- Source
- Homer. Homeri Opera, Volumes 1-2. Monro, D. B. (David Binning), editor; Allen, Thomas W. (Thomas William), editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908-1920.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.642-9.713
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
In response to Ajax, Achilles expresses his unyielding rage against Agamemnon and rejects the embassy's proposal. The envoys return to report to Agamemnon, and Diomedes encourages the disheartened Achaeans to prepare for battle the next day.
κήδιστοί τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ φίλτατοι ὅσσοι Ἀχαιοί.
to be the closest and dearest to you of all the Achaeans.”
τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·
And in answer to him spoke swift-footed Achilles:
Αἶαν διογενὲς Τελαμώνιε κοίρανε λαῶν
”Ajax, Zeus-born son of Telamon, lord of the people,
πάντά τί μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἐείσαο μυθήσασθαι·1
you seem to have spoken all this closely after my own heart;
ἀλλά μοι οἰδάνεται κραδίη χόλῳ ὁππότε κείνων
but my heart swells with wrath whenever I think of those things,
μνήσομαι ὥς μʼ ἀσύφηλον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔρεξεν2
how the son of Atreus treated me with contempt among the Argives,
Ἀτρεΐδης ὡς εἴ τινʼ ἀτίμητον μετανάστην.
as though I were some dishonored vagabond.
ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς ἔρχεσθε καὶ ἀγγελίην ἀπόφασθε·
But do you go and report my message:
οὐ γὰρ πρὶν πολέμοιο μεδήσομαι αἱματόεντος
for I will not think of bloody war
πρίν γʼ υἱὸν Πριάμοιο δαΐφρονος Ἕκτορα δῖον
until noble Hector, the son of wise Priam,
Μυρμιδόνων ἐπί τε κλισίας καὶ νῆας ἱκέσθαι
shall come to the huts and ships of the Myrmidons,
κτείνοντʼ Ἀργείους, κατά τε σμῦξαι πυρὶ νῆας.
slaying the Argives, and burning the ships with fire.
ἀμφὶ δέ τοι τῇ ἐμῇ κλισίῃ καὶ νηῒ μελαίνῃ
But about my own hut and black ship
Ἕκτορα καὶ μεμαῶτα μάχης σχήσεσθαι ὀΐω.
I think that Hector, eager though he be for battle, will be stayed.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δὲ ἕκαστος ἑλὼν δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον
So he spoke, and they each took a two-handled cup,
σπείσαντες παρὰ νῆας ἴσαν πάλιν· ἦρχε δʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.
and having poured libations they went back along the ships; and Odysseus led the way.
Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτάροισιν ἰδὲ δμωῇσι κέλευσε
But Patroclus bade his companions and handmaids
Φοίνικι στορέσαι πυκινὸν λέχος ὅττι τάχιστα.
to strew a thick bed for Phoenix with all speed.
αἳ δʼ ἐπιπειθόμεναι στόρεσαν λέχος ὡς ἐκέλευσε
And they, obeying, strewed the bed as he bade,
κώεά τε ῥῆγός τε λίνοιό τε λεπτὸν ἄωτον.
with fleeces, and a rug, and fine-spun linen.
ἔνθʼ ὃ γέρων κατέλεκτο καὶ ἠῶ δῖαν ἔμιμνεν.
There the old man lay down, and awaited the bright dawn.
αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς εὗδε μυχῷ κλισίης εὐπήκτου·
But Achilles slept in the innermost part of the well-built hut;
τῷ δʼ ἄρα παρκατέλεκτο γυνή, τὴν Λεσβόθεν ἦγε,
and by his side lay a woman whom he had brought from Lesbos,
Φόρβαντος θυγάτηρ Διομήδη καλλιπάρῃος.
the daughter of Phorbas, fair-cheeked Diomede.
Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐλέξατο· πὰρ δʼ ἄρα καὶ τῷ
And Patroclus lay down on the other side, and by him also lay
Ἶφις ἐΰζωνος, τήν οἱ πόρε δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς
fair-girdled Iphis, whom noble Achilles had given him
Σκῦρον ἑλὼν αἰπεῖαν Ἐνυῆος πτολίεθρον.
when he took steep Scyros, the city of Enyeus.
οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ κλισίῃσιν ἐν Ἀτρεΐδαο γένοντο.
Now when they were come to the huts of the son of Atreus,
τοὺς μὲν ἄρα χρυσέοισι κυπέλλοις υἷες Ἀχαιῶν
the sons of the Achaeans with golden cups
δειδέχατʼ ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος ἀνασταδόν, ἔκ τʼ ἐρέοντο·
welcomed them from this side and that, standing up, and questioned them.
πρῶτος δʼ ἐξερέεινεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·
And first the king of men, Agamemnon, questioned them:
εἴπʼ ἄγε μʼ ὦ πολύαινʼ Ὀδυσεῦ μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν
”Tell me, come, Odysseus, much praised, great glory of the Achaeans,
ἤ ῥʼ ἐθέλει νήεσσιν ἀλεξέμεναι δήϊον πῦρ,
is he willing to ward off consuming fire from the ships,
ἦ ἀπέειπε, χόλος δʼ ἔτʼ ἔχει μεγαλήτορα θυμόν;
or has he refused, and does wrath still hold his proud spirit?”
τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·
And in turn much-enduring noble Odysseus spoke to him:
Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον
”Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, king of men,
κεῖνός γʼ οὐκ ἐθέλει σβέσσαι χόλον, ἀλλʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον
he is not minded to quench his wrath, but is even more
πιμπλάνεται μένεος, σὲ δʼ ἀναίνεται ἠδὲ σὰ δῶρα.
filled with anger, and rejects you and your gifts.
αὐτόν σε φράζεσθαι ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἄνωγεν
He bids you yourself take counsel among the Argives
ὅππως κεν νῆάς τε σαῷς καὶ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν·
how you may save the ships and the host of the Achaeans;
αὐτὸς δʼ ἠπείλησεν ἅμʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφι
but for himself he threatened that with the appearing of dawn
νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους ἅλαδʼ ἑλκέμεν ἀμφιελίσσας.
he will drag his well-benched curved ships down to the salt sea.
καὶ δʼ ἂν τοῖς ἄλλοισιν ἔφη παραμυθήσασθαι3
And he said that he would advise the others also
οἴκαδʼ ἀποπλείειν, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι δήετε τέκμωρ
to sail back home, since you shall no longer find the end
Ἰλίου αἰπεινῆς· μάλα γάρ ἑθεν εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς
of steep Ilios; for far-seeing Zeus has held
χεῖρα ἑὴν ὑπερέσχε, τεθαρσήκασι δὲ λαοί.
his hand over her, and the people have taken courage.
ὣς ἔφατʼ· εἰσὶ καὶ οἵδε τάδʼ εἰπέμεν, οἵ μοι ἕποντο,
So he spoke; and these too are here to tell it, who followed me,
Αἴας καὶ κήρυκε δύω πεπνυμένω ἄμφω.
Ajax and the two heralds, both men of understanding.
Φοῖνιξ δʼ αὖθʼ ὃ γέρων κατελέξατο, ὡς γὰρ ἀνώγει,
But the old man Phoenix lay down there to sleep, for so Achilles bade,
ὄφρά οἱ ἐν νήεσσι φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἕπηται
so that he might follow him on the ships to his dear fatherland
αὔριον, ἢν ἐθέλῃσιν· ἀνάγκῃ δʼ οὔ τί μιν ἄξει.
tomorrow, if he wills; but by constraint he will not take him.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ
So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence,
μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι· μάλα γὰρ κρατερῶς ἀγόρευσε.
marveling at his words; for he had spoken very strongly.
δὴν δʼ ἄνεῳ ἦσαν τετιηότες υἷες Ἀχαιῶν·
For a long time the sons of the Achaeans were silent in their grief;
ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
but at last there spoke Diomedes, good at the war-cry:
Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον
”Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, king of men,
μὴ ὄφελες λίσσεσθαι4 ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα
I would you had never entreated the peerless son of Peleus,
μυρία δῶρα διδούς· ὃ δʼ ἀγήνωρ ἐστὶ καὶ ἄλλως·
offering countless gifts; he is proud enough even without them;
νῦν αὖ μιν πολὺ μᾶλλον ἀγηνορίῃσιν ἐνῆκας.
and now you have urged him on to yet greater pride.
ἀλλʼ ἤτοι κεῖνον μὲν ἐάσομεν ἤ κεν ἴῃσιν
But indeed, let us leave him be, whether he go
ἦ κε μένῃ· τότε δʼ αὖτε μαχήσεται ὁππότε κέν μιν
or whether he stay; and he will fight again at that time when
θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἀνώγῃ καὶ θεὸς ὄρσῃ.
the heart in his breast bids him, and a god rouses him.
ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες·
But come, even as I shall say, let us all obey:
νῦν μὲν κοιμήσασθε τεταρπόμενοι φίλον ἦτορ
for now go to your rest, having satisfied your hearts
σίτου καὶ οἴνοιο· τὸ γὰρ μένος ἐστὶ καὶ ἀλκή·
with food and wine; for therein is strength and courage;
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κε φανῇ καλὴ ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,
but when fair rosy-fingered Dawn appears,
καρπαλίμως πρὸ νεῶν ἐχέμεν λαόν τε καὶ ἵππους
do you straightway marshal before the ships the folk and the horses,
ὀτρύνων, καὶ δʼ αὐτὸς ἐνὶ πρώτοισι μάχεσθαι.
urging them on, and do you yourself fight in the forefront.”
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπῄνησαν βασιλῆες
So he spoke, and they all praised his words, even the kings,
μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.
marveling at the words of Diomedes, tamer of horses.
καὶ τότε δὴ σπείσαντες ἔβαν κλισίην δὲ ἕκαστος,
And having poured libations they went each to his own hut,
ἔνθα δὲ κοιμήσαντο καὶ ὕπνου δῶρον ἕλοντο.
and there they lay down and took the gift of sleep.
- 9.645πάντά τί μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἐείσαο μυθήσασθαι
ἐείσαο is the 2nd person singular aorist middle of εἴδομαι ('to seem', 'to appear'). Together with the infinitive μυθήσασθαι ('to speak'), it means 'you seem to me to have spoken all this'. κατὰ θυμόν ('according to the heart') is interpreted as 'according to my (μοι) heart'.
- 9.646ὁππότε κείνων / μνήσομαι ὥς μʼ ἀσύφηλον... ἔρεξεν
μνήσομαι is the future of μιμνήσκομαι ('to remember', 'to recall'), taking the genitive κείνων ('those things') as its object. The subsequent ὥς clause ('how...') acts as an appositional subordinate clause specifying the content of κείνων: 'whenever I recall those things, namely how he treated me...'
- 9.684καὶ δʼ ἂν τοῖς ἄλλοισιν ἔφη παραμυθήσασθαι
This is a construction of ἂν with the infinitive (παραμυθήσασθαι) in indirect discourse. It corresponds to ἂν with the optative in direct discourse (expressing a potential or conditional result: 'I would advise...'), converted into an infinitive depending on the main verb of speaking ἔφη.
- 9.698μὴ ὄφελες λίσσεσθαι
The second-person singular second aorist form ὄφελες (from ὀφείλω) combined with the negative particle μή and the infinitive (λίσσεσθαι) is an idiomatic construction expressing an unfulfilled wish or regret concerning the past ('you ought not to have entreated...').