Humanitext Reader

Homer · Iliad §5.554-5.623

Defense of Menelaus and Advance of Hector with Ares

Passage 45 of 226 · Greek

Summary

To avenge Crethon and Orsilochus slain by Aeneas, Menelaus steps forward and, with the help of Antilochus, kills Pylaemenes and Mydon. In response, Hector, accompanied by Ares, leads an offensive, forcing Diomedes and Telamonian Aias to retreat while putting up a defense.

§5.554οἵω τώ γε λέοντε δύω ὄρεος κορυφῇσιν §5.555ἐτραφέτην ὑπὸ μητρὶ βαθείης τάρφεσιν ὕλης· §5.556τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἁρπάζοντε βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα §5.557σταθμοὺς ἀνθρώπων κεραΐζετον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὼ §5.558ἀνδρῶν ἐν παλάμῃσι κατέκταθεν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ· §5.559τοίω τὼ χείρεσσιν ὑπʼ Αἰνείαο δαμέντε §5.560καππεσέτην, ἐλάτῃσιν ἐοικότες ὑψηλῇσι.
As two lions on the mountain tops were reared under their mother in the thickets of a deep forest; these two, seizing cattle and fat sheep, ravage the farmsteads of men, until they themselves also are slain by the hands of men with sharp bronze; so these two, vanquished under the hands of Aeneas, fell, like tall pine trees.
§5.561τὼ δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος, §5.562βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ §5.563σείων ἐγχείην· τοῦ δʼ ὄτρυνεν μένος Ἄρης, §5.564τὰ φρονέων ἵνα χερσὶν ὑπʼ Αἰνείαο δαμείη.
And Menelaus, dear to Ares, pitied them as they fell, and went through the foremost fighters, armed in gleaming bronze, shaking his spear; and Ares aroused his might, with this intent, that he might be vanquished under the hands of Aeneas.
§5.565τὸν δʼ ἴδεν Ἀντίλοχος μεγαθύμου Νέστορος υἱός, §5.566βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων· περὶ γὰρ δίε ποιμένι λαῶν §5.567μή τι πάθοι, μέγα δέ σφας ἀποσφήλειε πόνοιο.
But Antilochus, son of great-hearted Nestor, saw him, and went through the foremost fighters; for he feared greatly for the shepherd of the host, lest he should suffer some harm, and utterly frustrate them of their labor.
§5.568τὼ μὲν δὴ χεῖράς τε καὶ ἔγχεα ὀξυόεντα §5.569ἀντίον ἀλλήλων ἐχέτην μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι· §5.570Ἀντίλοχος δὲ μάλʼ ἄγχι παρίστατο ποιμένι λαῶν.
So these two were holding their hands and sharp spears against each other, eager to fight; and Antilochus stood very close to the shepherd of the host.
§5.571Αἰνείας δʼ οὐ μεῖνε θοός περ ἐὼν πολεμιστὴς §5.572ὡς εἶδεν δύο φῶτε παρʼ ἀλλήλοισι μένοντε.
And Aeneas did not remain, swift warrior though he was, when he saw two men staying side by side.
§5.573οἳ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν νεκροὺς ἔρυσαν μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν, §5.574τὼ μὲν ἄρα δειλὼ βαλέτην ἐν χερσὶν ἑταίρων, §5.575αὐτὼ δὲ στρεφθέντε μετὰ πρώτοισι μαχέσθην.
And when they had dragged the dead bodies into the host of the Achaeans, they cast the two hapless ones into the hands of their comrades, and themselves turned back and fought among the foremost.
§5.576ἔνθα Πυλαιμένεα ἑλέτην ἀτάλαντον Ἄρηϊ §5.577ἀρχὸν Παφλαγόνων μεγαθύμων ἀσπιστάων.
Then they slew Pylaemenes, peer of Ares, leader of the Paphlagonians, great-hearted shield-bearing men.
§5.578τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἀτρεΐδης δουρικλειτὸς Μενέλαος §5.579ἑσταότʼ ἔγχεϊ νύξε κατὰ κληῗδα τυχήσας· §5.580Ἀντίλοχος δὲ Μύδωνα βάλʼ ἡνίοχον θεράποντα §5.581ἐσθλὸν Ἀτυμνιάδην· ὃ δʼ ὑπέστρεφε μώνυχας ἵππους· §5.582χερμαδίῳ ἀγκῶνα τυχὼν μέσον· ἐκ δʼ ἄρα χειρῶν §5.583ἡνία λεύκʼ ἐλέφαντι χαμαὶ πέσον ἐν κονίῃσιν.
Him then the son of Atreus, spear-famed Menelaus, struck with his spear as he stood, hitting him upon the collarbone; and Antilochus struck Mydon, his squire and charioteer, the brave son of Atymnius, just as he was turning the single-hoofed horses; striking him with a stone upon the middle of the elbow; and from his hands the reins, white with ivory, fell to the ground in the dust.
§5.584Ἀντίλοχος δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπαΐξας ξίφει ἤλασε κόρσην· §5.585αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἀσθμαίνων εὐεργέος ἔκπεσε δίφρου §5.586κύμβαχος ἐν κονίῃσιν ἐπὶ βρεχμόν τε καὶ ὤμους.
And Antilochus leapt upon him and struck him with his sword upon the temple; and he, gasping, fell from the well-wrought chariot headlong in the dust upon his head and shoulders.
§5.587δηθὰ μάλʼ ἑστήκει· τύχε γάρ ῥʼ ἀμάθοιο βαθείης· §5.588ὄφρʼ ἵππω πλήξαντε χαμαὶ βάλον ἐν κονίῃσι· §5.589τοὺς ἵμασʼ Ἀντίλοχος, μετὰ δὲ στρατὸν ἤλασʼ Ἀχαιῶν.
Very long he stood there, for he chanced to light upon deep sand, until the horses struck him and cast him to the ground in the dust; these Antilochus whipped and drove into the host of the Achaeans.
§5.590τοὺς δʼ Ἕκτωρ ἐνόησε κατὰ στίχας, ὦρτο δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς §5.591κεκλήγων· ἅμα δὲ Τρώων εἵποντο φάλαγγες §5.592καρτεραί· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρα σφιν Ἄρης καὶ πότνιʼ Ἐνυώ, §5.593ἣ μὲν ἔχουσα Κυδοιμὸν ἀναιδέα δηϊοτῆτος, §5.594Ἄρης δʼ ἐν παλάμῃσι πελώριον ἔγχος ἐνώμα, §5.595φοίτα δʼ ἄλλοτε μὲν πρόσθʼ Ἕκτορος, ἄλλοτʼ ὄπισθε.
But Hector saw them through the ranks, and rushed upon them shouting; and with him followed the strong phalanxes of the Trojans; and Ares led them, and queen Enyo, she bringing the shameless Din of battle, while Ares brandished in his hands a monstrous spear, and stalked now in front of Hector, now behind him.
§5.596τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ῥίγησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης· §5.597ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ἀπάλαμνος ἰὼν πολέος πεδίοιο §5.598στήῃ ἐπʼ ὠκυρόῳ ποταμῷ ἅλα δὲ προρέοντι §5.599ἀφρῷ μορμύροντα ἰδών, ἀνά τʼ ἔδραμʼ ὀπίσσω, §5.600ὣς τότε Τυδεΐδης ἀνεχάζετο, εἶπέ τε λαῷ· §5.601ὦ φίλοι οἷον δὴ θαυμάζομεν Ἕκτορα δῖον §5.602αἰχμητήν τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ θαρσαλέον πολεμιστήν·
And Diomedes, good at the war cry, shuddered when he saw him; and even as a man, helpless as he crosses a great plain, stands at the brink of a swift-flowing river that runs to the sea, and seeing it bubbling with foam, leaps backward, even so then did the son of Tydeus shrink back, and spoke to the host: "O friends, how we were wont to marvel at noble Hector, as a spearman and a daring warrior!
§5.603τῷ δʼ αἰεὶ πάρα εἷς γε θεῶν, ὃς λοιγὸν ἀμύνει· §5.604καὶ νῦν οἱ πάρα κεῖνος Ἄρης βροτῷ ἀνδρὶ ἐοικώς.
Yet by his side there is always one of the gods who wards off destruction; and now by him stands yonder Ares in the likeness of a mortal man.
§5.605ἀλλὰ πρὸς Τρῶας τετραμμένοι αἰὲν ὀπίσσω §5.606εἴκετε, μηδὲ θεοῖς μενεαινέμεν ἶφι μάχεσθαι. §5.607ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, Τρῶες δὲ μάλα σχεδὸν ἤλυθον αὐτῶν.
But turn your faces toward the Trojans and ever backward give way, and do not desire to fight amain with gods." So he spoke, and the Trojans came very near them.
§5.608ἔνθʼ Ἕκτωρ δύο φῶτε κατέκτανεν εἰδότε χάρμης §5.609εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντε, Μενέσθην Ἀγχίαλόν τε.
Then Hector slew two men well-skilled in fight, being in one chariot, Menesthes and Anchialus.
§5.610τὼ δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας· §5.611στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰών, καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ, §5.612καὶ βάλεν Ἄμφιον Σελάγου υἱόν, ὅς ῥʼ ἐνὶ Παισῷ §5.613ναῖε πολυκτήμων πολυλήϊος· ἀλλά ἑ μοῖρα §5.614ἦγʼ ἐπικουρήσοντα μετὰ Πρίαμόν τε καὶ υἷας.
And as they fell great Telamonian Aias pitied them; and he came and stood very near, and hurled with his bright spear, and struck Amphius, son of Selagus, who in Paesus dwelt, rich in substance, rich in cornland; but fate led him to go as an ally to Priam and his sons.
§5.615τόν ῥα κατὰ ζωστῆρα βάλεν Τελαμώνιος Αἴας, §5.616νειαίρῃ δʼ ἐν γαστρὶ πάγη δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος, §5.617δούπησεν δὲ πεσών· ὃ δʼ ἐπέδραμε φαίδιμος Αἴας §5.618τεύχεα συλήσων· Τρῶες δʼ ἐπὶ δούρατʼ ἔχευαν §5.619ὀξέα παμφανόωντα· σάκος δʼ ἀνεδέξατο πολλά.
Him then Telamonian Aias struck upon the belt, and in his lower belly was fixed the long-shadowed spear; and he fell with a thud; and glorious Aias rushed upon him to strip him of his armor; but the Trojans poured upon him spears, sharp, gleaming bright; and his shield received many.
§5.620αὐτὰρ ὃ λὰξ προσβὰς ἐκ νεκροῦ χάλκεον ἔγχος §5.621ἐσπάσατʼ· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτʼ ἄλλα δυνήσατο τεύχεα καλὰ §5.622ὤμοιιν ἀφελέσθαι· ἐπείγετο γὰρ βελέεσσι.
But he set his foot upon the corpse and out of it dragged the bronze spear; yet he could not also strip other fair armor from his shoulders, for he was pressed hard with missiles.
§5.623δεῖσε δʼ ὅ γʼ ἀμφίβασιν κρατερὴν Τρώων ἀγερώχων,
And he feared the strong defense of the lordly Trojans,

Notes

  1. §5.563τοῦ δʼ ὄτρυνεν μένος Ἄρης — The genitive `τοῦ`, acting as a personal pronoun, refers to Menelaus and modifies `μένος` ("his courage/might"). This indicates that Ares aroused Menelaus' courage. Contextually and grammatically, it naturally refers to Menelaus.
  2. §5.567μή τι πάθοι, μέγα δέ σφας ἀποσφήλειε πόνοιο — A fear clause introduced by `μή` with optatives (`πάθοι`, `ἀποσφήλειε`) following `περὶ γὰρ δίε` ("for he feared greatly"). The pronoun `σφας` ("them") refers to the fellow Achaeans whose battle efforts would be rendered in vain if their leader were to perish.
  3. §5.574δειλὼ — A dual accusative adjective referring to the two fallen brothers, Crethon and Orsilochus ("the two hapless ones"). Similarly, the verb `βαλέτην` in the same sentence is in the dual, referring to the subject pair, Menelaus and Antilochus.
  4. §5.597ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ἀπάλαμνος — Marks the beginning of a long simile comparing Diomedes' retreat upon seeing Ares to a traveler turning back before a raging torrent. The correlation of `ὡς δʼ ὅτε` ("even as when") is completed by `ὣς τότε` ("so then") in `§5.600`.

Cite this passage

Homer, Iliad §5.554-5.623. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.554-5.623

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