόσσος ἔην, πολλοὺς δὲ πυρῆς ἐπέβησʼ ἀλεγεινῆς.

so huge was he, and many a man did he bring to the grievous pyre.

ἣ δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ θῆκε πολὺν κέλαδον καὶ ἀϋτὴν

And the goddess wrought much clamor and shouting about him,

ἀμφὶ συὸς κεφαλῇ καὶ δέρματι λαχνήεντι,

about the head of the boar and his shaggy hide,

Κουρήτων τε μεσηγὺ καὶ Αἰτωλῶν μεγαθύμων.

between the Curetes and the great-hearted Aetolians.

550

ὄφρα μὲν οὖν Μελέαγρος ἄρηι φίλος πολέμιζε,

Now as long as Meleager, beloved of Ares, fought,

τόφρα δὲ Κουρήτεσσι κακῶς ἦν, οὐδὲ δύναντο

so long was it ill with the Curetes, nor could they

τείχεος ἔκτοσθεν μίμνειν πολέες περ ἐόντες·

abide outside the wall, though they were many;

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Μελέαγρον ἔδυ χόλος, ὅς τε καὶ ἄλλων

but when anger entered into Meleager, which also

οἰδάνει ἐν στήθεσσι νόον πύκα περ φρονεόντων,

swells the hearts of others, even though they be wise of mind,

555

ἤτοι ὃ μητρὶ φίλῃ Ἀλθαίῃ χωόμενος κῆρ

then he, wroth in his heart against his dear mother Althaea,

κεῖτο παρὰ μνηστῇ ἀλόχῳ καλῇ Κλεοπάτρῃ

lay by his wedded wife, the fair Cleopatra,

κούρῃ Μαρπήσσης καλλισφύρου Εὐηνίνης

daughter of Marpessa of the fair ankles, daughter of Evenus,

Ἴδεώ θʼ, ὃς κάρτιστος ἐπιχθονίων γένετʼ ἀνδρῶν

and of Idas, who was the strongest of men that were then upon the earth;

τῶν τότε· καί ῥα ἄνακτος ἐναντίον εἵλετο τόξον

and he even drew his bow against the king,

560

Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος καλλισφύρου εἵνεκα νύμφης,

against Phoebus Apollo for the sake of the fair-ankled bride.

τὴν δὲ τότʼ ἐν μεγάροισι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

And her then in their halls did her father and lady mother

Ἀλκυόνην καλέεσκον ἐπώνυμον, οὕνεκʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῆς

call by the name of Alcyone, because for her sake her

μήτηρ ἀλκυόνος πολυπενθέος οἶτον ἔχουσα

mother had the fate of the sad halcyon

κλαῖεν ὅ μιν ἑκάεργος ἀνήρπασε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·

and wept because far-darting Phoebus Apollo had snatched her away.

565

τῇ ὅ γε παρκατέλεκτο χόλον θυμαλγέα πέσσων³

By her side Meleager lay, nursing his heart-grieving anger,

ἐξ ἀρέων μητρὸς κεχολωμένος, ἥ ῥα θεοῖσι

wroth because of the curses of his mother, who to the gods

πόλλʼ ἀχέουσʼ ἠρᾶτο κασιγνήτοιο φόνοιο,

prayed, grieving sorely for the slaying of her brother;

πολλὰ δὲ καὶ γαῖαν πολυφόρβην χερσὶν ἀλοία

and many a time did she beat the multi-nurturing earth with her hands,

κικλήσκουσʼ Ἀΐδην καὶ ἐπαινὴν Περσεφόνειαν

calling upon Hades and dread Persephone,

570

πρόχνυ καθεζομένη, δεύοντο δὲ δάκρυσι κόλποι,

falling upon her knees, and her bosom was wet with tears,

παιδὶ δόμεν θάνατον· τῆς δʼ ἠεροφοῖτις Ἐρινὺς

that they should give death to her son; and the Erinys that walk in darkness heard her,

Syntax notes3 items

9.504ἀλέγουσι κιοῦσαι
The participle κιοῦσαι (going, walking) is connected with the main verb ἀλέγουσι (care for, pay heed to), meaning "they go caring/anxiously after [Ate]." Although ἀλέγω means "to care," here it describes the submissive and healing attitude of the personified "Prayers" (Litai) who seek to repair the damage and suffering caused to men by Ate (Ruin).
9.513Διὸς κούρῃσιν ἕπεσθαι / τιμήν
The infinitive ἕπεσθαι (to accompany, to follow) either modifies the noun τιμήν (respect, honor) or serves as a complementary infinitive with the imperative πόρε (grant). Here, it is most naturally understood as "the honor that should accompany the daughters of Zeus." The relative pronoun ἥ in line 514 has τιμήν as its antecedent, indicating that this honor/respect is what "bends the minds of other good men."
9.565χόλον θυμαλγέα πέσσων
This is an idiomatic expression meaning "nursing (or suppressing) heart-grieving anger." The verb πέσσω literally means "to cook, digest, or ripen." When applied to emotions—especially anger—it means to keep the feeling inside and endure it quietly without letting it explode outwardly, thus "digesting" or "brooding over" it.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.500-9.571