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Homer · Iliad §5.411-5.482

Healing of Aphrodite and Apollo's Rescue of Aeneas

Passage 43 of 226 · Greek

Summary

Dione heals Aphrodite's hand and warns about the danger of mortals fighting gods. Meanwhile, Apollo protects Aeneas by leaving a phantom in his place and calls on Ares to restrain Diomedes.

§5.411φραζέσθω μή τίς οἱ ἀμείνων σεῖο μάχηται, §5.412μὴ δὴν Αἰγιάλεια περίφρων Ἀδρηστίνη §5.413ἐξ ὕπνου γοόωσα φίλους οἰκῆας ἐγείρῃ §5.414κουρίδιον ποθέουσα πόσιν τὸν ἄριστον Ἀχαιῶν §5.415ἰφθίμη ἄλοχος Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.
Therefore now let him take thought lest some one better than you fight with him, lest after no long time Aegialeia, the wise daughter of Adrastus, waking from sleep with wailing should rouse her dear domestics, longing for her wedded husband, the best of the Achaeans, she the noble wife of horse-taming Diomedes.
§5.416ἦ ῥα καὶ ἀμφοτέρῃσιν ἀπʼ ἰχῶ χειρὸς ὀμόργνυ· §5.417ἄλθετο χείρ, ὀδύναι δὲ κατηπιόωντο βαρεῖαι.
She spoke, and with both her hands wiped the ichor from her hand; the hand was healed, and the grievous pains were assuaged.
§5.418αἳ δʼ αὖτʼ εἰσορόωσαι Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη §5.419κερτομίοις ἐπέεσσι Δία Κρονίδην ἐρέθιζον.
But those two looking on, Athena and Hera, with mocking words provoked Zeus, the son of Cronos.
§5.420τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· §5.421Ζεῦ πάτερ ἦ ῥά τί μοι κεχολώσεαι ὅττι κεν εἴπω;
And among them the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, began speaking: "Father Zeus, will you indeed be angry with me for what I shall say?
§5.422ἦ μάλα δή τινα Κύπρις Ἀχαιϊάδων ἀνιεῖσα §5.423Τρωσὶν ἅμα σπέσθαι, τοὺς νῦν ἔκπαγλα φίλησε, §5.424τῶν τινα καρρέζουσα Ἀχαιϊάδων ἐϋπέπλων §5.425πρὸς χρυσῇ περόνῃ καταμύξατο χεῖρα ἀραιήν. §5.426ὣς φάτο, μείδησεν δὲ πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε, §5.427καί ῥα καλεσσάμενος προσέφη χρυσῆν Ἀφροδίτην· §5.428οὔ τοι τέκνον ἐμὸν δέδοται πολεμήϊα ἔργα, §5.429ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ ἱμερόεντα μετέρχεο ἔργα γάμοιο, §5.430ταῦτα δʼ Ἄρηϊ θοῷ καὶ Ἀθήνῃ πάντα μελήσει. §5.431ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον, §5.432Αἰνείᾳ δʼ ἐπόρουσε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης, §5.433γιγνώσκων ὅ οἱ αὐτὸς ὑπείρεχε χεῖρας Ἀπόλλων· §5.434ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἄρʼ οὐδὲ θεὸν μέγαν ἅζετο, ἵετο δʼ αἰεὶ §5.435Αἰνείαν κτεῖναι καὶ ἀπὸ κλυτὰ τεύχεα δῦσαι.
Surely indeed Cypris, while urging some one of the Achaean women to follow after the Trojans, whom now she loves exceedingly, and while stroking one of those fair-robed Achaean women, has scratched her delicate hand on a golden brooch." So she spoke, and the father of men and gods smiled, and calling golden Aphrodite to him, said: "Not to you, my child, are given the works of war, but do you go about the lovely works of marriage, and all these things shall be the care of swift Ares and Athena." While they were thus speaking to one another, Diomedes, good at the war-cry, leapt upon Aeneas, though he knew that Apollo himself held his hands over him; yet he did not even revere the great god, but was ever eager to slay Aeneas and strip off his glorious armor.
§5.436τρὶς μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἐπόρουσε κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων, §5.437τρὶς δέ οἱ ἐστυφέλιξε φαεινὴν ἀσπίδʼ Ἀπόλλων· §5.438ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸ τέταρτον ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος, §5.439δεινὰ δʼ ὁμοκλήσας προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων· §5.440φράζεο Τυδεΐδη καὶ χάζεο, μηδὲ θεοῖσιν §5.441ἶσʼ ἔθελε φρονέειν, ἐπεὶ οὔ ποτε φῦλον ὁμοῖον §5.442ἀθανάτων τε θεῶν χαμαὶ ἐρχομένων τʼ ἀνθρώπων. §5.443ὣς φάτο, Τυδεΐδης δʼ ἀνεχάζετο τυτθὸν ὀπίσσω §5.444μῆνιν ἀλευάμενος ἑκατηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος.
Thrice then he leapt upon him, eager to slay him, and thrice Apollo beat back his shining shield; but when for the fourth time he rushed on like a god, then with a terrible shout spoke far-darting Apollo: "Take thought, son of Tydeus, and give way, nor seek to match your spirit with the gods, since the race of the immortal gods and of men that walk upon the earth is in no way similar." So he spoke, and the son of Tydeus shrank back a little space, avoiding the wrath of far-darting Apollo.
§5.445Αἰνείαν δʼ ἀπάτερθεν ὁμίλου θῆκεν Ἀπόλλων §5.446Περγάμῳ εἰν ἱερῇ, ὅθι οἱ νηός γε τέτυκτο.
And Aeneas did Apollo set apart from the throng in sacred Pergamos, where his temple was built.
§5.447ἤτοι τὸν Λητώ τε καὶ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα §5.448ἐν μεγάλῳ ἀδύτῳ ἀκέοντό τε κύδαινόν τε· §5.449αὐτὰρ ὃ εἴδωλον τεῦξʼ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων §5.450αὐτῷ τʼ Αἰνείᾳ ἴκελον καὶ τεύχεσι τοῖον, §5.451ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ εἰδώλῳ Τρῶες καὶ δῖοι Ἀχαιοὶ §5.452δῄουν ἀλλήλων ἀμφὶ στήθεσσι βοείας §5.453ἀσπίδας εὐκύκλους λαισήϊά τε πτερόεντα.
There Leto and Artemis, who delights in arrows, healed him in the great sanctuary and glorified him; but Apollo of the silver bow fashioned a phantom like to Aeneas' self and in armor like his, and around the phantom the Trojans and noble Achaeans clashed upon one another's breasts the bull's-hide round shields and fluttering targets.
§5.454δὴ τότε θοῦρον Ἄρηα προσηύδα Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων· §5.455Ἆρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιπλῆτα, §5.456οὐκ ἂν δὴ τόνδʼ ἄνδρα μάχης ἐρύσαιο μετελθὼν §5.457Τυδεΐδην, ὃς νῦν γε καὶ ἂν Διὶ πατρὶ μάχοιτο;
Then to furious Ares spoke Phoebus Apollo: "Ares, Ares, bane of men, blood-stained stormer of walls, will you not now go and drag this man out of the battle, the son of Tydeus, who now would fight even with father Zeus?
§5.458Κύπριδα μὲν πρῶτα σχεδὸν οὔτασε χεῖρʼ ἐπὶ καρπῷ, §5.459αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ αὐτῷ μοι ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος. §5.460ὣς εἰπὼν αὐτὸς μὲν ἐφέζετο Περγάμῳ ἄκρῃ, §5.461Τρῳὰς δὲ στίχας οὖλος Ἄρης ὄτρυνε μετελθὼν §5.462εἰδόμενος Ἀκάμαντι θοῷ ἡγήτορι Θρῃκῶν·
Cypris first he wounded in close fight upon her wrist, and then upon myself he rushed like a god." So saying, he himself sat down on high Pergamos, and destructive Ares went and urged on the Trojan ranks, likening himself to swift Acamas, leader of the Thracians.
§5.463υἱάσι δὲ Πριάμοιο διοτρεφέεσσι κέλευεν· §5.464ὦ υἱεῖς Πριάμοιο διοτρεφέος βασιλῆος §5.465ἐς τί ἔτι κτείνεσθαι ἐάσετε λαὸν Ἀχαιοῖς;
And to the god-nourished sons of Priam he called, saying: "O sons of Priam, the god-nourished king, how long will you still suffer your people to be slain by the Achaeans?
§5.466ἦ εἰς ὅ κεν ἀμφὶ πύλῃς εὖ ποιητῇσι μάχωνται;
Is it until they fight about the well-built gates?
§5.467κεῖται ἀνὴρ ὃν ἶσον ἐτίομεν Ἕκτορι δίῳ §5.468Αἰνείας υἱὸς μεγαλήτορος Ἀγχίσαο· §5.469ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ ἐκ φλοίσβοιο σαώσομεν ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον. §5.470ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.
Low lies a man whom we honored equally with noble Hector, Aeneas, son of great-hearted Anchises; but come, let us rescue our noble comrade from the tumult." So saying, he aroused the strength and spirit of every man.
§5.471ἔνθʼ αὖ Σαρπηδὼν μάλα νείκεσεν Ἕκτορα δῖον· §5.472Ἕκτορ πῇ δή τοι μένος οἴχεται ὃ πρὶν ἔχεσκες;
Then Sarpedon chid noble Hector very harshly: "Hector, whither now has departed the strength that you used to have?
§5.473φῆς που ἄτερ λαῶν πόλιν ἑξέμεν ἠδʼ ἐπικούρων §5.474οἶος σὺν γαμβροῖσι κασιγνήτοισί τε σοῖσι.
You said, I ween, that without allies and people you would hold the city alone with your brothers-in-law and your brothers.
§5.475τῶν νῦν οὔ τινʼ ἐγὼ ἰδέειν δύναμʼ οὐδὲ νοῆσαι, §5.476ἀλλὰ καταπτώσσουσι κύνες ὣς ἀμφὶ λέοντα· §5.477ἡμεῖς δὲ μαχόμεσθʼ οἵ πέρ τʼ ἐπίκουροι ἔνειμεν.
Of these now I can see none, nor perceive them, but they shrink and cower like dogs about a lion; and we are doing the fighting, we who are here as allies.
§5.478καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπίκουρος ἐὼν μάλα τηλόθεν ἥκω· §5.479τηλοῦ γὰρ Λυκίη Ξάνθῳ ἔπι δινήεντι, §5.480ἔνθʼ ἄλοχόν τε φίλην ἔλιπον καὶ νήπιον υἱόν, §5.481κὰδ δὲ κτήματα πολλά, τὰ ἔλδεται ὅς κʼ ἐπιδευής.
For indeed I, who am but an ally, have come from very far; for far is Lycia, upon eddying Xanthus, where I left my dear wife and infant son, and many possessions, which he who is in want covets.
§5.482ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς Λυκίους ὀτρύνω καὶ μέμονʼ αὐτὸς
But even so I urge on the Lycians, and am myself eager

Notes

  1. 5.411ἀμείνων σεῖο — Genitive of comparison (σεῖο, Homeric form of the second-person singular genitive) modifying the comparative ἀμείνων, meaning "someone better than you (Aphrodite)". Together with the indirect object οἱ (third-person dative referring to Diomedes), it indicates the impending danger of someone stronger than him fighting against him.
  2. 5.412μὴ δὴν — The conjunction of apprehension μὴ combined with the temporal adverb δὴν (for a long time, long). It modifies the subjunctive ἐγείρῃ in line 413, expressing an urgent warning: "lest after no long time (i.e., very soon) she should rouse her domestics."
  3. 5.422ἀνιεῖσα — Present participle feminine singular nominative of ἀνίημι (to incite, urge), agreeing with the subject Κύπρις. It governs the aorist middle infinitive σπέσθαι (to follow, accompany) in line 423, expressing the circumstance or cause: "while inciting them to follow."
  4. 5.433γιγνώσκων — Present participle nominative agreeing with the subject Diomedes (line 432). In this context, it functions concessively ("although he knew"), and governs the clause introduced by ὅ (used for ὅτι), which declares the fact that Apollo himself was protecting Aeneas.

Cite this passage

Homer, Iliad §5.411-5.482. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.411-5.482

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