Praise of Neoptolemus and the Silence of Ajax — Odyssey §11.496-11.568 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἦ μιν ἀτιμάζουσιν ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα τε Φθίην τε,

Or do they hold him in dishonor throughout Hellas and Phthia,

οὕνεκά μιν κατὰ γῆρας ἔχει χεῖράς τε πόδας τε.

because old age binds his hands and feet?

οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπαρωγὸς ὑπʼ αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο,

For I am no helper to him under the rays of the sun,

τοῖος ἐών, οἷός ποτʼ ἐνὶ Τροίῃ εὐρείῃ

being such a one as when once in wide Troy

πέφνον λαὸν ἄριστον, ἀμύνων Ἀργείοισιν·

I slew the best of the host, protecting the Argives.

εἰ τοιόσδʼ ἔλθοιμι¹ μίνυνθά περ ἐς πατέρος δῶ·

If, being such a one, I should return even for a little while to my father's house!

τῷ κέ τεῳ στύξαιμι μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους,

Then would I make my strength and my hands invincible terrible to any,

οἳ κεῖνον βιόωνται ἐέργουσίν τʼ ἀπὸ τιμῆς.

who do him violence and debar him from honor.

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So he spoke, and I answering addressed him:

ἦ τοι μὲν Πηλῆος ἀμύμονος οὔ τι πέπυσμαι,

"Of the noble Peleus indeed I have heard nothing,

αὐτάρ τοι παιδός γε Νεοπτολέμοιο φίλοιο

but of your dear son Neoptolemus

πᾶσαν ἀληθείην μυθήσομαι, ὥς με κελεύεις·

I will tell you the whole truth, even as you bid me.

αὐτὸς γάρ μιν ἐγὼ κοίλης ἐπὶ νηὸς ἐίσης

For I myself brought him in a hollow, well-balanced ship

ἤγαγον ἐκ Σκύρου μετʼ ἐυκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.

from Scyros to the well-greaved Achaeans.

ἦ τοι ὅτʼ ἀμφὶ πόλιν Τροίην φραζοίμεθα βουλάς,

Indeed, when we were taking counsel around the city of Troy,

αἰεὶ πρῶτος ἔβαζε καὶ οὐχ ἡμάρτανε μύθων·

he was always the first to speak, and did not miss with his words;

Νέστωρ ἀντίθεος καὶ ἐγὼ νικάσκομεν οἴω.

godlike Nestor and I alone surpassed him.

αὐτὰρ ὅτʼ ἐν πεδίῳ Τρώων μαρναίμεθα χαλκῷ,

But when we fought with bronze in the plain of the Trojans,

οὔ ποτʼ ἐνὶ πληθυῖ μένεν ἀνδρῶν οὐδʼ ἐν ὁμίλῳ,

never would he remain in the crowd of men or in the throng,

ἀλλὰ πολὺ προθέεσκε τὸ ὃν μένος οὐδενὶ εἴκων,

but would run far out in front, yielding in his strength to no one,

πολλοὺς δʼ ἄνδρας ἔπεφνεν ἐν αἰνῇ δηιοτῆτι.

and many men he slew in dread combat.

πάντας δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐγὼ μυθήσομαι οὐδʼ ὀνομήνω,

All of them I could not tell or name,

ὅσσον λαὸν ἔπεφνεν ἀμύνων Ἀργείοισιν,

how great a host he slew, protecting the Argives;

ἀλλʼ οἷον τὸν Τηλεφίδην κατενήρατο χαλκῷ,

but only how he slew with the bronze the son of Telephus,

ἥρωʼ Εὐρύπυλον, πολλοὶ δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν ἑταῖροι

the hero Eurypylus, and many of his Ceteian companions around him

Κήτειοι κτείνοντο γυναίων εἵνεκα δώρων².

were slain because of gifts to a woman.

κεῖνον δὴ κάλλιστον ἴδον μετὰ Μέμνονα δῖον.

Him indeed I saw as the most beautiful after godlike Memnon.

αὐτὰρ ὅτʼ εἰς ἵππον κατεβαίνομεν, ὃν κάμʼ Ἐπειός,

But when we went down into the horse which Epeius fashioned,

Ἀργείων οἱ ἄριστοι, ἐμοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ πάντα τέταλτο,

we, the best of the Argives, and to me everything was committed,

ἠμὲν ἀνακλῖναι πυκινὸν λόχον ἠδʼ ἐπιθεῖναι,

both to open the dense ambush and to close it,

ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι Δαναῶν ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες

there the other leaders and rulers of the Danaans

δάκρυά τʼ ὠμόργνυντο τρέμον θʼ ὑπὸ γυῖα ἑκάστου·

wiped away tears, and the limbs of each trembled beneath them;

κεῖνον δʼ οὔ ποτε πάμπαν ἐγὼν ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν

but him I never at all saw with my eyes,

οὔτʼ ὠχρήσαντα χρόα κάλλιμον οὔτε παρειῶν

either turning pale in his fair skin, or wiping away

δάκρυ ὀμορξάμενον· ὁ δέ γε μάλα πόλλʼ ἱκέτευεν

tears from his cheeks; but he eagerly besought me

ἱππόθεν ἐξέμεναι, ξίφεος δʼ ἐπεμαίετο κώπην

to let him go out of the horse, and he kept grasping the hilt of his sword

καὶ δόρυ χαλκοβαρές, κακὰ δὲ Τρώεσσι μενοίνα.

and his bronze-weighted spear, and was meditating evils for the Trojans.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Πριάμοιο πόλιν διεπέρσαμεν αἰπήν,

But when we had sacked the lofty city of Priam,

μοῖραν καὶ γέρας ἐσθλὸν ἔχων ἐπὶ νηὸς ἔβαινεν

he went on board his ship having his share and a noble prize,

ἀσκηθής, οὔτʼ ἂρ βεβλημένος ὀξέι χαλκῷ

unscathed, neither struck by the sharp bronze

οὔτʼ αὐτοσχεδίην οὐτασμένος, οἷά τε πολλὰ

nor wounded in close fight, as often

γίγνεται ἐν πολέμῳ· ἐπιμὶξ δέ τε μαίνεται Ἄρης.

happens in war; for Ares rages indiscriminately."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ψυχὴ δὲ ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο

So I spoke, and the spirit of the swift-footed grandson of Aeacus

φοίτα μακρὰ βιβᾶσα κατʼ ἀσφοδελὸν λειμῶνα,

departed, taking long strides across the asphodel meadow,

γηθοσύνη ὅ οἱ υἱὸν ἔφην ἀριδείκετον εἶναι.

rejoicing because I said that his son was illustrious.

αἱ δʼ ἄλλαι ψυχαὶ νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων

And the other spirits of the dead who had perished

ἕστασαν ἀχνύμεναι, εἴροντο δὲ κήδεʼ ἑκάστη.

stood sorrowing, and each asked of their griefs.

οἴη δʼ Αἴαντος ψυχὴ Τελαμωνιάδαο

Only the spirit of Ajax, son of Telamon,

νόσφιν ἀφεστήκει, κεχολωμένη εἵνεκα νίκης,

stood aloof, angry because of the victory

τήν μιν ἐγὼ νίκησα δικαζόμενος παρὰ νηυσὶ

which I won over him, contending by the ships

τεύχεσιν ἀμφʼ Ἀχιλῆος· ἔθηκε δὲ πότνια μήτηρ.

for the arms of Achilles; his lady mother set them as a prize,

παῖδες δὲ Τρώων δίκασαν καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.

and the sons of the Trojans and Pallas Athena judged the contest.

ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν³ τοιῷδʼ ἐπʼ ἀέθλῳ·

How I wish I had not won in such a contest!

τοίην γὰρ κεφαλὴν ἕνεκʼ αὐτῶν γαῖα κατέσχεν,

For such a man did the earth cover because of those arms,

Αἴανθʼ, ὃς πέρι μὲν εἶδος, πέρι δʼ ἔργα τέτυκτο

Ajax, who in form and in deeds surpassed

τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν μετʼ ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα.

all the other Danaans after the noble son of Peleus.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼν ἐπέεσσι προσηύδων μειλιχίοισιν·

Him I addressed with soothing words:

Αἶαν, παῖ Τελαμῶνος ἀμύμονος, οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλες

"Ajax, son of noble Telamon, were you not then,

οὐδὲ θανὼν λήσεσθαι ἐμοὶ χόλου εἵνεκα τευχέων

even in death, to forget your anger against me for the sake of those cursed

οὐλομένων; τὰ δὲ πῆμα θεοὶ θέσαν Ἀργείοισι,

arms? The gods made them a bane to the Argives,

τοῖος γάρ σφιν πύργος ἀπώλεο· σεῖο δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ

since such a tower as you perished; and the Achaeans

ἶσον Ἀχιλλῆος κεφαλῇ Πηληϊάδαο

mourn for you dead just as we do for the head of Achilles, son of Peleus,

ἀχνύμεθα φθιμένοιο διαμπερές· οὐδέ τις ἄλλος

unceasingly; nor is anyone else

αἴτιος, ἀλλὰ Ζεὺς Δαναῶν στρατὸν αἰχμητάων

to blame, but Zeus hated the host of Danaan spearmen

ἐκπάγλως ἤχθηρε, τεῒν δʼ ἐπὶ μοῖραν ἔθηκεν.

exceedingly, and upon you he laid your fate.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δεῦρο, ἄναξ, ἵνʼ ἔπος καὶ μῦθον ἀκούσῃς

But come hither, lord, that you may hear our word and speech;

ἡμέτερον· δάμασον δὲ μένος καὶ ἀγήνορα θυμόν.

subdue your wrath and your proud spirit."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ οὐδὲν ἀμείβετο, βῆ δὲ μετʼ ἄλλας

So I spoke, but he answered me nothing, and went among the other

ψυχὰς εἰς Ἔρεβος νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων.

spirits into Erebus of the dead who had perished.

ἔνθα χʼ ὅμως προσέφη κεχολωμένος, ἤ κεν ἐγὼ τόν⁴·

There nevertheless he would have spoken to me, angry though he was, or I to him,

ἀλλά μοι ἤθελε θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισι

but the heart in my dear breast wished

τῶν ἄλλων ψυχὰς ἰδέειν κατατεθνηώτων.

to see the spirits of the other dead.

ἔνθʼ ἦ τοι Μίνωα ἴδον, Διὸς ἀγλαὸν υἱόν,

There indeed I saw Minos, the glorious son of Zeus,

Syntax notes4 items

11.501εἰ τοιόσδʼ ἔλθοιμι
The conjunction εἰ combined with the optative ἔλθοιμι. Here it expresses an unattainable wish in the present ('If only I could return as such!'). Alternatively, it can be parsed as the protasis of a conditional sentence with the following τῷ κέ ... στύξαιμι functioning as the apodosis.
11.521γυναίων εἵνεκα δώρων
'Because of gifts to a woman.' This refers to the myth where Eurypylus' mother, Astyoche, was bribed by Priam with a golden vine to send her son to the war at Troy.
11.548ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν
The particle ὡς with ὄφελον (aorist of ὀφείλω) followed by the infinitive νικᾶν. This is a standard construction expressing an unfulfilled wish in the past ('How I wish I had not won').
11.565ἔνθα χʼ ὅμως προσέφη ... ἤ κεν ἐγὼ τόν
The combination of the particle κε (ἄν) with the past indicative (προσέφη, and a verb understood in the second clause) forms a past contrary-to-fact conditional construction ('there he would nevertheless have spoken to me, or I to him [though in fact neither happened]').

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:11.496-11.568