§22.1ὣς οἳ μὲν κατὰ ἄστυ πεφυζότες ἠΰτε νεβροὶ §22.2ἱδρῶ ἀπεψύχοντο πίον τʼ ἀκέοντό τε δίψαν §22.3κεκλιμένοι καλῇσιν ἐπάλξεσιν· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ §22.4τείχεος ἆσσον ἴσαν σάκεʼ ὤμοισι κλίναντες.
Thus they, routed through the city like fawns, were cooling their sweat and drinking and quenching their thirst, leaning against the beautiful battlements; but the Achaeans drew near to the wall, leaning their shields against their shoulders.
But Hector did destructive fate bind to remain there, in front of Ilios and the Scaean gates.
§22.7αὐτὰρ Πηλείωνα προσηύδα Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων· §22.8τίπτέ με Πηλέος υἱὲ ποσὶν ταχέεσσι διώκεις §22.9αὐτὸς θνητὸς ἐὼν θεὸν ἄμβροτον;
Then Phoebus Apollo spoke to the son of Peleus: "Why, son of Peleus, do you pursue me with swift feet, yourself a mortal pursuing an immortal god?
οὐδέ νύ πώ με §22.10ἔγνως ὡς θεός εἰμι, σὺ δʼ ἀσπερχὲς μενεαίνεις.
Have you not yet recognized that I am a god, that you rage so incessantly?
§22.11ἦ νύ τοι οὔ τι μέλει Τρώων πόνος, οὓς ἐφόβησας, §22.12οἳ δή τοι εἰς ἄστυ ἄλεν, σὺ δὲ δεῦρο λιάσθης.
Surely you care nothing for the toil of the Trojans whom you routed, who are now gathered into the city, while you have turned aside here.
§22.13οὐ μέν με κτενέεις, ἐπεὶ οὔ τοι μόρσιμός εἰμι. §22.14τὸν δὲ μέγʼ ὀχθήσας προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς· §22.15ἔβλαψάς μʼ ἑκάεργε θεῶν ὀλοώτατε πάντων §22.16ἐνθάδε νῦν τρέψας ἀπὸ τείχεος· ἦ κʼ ἔτι πολλοὶ §22.17γαῖαν ὀδὰξ εἷλον πρὶν Ἴλιον εἰσαφικέσθαι.
You will not kill me, since I am not subject to death." Then deeply moved, swift-footed Achilles spoke to him: "You have baffled me, worker from afar, most destructive of all gods, in turning me away from the wall hither; surely many a man would yet have bitten the dust before they reached Ilios.
§22.18νῦν δʼ ἐμὲ μὲν μέγα κῦδος ἀφείλεο, τοὺς δὲ σάωσας §22.19ῥηϊδίως, ἐπεὶ οὔ τι τίσιν γʼ ἔδεισας ὀπίσσω.
But now you have robbed me of great glory, and saved them easily, since you have no fear of vengeance hereafter.
§22.20ἦ σʼ ἂν τισαίμην, εἴ μοι δύναμίς γε παρείη. §22.21ὣς εἰπὼν προτὶ ἄστυ μέγα φρονέων ἐβεβήκει, §22.22σευάμενος ὥς θʼ ἵππος ἀεθλοφόρος σὺν ὄχεσφιν, §22.23ὅς ῥά τε ῥεῖα θέῃσι τιταινόμενος πεδίοιο· §22.24ὣς Ἀχιλεὺς λαιψηρὰ πόδας καὶ γούνατʼ ἐνώμα.
Verily I would take vengeance on you, if only the power were in me." So saying, he went toward the city with high thoughts, speeding like a prize-winning horse with a chariot, that runs lightly and at full stretch over the plain; so Achilles plied his swift feet and knees.
§22.25τὸν δʼ ὃ γέρων Πρίαμος πρῶτος ἴδεν ὀφθαλμοῖσι §22.26παμφαίνονθʼ ὥς τʼ ἀστέρʼ ἐπεσσύμενον πεδίοιο, §22.27ὅς ῥά τʼ ὀπώρης εἶσιν, ἀρίζηλοι δέ οἱ αὐγαὶ §22.28φαίνονται πολλοῖσι μετʼ ἀστράσι νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ, §22.29ὅν τε κύνʼ Ὠρίωνος ἐπίκλησιν καλέουσι.
Him the old man Priam was first to behold with his eyes, gleaming like the star that comes forth at harvest-time, and its rays shine bright among many stars in the darkness of the night, the star they call by name the Dog of Orion.
§22.30λαμπρότατος μὲν ὅ γʼ ἐστί, κακὸν δέ τε σῆμα τέτυκται, §22.31καί τε φέρει πολλὸν πυρετὸν δειλοῖσι βροτοῖσιν· §22.32ὣς τοῦ χαλκὸς ἔλαμπε περὶ στήθεσσι θέοντος.
Brightest of all is he, yet he is ordained as an evil sign, and he brings much fever to wretched mortals; even so gleamed the bronze upon the breast of Achilles as he ran.
§22.33ᾤμωξεν δʼ ὃ γέρων, κεφαλὴν δʼ ὅ γε κόψατο χερσὶν §22.34ὑψόσʼ ἀνασχόμενος, μέγα δʼ οἰμώξας ἐγεγώνει §22.35λισσόμενος φίλον υἱόν· ὃ δὲ προπάροιθε πυλάων §22.36ἑστήκει ἄμοτον μεμαὼς Ἀχιλῆϊ μάχεσθαι·
The old man groaned aloud, and beat his head with his hands, raising them on high, and with a loud cry of wailing he spoke, entreating his dear son; but he before the gates stood, fiercely eager to do battle with Achilles.
§22.37τὸν δʼ ὃ γέρων ἐλεεινὰ προσηύδα χεῖρας ὀρεγνύς· §22.38Ἕκτορ μή μοι μίμνε φίλον τέκος ἀνέρα τοῦτον §22.39οἶος ἄνευθʼ ἄλλων, ἵνα μὴ τάχα πότμον ἐπίσπῃς §22.40Πηλεΐωνι δαμείς, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτερός ἐστι §22.41σχέτλιος·
To him the old man spoke piteously, stretching forth his hands: "Hector, I pray you, my dear child, do not wait for this man alone, apart from the others, lest you quickly meet your doom, slain by the son of Peleus, since he is far stronger than you, hard man!
αἴθε θεοῖσι φίλος τοσσόνδε γένοιτο §22.42ὅσσον ἐμοί·
Would that he were as little dear to the gods as he is to me!
τάχα κέν ἑ κύνες καὶ γῦπες ἔδοιεν §22.43κείμενον· ἦ κέ μοι αἰνὸν ἀπὸ πραπίδων ἄχος ἔλθοι·
Quickly then would dogs and vultures devour him as he lay dead; then would terrible grief depart from my heart.
He has made me childless of many and noble sons, slaying them and selling them into islands far away.
§22.46καὶ γὰρ νῦν δύο παῖδε Λυκάονα καὶ Πολύδωρον §22.47οὐ δύναμαι ἰδέειν Τρώων εἰς ἄστυ ἀλέντων, §22.48τούς μοι Λαοθόη τέκετο κρείουσα γυναικῶν.
For even now there are two of my children, Lycaon and Polydorus, whom I cannot see among the Trojans who have gathered into the city, whom Laothoe bore to me, a queen among women.
§22.49ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν ζώουσι μετὰ στρατῷ, ἦ τʼ ἂν ἔπειτα §22.50χαλκοῦ τε χρυσοῦ τʼ ἀπολυσόμεθʼ, ἔστι γὰρ ἔνδον· §22.51πολλὰ γὰρ ὤπασε παιδὶ γέρων ὀνομάκλυτος Ἄλτης.
But if they are yet alive in the camp, then surely hereafter we will ransom them with bronze and gold; for there is store of it within; for many things did the old man of famous name, Altes, give to his daughter.
§22.52εἰ δʼ ἤδη τεθνᾶσι καὶ εἰν Ἀΐδαο δόμοισιν, §22.53ἄλγος ἐμῷ θυμῷ καὶ μητέρι τοὶ τεκόμεσθα· §22.54λαοῖσιν δʼ ἄλλοισι μινυνθαδιώτερον ἄλγος §22.55ἔσσεται, ἢν μὴ καὶ σὺ θάνῃς Ἀχιλῆϊ δαμασθείς.
But if they are already dead and in the house of Hades, there will be grief to my soul and to their mother, we who begot them; but to the rest of the people the grief will be shorter, if you too do not die, slain by Achilles.
§22.56ἀλλʼ εἰσέρχεο τεῖχος ἐμὸν τέκος, ὄφρα σαώσῃς §22.57Τρῶας καὶ Τρῳάς, μὴ δὲ μέγα κῦδος ὀρέξῃς §22.58Πηλεΐδῃ, αὐτὸς δὲ φίλης αἰῶνος ἀμερθῇς.
Nay, enter within the wall, my child, that you may save the Trojan men and Trojan women, and do not yield great glory to the son of Peleus, and yourself be robbed of your dear life.
§22.59πρὸς δʼ ἐμὲ τὸν δύστηνον ἔτι φρονέοντʼ ἐλέησον §22.60δύσμορον, ὅν ῥα πατὴρ Κρονίδης ἐπὶ γήραος οὐδῷ §22.61αἴσῃ ἐν ἀργαλέῃ φθίσει κακὰ πόλλʼ ἐπιδόντα §22.62υἷάς τʼ ὀλλυμένους ἑλκηθείσας τε θύγατρας, §22.63καὶ θαλάμους κεραϊζομένους, καὶ νήπια τέκνα §22.64βαλλόμενα προτὶ γαίῃ ἐν αἰνῇ δηϊοτῆτι,
And have pity on me, the wretched one, while I still have my senses, the ill-fated one, whom father Zeus, son of Kronos, at the threshold of old age will destroy by a grievous doom, after I have seen many evils— my sons perishing and my daughters dragged away, and my bridal chambers plundered, and infant children dashed to the ground in the dread conflict, and daughters-in-law dragged away by the destructive hands of the Achaeans."