Humanitext Reader

Homer · Iliad §19.1-19.69

Achilles Receives the Armor and Renounces His Wrath

Passage 172 of 226 · Greek

Summary

Achilles receives the armor of Hephaestus from Thetis and entrusts his mother with preserving Patroclus' body. He then summons the Achaean assembly, declaring his reconciliation with Agamemnon and the resumption of war.

§19.1Ἠὼς μὲν κροκόπεπλος ἀπʼ Ὠκεανοῖο ῥοάων §19.2ὄρνυθʼ, ἵνʼ ἀθανάτοισι φόως φέροι ἠδὲ βροτοῖσιν· §19.3ἣ δʼ ἐς νῆας ἵκανε θεοῦ πάρα δῶρα φέρουσα.
Dawn of the saffron robe was rising from the streams of Ocean, to bring light to immortals and to mortal men; and she came to the ships, bearing the gifts from the god.
§19.4εὗρε δὲ Πατρόκλῳ περικείμενον ὃν φίλον υἱὸν §19.5κλαίοντα λιγέως· πολέες δʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν ἑταῖροι §19.6μύρονθʼ·
And she found her dear son lying clasping Patroclus, weeping aloud; and about him his many comrades were lamenting.
ἣ δʼ ἐν τοῖσι παρίστατο δῖα θεάων, §19.7ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε· §19.8τέκνον ἐμὸν τοῦτον μὲν ἐάσομεν ἀχνύμενοί περ
And the noble goddess stood in their midst, and she clung to his hand, and spoke, and addressed him: "My child, this man we will let lie, though we grieve, since once he has been slain by the will of the gods.
§19.9κεῖσθαι, ἐπεὶ δὴ πρῶτα θεῶν ἰότητι δαμάσθη· §19.10τύνη δʼ Ἡφαίστοιο πάρα κλυτὰ τεύχεα δέξο §19.11καλὰ μάλʼ, οἷʼ οὔ πώ τις ἀνὴρ ὤμοισι φόρησεν. §19.12ὡς ἄρα φωνήσασα θεὰ κατὰ τεύχεʼ ἔθηκε
But you, receive from Hephaestus glorious armor, exceeding beautiful, such as no man has ever yet worn upon his shoulders." So saying, the goddess set down the armor before Achilles; and all those elaborately wrought pieces clanged aloud.
§19.13πρόσθεν Ἀχιλλῆος· τὰ δʼ ἀνέβραχε δαίδαλα πάντα. §19.14Μυρμιδόνας δʼ ἄρα πάντας ἕλε τρόμος, οὐδέ τις ἔτλη §19.15ἄντην εἰσιδέειν, ἀλλʼ ἔτρεσαν.
Then trembling seized all the Myrmidons, nor did anyone dare to look upon them face to face, but they shrank back.
αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς §19.16ὡς εἶδʼ, ὥς μιν μᾶλλον ἔδυ χόλος, ἐν δέ οἱ ὄσσε §19.17δεινὸν ὑπὸ βλεφάρων ὡς εἰ σέλας ἐξεφάανθεν· §19.18τέρπετο δʼ ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχων θεοῦ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα.
But Achilles, when he saw them, was filled with even greater anger, and his eyes flashed terribly beneath his eyelids like a flame of fire; and he was glad as he held in his hands the glorious gifts of the god.
§19.19αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ φρεσὶν ᾗσι τετάρπετο δαίδαλα λεύσσων §19.20αὐτίκα μητέρα ἣν ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §19.21μῆτερ ἐμὴ τὰ μὲν ὅπλα θεὸς πόρεν οἷʼ ἐπιεικὲς §19.22ἔργʼ ἔμεν ἀθανάτων, μὴ δὲ βροτὸν ἄνδρα τελέσσαι.
But when he had satisfied his soul with gazing on the wondrous work, straightway he spoke winged words to his mother: "My mother, the armor indeed the god has given is such as is fitting to be the work of immortals, and such as no mortal man could fashion.
§19.23νῦν δʼ ἤτοι μὲν ἐγὼ θωρήξομαι· ἀλλὰ μάλʼ αἰνῶς §19.24δείδω μή μοι τόφρα Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμον υἱὸν §19.25μυῖαι καδδῦσαι κατὰ χαλκοτύπους ὠτειλὰς §19.26εὐλὰς ἐγγείνωνται, ἀεικίσσωσι δὲ νεκρόν, §19.27ἐκ δʼ αἰὼν πέφαται, κατὰ δὲ χρόα πάντα σαπήῃ. §19.28τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα· §19.29τέκνον μή τοι ταῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶ σῇσι μελόντων.
And now I will arm myself for battle; but I dread terribly lest meanwhile flies enter the wounds of the brave son of Menoetius, made by the bronze, and breed maggots and so defile his dead body— for the life is slain out of him—and all his flesh rot." Then the silver-footed goddess Thetis answered him: "My child, let not these things be a care to your heart.
§19.30τῷ μὲν ἐγὼ πειρήσω ἀλαλκεῖν ἄγρια φῦλα §19.31μυίας, αἵ ῥά τε φῶτας ἀρηϊφάτους κατέδουσιν·
From him I will strive to ward off the wild swarms of flies, which devour men slain in battle.
§19.32ἤν περ γὰρ κεῖταί γε τελεσφόρον εἰς ἐνιαυτόν, §19.33αἰεὶ τῷ γʼ ἔσται χρὼς ἔμπεδος, ἢ καὶ ἀρείων.
For even if he lie for a full year, his flesh shall remain sound, or even better than now.
§19.34ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσας ἥρωας Ἀχαιοὺς §19.35μῆνιν ἀποειπὼν Ἀγαμέμνονι ποιμένι λαῶν §19.36αἶψα μάλʼ ἐς πόλεμον θωρήσσεο, δύσεο δʼ ἀλκήν. §19.37ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασα μένος πολυθαρσὲς ἐνῆκε, §19.38Πατρόκλῳ δʼ αὖτʼ ἀμβροσίην καὶ νέκταρ ἐρυθρὸν §19.39στάξε κατὰ ῥινῶν, ἵνα οἱ χρὼς ἔμπεδος εἴη.
But do you call the Achaean heroes to assembly, and renounce your wrath against Agamemnon, shepherd of the host, and then arm yourself quickly for war, and clothe yourself in strength." So saying she filled him with bold courage, and on Patroclus she dripped ambrosia and red nectar through his nostrils, so that his flesh might remain sound.
§19.40αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ παρὰ θῖνα θαλάσσης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς §19.41σμερδαλέα ἰάχων, ὦρσεν δʼ ἥρωας Ἀχαιούς.
But noble Achilles went along the shore of the sea, crying out terribly, and roused the Achaean heroes.
§19.42καί ῥʼ οἵ περ τὸ πάρος γε νεῶν ἐν ἀγῶνι μένεσκον §19.43οἵ τε κυβερνῆται καὶ ἔχον οἰήϊα νηῶν §19.44καὶ ταμίαι παρὰ νηυσὶν ἔσαν σίτοιο δοτῆρες, §19.45καὶ μὴν οἳ τότε γʼ εἰς ἀγορὴν ἴσαν, οὕνεκʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς §19.46ἐξεφάνη, δηρὸν δὲ μάχης ἐπέπαυτʼ ἀλεγεινῆς.
And they who before had been used to remain in the gathering of the ships, both the steersmen who held the rudders of the ships, and they who were stewards at the ships, dispensers of food, even these then came to the assembly, because Achilles had appeared, though he had long kept away from grievous war.
§19.47τὼ δὲ δύω σκάζοντε βάτην Ἄρεος θεράποντε §19.48Τυδεΐδης τε μενεπτόλεμος καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς §19.49ἔγχει ἐρειδομένω· ἔτι γὰρ ἔχον ἕλκεα λυγρά· §19.50κὰδ δὲ μετὰ πρώτῃ ἀγορῇ ἵζοντο κιόντες.
And the two squires of Ares went limping, Tydeus' son stanch in battle and noble Odysseus, leaning on their spears; for they still had grievous wounds; and they went and sat down in the front of the assembly.
§19.51αὐτὰρ ὃ δεύτατος ἦλθεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων §19.52ἕλκος ἔχων· καὶ γὰρ τὸν ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ §19.53οὖτα Κόων Ἀντηνορίδης χαλκήρεϊ δουρί.
And last of all came Agamemnon, king of men, having a wound; for him too in the fierce conflict Coön, Antenor's son, had wounded with his bronze-tipped spear.
§19.54αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντες ἀολλίσθησαν Ἀχαιοί, §19.55τοῖσι δʼ ἀνιστάμενος μετέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς· §19.56Ἀτρεΐδη ἦ ἄρ τι τόδʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἄρειον §19.57ἔπλετο σοὶ καὶ ἐμοί, ὅ τε νῶΐ περ ἀχνυμένω κῆρ §19.58θυμοβόρῳ ἔριδι μενεήναμεν εἵνεκα κούρης;
Now when all the Achaeans were gathered together, Achilles of the swift feet arose and spoke among them: "Son of Atreus, was this indeed better for us both, for you and for me, that with grieving hearts we raged in soul-devouring strife for the sake of a girl?
§19.59τὴν ὄφελʼ ἐν νήεσσι κατακτάμεν Ἄρτεμις ἰῷ §19.60ἤματι τῷ ὅτʼ ἐγὼν ἑλόμην Λυρνησσὸν ὀλέσσας· §19.61τώ κʼ οὐ τόσσοι Ἀχαιοὶ ὀδὰξ ἕλον ἄσπετον οὖδας §19.62δυσμενέων ὑπὸ χερσὶν ἐμεῦ ἀπομηνίσαντος.
Would that Artemis had slain her with an arrow at the ships on the day when I chose her, after I had destroyed Lyrnessus; then had not so many Achaeans bitten the vast earth with their teeth beneath the hands of the enemy, while I was angry.
§19.63Ἕκτορι μὲν καὶ Τρωσὶ τὸ κέρδιον· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὺς §19.64δηρὸν ἐμῆς καὶ σῆς ἔριδος μνήσεσθαι ὀΐω.
To Hector and the Trojans this was gain; but the Achaeans will long remember, I think, your strife and mine.
§19.65ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν προτετύχθαι ἐάσομεν ἀχνύμενοί περ §19.66θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλον δαμάσαντες ἀνάγκῃ·
But these things we will let be as past and done, though we grieve, keeping down by necessity the anger in our breasts.
§19.67νῦν δʼ ἤτοι μὲν ἐγὼ παύω χόλον, οὐδέ τί με χρὴ §19.68ἀσκελέως αἰεὶ μενεαινέμεν·
And now I end my wrath; it is not fitting for me to remain stubbornly angry forever.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε θᾶσσον §19.69ὄτρυνον πόλεμον δὲ κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιούς,
But come, quickly urge to battle the long-haired Achaeans,"

Notes

  1. §19.8τοῦτον μὲν ἐάσομεν ... κεῖσθαι — τοῦτον (this one) refers to Patroclus (his corpse), serving as the direct object of the verb ἐάσομεν (we will let) and simultaneously as the subject of the infinitive κεῖσθαι (to lie).
  2. §19.16ὡς εἶδʼ, ὥς — The correlation of ὡς (when) and accented ὥς (thus/then) expresses immediate temporal succession: "as soon as he saw, then anger entered him."
  3. §19.21οἷʼ ἐπιεικὲς / ἔργʼ ἔμεν ἀθανάτων — οἷʼ (οἷα, neuter plural relative adjective) agrees with the antecedent τὰ ὅπλα. The impersonal ἐστί is omitted after ἐπιεικὲς (it is fitting). ἔμεν (epic infinitive of εἶναι) depends on ἐπιεικὲς, with ἀθανάτων as the possessive or subjective genitive modifying ἔργα (works). The construction means "such as are fitting to be the works of immortals."
  4. §19.24δείδω μή μοι ... εὐλὰς ἐγγείνωνται — The verb of fearing δείδω introduces a μή clause with subjunctives (ἐγγείνωνται and ἀεικίσσωσι), expressing apprehension about the future: "I fear lest...". μοι is a dative of disadvantage (affecting me).
  5. §19.57ὅ τε νῶϊ ... μενεήναμεν — ὅ (epic neuter relative used as a conjunction, equivalent to ὅτι "that" or "in that") introduces the clause explaining the demonstrative τόδε in the preceding line: "(was this better...) that we two raged." νῶϊ is the dual pronoun of the first person (we two).

Cite this passage

Homer, Iliad §19.1-19.69. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:19.1-19.69

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