Achilles in Disguise and His Love for Deidameia — Bion of Smyrna, Epithalamium of Achilles and Deidameia, lines 1–32, Greek & English

Λῇς¹ νύ τί μοι Λυκίδα Σικελὸν μέλος ἁδὺ λιγαίνειν,

Will you sing me some sweet Sicilian song, Lycidas, piping beautifully,

ἱμερόεν γλυκύθυμον ἐρωτικόν, οἷον ὁ Κύκλωψ

a lovely, sweet-natured love-song, such as the Cyclops

ἄεισεν Πολύφαμος ἐπᾳονίᾳ² Γαλατείᾳ;

Polyphemus sang to the charmed Galatea?

κἠμοὶ συρίσδεν, Μύρσων, φίλον· ἀλλὰ τί μέλψω;

And to me, Myrson, piping is dear; but what shall I sing?

Σκύριον ὦ Λυκίδα ζαλώμενον ἁδὺν ἔρωτα,

Sing, Lycidas, of the sweet love of Scyros that was longed for,

λάθρια Πηλείδαο φιλάματα, λάθριον εὐνάν,

of the secret kisses of the son of Peleus, the secret bed,

πῶς παῖς ἕσσατο φᾶρος, ὅπως δ’ ἐψεύσατο μορφὰν

how the boy put on a cloak, and how he disguised his form,

κἠν κώραισιν ὅπως Λυκομηδίσιν ἁπαλέγοισα³

and how among the Lycomedian maidens, speaking softly,

ἠείδη κατὰ παστὸν Ἀχιλλέα Δηϊδάμεια.

Deidameia knew Achilles in the bridal chamber.

Ἅρπασε τὰν Ἑλέναν πόθ’ ὁ βουκόλος, ἆγε δ’ ἐς Ἴδαν,

Once the herdsman carried off Helen, and led her to Ida,

Οἰνώνᾳ κακὸν ἄλγος. ἐχώσατο δ’ ἁ Λακεδαίμων,

a bitter grief to Oenone. And Lacedaemon grew angry,

πάντα δὲ λαὸν ἄγειρεν Ἀχαϊκόν, οὐδέ τις Ἕλλην

and gathered all the Achaean host, nor did any Greek,

οὔτε Μυκηναίων οὔτ’ Ἤλιδος οὔτε Λακώνων,

either of Mycenae or of Elis or of Laconia,

μεῖνεν ἑὸν κατὰ δῶμα φυγὼν δύστανον Ἄρηα.

remain in his home, fleeing wretched war.

λάνθανε δ’ ἐν κώραις Λυκομηδίσι μοῦνος Ἀχιλλεύς,

But Achilles alone lay hidden among the Lycomedian maidens,

εἴρια δ’ ἀνθ’ ὅπλων ἐδιδάσκετο, καὶ χερὶ λευκᾷ

and was learning the working of wool instead of arms, and with his white hand

παρθενικὸν κόπον εἶχεν, ἐφαίνετο δ’ ἠΰτε κώρα·

held a maiden’s task, and appeared like a girl.

καὶ γὰρ ἴσον τήναις θηλύνετο, καὶ τόσον ἄνθος

For he became as effeminate as they, and as much bloom

χιονέαις πόρφυρε παρηίσι, καὶ τὸ βάδισμα

reddened on his snowy cheeks, and he walked

παρθενικῆς ἐβάδιζε,⁴ κόμας δ’ ἐπύκαζε καλύπτρᾳ.

with the step of a maiden, and covered his hair with a veil.

θυμὸν δ’ ἀνέρος εἶχε, καὶ ἀνέρος εἶχεν ἔρωτα·

But he had the soul of a man, and a man’s love;

ἐξ ἀοῦς δ’ ἐπὶ νύκτα παρίζετο Δηϊδαμείᾳ,

and from dawn until night he sat beside Deidameia,

καὶ ποτὲ μὲν τήνας ἐφίλει χέρα, πολλάκι δ’ αὐτᾶς

and at one time he would kiss her hand, and often he would lift

στάμονα καλὸν ἄειρε, τὰ δαίδαλα δ’ ἄτρἰ ἐπῄνει·

her beautiful warp, and praise her cunningly-woven threads.

ἤσθιε δ’ οὐκ ἄλλᾳ σὺν ὁμάλικι, πάντα δ’ ἐποίει

And he did not eat with any other companion of his age, and did everything

σπεύδων κοινὸν ἐς ὕπνον. ἔλεξέ νυ καὶ λόγον αὐτᾷ·

striving for a shared sleep. And indeed he even spoke a word to her:

ἅλλαι μὲν κνώσσουσι σὺν ἀλλάλαισιν ἀδελφαί,

”Other sisters sleep with one another,

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μώνα, μώνα δὲ σὺ νύμφα καθεύδεις.

but I sleep alone, and you sleep alone, O bride.

αἱ δύο παρθενικαὶ συνομάλικες, αἱ δύο καλαί·

We two are maidens of the same age, both of us beautiful;

ἀλλὰ μόναι κατὰ λέκτρα καθεύδομες· ἁ δὲ πονηρὰ

but we sleep alone in our beds. And that wicked

Νυσαία δολία με κακῶς ἀπὸ σεῖο μερίσδει.⁵

and deceitful Nysaia cruelly divides me from you.

οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ σέο...

For I do not...”

Syntax notes5 items

1Λῇς
2nd person singular present of the Doric verb λῶ (= θέλω, ἐθέλω, "to wish, want"), taking the infinitive λιγαίνειν to express a polite request or invitation.
3ἐπᾳονίᾳ
The manuscript reading ἐπᾳονίᾳ is the dative feminine singular of the adjective ἐπᾴονος ("soothing" or "charming by spell"), agreeing with Γαλατείᾳ ("to the charmed/soothed Galatea"). Alternatively, many editors emend it to ἐπ' ἀϊόνι ("on the shore"). Here, the transmitted text is retained and interpreted as an adjective modifying Γαλατείᾳ.
8ἁπαλέγοισα
A Doric participle, combining the adverb ἁπαλά ("softly, gently") and the participle λέγοισα (= λέγουσα, from λέγω, "to speak"). It is in the nominative singular feminine, modifying the subject Δηϊδάμεια (line 9), describing her speaking softly and intimately with Achilles.
19τὸ βάδισμα παρθενικῆς ἐβάδιζε
A cognate accusative construction, where the intransitive verb ἐβάδιζε takes the etymologically related noun βάδισμα as its accusative object. The genitive παρθενικῆς ("of a maiden") modifies βάδισμα, meaning "he walked with the step of a maiden."
31μερίσδει
The verb μερίσδω (= μερίζω, "to divide, separate"), showing the characteristic Doric spelling -σδ- instead of -ζ-. Used with ἀπὸ σεῖο ("from you", σεῖο being the epic/dialectal genitive of σύ), meaning "separates me from you."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0036.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1-32