§7.72ἢ αὐτοὶ παρὰ νηυσὶ δαμείετε ποντοπόροισιν.
or until ye yourselves are slain by your ocean-faring ships.
§7.73ὑμῖν δʼ ἐν γὰρ ἔασιν ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν· §7.74τῶν νῦν ὅν τινα θυμὸς ἐμοὶ μαχέσασθαι ἀνώγει §7.75δεῦρʼ ἴτω ἐκ πάντων πρόμος ἔμμεναι Ἕκτορι δίῳ.
For among you are the chief men of all the Achaeans; whomever of these now his spirit bids to fight with me, let him come hither from among you all to be a champion against noble Hector.
§7.76ὧδε δὲ μυθέομαι, Ζεὺς δʼ ἄμμʼ ἐπιμάρτυρος ἔστω· §7.77εἰ μέν κεν ἐμὲ κεῖνος ἕλῃ ταναήκεϊ χαλκῷ, §7.78τεύχεα συλήσας φερέτω κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας, §7.79σῶμα δὲ οἴκαδʼ ἐμὸν δόμεναι πάλιν, ὄφρα πυρός με §7.80Τρῶες καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι λελάχωσι θανόντα.
And thus I declare, and let Zeus be our witness: if he shall slay me with his long-edged bronze, let him strip off my armor and carry it to the hollow ships, but my body let him give back to my home, that of fire the Trojans and the wives of the Trojans may make me, in death, a sharer.
§7.81εἰ δέ κʼ ἐγὼ τὸν ἕλω, δώῃ δέ μοι εὖχος Ἀπόλλων, §7.82τεύχεα σύλησας οἴσω προτὶ Ἴλιον ἱρήν, §7.83καὶ κρεμόω προτὶ νηὸν Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκάτοιο, §7.84τὸν δὲ νέκυν ἐπὶ νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους ἀποδώσω, §7.85ὄφρά ἑ ταρχύσωσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοί, §7.86σῆμά τέ οἱ χεύωσιν ἐπὶ πλατεῖ Ἑλλησπόντῳ.
But if I shall slay him, and Apollo gives me glory, I will strip off his armor and carry it to sacred Ilios, and I will hang it upon the temple of Apollo who strikes from afar, but his corpse I will give back to the well-benched ships, that the long-haired Achaeans may bury him, and heap up a mound for him by the wide Hellespont.
§7.87καί ποτέ τις εἴπῃσι καὶ ὀψιγόνων ἀνθρώπων §7.88νηῒ πολυκλήϊδι πλέων ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον· §7.89ἀνδρὸς μὲν τόδε σῆμα πάλαι κατατεθνηῶτος, §7.90ὅν ποτʼ ἀριστεύοντα κατέκτανε φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ. §7.91ὥς ποτέ τις ἐρέει· τὸ δʼ ἐμὸν κλέος οὔ ποτʼ ὀλεῖται. §7.92ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ· §7.93αἴδεσθεν μὲν ἀνήνασθαι, δεῖσαν δʼ ὑποδέχθαι·
And some one of men born late shall say, as he sails in his many-benched ship over the wine-dark sea: ‘This is the mound of a man who died long ago, whom once as he fought bravely illustrious Hector slew.’ Thus some one shall say; and my fame shall never perish.” So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence; they were ashamed to refuse, yet feared to accept.
§7.94ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ Μενέλαος ἀνίστατο καὶ μετέειπε §7.95νείκει ὀνειδίζων, μέγα δὲ στεναχίζετο θυμῷ· §7.96ὤ μοι ἀπειλητῆρες Ἀχαιΐδες οὐκέτʼ Ἀχαιοί·
But at length Menelaus stood up and spoke among them, reproaching them with chiding words, and groaned aloud in his heart: “Ah me, ye boasters, Achaean women, no longer Achaean men!
Surely this will be a grievous disgrace, worse and worse, if no one of the Danaans now goes to face Hector.
Nay, may ye all turn to water and earth, sitting there each of you heartless, utterly inglorious.
§7.101τῷδε δʼ ἐγὼν αὐτὸς θωρήξομαι· αὐτὰρ ὕπερθε §7.102νίκης πείρατʼ ἔχονται ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν. §7.103ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας κατεδύσετο τεύχεα καλά.
Against this man I myself will arm; but from on high the issues of victory are held by the immortal gods.” So he spoke, and put on his beautiful armor.
§7.104ἔνθά κέ τοι Μενέλαε φάνη βιότοιο τελευτὴ §7.105Ἕκτορος ἐν παλάμῃσιν, ἐπεὶ πολὺ φέρτερος ἦεν, §7.106εἰ μὴ ἀναΐξαντες ἕλον βασιλῆες Ἀχαιῶν, §7.107αὐτός τʼ Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων §7.108δεξιτερῆς ἕλε χειρὸς ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν· §7.109ἀφραίνεις Μενέλαε διοτρεφές, οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ §7.110ταύτης ἀφροσύνης· ἀνὰ δὲ σχέο κηδόμενός περ, §7.111μηδʼ ἔθελʼ ἐξ ἔριδος σεῦ ἀμείνονι φωτὶ μάχεσθαι §7.112Ἕκτορι Πριαμίδῃ, τόν τε στυγέουσι καὶ ἄλλοι.
Then, O Menelaus, would the end of life have appeared to thee at the hands of Hector, since he was far stronger, had not the kings of the Achaeans started up and seized thee, and the son of Atreus himself, wide-ruling Agamemnon, taken thee by the right hand, and spoken, and addressed thee: “Thou art mad, Menelaus, nurtured by Zeus, and thou hast no need of this folly; hold back, though grieved, do not wish out of rivalry to fight with a man better than thou, with Hector, son of Priam, whom others also dread.
§7.113καὶ δʼ Ἀχιλεὺς τούτῳ γε μάχῃ ἔνι κυδιανείρῃ §7.114ἔρριγʼ ἀντιβολῆσαι, ὅ περ σέο πολλὸν ἀμείνων.
Even Achilles shrinks to meet him in the glorious battle, who is far better than thou.
But go now and sit among the host of thy comrades, and against him the Achaeans will raise up another champion.
§7.117εἴ περ ἀδειής τʼ ἐστὶ καὶ εἰ μόθου ἔστʼ ἀκόρητος, §7.118φημί μιν ἀσπασίως γόνυ κάμψειν, αἴ κε φύγῃσι §7.119δηΐου ἐκ πολέμοιο καὶ αἰνῆς δηϊοτῆτος. §7.120ὣς εἰπὼν παρέπεισεν ἀδελφειοῦ φρένας ἥρως §7.121αἴσιμα παρειπών, ὃ δʼ ἐπείθετο·
Even if he is fearless and insatiable of combat, I say he will gladly bend his knee to rest, if he escapes from the hostile war and grim combat.” So speaking, the hero turned his brother's mind, advising what was right, and he obeyed.
τοῦ μὲν ἔπειτα §7.122γηθόσυνοι θεράποντες ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἕλοντο·
Then his joyful squires took the armor from his shoulders.
§7.123Νέστωρ δʼ Ἀργείοισιν ἀνίστατο καὶ μετέειπεν· §7.124ὢ πόποι ἦ μέγα πένθος Ἀχαιΐδα γαῖαν ἱκάνει.
And Nestor stood up and spoke among the Argives: “Alas, indeed a great grief comes upon the Achaean land!
§7.125ἦ κε μέγʼ οἰμώξειε γέρων ἱππηλάτα Πηλεὺς §7.126ἐσθλὸς Μυρμιδόνων βουληφόρος ἠδʼ ἀγορητής, §7.127ὅς ποτέ μʼ εἰρόμενος μέγʼ ἐγήθεεν ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ §7.128πάντων Ἀργείων ἐρέων γενεήν τε τόκον τε.
Surely the old horseman Peleus would groan aloud, the noble counselor and orator of the Myrmidons, who once in his house questioned me and rejoiced greatly, asking of the lineage and birth of all the Argives.
§7.129τοὺς νῦν εἰ πτώσσοντας ὑφʼ Ἕκτορι πάντας ἀκούσαι, §7.130πολλά κεν ἀθανάτοισι φίλας ἀνὰ χεῖρας ἀείραι §7.131θυμὸν ἀπὸ μελέων δῦναι δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω.
If he should now hear of them all cowering before Hector, many times would he lift up his hands to the immortal gods, praying that his soul might leave his limbs and enter the house of Hades.
§7.132αἲ γὰρ Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον §7.133ἡβῷμʼ ὡς ὅτʼ ἐπʼ ὠκυρόῳ Κελάδοντι μάχοντο §7.134ἀγρόμενοι Πύλιοί τε καὶ Ἀρκάδες ἐγχεσίμωροι §7.135Φειᾶς πὰρ τείχεσσιν Ἰαρδάνου ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρα.
Would, O father Zeus and Athena and Apollo, that I were young, as when by rapid Keladon fought the gathered Pylians and Arcadians eager with spears, by the walls of Pheia, about the streams of Iardanos.
§7.136τοῖσι δʼ Ἐρευθαλίων πρόμος ἵστατο ἰσόθεος φὼς §7.137τεύχεʼ ἔχων ὤμοισιν Ἀρηϊθόοιο ἄνακτος §7.138δίου Ἀρηϊθόου, τὸν ἐπίκλησιν κορυνήτην §7.139ἄνδρες κίκλησκον καλλίζωνοί τε γυναῖκες
And before them stood Ereuthalion as champion, a godlike man, bearing on his shoulders the armor of king Areïthous, of noble Areïthous, whom by the name of mace-bearer men and fair-girdled women were wont to call.”