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Homer · Iliad §20.436-20.503

Apollo's Rescue of Hector and Achilles' Slaughter

Passage 184 of 226 · Greek

Summary

Hector's thrown spear is blown back by Athena, and Apollo rescues Hector from Achilles' fierce pursuit by shrouding him in a mist. Enraged, Achilles mercilessly slaughters numerous Trojans, including Tros and Deucalion, driving his chariot over corpses and shields as the battlefield runs with blood.

§20.436αἴ κέ σε χειρότερός περ ἐὼν ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἕλωμαι §20.437δουρὶ βαλών, ἐπεὶ ἦ καὶ ἐμὸν βέλος ὀξὺ πάροιθεν. §20.438ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δόρυ, καὶ τό γʼ Ἀθήνη §20.439πνοιῇ Ἀχιλλῆος πάλιν ἔτραπε κυδαλίμοιο §20.440ἦκα μάλα ψύξασα· τὸ δʼ ἂψ ἵκεθʼ Ἕκτορα δῖον, §20.441αὐτοῦ δὲ προπάροιθε ποδῶν πέσεν.
"Even if I am weaker than you, let me see if I may take away your life by casting with my spear, since indeed my weapon too was sharp before." He spoke, and brandishing his spear, let it fly, but Athena with a breath turned it back away from glorious Achilles, blowing very softly; and it came back to noble Hector, and fell there before his feet.
αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς §20.442ἐμμεμαὼς ἐπόρουσε κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων, §20.443σμερδαλέα ἰάχων· τὸν δʼ ἐξήρπαξεν Ἀπόλλων §20.444ῥεῖα μάλʼ ὥς τε θεός, ἐκάλυψε δʼ ἄρʼ ἠέρι πολλῇ.
But Achilles leaped upon him furiously, eager to slay him, crying a terrible cry; but Apollo snatched Hector away very easily, as a god can, and shrouded him in thick mist.
§20.445τρὶς μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἐπόρουσε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς §20.446ἔγχεϊ χαλκείῳ, τρὶς δʼ ἠέρα τύψε βαθεῖαν.
Three times then did swift-footed noble Achilles rush on him with his bronze spear, and three times he struck the deep mist.
§20.447ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸ τέταρτον ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος, §20.448δεινὰ δʼ ὁμοκλήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §20.449ἐξ αὖ νῦν ἔφυγες θάνατον κύον·
But when for the fourth time he charge like a god, he shouted terribly and spoke winged words: "Once again now you have escaped death, you dog!
ἦ τέ τοι ἄγχι §20.450ἦλθε κακόν· νῦν αὖτέ σʼ ἐρύσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων, §20.451ᾧ μέλλεις εὔχεσθαι ἰὼν ἐς δοῦπον ἀκόντων.
Surely evil came close to you; but this time too Phoebus Apollo saved you, to whom you must pray when going into the clash of javelins.
§20.452ἦ θήν σʼ ἐξανύω γε καὶ ὕστερον ἀντιβολήσας, §20.453εἴ πού τις καὶ ἔμοιγε θεῶν ἐπιτάρροθός ἐστι.
Verily I will finish you off when I meet you hereafter, if any of the gods is a helper to me as well.
§20.454νῦν αὖ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπιείσομαι, ὅν κε κιχείω. §20.455ὣς εἰπὼν Δρύοπʼ οὖτα κατʼ αὐχένα μέσσον ἄκοντι· §20.456ἤριπε δὲ προπάροιθε ποδῶν·
Now, however, I will go after the others, whomsoever I may find." So saying, he wounded Dryops in the middle of the neck with his spear, and he fell down before his feet.
ὃ δὲ τὸν μὲν ἔασε, §20.457Δημοῦχον δὲ Φιλητορίδην ἠΰν τε μέγαν τε §20.458κὰγ γόνυ δουρὶ βαλὼν ἠρύκακε. τὸν μὲν ἔπειτα §20.459οὐτάζων ξίφεϊ μεγάλῳ ἐξαίνυτο θυμόν·
But Achilles left him, and stopped Demuchus, Philetor's son, both brave and tall, hitting him on the knee with his spear; and then wounding him with his great sword, he took away his life.
§20.460αὐτὰρ ὃ Λαόγονον καὶ Δάρδανον υἷε Βίαντος §20.461ἄμφω ἐφορμηθεὶς ἐξ ἵππων ὦσε χαμᾶζε, §20.462τὸν μὲν δουρὶ βαλών, τὸν δὲ σχεδὸν ἄορι τύψας.
But he attacked Laogonus and Dardanus, sons of Bias, and thrust them both from their chariot to the ground, striking one with his spear, and hitting the other in close fight with his sword.
§20.463Τρῶα δʼ Ἀλαστορίδην, ὃ μὲν ἀντίος ἤλυθε γούνων, §20.464εἴ πώς εὑ πεφίδοιτο λαβὼν καὶ ζωὸν ἀφείη §20.465μηδὲ κατακτείνειεν ὁμηλικίην ἐλεήσας, §20.466νήπιος, οὐδὲ τὸ ᾔδη ὃ οὐ πείσεσθαι ἔμελλεν· §20.467οὐ γάρ τι γλυκύθυμος ἀνὴρ ἦν οὐδʼ ἀγανόφρων, §20.468ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἐμμεμαώς· ὃ μὲν ἥπτετο χείρεσι γούνων §20.469ἱέμενος λίσσεσθʼ, ὃ δὲ φασγάνῳ οὖτα καθʼ ἧπαρ· §20.470ἐκ δέ οἱ ἧπαρ ὄλισθεν, ἀτὰρ μέλαν αἷμα κατʼ αὐτοῦ §20.471κόλπον ἐνέπλησεν· τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψε §20.472θυμοῦ δευόμενον·
Then Tros, Alastor's son, came to clasp his knees, if by any means he would spare him, taking him alive and letting him go, and not slay him, having pity on one of the same age, foolish man, nor did he know this, that he was not likely to persuade him; for he was not a sweet-tempered man, nor gentle of heart, but exceedingly fierce; Tros was trying to touch his knees with his hands, eager to entreat him, but Achilles wounded him with his sword in the liver; and his liver slipped out, and the dark blood from it filled his lap; and darkness covered his eyes as he swooned.
ὃ δὲ Μούλιον οὖτα παραστὰς §20.473δουρὶ κατʼ οὖς· εἶθαρ δὲ διʼ οὔατος ἦλθʼ ἑτέροιο §20.474αἰχμὴ χαλκείη·
Then Achilles stood beside Mulius and struck him with his spear in the ear, and immediately through the other ear came the bronze spearpoint.
ὃ δʼ Ἀγήνορος υἱὸν Ἔχεκλον §20.475μέσσην κὰκ κεφαλὴν ξίφει ἤλασε κωπήεντι, §20.476πᾶν δʼ ὑπεθερμάνθη ξίφος αἵματι· τὸν δὲ κατʼ ὄσσε §20.477ἔλλαβε πορφύρεος θάνατος καὶ μοῖρα κραταιή.
Then he struck Echeclus, son of Agenor, on the middle of the head with his hilted sword, and all the sword was warmed with blood; and dark death and strong fate seized his eyes.
§20.478Δευκαλίωνα δʼ ἔπειθʼ, ἵνα τε ξυνέχουσι τένοντες §20.479ἀγκῶνος, τῇ τόν γε φίλης διὰ χειρὸς ἔπειρεν §20.480αἰχμῇ χαλκείῃ· ὃ δέ μιν μένε χεῖρα βαρυνθεὶς §20.481πρόσθʼ ὁρόων θάνατον· ὃ δὲ φασγάνῳ αὐχένα θείνας §20.482τῆλʼ αὐτῇ πήληκι κάρη βάλε· μυελὸς αὖτε §20.483σφονδυλίων ἔκπαλθʼ, ὃ δʼ ἐπὶ χθονὶ κεῖτο τανυσθείς.
Then Deucalion, where the tendons of the elbow join, there he pierced him through his arm with the bronze spearpoint; and he awaited him with his arm weighed down, seeing death before him; but Achilles, striking his neck with his sword, swept his head far off, helmet and all; and the marrow spurted out from the spine, and he lay stretched upon the earth.
§20.484αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ ῥʼ ἰέναι μετʼ ἀμύμονα Πείρεω υἱὸν §20.485Ῥίγμον, ὃς ἐκ Θρῄκης ἐριβώλακος εἰληλούθει· §20.486τὸν βάλε μέσσον ἄκοντι, πάγη δʼ ἐν νηδύϊ χαλκός, §20.487ἤριπε δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων·
But he went on to go after Rigmus, the noble son of Peires, who had come from fertile Thrace; him he struck in the middle with his javelin, and the bronze fixed in his belly, and he fell from his chariot.
ὃ δʼ Ἀρηΐθοον θεράποντα §20.488ἂψ ἵππους στρέψαντα μετάφρενον ὀξέϊ δουρὶ §20.489νύξʼ, ἀπὸ δʼ ἅρματος ὦσε· κυκήθησαν δέ οἱ ἵπποι.
Then as his squire Areithous turned the horses back, Achilles stabbed him in the back with his sharp spear and thrust him from the chariot; and the horses were thrown into confusion.
§20.490ὡς δʼ ἀναμαιμάει βαθέʼ ἄγκεα θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ §20.491οὔρεος ἀζαλέοιο, βαθεῖα δὲ καίεται ὕλη, §20.492πάντῃ τε κλονέων ἄνεμος φλόγα εἰλυφάζει, §20.493ὣς ὅ γε πάντῃ θῦνε σὺν ἔγχεϊ δαίμονι ἶσος §20.494κτεινομένους ἐφέπων· ῥέε δʼ αἵματι γαῖα μέλαινα.
And as a raging fire rages through the deep glens of a dry mountain, and the deep forest burns, and the wind driving it on whirls the flame everywhere, so he raged everywhere with his spear like a god, pressing hard upon those he slew; and the black earth ran with blood.
§20.495ὡς δʼ ὅτε τις ζεύξῃ βόας ἄρσενας εὐρυμετώπους §20.496τριβέμεναι κρῖ λευκὸν ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν ἀλωῇ, §20.497ῥίμφά τε λέπτʼ ἐγένοντο βοῶν ὑπὸ πόσσʼ ἐριμύκων, §20.498ὣς ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος μεγαθύμου μώνυχες ἵπποι §20.499στεῖβον ὁμοῦ νέκυάς τε καὶ ἀσπίδας· αἵματι δʼ ἄξων §20.500νέρθεν ἅπας πεπάλακτο καὶ ἄντυγες αἳ περὶ δίφρον, §20.501ἃς ἄρʼ ἀφʼ ἱππείων ὁπλέων ῥαθάμιγγες ἔβαλλον §20.502αἵ τʼ ἀπʼ ἐπισσώτρων· ὃ δὲ ἵετο κῦδος ἀρέσθαι §20.503Πηλεΐδης, λύθρῳ δὲ παλάσσετο χεῖρας ἀάπτους.
And as when one yokes broad-browed male oxen to tread white barley in a well-ordered threshing-floor, and quickly it is ground fine under the feet of the lowing oxen, so under great-hearted Achilles his whole-hooved horses trampled together both corpses and shields; and the axle beneath was all spattered with blood, and the chariot-rims about the seat, which droplets from the horses' hooves struck, and others from the wheel-rims; but he was eager to win glory, the son of Peleus, and with gore were defiled his invincible hands.

Notes

  1. §20.436αἴ κέ σε χειρότερός περ ἐὼν ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἕλωμαι — The subjunctive clause αἴ κέ... ἕλωμαι expresses an attempt with an uncertain outcome, where the main clause (such as 'let me see if...') is omitted. It functions as an indirect question expressing Hector's challenge to see if he can kill Achilles despite being weaker.
  2. §20.463Τρῶα δʼ Ἀλαστορίδην — This accusative noun is placed at the beginning of the sentence for prominence (prolepsis/hyperbaton). The subject of the action, ὃ μὲν (Tros), appears in line 468 with the verb ἥπτετο. The initial accusative acts as an anticipated topic before being grammatically integrated as the object of the subsequent actions.
  3. §20.480ὃ δέ μιν μένε χεῖρα βαρυνθεὶς — The accusative χεῖρα is an accusative of specification (or respect) modifying the passive participle βαρυνθεὶς, meaning 'having his arm weighed down.' The pronoun μιν (him, referring to Achilles) serves as the direct object of the transitive verb μένε ('awaited').
  4. §20.501ἃς ἄρʼ — The relative pronoun ἃς (feminine plural accusative) has as its antecedent ἄντυγες ('chariot-rims', feminine plural) in line 500. It shows that the droplets of blood flung from the horses' hooves (ἱππείων ὁπλέων) and the wheel-rims (ἐπισσώτρων) struck the rims around the chariot platform.

Cite this passage

Homer, Iliad §20.436-20.503. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:20.436-20.503

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