Humanitext Reader

Homer · Iliad §5.344-5.410

Flight of Aphrodite and Comfort from Dione

Passage 42 of 226 · Greek

Summary

Apollo rescues Aeneas from the battlefield, while the wounded Aphrodite, aided by Iris, flees to Olympus and is comforted by her mother Dione. Dione recalls past instances of gods suffering at the hands of mortals and predicts a short and tragic life for Diomedes for fighting against the immortals.

§5.344καὶ τὸν μὲν μετὰ χερσὶν ἐρύσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων §5.345κυανέῃ νεφέλῃ, μή τις Δαναῶν ταχυπώλων §5.346χαλκὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι βαλὼν ἐκ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο·
And him Phoebus Apollo snatched up in his hands in a dark cloud, lest any of the Danaans with swift horses should hurl the bronze into his breast and take away his life.
§5.347τῇ δʼ ἐπὶ μακρὸν ἄϋσε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης· §5.348εἶκε Διὸς θύγατερ πολέμου καὶ δηϊοτῆτος· §5.349ἦ οὐχ ἅλις ὅττι γυναῖκας ἀνάλκιδας ἠπεροπεύεις;
And over her Diomedes, good at the war-cry, shouted aloud: "Give way, daughter of Zeus, from battle and strife; is it not enough that you deceive weak women?
§5.350εἰ δὲ σύ γʼ ἐς πόλεμον πωλήσεαι, ἦ τέ σʼ ὀΐω §5.351ῥιγήσειν πόλεμόν γε καὶ εἴ χʼ ἑτέρωθι πύθηαι. §5.352ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἣ δʼ ἀλύουσʼ ἀπεβήσετο, τείρετο δʼ αἰνῶς· §5.353τὴν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἶρις ἑλοῦσα ποδήνεμος ἔξαγʼ ὁμίλου §5.354ἀχθομένην ὀδύνῃσι, μελαίνετο δὲ χρόα καλόν.
But if you will resort to war, I deem indeed that you will shudder at the very name of war, even if you but hear of it elsewhere." So he spoke, and she went away distracted, and was sorely distressed; then wind-footed Iris took her and led her out of the throng, oppressed with her pains, and her fair skin grew dark.
§5.355εὗρεν ἔπειτα μάχης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ θοῦρον Ἄρηα §5.356ἥμενον· ἠέρι δʼ ἔγχος ἐκέκλιτο καὶ ταχέʼ ἵππω· §5.357ἣ δὲ γνὺξ ἐριποῦσα κασιγνήτοιο φίλοιο §5.358πολλὰ λισσομένη χρυσάμπυκας ᾔτεεν ἵππους· §5.359φίλε κασίγνητε κόμισαί τέ με δός τέ μοι ἵππους, §5.360ὄφρʼ ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἵκωμαι ἵνʼ ἀθανάτων ἕδος ἐστί.
Then she found furious Ares sitting on the left of the battle; and his spear and his swift horses were leaned against the mist; and sinking on her knees before her dear brother, with many entreaties she begged for his horses with frontlets of gold: "Dear brother, rescue me, and give me your horses, that I may come to Olympus, where is the seat of the immortals.
§5.361λίην ἄχθομαι ἕλκος ὅ με βροτὸς οὔτασεν ἀνὴρ §5.362Τυδεΐδης, ὃς νῦν γε καὶ ἂν Διὶ πατρὶ μάχοιτο. §5.363ὣς φάτο, τῇ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἄρης δῶκε χρυσάμπυκας ἵππους· §5.364ἣ δʼ ἐς δίφρον ἔβαινεν ἀκηχεμένη φίλον ἦτορ, §5.365πὰρ δέ οἱ Ἶρις ἔβαινε καὶ ἡνία λάζετο χερσί, §5.366μάστιξεν δʼ ἐλάαν, τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην.
I am sorely oppressed by a wound which a mortal man dealt me, the son of Tydeus, who now would fight even with father Zeus." So she spoke, and Ares gave her his horses with frontlets of gold; and she mounted the chariot, grieving in her dear heart, and beside her Iris mounted and took the reins in her hands, and she whipped them to speed, and the pair flew nothing loath.
§5.367αἶψα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἵκοντο θεῶν ἕδος αἰπὺν Ὄλυμπον· §5.368ἔνθʼ ἵππους ἔστησε ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις §5.369λύσασʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, παρὰ δʼ ἀμβρόσιον βάλεν εἶδαρ· §5.370ἣ δʼ ἐν γούνασι πῖπτε Διώνης δῖʼ Ἀφροδίτη §5.371μητρὸς ἑῆς· ἣ δʼ ἀγκὰς ἐλάζετο θυγατέρα ἥν, §5.372χειρί τέ μιν κατέρεξεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἐκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε· §5.373τίς νύ σε τοιάδʼ ἔρεξε φίλον τέκος Οὐρανιώνων §5.374μαψιδίως, ὡς εἴ τι κακὸν ῥέζουσαν ἐνωπῇ; §5.375τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα φιλομμειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη· §5.376οὖτά με Τυδέος υἱὸς ὑπέρθυμος Διομήδης, §5.377οὕνεκʼ ἐγὼ φίλον υἱὸν ὑπεξέφερον πολέμοιο §5.378Αἰνείαν, ὃς ἐμοὶ πάντων πολὺ φίλτατός ἐστιν.
And straightway they came to the seat of the gods, steep Olympus; there wind-footed swift Iris stayed the horses, loosing them from the chariot, and before them she cast ambrosial food; but fair Aphrodite fell upon the knees of Dione, her mother; and she folded her daughter in her arms, and stroked her with her hand, and spoke to her, saying: "Who now of the sons of heaven, dear child, has done such things to you wantonly, as though you were doing some evil openly?" Then laughter-loving Aphrodite answered her: "The son of Tydeus, high-spirited Diomedes, wounded me, because I was bearing my dear son away out of the battle, Aeneas, who is to me far the dearest of all.
§5.379οὐ γὰρ ἔτι Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν φύλοπις αἰνή, §5.380ἀλλʼ ἤδη Δαναοί γε καὶ ἀθανάτοισι μάχονται. §5.381τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Διώνη, δῖα θεάων· §5.382τέτλαθι τέκνον ἐμόν, καὶ ἀνάσχεο κηδομένη περ· §5.383πολλοὶ γὰρ δὴ τλῆμεν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες §5.384ἐξ ἀνδρῶν χαλέπʼ ἄλγεʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι τιθέντες.
For no longer is the dread strife between Trojans and Achaeans, but now the Danaans are fighting even with the immortals." Then Dione, fair among goddesses, answered her: "Endure, my child, and hold up under your grief, though you are distressed; for many of us who have dwellings on Olympus have endured hard pains at the hands of men, in bringing grievous woes upon one another.
§5.385τλῆ μὲν Ἄρης ὅτε μιν Ὦτος κρατερός τʼ Ἐφιάλτης §5.386παῖδες Ἀλωῆος, δῆσαν κρατερῷ ἐνὶ δεσμῷ· §5.387χαλκέῳ δʼ ἐν κεράμῳ δέδετο τρισκαίδεκα μῆνας· §5.388καί νύ κεν ἔνθʼ ἀπόλοιτο Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο, §5.389εἰ μὴ μητρυιὴ περικαλλὴς Ἠερίβοια §5.390Ἑρμέᾳ ἐξήγγειλεν· ὃ δʼ ἐξέκλεψεν Ἄρηα §5.391ἤδη τειρόμενον, χαλεπὸς δέ ἑ δεσμὸς ἐδάμνα.
Ares endured it, when Otus and mighty Ephialtes, sons of Aloeus, bound him in a strong bond; and in a vessel of bronze he lay bound for thirteen months; and now would Ares, insatiate of war, have perished there, had not his stepmother, beautiful Eeriboea, brought word to Hermes; and he stole Ares away when he was already exhausted, and the hard bond was crushing him.
§5.392τλῆ δʼ Ἥρη, ὅτε μιν κρατερὸς πάϊς Ἀμφιτρύωνος §5.393δεξιτερὸν κατὰ μαζὸν ὀϊστῷ τριγλώχινι §5.394βεβλήκει· τότε καί μιν ἀνήκεστον λάβεν ἄλγος.
Hera, too, endured, when the mighty son of Amphitryon struck her on the right breast with a three-barbed arrow; then she too was seized by pain incurable.
§5.395τλῆ δʼ Ἀΐδης ἐν τοῖσι πελώριος ὠκὺν ὀϊστόν, §5.396εὖτέ μιν ωὐτὸς ἀνὴρ υἱὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο §5.397ἐν Πύλῳ ἐν νεκύεσσι βαλὼν ὀδύνῃσιν ἔδωκεν· §5.398αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ πρὸς δῶμα Διὸς καὶ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον §5.399κῆρ ἀχέων ὀδύνῃσι πεπαρμένος· αὐτὰρ ὀϊστὸς §5.400ὤμῳ ἔνι στιβαρῷ ἠλήλατο, κῆδε δὲ θυμόν.
And giant Hades, among the rest, endured a swift arrow, when the same man, the son of aegis-bearing Zeus, shot him in Pylos among the dead and gave him over to pains; but he went to the house of Zeus and steep Olympus grieving in heart, pierced through with pains; for the arrow was driven into his strong shoulder, and distressed his soul.
§5.401τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ Παιήων ὀδυνήφατα φάρμακα πάσσων §5.402ἠκέσατʼ· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι καταθνητός γε τέτυκτο.
But on him Paeëon sprinkled pain-stilling herbs and healed him; for he was not fashioned as one mortal.
§5.403σχέτλιος ὀβριμοεργὸς ὃς οὐκ ὄθετʼ αἴσυλα ῥέζων, §5.404ὃς τόξοισιν ἔκηδε θεοὺς οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσι.
Cruel man, violent doer, who cared not for his evil deeds, who with his bow distressed the gods who hold Olympus.
§5.405σοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ τοῦτον ἀνῆκε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· §5.406νήπιος, οὐδὲ τὸ οἶδε κατὰ φρένα Τυδέος υἱὸς §5.407ὅττι μάλʼ οὐ δηναιὸς ὃς ἀθανάτοισι μάχηται, §5.408οὐδέ τί μιν παῖδες ποτὶ γούνασι παππάζουσιν §5.409ἐλθόντʼ ἐκ πολέμοιο καὶ αἰνῆς δηϊοτῆτος.
But against you the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, set this man on; fool, nor does the son of Tydeus know this in his heart, that he is not long-lived who fights with the immortals, nor do children lisp 'papa' at his knees when he returns from war and dread battle.
§5.410τὼ νῦν Τυδεΐδης, εἰ καὶ μάλα καρτερός ἐστι,
Therefore now let the son of Tydeus, even though he is very mighty,

Notes

  1. 5.349ἦ οὐχ ἅλις ὅττι γυναῖκας ἀνάλκιδας ἠπεροπεύεις; — The clause introduced by ὅττι (poetic form of ὅτι) functions as a noun clause explaining the content of ἅλις (enough). It literally means "Is it not enough that you deceive weak women?"
  2. 5.351ῥιγήσειν πόλεμόν γε καὶ εἴ χʼ ἑτέρωθι πύθηαι — The future infinitive ῥιγήσειν depends on ὀΐω (I deem) from the previous line. The conditional clause εἴ χʼ ἑτέρωθι πύθηαι uses the particles κε (elided to χʼ) with the subjunctive πύθηαι (second-person singular), forming a future general conditional condition ("even if you should hear of it elsewhere").
  3. 5.374ὡς εἴ τι κακὸν ῥέζουσαν ἐνωπῇ — The phrase ὡς εἴ introduces a hypothetical comparison ("as if"). The accusative present participle ῥέζουσαν agrees with the pronoun σε (you) in the preceding line. ἐνωπῇ is a dative functioning adverbially ("openly", "in public view"), describing a situation as though she were caught in the act of doing some evil.
  4. 5.384ἐξ ἀνδρῶν χαλέπʼ ἄλγεʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι τιθέντες — The prepositional phrase ἐξ ἀνδρῶν means "at the hands of men" or "caused by mortals". The nominative plural participle τιθέντες refers back to the subject of the main clause (the Olympian gods), meaning "bringing/imposing hard pains upon one another" through their involvement in human conflicts.
  5. 5.403σχέτλιος ὀβριμοεργὸς ὃς οὐκ ὄθετʼ αἴσυλα ῥέζων — The verb ὄθετʼ (from ὄθομαι, meaning "to heed" or "to care") is used with the negative οὐκ and the supplementary participle ῥέζων (doing), meaning "he did not shrink from doing" or "cared not that he was doing unlawful deeds." The whole clause relative to the preceding subject refers to Heracles.

Cite this passage

Homer, Iliad §5.344-5.410. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.344-5.410

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