Iliad, Book 11: Agamemnon’s Day

1Ἠὼς δʼ ἐκ λεχέων παρʼ ἀγαυοῦ Τιθωνοῖο

ὄρνυθʼ, ἵνʼ ἀθανάτοισι φόως φέροι ἠδὲ βροτοῖσι·

Ζεὺς δʼ Ἔριδα προΐαλλε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν

ἀργαλέην, πολέμοιο τέρας μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαν.

5στῆ δʼ ἐπʼ Ὀδυσσῆος μεγακήτεϊ νηῒ μελαίνῃ,

ἥ ῥʼ ἐν μεσσάτῳ ἔσκε γεγωνέμεν ἀμφοτέρωσε,

ἠμὲν ἐπʼ Αἴαντος κλισίας Τελαμωνιάδαο

ἠδʼ ἐπʼ Ἀχιλλῆος, τοί ῥʼ ἔσχατα νῆας ἐΐσας

εἴρυσαν ἠνορέῃ πίσυνοι καὶ κάρτεϊ χειρῶν

10ἔνθα στᾶσʼ ἤϋσε θεὰ μέγα τε δεινόν τε

ὄρθιʼ, Ἀχαιοῖσιν δὲ μέγα σθένος ἔμβαλʼ ἑκάστῳ

καρδίῃ ἄληκτον πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι.

τοῖσι δʼ ἄφαρ πόλεμος γλυκίων γένετʼ ἠὲ νέεσθαι

ἐν νηυσὶ γλαφυρῇσι φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

1Dawn rose from her bed beside glorious Tithonus

to bring light to immortals and mortal men.

But Zeus sent Strife to the Achaeans’ swift ships,

grievous Strife, holding the sign of war in her hands,

5and stood on Odysseus' huge-hulled black ship,

which lay at the center, so her shout could carry both ways,

toward the huts of Telamonian Ajax

and toward Achilles', for they had drawn up their well-balanced ships

at the far ends, trusting in their courage and the strength of their hands.

10Standing there, the goddess gave a great and terrible cry,

high and clear, and put great strength in every Achaean’s

heart to fight and battle without ceasing.

At once war became sweeter to them than returning

in hollow ships to their dear native land.

15Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἐβόησεν ἰδὲ ζώννυσθαι ἄνωγεν

Ἀργείους· ἐν δʼ αὐτὸς ἐδύσετο νώροπα χαλκόν.

κνημῖδας μὲν πρῶτα περὶ κνήμῃσιν ἔθηκε

καλὰς ἀργυρέοισιν ἐπισφυρίοις ἀραρυίας·

δεύτερον αὖ θώρηκα περὶ στήθεσσιν ἔδυνε,

20τόν ποτέ οἱ Κινύρης δῶκε ξεινήϊον εἶναι.

πεύθετο γὰρ Κύπρον δὲ μέγα κλέος οὕνεκʼ Ἀχαιοὶ

ἐς Τροίην νήεσσιν ἀναπλεύσεσθαι ἔμελλον·

τοὔνεκά οἱ τὸν δῶκε χαριζόμενος βασιλῆϊ.

τοῦ δʼ ἤτοι δέκα οἶμοι ἔσαν μέλανος κυάνοιο,

25δώδεκα δὲ χρυσοῖο καὶ εἴκοσι κασσιτέροιο·

κυάνεοι δὲ δράκοντες ὀρωρέχατο προτὶ δειρὴν

τρεῖς ἑκάτερθʼ ἴρισσιν ἐοικότες, ἅς τε Κρονίων

ἐν νέφεϊ στήριξε, τέρας μερόπων ἀνθρώπων.

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ὤμοισιν βάλετο ξίφος· ἐν δέ οἱ ἧλοι

30χρύσειοι πάμφαινον, ἀτὰρ περὶ κουλεὸν ἦεν

ἀργύρεον χρυσέοισιν ἀορτήρεσσιν ἀρηρός.

ἂν δʼ ἕλετʼ ἀμφιβρότην πολυδαίδαλον ἀσπίδα θοῦριν

καλήν, ἣν πέρι μὲν κύκλοι δέκα χάλκεοι ἦσαν,

ἐν δέ οἱ ὀμφαλοὶ ἦσαν ἐείκοσι κασσιτέροιο

35λευκοί, ἐν δὲ μέσοισιν ἔην μέλανος κυάνοιο.

τῇ δʼ ἐπὶ μὲν Γοργὼ βλοσυρῶπις ἐστεφάνωτο

δεινὸν δερκομένη, περὶ δὲ Δεῖμός τε Φόβος τε.

τῆς δʼ ἐξ ἀργύρεος τελαμὼν ἦν· αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ

κυάνεος ἐλέλικτο δράκων, κεφαλαὶ δέ οἱ ἦσαν

40τρεῖς ἀμφιστρεφέες ἑνὸς αὐχένος ἐκπεφυυῖαι.

κρατὶ δʼ ἐπʼ ἀμφίφαλον κυνέην θέτο τετραφάληρον

ἵππουριν· δεινὸν δὲ λόφος καθύπερθεν ἔνευεν.

εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμα δοῦρε δύω κεκορυθμένα χαλκῷ

ὀξέα· τῆλε δὲ χαλκὸς ἀπʼ αὐτόφιν οὐρανὸν εἴσω

45λάμπʼ· ἐπὶ δʼ ἐγδούπησαν Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη

τιμῶσαι βασιλῆα πολυχρύσοιο Μυκήνης.

15Atreus’ son shouted and ordered the Argives to arm,

and he himself put on the gleaming bronze.

First he set the handsome greaves around his shins,

fitted with silver clasps at the ankles.

Next he drew the breastplate around his chest,

20the guest-gift Cinyras once gave him.

For the great report had reached Cyprus that the Achaeans

were going to sail in their ships to Troy;

and so, to please the king, he gave him the armor.

Across it ran ten bands of dark blue enamel,

25twelve of gold and twenty of tin,

and dark-blue serpents stretched upward toward the neck,

three on either side, like the rainbows that Cronion

sets firm in a cloud as a sign for mortal men.

Around his shoulders he slung his sword; its golden studs

30flashed brightly, and the scabbard around it was

silver, fitted with golden carrying-straps.

He took up his man-enclosing, richly worked battle-shield,

a splendid shield ringed with ten circles of bronze.

Upon it stood twenty bosses of tin,

35white, with one of dark-blue enamel in their midst.

The grim-faced Gorgon crowned its surface,

glaring terribly, with Terror and Rout beside her.

Its carrying-strap was silver, and upon the strap

a dark-blue serpent coiled, with three heads

40twisting about, all grown from a single neck.

On his head he set a double-ridged, four-bossed helmet,

horsehaired, and the crest nodded terribly above it.

He took two strong spears tipped with bronze,

sharp, and the bronze flashed from them far into the sky.

45Athena and Hera thundered in answer,

honoring the king of Mycenae rich in gold.

47ἡνιόχῳ μὲν ἔπειτα ἑῷ ἐπέτελλεν ἕκαστος

ἵππους εὖ κατὰ κόσμον ἐρυκέμεν αὖθʼ ἐπὶ τάφρῳ,

αὐτοὶ δὲ πρυλέες σὺν τεύχεσι θωρηχθέντες

50ῥώοντʼ· ἄσβεστος δὲ βοὴ γένετʼ ἠῶθι πρό.

φθὰν δὲ μέγʼ ἱππήων ἐπὶ τάφρῳ κοσμηθέντες,

ἱππῆες δʼ ὀλίγον μετεκίαθον· ἐν δὲ κυδοιμὸν

ὦρσε κακὸν Κρονίδης, κατὰ δʼ ὑψόθεν ἧκεν ἐέρσας

αἵματι μυδαλέας ἐξ αἰθέρος, οὕνεκʼ ἔμελλε

55πολλὰς ἰφθίμους κεφαλὰς Ἄϊδι προϊάψειν.

47Then each man instructed his own charioteer

to hold his horses there in good order by the ditch,

while the foot soldiers, armored in their war gear,

50streamed forward, and an unquenchable shout rose before dawn.

They formed by the ditch far ahead of the horsemen,

and the horsemen came a little behind. Then Cronion stirred

an evil tumult among them and sent down from the heights a dew

dripping blood out of the clear sky, because he meant

55to send many mighty heads down to Hades.

56Τρῶες δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐπὶ θρωσμῷ πεδίοιο

Ἕκτορά τʼ ἀμφὶ μέγαν καὶ ἀμύμονα Πουλυδάμαντα

Αἰνείαν θʼ, ὃς Τρωσὶ θεὸς ὣς τίετο δήμῳ,

τρεῖς τʼ Ἀντηνορίδας Πόλυβον καὶ Ἀγήνορα δῖον

60ἠΐθεόν τʼ Ἀκάμαντʼ ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισιν.

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἐν πρώτοισι φέρʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην,

οἷος δʼ ἐκ νεφέων ἀναφαίνεται οὔλιος ἀστὴρ

παμφαίνων, τοτὲ δʼ αὖτις ἔδυ νέφεα σκιόεντα,

ὣς Ἕκτωρ ὁτὲ μέν τε μετὰ πρώτοισι φάνεσκεν,

65ἄλλοτε δʼ ἐν πυμάτοισι κελεύων· πᾶς δʼ ἄρα χαλκῷ

λάμφʼ ὥς τε στεροπὴ πατρὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

56Across from them the Trojans stood on a rise of the plain,

gathered around great Hector and faultless Polydamas,

and Aeneas, honored by the Trojan people like a god,

and Antenor’s three sons, Polybus and godlike Agenor

60and the young man Acamas, a match for the immortals.

In the front ranks Hector bore his shield, balanced on every side.

As a deadly star appears from behind the clouds,

blazing brightly, and then sinks back into the shadowed clouds,

so Hector would appear now among the foremost fighters,

65now in the rear as he gave commands; his whole body in bronze

he flashed like the lightning of father Zeus who bears the aegis.

67οἳ δʼ, ὥς τʼ ἀμητῆρες ἐναντίοι ἀλλήλοισιν

ὄγμον ἐλαύνωσιν ἀνδρὸς μάκαρος κατʼ ἄρουραν

πυρῶν ἢ κριθῶν· τὰ δὲ δράγματα ταρφέα πίπτει·

70ὣς Τρῶες καὶ Ἀχαιοὶ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι θορόντες

δῄουν, οὐδʼ ἕτεροι μνώοντʼ ὀλοοῖο φόβοιο.

ἴσας δʼ ὑσμίνη κεφαλὰς ἔχεν, οἳ δὲ λύκοι ὣς

θῦνον· Ἔρις δʼ ἄρʼ ἔχαιρε πολύστονος εἰσορόωσα·

οἴη γάρ ῥα θεῶν παρετύγχανε μαρναμένοισιν,

75οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι οὔ σφιν πάρεσαν θεοί, ἀλλὰ ἕκηλοι

σφοῖσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι καθήατο, ἧχι ἑκάστῳ

δώματα καλὰ τέτυκτο κατὰ πτύχας Οὐλύμποιο.

πάντες δʼ ᾐτιόωντο κελαινεφέα Κρονίωνα

οὕνεκʼ ἄρα Τρώεσσιν ἐβούλετο κῦδος ὀρέξαι.

80τῶν μὲν ἄρʼ οὐκ ἀλέγιζε πατήρ· ὃ δὲ νόσφι λιασθεὶς

τῶν ἄλλων ἀπάνευθε καθέζετο κύδεϊ γαίων

εἰσορόων Τρώων τε πόλιν καὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν

χαλκοῦ τε στεροπήν, ὀλλύντάς τʼ ὀλλυμένους τε.

67As reapers facing one another

drive their swaths across a prosperous man’s field

of wheat or barley, and the thick handfuls fall,

70so Trojans and Achaeans leapt against each other

and cut one another down; neither side thought of ruinous flight.

The battle held the two sides head for head, and they charged like wolves.

Strife of the many groans looked on and rejoiced,

for she alone of all the gods stood beside the fighters.

75The other gods were not among them but sat at ease

in their own halls, where each had

a splendid house built along the folds of Olympus.

They all blamed Cronion of the black clouds

because he intended to grant the Trojans ascendancy.

80The Father paid no heed. He withdrew

far from the others and sat exulting in his power,

watching the city of Troy and the Achaeans’ ships,

the flash of bronze, the killers, and the killed.

84ὄφρα μὲν ἠὼς ἦν καὶ ἀέξετο ἱερὸν ἦμαρ,

85τόφρα μάλʼ ἀμφοτέρων βέλεʼ ἥπτετο, πῖπτε δὲ λαός·

ἦμος δὲ δρυτόμος περ ἀνὴρ ὁπλίσσατο δεῖπνον

οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃσιν, ἐπεί τʼ ἐκορέσσατο χεῖρας

τάμνων δένδρεα μακρά, ἅδος τέ μιν ἵκετο θυμόν,

σίτου τε γλυκεροῖο περὶ φρένας ἵμερος αἱρεῖ,

90τῆμος σφῇ ἀρετῇ Δαναοὶ ῥήξαντο φάλαγγας

κεκλόμενοι ἑτάροισι κατὰ στίχας· ἐν δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

84As long as dawn remained and the sacred day grew stronger,

85weapons struck thickly on both sides, and the troops kept falling.

But at the hour when a woodcutter prepares his meal

in a mountain glen, once he has sated his hands

cutting tall trees and weariness has reached his spirit,

and longing for sweet food takes hold of his mind,

90then by their own prowess the Danaans broke the Trojan ranks,

calling to their comrades down the lines. Agamemnon

92πρῶτος ὄρουσʼ, ἕλε δʼ ἄνδρα Βιάνορα ποιμένα λαῶν

αὐτόν, ἔπειτα δʼ ἑταῖρον Ὀϊλῆα πλήξιππον.

ἤτοι ὅ γʼ ἐξ ἵππων κατεπάλμενος ἀντίος ἔστη·

95τὸν δʼ ἰθὺς μεμαῶτα μετώπιον ὀξέϊ δουρὶ

νύξʼ, οὐδὲ στεφάνη δόρυ οἱ σχέθε χαλκοβάρεια,

ἀλλὰ διʼ αὐτῆς ἦλθε καὶ ὀστέου, ἐγκέφαλος δὲ

ἔνδον ἅπας πεπάλακτο· δάμασσε δέ μιν μεμαῶτα.

καὶ τοὺς μὲν λίπεν αὖθι ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων

100στήθεσι παμφαίνοντας, ἐπεὶ περίδυσε χιτῶνας·

αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ Ἶσόν τε καὶ Ἄντιφον ἐξεναρίξων

υἷε δύω Πριάμοιο νόθον καὶ γνήσιον ἄμφω

εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντας· ὃ μὲν νόθος ἡνιόχευεν,

Ἄντιφος αὖ παρέβασκε περικλυτός· ὥ ποτʼ Ἀχιλλεὺς

105Ἴδης ἐν κνημοῖσι δίδη μόσχοισι λύγοισι,

ποιμαίνοντʼ ἐπʼ ὄεσσι λαβών, καὶ ἔλυσεν ἀποίνων.

δὴ τότε γʼ Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

τὸν μὲν ὑπὲρ μαζοῖο κατὰ στῆθος βάλε δουρί,

Ἄντιφον αὖ παρὰ οὖς ἔλασε ξίφει, ἐκ δʼ ἔβαλʼ ἵππων.

110σπερχόμενος δʼ ἀπὸ τοῖιν ἐσύλα τεύχεα καλὰ

γιγνώσκων· καὶ γάρ σφε πάρος παρὰ νηυσὶ θοῇσιν

εἶδεν, ὅτʼ ἐξ Ἴδης ἄγαγεν πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς.

92sprang first and killed Bianor, shepherd of the people,

and then his companion Oileus, driver of horses.

Oileus leapt down from the chariot and faced him,

95but as he charged straight on, Agamemnon stabbed his forehead

with the sharp spear. The heavy bronze rim of his helmet did not stop it:

the spear went through the rim itself and the bone, and all the brain

was spattered inside, and he subdued Oileus as he charged.

Then Agamemnon, lord of men, left both men there

100with their chests gleaming after he stripped off their tunics,

and went on to kill Isus and Antiphus,

two sons of Priam, one born outside marriage, the other in wedlock,

both in a single chariot. The first drove,

while renowned Antiphus fought beside him. Once Achilles

105had bound them on Ida’s slopes with pliant withes,

capturing them as they tended sheep, and freed them for ransom.

Now Atreus’ son, wide-ruling Agamemnon,

struck Isus with his spear in the chest above the nipple,

then drove his sword beside Antiphus’ ear and hurled him from the chariot.

110In haste he stripped the splendid armor from them,

for he knew them: he had seen them before beside the swift ships,

when swift-footed Achilles brought them down from Ida.

113ὡς δὲ λέων ἐλάφοιο ταχείης νήπια τέκνα

ῥηϊδίως συνέαξε λαβὼν κρατεροῖσιν ὀδοῦσιν

115ἐλθὼν εἰς εὐνήν, ἁπαλόν τέ σφʼ ἦτορ ἀπηύρα·

ἣ δʼ εἴ πέρ τε τύχῃσι μάλα σχεδόν, οὐ δύναταί σφι

χραισμεῖν· αὐτὴν γάρ μιν ὑπὸ τρόμος αἰνὸς ἱκάνει·

καρπαλίμως δʼ ἤϊξε διὰ δρυμὰ πυκνὰ καὶ ὕλην

σπεύδουσʼ ἱδρώουσα κραταιοῦ θηρὸς ὑφʼ ὁρμῆς·

120ὣς ἄρα τοῖς οὔ τις δύνατο χραισμῆσαι ὄλεθρον

Τρώων, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπʼ Ἀργείοισι φέβοντο.

113As a lion easily crushes a swift doe’s helpless fawns,

taking them in his powerful teeth

115when he enters their den, and takes the tender life from them,

while she, though she happens to be very near, cannot

help them, for terrible trembling takes hold of her,

and she darts swiftly through thick brush and woodland,

hurrying, sweating, before the mighty beast’s onslaught—

120so no Trojan could help those two escape destruction,

for they themselves were fleeing before the Argives.

122αὐτὰρ ὃ Πείσανδρόν τε καὶ Ἱππόλοχον μενεχάρμην

υἱέας Ἀντιμάχοιο δαΐφρονος, ὅς ῥα μάλιστα

χρυσὸν Ἀλεξάνδροιο δεδεγμένος ἀγλαὰ δῶρα

125οὐκ εἴασχʼ Ἑλένην δόμεναι ξανθῷ Μενελάῳ,

τοῦ περ δὴ δύο παῖδε λάβε κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντας, ὁμοῦ δʼ ἔχον ὠκέας ἵππους·

ἐκ γάρ σφεας χειρῶν φύγον ἡνία σιγαλόεντα,

τὼ δὲ κυκηθήτην· ὃ δʼ ἐναντίον ὦρτο λέων ὣς

130Ἀτρεΐδης· τὼ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐκ δίφρου γουναζέσθην·

ζώγρει Ἀτρέος υἱέ, σὺ δʼ ἄξια δέξαι ἄποινα·

πολλὰ δʼ ἐν Ἀντιμάχοιο δόμοις κειμήλια κεῖται

χαλκός τε χρυσός τε πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος,

τῶν κέν τοι χαρίσαιτο πατὴρ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα,

135εἰ νῶϊ ζωοὺς πεπύθοιτʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.

ὣς τώ γε κλαίοντε προσαυδήτην βασιλῆα

μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσιν· ἀμείλικτον δʼ ὄπʼ ἄκουσαν·

εἰ μὲν δὴ Ἀντιμάχοιο δαΐφρονος υἱέες ἐστόν,

ὅς ποτʼ ἐνὶ Τρώων ἀγορῇ Μενέλαον ἄνωγεν

140ἀγγελίην ἐλθόντα σὺν ἀντιθέῳ Ὀδυσῆϊ

αὖθι κατακτεῖναι μηδʼ ἐξέμεν ἂψ ἐς Ἀχαιούς,

νῦν μὲν δὴ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀεικέα τίσετε λώβην.

ἦ, καὶ Πείσανδρον μὲν ἀφʼ ἵππων ὦσε χαμᾶζε

δουρὶ βαλὼν πρὸς στῆθος· ὃ δʼ ὕπτιος οὔδει ἐρείσθη.

145Ἱππόλοχος δʼ ἀπόρουσε, τὸν αὖ χαμαὶ ἐξενάριξε

χεῖρας ἀπὸ ξίφεϊ τμήξας ἀπό τʼ αὐχένα κόψας,

ὅλμον δʼ ὣς ἔσσευε κυλίνδεσθαι διʼ ὁμίλου.

122Next Agamemnon caught Pisander and Hippolochus, steadfast in battle,

the sons of wise Antimachus, who more than any man,

accepting gold from Alexander as splendid gifts,

125had opposed giving Helen back to blond Menelaus.

Now lord Agamemnon caught his two sons,

both in a single chariot, holding the swift horses together.

The shining reins had escaped their hands,

and the pair were thrown into confusion. Atreus’ son sprang at them like a lion,

130and from the chariot the two clasped his knees:

“Take us alive, son of Atreus, and accept a worthy ransom.

Many treasures lie stored in Antimachus’ house,

bronze and gold and much-worked iron.

From these our father would give you ransom beyond measure,

135if he learned that we were alive beside the Achaeans’ ships.”

So weeping they addressed the king

with gentle words, but the voice they heard was pitiless:

“If you truly are the sons of wise Antimachus,

who once in the Trojan assembly urged that Menelaus,

140when he came as an envoy with godlike Odysseus,

be killed there and never sent back to the Achaeans,

now you will pay for your father’s shameful outrage.”

He spoke, and thrust Pisander down from the chariot to the ground,

striking him in the chest with his spear; he fell backward on the earth.

145Hippolochus leapt away, but Agamemnon killed him on the ground,

cutting off his hands with the sword and hewing through his neck,

then sent him rolling like a round block through the press.

148τοὺς μὲν ἔασʼ· ὃ δʼ ὅθι πλεῖσται κλονέοντο φάλαγγες,

τῇ ῥʼ ἐνόρουσʼ, ἅμα δʼ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί.

150πεζοὶ μὲν πεζοὺς ὄλεκον φεύγοντας ἀνάγκῃ,

ἱππεῖς δʼ ἱππῆας· ὑπὸ δέ σφισιν ὦρτο κονίη

ἐκ πεδίου, τὴν ὦρσαν ἐρίγδουποι πόδες ἵππων

χαλκῷ δηϊόωντες· ἀτὰρ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

αἰὲν ἀποκτείνων ἕπετʼ Ἀργείοισι κελεύων.

155ὡς δʼ ὅτε πῦρ ἀΐδηλον ἐν ἀξύλῳ ἐμπέσῃ ὕλῃ,

πάντῃ τʼ εἰλυφόων ἄνεμος φέρει, οἳ δέ τε θάμνοι

πρόρριζοι πίπτουσιν ἐπειγόμενοι πυρὸς ὁρμῇ·

ὣς ἄρʼ ὑπʼ Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι πῖπτε κάρηνα

Τρώων φευγόντων, πολλοὶ δʼ ἐριαύχενες ἵπποι

160κείνʼ ὄχεα κροτάλιζον ἀνὰ πτολέμοιο γεφύρας

ἡνιόχους ποθέοντες ἀμύμονας· οἳ δʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ

κείατο, γύπεσσιν πολὺ φίλτεροι ἢ ἀλόχοισιν.

Ἕκτορα δʼ ἐκ βελέων ὕπαγε Ζεὺς ἔκ τε κονίης

ἔκ τʼ ἀνδροκτασίης ἔκ θʼ αἵματος ἔκ τε κυδοιμοῦ·

165Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἕπετο σφεδανὸν Δαναοῖσι κελεύων.

148He left them and sprang where the greatest number of ranks reeled in confusion,

and the other well-greaved Achaeans went with him.

150Footmen killed footmen as they fled under compulsion,

horsemen killed horsemen, and beneath them dust rose

from the plain, thrown up by the thunderous feet of horses,

while they laid waste with bronze. Lord Agamemnon

followed on, killing without pause and urging the Argives forward.

155As when consuming fire falls upon an uncut forest

and the wind carries it twisting everywhere, while the bushes

fall uprooted, beaten down by the fire’s onrush,

so under Agamemnon, Atreus’ son, fell the heads

of fleeing Trojans. Many high-necked horses

160rattled empty chariots along the bridges of war,

missing their faultless drivers, who lay upon the earth,

far dearer to the vultures now than to their wives.

Zeus led Hector clear of the weapons and the dust,

the killing of men, the blood, and the tumult,

165while Atreus’ son pressed on fiercely, urging the Danaans.

166οἳ δὲ παρʼ Ἴλου σῆμα παλαιοῦ Δαρδανίδαο

μέσσον κὰπ πεδίον παρʼ ἐρινεὸν ἐσσεύοντο

ἱέμενοι πόλιος· ὃ δὲ κεκλήγων ἕπετʼ αἰεὶ

Ἀτρεΐδης, λύθρῳ δὲ παλάσσετο χεῖρας ἀάπτους.

170ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Σκαιάς τε πύλας καὶ φηγὸν ἵκοντο,

ἔνθʼ ἄρα δὴ ἵσταντο καὶ ἀλλήλους ἀνέμιμνον.

οἳ δʼ ἔτι κὰμ μέσσον πεδίον φοβέοντο βόες ὥς,

ἅς τε λέων ἐφόβησε μολὼν ἐν νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ

πάσας· τῇ δέ τʼ ἰῇ ἀναφαίνεται αἰπὺς ὄλεθρος·

175τῆς δʼ ἐξ αὐχένʼ ἔαξε λαβὼν κρατεροῖσιν ὀδοῦσι

πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δέ θʼ αἷμα καὶ ἔγκατα πάντα λαφύσσει·

ὣς τοὺς Ἀτρεΐδης ἔφεπε κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

αἰὲν ἀποκτείνων τὸν ὀπίστατον· οἳ δʼ ἐφέβοντο.

πολλοὶ δὲ πρηνεῖς τε καὶ ὕπτιοι ἔκπεσον ἵππων

180Ἀτρεΐδεω ὑπὸ χερσί· περὶ πρὸ γὰρ ἔγχεϊ θῦεν.

166The Trojans rushed past the tomb of ancient Ilus, Dardanus’ descendant,

through the middle of the plain and past the wild fig tree,

straining for the city, while Atreus’ son followed them, crying out,

his invincible hands spattered with gore.

170But when they reached the Scaean Gates and the oak tree,

there they halted and waited for one another.

The others still fled across the middle of the plain like cattle,

a herd that a lion has frightened when he comes in the dead of night—

all of them, but for one cow sheer destruction shows itself:

175He catches her and first breaks her neck

in his powerful teeth, then gulps down all her blood and entrails.

So Agamemnon, wide-ruling son of Atreus, chased them,

always killing the hindmost, while the rest fled on.

Many fell headlong or backward from their chariots

180under the hands of Atreus’ son, for he stormed far ahead with his spear.

181ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τάχʼ ἔμελλεν ὑπὸ πτόλιν αἰπύ τε τεῖχος

ἵξεσθαι, τότε δή ῥα πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε

Ἴδης ἐν κορυφῇσι καθέζετο πιδηέσσης

οὐρανόθεν καταβάς· ἔχε δʼ ἀστεροπὴν μετὰ χερσίν.

185Ἶριν δʼ ὄτρυνε χρυσόπτερον ἀγγελέουσαν·

βάσκʼ ἴθι Ἶρι ταχεῖα, τὸν Ἕκτορι μῦθον ἐνίσπες·

ὄφρʼ ἂν μέν κεν ὁρᾷ Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιμένα λαῶν

θύνοντʼ ἐν προμάχοισιν ἐναίροντα στίχας ἀνδρῶν,

τόφρʼ ἀναχωρείτω, τὸν δʼ ἄλλον λαὸν ἀνώχθω

190μάρνασθαι δηΐοισι κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κʼ ἢ δουρὶ τυπεὶς ἢ βλήμενος ἰῷ

εἰς ἵππους ἅλεται, τότε οἱ κράτος ἐγγυαλίξω

κτείνειν εἰς ὅ κε νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους ἀφίκηται

δύῃ τʼ ἠέλιος καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἱερὸν ἔλθῃ.

181But when he was soon about to come beneath the city and its steep wall,

the father of gods and men

sat upon the peaks of Ida rich in springs,

having descended from heaven, holding lightning in his hands.

185He urged gold-winged Iris to carry his message:

“Go now, swift Iris, and tell Hector this command:

as long as he sees Agamemnon, shepherd of the people,

raging among the foremost and killing ranks of men,

so long let him give ground, but order the rest of his host

190to fight the enemy through the bitter press of battle.

But when Agamemnon, struck by a spear or hit by an arrow,

leaps into his chariot, then I will place power in Hector’s hands

to kill until he reaches the well-decked ships

and the sun goes down and sacred dusk comes on.”

195ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις,

βῆ δὲ κατʼ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων εἰς Ἴλιον ἱρήν.

εὗρʼ υἱὸν Πριάμοιο δαΐφρονος Ἕκτορα δῖον

ἑσταότʼ ἔν θʼ ἵπποισι καὶ ἅρμασι κολλητοῖσιν·

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱσταμένη προσέφη πόδας ὠκέα Ἶρις·

200Ἕκτορ υἱὲ Πριάμοιο Διὶ μῆτιν ἀτάλαντε

Ζεύς με πατὴρ προέηκε τεῒν τάδε μυθήσασθαι.

ὄφρʼ ἂν μέν κεν ὁρᾷς Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιμένα λαῶν

θύνοντʼ ἐν προμάχοισιν, ἐναίροντα στίχας ἀνδρῶν,

τόφρʼ ὑπόεικε μάχης, τὸν δʼ ἄλλον λαὸν ἄνωχθι

205μάρνασθαι δηΐοισι κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κʼ ἢ δουρὶ τυπεὶς ἢ βλήμενος ἰῷ

εἰς ἵππους ἅλεται, τότε τοι κράτος ἐγγυαλίξει

κτείνειν, εἰς ὅ κε νῆας ἐϋσσέλμους ἀφίκηαι

δύῃ τʼ ἠέλιος καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἱερὸν ἔλθῃ.

210ἣ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἀπέβη πόδας ὠκέα Ἶρις,

195So he spoke, and swift Iris, fleet as the wind, did not disobey.

She went down from the mountains of Ida to holy Ilium

and found godlike Hector, son of wise Priam,

standing among the horses and close-fitted chariots.

Swift-footed Iris stood near and addressed him:

200“Hector, son of Priam, a match for Zeus in counsel,

father Zeus has sent me to tell you this:

as long as you see Agamemnon, shepherd of the people,

raging among the foremost and killing ranks of men,

so long give ground from battle, but order the rest of the host

205to fight the enemy through the bitter press of battle.

But when Agamemnon, struck by a spear or hit by an arrow,

leaps into his chariot, then Zeus will place power in your hands

to kill until you reach the well-decked ships

and the sun goes down and sacred dusk comes on.”

210With that, swift-footed Iris departed.

211Ἕκτωρ δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων σὺν τεύχεσιν ἆλτο χαμᾶζε,

πάλλων δʼ ὀξέα δοῦρα κατὰ στρατὸν ᾤχετο πάντῃ

ὀτρύνων μαχέσασθαι, ἔγειρε δὲ φύλοπιν αἰνήν.

οἳ δʼ ἐλελίχθησαν καὶ ἐναντίοι ἔσταν Ἀχαιῶν,

215Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐκαρτύναντο φάλαγγας.

ἀρτύνθη δὲ μάχη, στὰν δʼ ἀντίοι· ἐν δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

πρῶτος ὄρουσʼ, ἔθελεν δὲ πολὺ προμάχεσθαι ἁπάντων.

ἔσπετε νῦν μοι Μοῦσαι Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχουσαι

ὅς τις δὴ πρῶτος Ἀγαμέμνονος ἀντίον ἦλθεν

220ἢ αὐτῶν Τρώων ἠὲ κλειτῶν ἐπικούρων.

211Hector leapt from his chariot to the ground with all his war gear.

Brandishing sharp spears, he went throughout the army,

urging them to fight and waking the terrible clash.

They wheeled and stood facing the Achaeans,

215while the Argives across from them strengthened their ranks.

The battle was ordered, and they stood opposed. Agamemnon

sprang out first, eager to fight far ahead of all the rest.

“Tell me now, Muses who have your homes on Olympus,

who was the first to come against Agamemnon,

220one of the Trojans themselves or one of their famed allies?”

221Ἰφιδάμας Ἀντηνορίδης ἠΰς τε μέγας τε

ὃς τράφη ἐν Θρῄκῃ ἐριβώλακι μητέρι μήλων·

Κισσῆς τόν γʼ ἔθρεψε δόμοις ἔνι τυτθὸν ἐόντα

μητροπάτωρ, ὃς τίκτε Θεανὼ καλλιπάρῃον·

225αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἥβης ἐρικυδέος ἵκετο μέτρον,

αὐτοῦ μιν κατέρυκε, δίδου δʼ ὅ γε θυγατέρα ἥν·

γήμας δʼ ἐκ θαλάμοιο μετὰ κλέος ἵκετʼ Ἀχαιῶν

σὺν δυοκαίδεκα νηυσὶ κορωνίσιν, αἵ οἱ ἕποντο.

τὰς μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἐν Περκώτῃ λίπε νῆας ἐΐσας,

230αὐτὰρ ὃ πεζὸς ἐὼν ἐς Ἴλιον εἰληλούθει·

ὅς ῥα τότʼ Ἀτρεΐδεω Ἀγαμέμνονος ἀντίον ἦλθεν.

οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες,

Ἀτρεΐδης μὲν ἅμαρτε, παραὶ δέ οἱ ἐτράπετʼ ἔγχος,

Ἰφιδάμας δὲ κατὰ ζώνην θώρηκος ἔνερθε

235νύξʼ, ἐπὶ δʼ αὐτὸς ἔρεισε βαρείῃ χειρὶ πιθήσας·

οὐδʼ ἔτορε ζωστῆρα παναίολον, ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρὶν

ἀργύρῳ ἀντομένη μόλιβος ὣς ἐτράπετʼ αἰχμή.

καὶ τό γε χειρὶ λαβὼν εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

ἕλκʼ ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαὼς ὥς τε λίς, ἐκ δʼ ἄρα χειρὸς

240σπάσσατο· τὸν δʼ ἄορι πλῆξʼ αὐχένα, λῦσε δὲ γυῖα.

ὣς ὃ μὲν αὖθι πεσὼν κοιμήσατο χάλκεον ὕπνον

οἰκτρὸς ἀπὸ μνηστῆς ἀλόχου, ἀστοῖσιν ἀρήγων,

κουριδίης, ἧς οὔ τι χάριν ἴδε, πολλὰ δʼ ἔδωκε·

πρῶθʼ ἑκατὸν βοῦς δῶκεν, ἔπειτα δὲ χίλιʼ ὑπέστη

245αἶγας ὁμοῦ καὶ ὄϊς, τά οἱ ἄσπετα ποιμαίνοντο.

δὴ τότε γʼ Ἀτρεΐδης Ἀγαμέμνων ἐξενάριξε,

βῆ δὲ φέρων ἀνʼ ὅμιλον Ἀχαιῶν τεύχεα καλά.

221It was Iphidamas, Antenor’s son, good and tall,

who had been raised in Thrace, land rich in soil and mother of flocks.

Cisseus had reared him in his halls from early childhood,

his mother’s father, who had begotten lovely-cheeked Theano.

225When he reached the full measure of glorious youth,

Cisseus kept him there and gave him his own daughter.

But once married, he left the bridal chamber at the report of the Achaeans,

with twelve curved ships that followed him.

He left those balanced ships at Percote,

230and came on foot to Ilium.

This was the man who now met Atreus’ son Agamemnon.

When at last they drew near, advancing against each other,

Atreus’ son missed, and his spear turned aside from Iphidamas.

Iphidamas stabbed beneath the breastplate at the belt,

235leaning his weight behind it, trusting in his heavy hand.

But he did not pierce the all-glittering belt. Long before that,

the point met silver and bent back like lead.

Then wide-ruling Agamemnon seized the spear in his hand

and pulled it toward himself, eager as a lion, wrenching it

240from Iphidamas’ hand; then he struck his neck with the sword and loosed his limbs.

So he fell there and slept a sleep of bronze,

pitiful, far from his wedded wife, while defending his countrymen—

the bride from whom he had known no joy, though he had given much for her:

first he gave a hundred cattle, then promised a thousand

245goats and sheep together, countless in his flocks.

Then Atreus’ son Agamemnon stripped him

and carried his splendid armor through the Achaean throng.

248τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε Κόων ἀριδείκετος ἀνδρῶν

πρεσβυγενὴς Ἀντηνορίδης, κρατερόν ῥά ἑ πένθος

250ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκάλυψε κασιγνήτοιο πεσόντος.

στῆ δʼ εὐρὰξ σὺν δουρὶ λαθὼν Ἀγαμέμνονα δῖον,

νύξε δέ μιν κατὰ χεῖρα μέσην ἀγκῶνος ἔνερθε,

ἀντικρὺ δὲ διέσχε φαεινοῦ δουρὸς ἀκωκή.

ῥίγησέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

255ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς ἀπέληγε μάχης ἠδὲ πτολέμοιο,

ἀλλʼ ἐπόρουσε Κόωνι ἔχων ἀνεμοτρεφὲς ἔγχος.

ἤτοι ὃ Ἰφιδάμαντα κασίγνητον καὶ ὄπατρον

ἕλκε ποδὸς μεμαώς, καὶ ἀΰτει πάντας ἀρίστους·

τὸν δʼ ἕλκοντʼ ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ὑπʼ ἀσπίδος ὀμφαλοέσσης

260οὔτησε ξυστῷ χαλκήρεϊ, λῦσε δὲ γυῖα·

τοῖο δʼ ἐπʼ Ἰφιδάμαντι κάρη ἀπέκοψε παραστάς.

ἔνθʼ Ἀντήνορος υἷες ὑπʼ Ἀτρεΐδῃ βασιλῆϊ

πότμον ἀναπλήσαντες ἔδυν δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω.

248When Coon, renowned among men, saw him—

Antenor’s firstborn son—a powerful grief

250covered his eyes at the sight of his fallen brother.

He took his stand to one side with his spear, unseen by godlike Agamemnon,

and stabbed the middle of his arm below the elbow.

The point of the shining spear passed straight through.

Agamemnon, lord of men, shuddered,

255but even then he did not withdraw from battle and war.

He sprang upon Coon with his wind-reared spear.

Coon was dragging Iphidamas, his brother by the same father,

by the foot and shouting to all the champions.

As he dragged him through the press, Agamemnon reached beneath the bossed shield

260and stabbed him with the polished bronze-shod spear, loosening his limbs,

then stood over Iphidamas and cut off Coon’s head.

There the sons of Antenor, beneath King Agamemnon,

fulfilled their fate and went down into the house of Hades.

264αὐτὰρ ὃ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπεπωλεῖτο στίχας ἀνδρῶν

265ἔγχεΐ τʼ ἄορί τε μεγάλοισί τε χερμαδίοισιν,

ὄφρά οἱ αἷμʼ ἔτι θερμὸν ἀνήνοθεν ἐξ ὠτειλῆς.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τὸ μὲν ἕλκος ἐτέρσετο, παύσατο δʼ αἷμα,

ὀξεῖαι δʼ ὀδύναι δῦνον μένος Ἀτρεΐδαο.

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ὠδίνουσαν ἔχῃ βέλος ὀξὺ γυναῖκα

270δριμύ, τό τε προϊεῖσι μογοστόκοι Εἰλείθυιαι

Ἥρης θυγατέρες πικρὰς ὠδῖνας ἔχουσαι,

ὣς ὀξεῖʼ ὀδύναι δῦνον μένος Ἀτρεΐδαο.

ἐς δίφρον δʼ ἀνόρουσε, καὶ ἡνιόχῳ ἐπέτελλε

νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐλαυνέμεν· ἤχθετο γὰρ κῆρ.

264He ranged through the ranks of the other men,

265with spear and sword and great stones,

while warm blood still welled from his wound.

But when the wound dried and the blood stopped,

sharp pains sank into the strength of Atreus’ son.

As when a sharp, piercing shaft grips a woman in labor,

270sent by the Eileithyiae, who bring the pains of birth,

Hera’s daughters, who hold the bitter birth-pangs,

so sharp pains sank into the strength of Atreus’ son.

He sprang into his chariot and ordered his driver

to drive toward the hollow ships, for his heart was in pain.

275ἤϋσεν δὲ διαπρύσιον Δαναοῖσι γεγωνώς·

ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες

ὑμεῖς μὲν νῦν νηυσὶν ἀμύνετε ποντοπόροισι

φύλοπιν ἀργαλέην, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐμὲ μητίετα Ζεὺς

εἴασε Τρώεσσι πανημέριον πολεμίζειν.

280ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡνίοχος δʼ ἵμασεν καλλίτριχας ἵππους

νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς· τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην·

ἄφρεον δὲ στήθεα, ῥαίνοντο δὲ νέρθε κονίῃ

τειρόμενον βασιλῆα μάχης ἀπάνευθε φέροντες.

275He cried out in a piercing voice, calling to the Danaans:

“Friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives,

you must now defend the seafaring ships

from the bitter clash, since Zeus the counselor

has not allowed me to fight the Trojans through the whole day.”

280So he spoke. His charioteer lashed the horses with their lovely manes

toward the hollow ships, and the pair flew onward willingly.

Their chests foamed, and their undersides were spattered with dust

as they carried the stricken king away from battle.

284Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὡς ἐνόησʼ Ἀγαμέμνονα νόσφι κιόντα

285Τρωσί τε καὶ Λυκίοισιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·

Τρῶες καὶ Λύκιοι καὶ Δάρδανοι ἀγχιμαχηταὶ

ἀνέρες ἔστε φίλοι, μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς.

οἴχετʼ ἀνὴρ ὤριστος, ἐμοὶ δὲ μέγʼ εὖχος ἔδωκε

Ζεὺς Κρονίδης· ἀλλʼ ἰθὺς ἐλαύνετε μώνυχας ἵππους

290ἰφθίμων Δαναῶν, ἵνʼ ὑπέρτερον εὖχος ἄρησθε.

ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.

284When Hector saw Agamemnon going away from the battle,

285he called to the Trojans and Lycians with a great shout:

“Trojans and Lycians and Dardanians, close fighters,

be men, my friends, and remember your furious courage.

Their best man has gone, and Zeus son of Cronus has granted me

great triumph. Drive your single-hoofed horses straight

290at the mighty Danaans, so you may win still greater triumph.”

So he spoke and stirred each man's force and spirit.

292ὡς δʼ ὅτε πού τις θηρητὴρ κύνας ἀργιόδοντας

σεύῃ ἐπʼ ἀγροτέρῳ συῒ καπρίῳ ἠὲ λέοντι,

ὣς ἐπʼ Ἀχαιοῖσιν σεῦε Τρῶας μεγαθύμους

295Ἕκτωρ Πριαμίδης βροτολοιγῷ ἶσος Ἄρηϊ.

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐν πρώτοισι μέγα φρονέων ἐβεβήκει,

ἐν δʼ ἔπεσʼ ὑσμίνῃ ὑπεραέϊ ἶσος ἀέλλῃ,

ἥ τε καθαλλομένη ἰοειδέα πόντον ὀρίνει.

ἔνθα τίνα πρῶτον, τίνα δʼ ὕστατον ἐξενάριξεν

300Ἕκτωρ Πριαμίδης, ὅτε οἱ Ζεὺς κῦδος ἔδωκεν;

Ἀσαῖον μὲν πρῶτα καὶ Αὐτόνοον καὶ Ὀπίτην

καὶ Δόλοπα Κλυτίδην καὶ Ὀφέλτιον ἠδʼ Ἀγέλαον

Αἴσυμνόν τʼ Ὦρόν τε καὶ Ἱππόνοον μενεχάρμην.

τοὺς ἄρʼ ὅ γʼ ἡγεμόνας Δαναῶν ἕλεν, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

305πληθύν, ὡς ὁπότε νέφεα Ζέφυρος στυφελίξῃ

ἀργεστᾶο Νότοιο βαθείῃ λαίλαπι τύπτων·

πολλὸν δὲ τρόφι κῦμα κυλίνδεται, ὑψόσε δʼ ἄχνη

σκίδναται ἐξ ἀνέμοιο πολυπλάγκτοιο ἰωῆς·

ὣς ἄρα πυκνὰ καρήαθʼ ὑφʼ Ἕκτορι δάμνατο λαῶν.

292As when a hunter urges his white-fanged hounds

against a wild boar or a lion of the hills,

so Hector, Priam’s son, unleashed the great-hearted Trojans

295against the Achaeans, like man-destroying Ares.

He strode among the foremost, his thoughts high,

and plunged into battle like a storm-wind blowing hard,

which sweeps down and churns the violet sea.

Whom did Hector, Priam’s son, kill first, whom last,

300when Zeus granted him ascendancy?

First Asaeus, Autonous, and Opites,

Dolops son of Clytius, Opheltius, and Agelaus,

Aesymnus, Orus, and Hipponous, steadfast in battle.

These leaders of the Danaans he killed, and then their multitude,

305as when the West Wind batters the clouds of the clearing South Wind,

striking them with a deep squall.

The swollen wave rolls high, and foam above it

scatters beneath the blast of the far-wandering wind.

So, beneath Hector, crowded ranks of men’s heads went down.

310ἔνθά κε λοιγὸς ἔην καὶ ἀμήχανα ἔργα γένοντο,

καί νύ κεν ἐν νήεσσι πέσον φεύγοντες Ἀχαιοί,

εἰ μὴ Τυδεΐδῃ Διομήδεϊ κέκλετʼ Ὀδυσσεύς·

Τυδεΐδη τί παθόντε λελάσμεθα θούριδος ἀλκῆς;

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δεῦρο πέπον, παρʼ ἔμʼ ἵσταο· δὴ γὰρ ἔλεγχος

315ἔσσεται εἴ κεν νῆας ἕλῃ κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

ἤτοι ἐγὼ μενέω καὶ τλήσομαι· ἀλλὰ μίνυνθα

ἡμέων ἔσσεται ἦδος, ἐπεὶ νεφεληγερέτα Ζεὺς

Τρωσὶν δὴ βόλεται δοῦναι κράτος ἠέ περ ἡμῖν.

310Then there would have been ruin and deeds beyond remedy,

and the Achaeans would have fallen among their ships as they fled,

if Odysseus had not called to Diomedes, Tydeus’ son:

“Son of Tydeus, what has come over us? Have we forgotten furious courage?

Come here, my friend, and stand beside me. It will be a disgrace

315if flashing-helmeted Hector takes the ships.”

Strong Diomedes answered him:

“I will stand and endure, but our advantage

will be brief, since cloud-gathering Zeus

means to give the Trojans power rather than us.”

320ἦ καὶ Θυμβραῖον μὲν ἀφʼ ἵππων ὦσε χαμᾶζε

δουρὶ βαλὼν κατὰ μαζὸν ἀριστερόν· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

ἀντίθεον θεράποντα Μολίονα τοῖο ἄνακτος.

τοὺς μὲν ἔπειτʼ εἴασαν, ἐπεὶ πολέμου ἀπέπαυσαν·

τὼ δʼ ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἰόντε κυδοίμεον, ὡς ὅτε κάπρω

325ἐν κυσὶ θηρευτῇσι μέγα φρονέοντε πέσητον·

ὣς ὄλεκον Τρῶας πάλιν ὀρμένω· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ

ἀσπασίως φεύγοντες ἀνέπνεον Ἕκτορα δῖον.

ἔνθʼ ἑλέτην δίφρόν τε καὶ ἀνέρε δήμου ἀρίστω

υἷε δύω Μέροπος Περκωσίου, ὃς περὶ πάντων

330ᾔδεε μαντοσύνας, οὐδὲ οὓς παῖδας ἔασκε

στείχειν ἐς πόλεμον φθισήνορα· τὼ δέ οἱ οὔ τι

πειθέσθην· κῆρες γὰρ ἄγον μέλανος θανάτοιο.

τοὺς μὲν Τυδεΐδης δουρικλειτὸς Διομήδης

θυμοῦ καὶ ψυχῆς κεκαδὼν κλυτὰ τεύχεʼ ἀπηύρα·

335Ἱππόδαμον δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ Ὑπείροχον ἐξενάριξεν.

320He spoke and knocked Thymbraeus from his chariot to the ground,

striking him with a spear beneath the left breast; Odysseus killed

Molion, the godlike attendant of that lord.

They left the two where they had put an end to their fighting,

then the two went through the press, wreaking havoc, as when two boars

325fall proudly upon a pack of hunting dogs.

So they wheeled back and killed the Trojans. The Achaeans,

glad to escape from godlike Hector, breathed again.

Then the two seized a chariot and two men, the best of their people,

the two sons of Merops of Percote, who above all men

330understood the arts of prophecy and would not let his sons

go to man-destroying war; but the two did not

obey him, for the dooms of black death were leading them on.

Diomedes, Tydeus’ son famed for the spear, robbed them

of spirit and life and stripped away their splendid armor.

335Odysseus killed Hippodamus and Hypeirochus.

336ἔνθά σφιν κατὰ ἶσα μάχην ἐτάνυσσε Κρονίων

ἐξ Ἴδης καθορῶν· τοὶ δʼ ἀλλήλους ἐνάριζον.

ἤτοι Τυδέος υἱὸς Ἀγάστροφον οὔτασε δουρὶ

Παιονίδην ἥρωα κατʼ ἰσχίον· οὐ δέ οἱ ἵπποι

340ἐγγὺς ἔσαν προφυγεῖν, ἀάσατο δὲ μέγα θυμῷ.

τοὺς μὲν γὰρ θεράπων ἀπάνευθʼ ἔχεν, αὐτὰρ ὃ πεζὸς

θῦνε διὰ προμάχων, εἷος φίλον ὤλεσε θυμόν.

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὀξὺ νόησε κατὰ στίχας, ὦρτο δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς

336Then Cronus’ son stretched the battle level between the sides

as he looked down from Ida, while they kept killing one another.

Tydeus’ son struck the hero Agastrophus,

Paeon’s son, in the hip with his spear. His horses were not

340near enough for escape; in his heart he had gone badly astray.

His attendant held them far away, while he on foot

charged through the front ranks until he lost his life.

Hector quickly saw them among the ranks and rushed at them,

344κεκλήγων· ἅμα δὲ Τρώων εἵποντο φάλαγγες.

345τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ῥίγησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης,

αἶψα δʼ Ὀδυσσῆα προσεφώνεεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα·

νῶϊν δὴ τόδε πῆμα κυλίνδεται ὄβριμος Ἕκτωρ·

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ στέωμεν καὶ ἀλεξώμεσθα μένοντες.

ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος

350καὶ βάλεν, οὐδʼ ἀφάμαρτε τιτυσκόμενος κεφαλῆφιν,

ἄκρην κὰκ κόρυθα· πλάγχθη δʼ ἀπὸ χαλκόφι χαλκός,

οὐδʼ ἵκετο χρόα καλόν· ἐρύκακε γὰρ τρυφάλεια

τρίπτυχος αὐλῶπις, τήν οἱ πόρε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων.

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὦκʼ ἀπέλεθρον ἀνέδραμε, μίκτο δʼ ὁμίλῳ,

355στῆ δὲ γνὺξ ἐριπὼν καὶ ἐρείσατο χειρὶ παχείῃ

γαίης· ἀμφὶ δὲ ὄσσε κελαινὴ νὺξ ἐκάλυψεν.

ὄφρα δὲ Τυδεΐδης μετὰ δούρατος ᾤχετʼ ἐρωὴν

τῆλε διὰ προμάχων, ὅθι οἱ καταείσατο γαίης

τόφρʼ Ἕκτωρ ἔμπνυτο, καὶ ἂψ ἐς δίφρον ὀρούσας

360ἐξέλασʼ ἐς πληθύν, καὶ ἀλεύατο κῆρα μέλαιναν.

δουρὶ δʼ ἐπαΐσσων προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

ἐξ αὖ νῦν ἔφυγες θάνατον κύον· ἦ τέ τοι ἄγχι

ἦλθε κακόν· νῦν αὖτέ σʼ ἐρύσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων

ᾧ μέλλεις εὔχεσθαι ἰὼν ἐς δοῦπον ἀκόντων.

365ἦ θήν σʼ ἐξανύω γε καὶ ὕστερον ἀντιβολήσας,

εἴ πού τις καὶ ἔμοιγε θεῶν ἐπιτάρροθός ἐστι.

νῦν αὖ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπιείσομαι, ὅν κε κιχείω.

ἦ, καὶ Παιονίδην δουρὶ κλυτὸν ἐξενάριζεν.

344shouting, and the Trojan battalions followed with him.

345Diomedes, good at the war cry, shuddered when he saw him

and at once called to Odysseus standing nearby:

“This disaster is rolling down upon us—mighty Hector.

Come, let us stand fast and defend ourselves where we are.”

He spoke, balanced his long-shadowed spear, and threw it.

350He did not miss as he aimed at Hector’s head,

but struck the very top of his helmet; bronze glanced away from bronze

and did not reach the fine skin, for the helmet held it off,

triple-layered, with hollow sockets, the gift of Phoebus Apollo.

Hector ran quickly far back and merged into the mass.

355He fell to one knee and braced his heavy hand

against the earth, while black night covered his eyes.

While Tydeus’ son hurried after his spear,

far through the front ranks to where it had struck the ground,

Hector recovered his breath, sprang back into his chariot,

360and drove into the throng, escaping black doom.

Strong Diomedes rushed at him with his spear and called:

“Again now you have escaped death, dog. The evil came

very near you, but Phoebus Apollo has saved you again,

the god you must pray to whenever you enter the clash of spears.

365I will surely finish you later, if I meet you again

and if some god is also ready to help me.

For now I will go after the others, whoever I can catch.”

He spoke and stripped the spear-famed son of Paeon.

369αὐτὰρ Ἀλέξανδρος Ἑλένης πόσις ἠϋκόμοιο

370Τυδεΐδῃ ἔπι τόξα τιταίνετο ποιμένι λαῶν,

στήλῃ κεκλιμένος ἀνδροκμήτῳ ἐπὶ τύμβῳ

Ἴλου Δαρδανίδαο, παλαιοῦ δημογέροντος.

ἤτοι ὃ μὲν θώρηκα Ἀγαστρόφου ἰφθίμοιο

αἴνυτʼ ἀπὸ στήθεσφι παναίολον ἀσπίδα τʼ ὤμων

375καὶ κόρυθα βριαρήν· ὃ δὲ τόξου πῆχυν ἄνελκε

καὶ βάλεν, οὐδʼ ἄρα μιν ἅλιον βέλος ἔκφυγε χειρός,

ταρσὸν δεξιτεροῖο ποδός· διὰ δʼ ἀμπερὲς ἰὸς

ἐν γαίῃ κατέπηκτο· ὃ δὲ μάλα ἡδὺ γελάσσας

ἐκ λόχου ἀμπήδησε καὶ εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηὔδα·

380βέβληαι οὐδʼ ἅλιον βέλος ἔκφυγεν· ὡς ὄφελόν τοι

νείατον ἐς κενεῶνα βαλὼν ἐκ θυμὸν ἑλέσθαι.

οὕτω κεν καὶ Τρῶες ἀνέπνευσαν κακότητος,

οἵ τέ σε πεφρίκασι λέονθʼ ὡς μηκάδες αἶγες.

369But Alexander, husband of lovely-haired Helen,

370drew his bow against Diomedes, shepherd of the people,

leaning against a man-hewn pillar on the mound

of Dardanian Ilus, an elder from long ago.

Diomedes was stripping the corselet from mighty Agastrophus’

chest, the all-shimmering shield from his shoulders,

375and the heavy helmet, when Alexander drew back the bow’s stave

and hit him; the shaft did not fly uselessly from his hand.

It struck the sole of his right foot, and the arrow passed through

and fixed itself in the ground. Alexander laughed with delight,

leapt from his hiding place, and spoke in triumph:

380“You have been hit; my shaft did not fly in vain. If only I had struck you

in the lowest belly and taken the life from you.

Then the Trojans too would have had relief from disaster,

for they shudder before you as bleating goats before a lion.”

384τὸν δʼ οὐ ταρβήσας προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

385τοξότα λωβητὴρ κέρᾳ ἀγλαὲ παρθενοπῖπα

εἰ μὲν δὴ ἀντίβιον σὺν τεύχεσι πειρηθείης,

οὐκ ἄν τοι χραίσμῃσι βιὸς καὶ ταρφέες ἰοί·

νῦν δέ μʼ ἐπιγράψας ταρσὸν ποδὸς εὔχεαι αὔτως.

οὐκ ἀλέγω, ὡς εἴ με γυνὴ βάλοι ἢ πάϊς ἄφρων·

390κωφὸν γὰρ βέλος ἀνδρὸς ἀνάλκιδος οὐτιδανοῖο.

ἦ τʼ ἄλλως ὑπʼ ἐμεῖο, καὶ εἴ κʼ ὀλίγον περ ἐπαύρῃ,

ὀξὺ βέλος πέλεται, καὶ ἀκήριον αἶψα τίθησι.

τοῦ δὲ γυναικὸς μέν τʼ ἀμφίδρυφοί εἰσι παρειαί,

παῖδες δʼ ὀρφανικοί· ὃ δέ θʼ αἵματι γαῖαν ἐρεύθων

395πύθεται, οἰωνοὶ δὲ περὶ πλέες ἠὲ γυναῖκες.

ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς δουρικλυτὸς ἐγγύθεν ἐλθὼν

ἔστη πρόσθʼ· ὃ δʼ ὄπισθε καθεζόμενος βέλος ὠκὺ

ἐκ ποδὸς ἕλκʼ, ὀδύνη δὲ διὰ χροὸς ἦλθʼ ἀλεγεινή.

ἐς δίφρον δʼ ἀνόρουσε, καὶ ἡνιόχῳ ἐπέτελλε

400νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐλαυνέμεν· ἤχθετο γὰρ κῆρ.

384Strong Diomedes answered without fear:

385“Archer, reviler, proud of your bow, ogler of girls,

if you faced me openly and tested your armor against mine,

your bow and showers of arrows would do you no good.

Now you have only scratched the sole of my foot, and boast for nothing.

I care no more than if a woman or a witless child had struck me.

390The missile of a weak, worthless man is blunt.

A weapon from my hand is another thing: even if it only grazes,

the shaft is sharp and quickly leaves a man without life.

His wife’s cheeks are torn on both sides,

his children are orphans, and he reddens the earth with blood

395and rots, with more birds around him than women.”

So he spoke. Odysseus, famed for the spear, came near

and stood before him. Diomedes sat down behind him

and pulled the swift arrow from his foot; sharp pain ran through his flesh.

He sprang into his chariot and ordered his driver

400to drive toward the hollow ships, for his heart was in pain.

401οἰώθη δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς δουρὶ κλυτός, οὐδέ τις αὐτῷ

Ἀργείων παρέμεινεν, ἐπεὶ φόβος ἔλλαβε πάντας·

ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·

ὤ μοι ἐγὼ τί πάθω; μέγα μὲν κακὸν αἴ κε φέβωμαι

405πληθὺν ταρβήσας· τὸ δὲ ῥίγιον αἴ κεν ἁλώω

μοῦνος· τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους Δαναοὺς ἐφόβησε Κρονίων.

ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;

οἶδα γὰρ ὅττι κακοὶ μὲν ἀποίχονται πολέμοιο,

ὃς δέ κʼ ἀριστεύῃσι μάχῃ ἔνι τὸν δὲ μάλα χρεὼ

410ἑστάμεναι κρατερῶς, ἤ τʼ ἔβλητʼ ἤ τʼ ἔβαλʼ ἄλλον.

εἷος ὃ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,

τόφρα δʼ ἐπὶ Τρώων στίχες ἤλυθον ἀσπιστάων,

ἔλσαν δʼ ἐν μέσσοισι, μετὰ σφίσι πῆμα τιθέντες.

401Odysseus, famed for the spear, was left alone. Not one

of the Argives remained beside him, for fear had seized them all.

Troubled, he spoke to his own great-hearted spirit:

“Ah me, what am I to do? It will be a great evil if I flee

405in fear of their numbers, but worse if I am captured

alone; Cronus’ son has routed all the other Danaans.

But why has my own spirit debated these things with me?

I know that cowards leave the fighting,

while whoever excels in battle must

410stand firm, whether he is struck or strikes another.”

While he weighed these things in mind and spirit,

the ranks of shield-bearing Trojans came upon him

and penned him in their midst, setting a bane among themselves.

414ὡς δʼ ὅτε κάπριον ἀμφὶ κύνες θαλεροί τʼ αἰζηοὶ

415σεύωνται, ὃ δέ τʼ εἶσι βαθείης ἐκ ξυλόχοιο

θήγων λευκὸν ὀδόντα μετὰ γναμπτῇσι γένυσσιν,

ἀμφὶ δέ τʼ ἀΐσσονται, ὑπαὶ δέ τε κόμπος ὀδόντων

γίγνεται, οἳ δὲ μένουσιν ἄφαρ δεινόν περ ἐόντα,

ὥς ῥα τότʼ ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆα Διῒ φίλον ἐσσεύοντο

420Τρῶες· ὃ δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ἀμύμονα Δηϊοπίτην

οὔτασεν ὦμον ὕπερθεν ἐπάλμενος ὀξέϊ δουρί,

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Θόωνα καὶ Ἔννομον ἐξενάριξε.

Χερσιδάμαντα δʼ ἔπειτα καθʼ ἵππων ἀΐξαντα

δουρὶ κατὰ πρότμησιν ὑπʼ ἀσπίδος ὀμφαλοέσσης

425νύξεν· ὃ δʼ ἐν κονίῃσι πεσὼν ἕλε γαῖαν ἀγοστῷ.

τοὺς μὲν ἔασʼ, ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἱππασίδην Χάροπʼ οὔτασε δουρὶ

αὐτοκασίγνητον εὐηφενέος Σώκοιο.

τῷ δʼ ἐπαλεξήσων Σῶκος κίεν ἰσόθεος φώς,

414As when dogs and strong young men rush around a boar,

415and it comes out of the deep thicket,

whetting its white tusk in its curved jaws,

while they spring around it and the gnashing of its teeth

sounds underneath, yet they stand their ground though it is terrible,

so then the Trojans rushed around Odysseus, dear to Zeus.

420First he leapt and stabbed blameless Deïopites

above the shoulder with his sharp spear,

then killed Thoon and Ennomus.

Next he stabbed Chersidamas as he sprang down from his chariot,

driving the spear into his belly beneath the bossed shield.

425He fell in the dust and clutched the earth in his palm.

Odysseus left them and stabbed Charops, son of Hippasus,

the full brother of wealthy Socus.

To defend him Socus came on, a man like a god.

429στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰὼν καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν

430ὦ Ὀδυσεῦ πολύαινε δόλων ἆτʼ ἠδὲ πόνοιο

σήμερον ἢ δοιοῖσιν ἐπεύξεαι Ἱππασίδῃσι

τοιώδʼ ἄνδρε κατακτείνας καὶ τεύχεʼ ἀπούρας,

ἤ κεν ἐμῷ ὑπὸ δουρὶ τυπεὶς ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσῃς.

ὣς εἰπὼν οὔτησε κατʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην.

435διὰ μὲν ἀσπίδος ἦλθε φαεινῆς ὄβριμον ἔγχος,

καὶ διὰ θώρηκος πολυδαιδάλου ἠρήρειστο,

πάντα δʼ ἀπὸ πλευρῶν χρόα ἔργαθεν, οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ἔασε

Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη μιχθήμεναι ἔγκασι φωτός.

γνῶ δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ὅ οἱ οὔ τι τέλος κατακαίριον ἦλθεν,

440ἂψ δʼ ἀναχωρήσας Σῶκον πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

ἆ δείλʼ ἦ μάλα δή σε κιχάνεται αἰπὺς ὄλεθρος.

ἤτοι μέν ῥʼ ἔμʼ ἔπαυσας ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι·

σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ ἐνθάδε φημὶ φόνον καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν

ἤματι τῷδʼ ἔσσεσθαι, ἐμῷ δʼ ὑπὸ δουρὶ δαμέντα

445εὖχος ἐμοὶ δώσειν, ψυχὴν δʼ Ἄϊδι κλυτοπώλῳ.

429He drew very near, stood, and spoke to Odysseus:

430“Odysseus, much praised, never sated with guile or toil,

today you will either boast over both sons of Hippasus,

after killing such men and stripping their armor,

or you will be struck by my spear and lose your life.”

So he spoke and struck Odysseus’ shield, balanced on every side.

435The heavy spear drove through the shining shield

and forced its way through the richly worked corselet,

tearing all the skin from his ribs; but Pallas Athena

did not allow it to mingle with the man’s entrails.

Odysseus knew the thrust had not reached a mortal end,

440stepped back, and spoke to Socus:

“Poor fool, steep destruction has surely caught you.

You have indeed stopped me from fighting the Trojans,

but here, I tell you, death and black doom

will be yours this day. Subdued beneath my spear,

445you will give me triumph, and your life to Hades, famed for horses.”

446ἦ, καὶ ὃ μὲν φύγαδʼ αὖτις ὑποστρέψας ἐβεβήκει,

τῷ δὲ μεταστρεφθέντι μεταφρένῳ ἐν δόρυ πῆξεν

ὤμων μεσσηγύς, διὰ δὲ στήθεσφιν ἔλασσε,

δούπησεν δὲ πεσών· ὃ δʼ ἐπεύξατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

450ὦ Σῶχʼ Ἱππάσου υἱὲ δαΐφρονος ἱπποδάμοιο

φθῆ σε τέλος θανάτοιο κιχήμενον, οὐδʼ ὑπάλυξας.

ἆ δείλʼ οὐ μὲν σοί γε πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

ὄσσε καθαιρήσουσι θανόντι περ, ἀλλʼ οἰωνοὶ

ὠμησταὶ ἐρύουσι, περὶ πτερὰ πυκνὰ βαλόντες.

455αὐτὰρ ἔμʼ, εἴ κε θάνω, κτεριοῦσί γε δῖοι Ἀχαιοί.

ὣς εἰπὼν Σώκοιο δαΐφρονος ὄβριμον ἔγχος

ἔξω τε χροὸς ἕλκε καὶ ἀσπίδος ὀμφαλοέσσης·

αἷμα δέ οἱ σπασθέντος ἀνέσσυτο, κῆδε δὲ θυμόν.

Τρῶες δὲ μεγάθυμοι ὅπως ἴδον αἷμʼ Ὀδυσῆος

460κεκλόμενοι καθʼ ὅμιλον ἐπʼ αὐτῷ πάντες ἔβησαν.

αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἐξοπίσω ἀνεχάζετο, αὖε δʼ ἑταίρους.

446He spoke, and Socus turned and began to flee.

But as he wheeled away Odysseus fixed the spear in his back,

between the shoulders and drove it through his chest.

He fell with a thud, and godlike Odysseus spoke in triumph:

450“Socus, son of wise, horse-taming Hippasus,

the end of death overtook you first, and you did not escape.

Poor fool, your father and honored mother will not

close your eyes in death. Birds that eat raw flesh

will drag you, beating their thick wings around you.

455But if I die, the godlike Achaeans will give me burial.”

So he spoke and pulled wise Socus’ heavy spear

out through his flesh and the bossed shield.

Blood surged from the wound as it came out and troubled his spirit.

When the great-hearted Trojans saw Odysseus’ blood,

460they called through the throng and all advanced against him.

He gave ground backward and shouted to his companions.

462τρὶς μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἤϋσεν ὅσον κεφαλὴ χάδε φωτός,

τρὶς δʼ ἄϊεν ἰάχοντος ἄρηι φίλος Μενέλαος.

αἶψα δʼ ἄρʼ Αἴαντα προσεφώνεεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα·

465Αἶαν διογενὲς Τελαμώνιε κοίρανε λαῶν

ἀμφί μʼ Ὀδυσσῆος ταλασίφρονος ἵκετʼ ἀϋτὴ

τῷ ἰκέλη ὡς εἴ ἑ βιῴατο μοῦνον ἐόντα

Τρῶες ἀποτμήξαντες ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ.

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν καθʼ ὅμιλον· ἀλεξέμεναι γὰρ ἄμεινον.

470δείδω μή τι πάθῃσιν ἐνὶ Τρώεσσι μονωθεὶς

ἐσθλὸς ἐών, μεγάλη δὲ ποθὴ Δαναοῖσι γένηται.

ὣς εἰπὼν ὃ μὲν ἦρχʼ, ὃ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕσπετο ἰσόθεος φώς.

462Three times he cried as loudly as a man’s head can hold,

and three times Menelaus, dear to Ares, heard his shout.

At once he called to Ajax standing nearby:

465“Ajax, Zeus-born son of Telamon, leader of the host,

the cry of enduring-hearted Odysseus has reached me,

sounding as though the Trojans are forcing him hard while he stands alone,

cut off from us in the bitter battle.

Come, let us go through the throng; it is better to defend him.

470I fear he may suffer some harm, isolated among the Trojans

though he is a good man, and the Danaans would feel his loss deeply.”

So he spoke and led the way, while the godlike man followed.

473εὗρον ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆα Διῒ φίλον· ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτὸν

Τρῶες ἕπονθʼ ὡς εἴ τε δαφοινοὶ θῶες ὄρεσφιν

475ἀμφʼ ἔλαφον κεραὸν βεβλημένον, ὅν τʼ ἔβαλʼ ἀνὴρ

ἰῷ ἀπὸ νευρῆς· τὸν μέν τʼ ἤλυξε πόδεσσι

φεύγων, ὄφρʼ αἷμα λιαρὸν καὶ γούνατʼ ὀρώρῃ·

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τόν γε δαμάσσεται ὠκὺς ὀϊστός,

ὠμοφάγοι μιν θῶες ἐν οὔρεσι δαρδάπτουσιν

480ἐν νέμεϊ σκιερῷ· ἐπί τε λῖν ἤγαγε δαίμων

σίντην· θῶες μέν τε διέτρεσαν, αὐτὰρ ὃ δάπτει·

ὥς ῥα τότʼ ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆα δαΐφρονα ποικιλομήτην

Τρῶες ἕπον πολλοί τε καὶ ἄλκιμοι, αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἥρως

ἀΐσσων ᾧ ἔγχει ἀμύνετο νηλεὲς ἦμαρ.

485Αἴας δʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε φέρων σάκος ἠΰτε πύργον,

στῆ δὲ παρέξ· Τρῶες δὲ διέτρεσαν ἄλλυδις ἄλλος.

ἤτοι τὸν Μενέλαος ἀρήϊος ἔξαγʼ ὁμίλου

χειρὸς ἔχων, εἷος θεράπων σχεδὸν ἤλασεν ἵππους.

473Then they found Odysseus, dear to Zeus. Around him

the Trojans pressed like tawny jackals in the mountains

475around an antlered deer that a man has wounded

with an arrow from the string. It escaped him on its feet,

fleeing while its blood stayed warm and its knees had strength,

but when the swift arrow masters it,

raw-eating jackals tear it apart in the mountains,

480in a shadowed grove, until some god brings a ravaging lion.

The jackals scatter, and the lion devours the prey.

So then many brave Trojans closed around

wise and resourceful Odysseus, but the hero

darted with his spear and warded off the pitiless day.

485Ajax came near, carrying his shield like a tower,

and stood beside him. The Trojans scattered in every direction.

War-loving Menelaus led Odysseus out of the throng,

holding his hand, until an attendant drove the horses near.

489Αἴας δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἐπάλμενος εἷλε Δόρυκλον

490Πριαμίδην νόθον υἱόν, ἔπειτα δὲ Πάνδοκον οὖτα,

οὖτα δὲ Λύσανδρον καὶ Πύρασον ἠδὲ Πυλάρτην.

ὡς δʼ ὁπότε πλήθων ποταμὸς πεδίον δὲ κάτεισι

χειμάρρους κατʼ ὄρεσφιν ὀπαζόμενος Διὸς ὄμβρῳ,

πολλὰς δὲ δρῦς ἀζαλέας, πολλὰς δέ τε πεύκας

495ἐσφέρεται, πολλὸν δέ τʼ ἀφυσγετὸν εἰς ἅλα βάλλει,

ὣς ἔφεπε κλονέων πεδίον τότε φαίδιμος Αἴας,

δαΐζων ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας· οὐδέ πω Ἕκτωρ

πεύθετʼ, ἐπεί ῥα μάχης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ μάρνατο πάσης

ὄχθας πὰρ ποταμοῖο Σκαμάνδρου, τῇ ῥα μάλιστα

500ἀνδρῶν πῖπτε κάρηνα, βοὴ δʼ ἄσβεστος ὀρώρει

Νέστορά τʼ ἀμφὶ μέγαν καὶ ἀρήϊον Ἰδομενῆα.

Ἕκτωρ μὲν μετὰ τοῖσιν ὁμίλει μέρμερα ῥέζων

ἔγχεΐ θʼ ἱπποσύνῃ τε, νέων δʼ ἀλάπαζε φάλαγγας·

οὐδʼ ἄν πω χάζοντο κελεύθου δῖοι Ἀχαιοὶ

505εἰ μὴ Ἀλέξανδρος Ἑλένης πόσις ἠϋκόμοιο

παῦσεν ἀριστεύοντα Μαχάονα ποιμένα λαῶν,

ἰῷ τριγλώχινι βαλὼν κατὰ δεξιὸν ὦμον.

τῷ ῥα περίδεισαν μένεα πνείοντες Ἀχαιοὶ

μή πώς μιν πολέμοιο μετακλινθέντος ἕλοιεν.

489Ajax leapt against the Trojans and killed Doryclus,

490Priam’s bastard son, then stabbed Pandocus,

and stabbed Lysander, Pyrasus, and Pylartes.

As when a river in flood runs down into the plain,

a winter torrent from the mountains swollen by Zeus’s rain,

and carries many dry oaks and many pines

495and casts a mass of flood-borne wreckage into the sea,

so glorious Ajax swept on, routing men across the plain,

cutting down horses and warriors. Hector did not yet

know of this, for he was fighting on the left of the whole battle

beside the banks of the river Scamander. There most of all

500men’s heads kept falling, and an unquenchable cry rose

around great Nestor and warlike Idomeneus.

Hector moved among them, doing terrible work

with spear and horsemanship and laying waste the ranks of young men.

The godlike Achaeans would not yet have yielded ground along their path

505if Alexander, husband of lovely-haired Helen,

had not stopped Machaon, shepherd of the people, at the height of his prowess,

striking his right shoulder with a three-barbed arrow.

The Achaeans, breathing battle-fury, feared for him,

in case the enemy took him if the battle turned.

510αὐτίκα δʼ Ἰδομενεὺς προσεφώνεε Νέστορα δῖον·

ὦ Νέστορ Νηληϊάδη μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν

ἄγρει σῶν ὀχέων ἐπιβήσεο, πὰρ δὲ Μαχάων

βαινέτω, ἐς νῆας δὲ τάχιστʼ ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους·

ἰητρὸς γὰρ ἀνὴρ πολλῶν ἀντάξιος ἄλλων

515ἰούς τʼ ἐκτάμνειν ἐπί τʼ ἤπια φάρμακα πάσσειν.

ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ.

αὐτίκα δʼ ὧν ὀχέων ἐπεβήσετο, πὰρ δὲ Μαχάων

βαῖνʼ Ἀσκληπιοῦ υἱὸς ἀμύμονος ἰητῆρος·

μάστιξεν δʼ ἵππους, τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην

520νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς· τῇ γὰρ φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ.

510At once Idomeneus called to godlike Nestor:

“Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans,

come, mount your chariot, and let Machaon

climb beside you. Drive the single-hoofed horses quickly to the ships.

A healer is worth many other men,

515for cutting out arrows and sprinkling soothing medicines.”

So he spoke, and Gerenian Nestor, horseman, did not disobey.

At once he mounted his chariot, and Machaon

climbed beside him, son of Asclepius, the blameless healer.

He lashed the horses, and the pair flew onward willingly

520toward the hollow ships, for the course pleased their spirit.

521Κεβριόνης δὲ Τρῶας ὀρινομένους ἐνόησεν

Ἕκτορι παρβεβαώς, καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

Ἕκτορ νῶϊ μὲν ἐνθάδʼ ὁμιλέομεν Δαναοῖσιν

ἐσχατιῇ πολέμοιο δυσηχέος· οἳ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι

525Τρῶες ὀρίνονται ἐπιμὶξ ἵπποι τε καὶ αὐτοί.

Αἴας δὲ κλονέει Τελαμώνιος· εὖ δέ μιν ἔγνων·

εὐρὺ γὰρ ἀμφʼ ὤμοισιν ἔχει σάκος· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμεῖς

κεῖσʼ ἵππους τε καὶ ἅρμʼ ἰθύνομεν, ἔνθα μάλιστα

ἱππῆες πεζοί τε κακὴν ἔριδα προβαλόντες

530ἀλλήλους ὀλέκουσι, βοὴ δʼ ἄσβεστος ὄρωρεν.

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἵμασεν καλλίτριχας ἵππους

μάστιγι λιγυρῇ· τοὶ δὲ πληγῆς ἀΐοντες

ῥίμφʼ ἔφερον θοὸν ἅρμα μετὰ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς

στείβοντες νέκυάς τε καὶ ἀσπίδας· αἵματι δʼ ἄξων

535νέρθεν ἅπας πεπάλακτο καὶ ἄντυγες αἳ περὶ δίφρον,

ἃς ἄρʼ ἀφʼ ἱππείων ὁπλέων ῥαθάμιγγες ἔβαλλον

αἵ τʼ ἀπʼ ἐπισσώτρων. ὃ δὲ ἵετο δῦναι ὅμιλον

ἀνδρόμεον ῥῆξαί τε μετάλμενος· ἐν δὲ κυδοιμὸν

ἧκε κακὸν Δαναοῖσι, μίνυνθα δὲ χάζετο δουρός.

540αὐτὰρ ὃ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπεπωλεῖτο στίχας ἀνδρῶν

ἔγχεΐ τʼ ἄορί τε μεγάλοισί τε χερμαδίοισιν,

Αἴαντος δʼ ἀλέεινε μάχην Τελαμωνιάδαο.

521Cebriones saw that the Trojans were in turmoil.

Standing beside Hector, he spoke to him:

“Hector, the two of us are fighting the Danaans here

at the edge of the grim-sounding battle, while the other

525Trojans are thrown into confusion, horses and men together.

Telamonian Ajax is routing them; I know him well

by the broad shield he carries around his shoulders. Come, let us too

steer the horses and chariot there, where horsemen

and infantry have raised bitter strife

530and are killing one another while the ceaseless battle cry rises.”

So he spoke and lashed the beautiful-maned horses

with the ringing whip. Hearing the blow,

they swiftly carried the racing chariot among Trojans and Achaeans,

trampling corpses and shields. The axle underneath

535and the rails around the chariot were wholly spattered with blood,

by drops flung from the horses’ hooves

and from the wheel rims. Hector longed to plunge into the human throng

and break it apart with his leap; he sent terrible turmoil

among the Danaans and held back from the spear only briefly.

540He ranged through the ranks of the other men,

with spear and sword and great stones,

but avoided battle with Telamonian Ajax.

544Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ Αἴανθʼ ὑψίζυγος ἐν φόβον ὦρσε·

545στῆ δὲ ταφών, ὄπιθεν δὲ σάκος βάλεν ἑπταβόειον,

τρέσσε δὲ παπτήνας ἐφʼ ὁμίλου θηρὶ ἐοικὼς

ἐντροπαλιζόμενος ὀλίγον γόνυ γουνὸς ἀμείβων.

ὡς δʼ αἴθωνα λέοντα βοῶν ἀπὸ μεσσαύλοιο

ἐσσεύαντο κύνες τε καὶ ἀνέρες ἀγροιῶται,

550οἵ τέ μιν οὐκ εἰῶσι βοῶν ἐκ πῖαρ ἑλέσθαι

πάννυχοι ἐγρήσσοντες· ὃ δὲ κρειῶν ἐρατίζων

ἰθύει, ἀλλʼ οὔ τι πρήσσει· θαμέες γὰρ ἄκοντες

ἀντίον ἀΐσσουσι θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν

καιόμεναί τε δεταί, τάς τε τρεῖ ἐσσύμενός περ·

555ἠῶθεν δʼ ἀπὸ νόσφιν ἔβη τετιηότι θυμῷ·

ὣς Αἴας τότʼ ἀπὸ Τρώων τετιημένος ἦτορ

ἤϊε πόλλʼ ἀέκων· περὶ γὰρ δίε νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.

544Then Zeus the Father, enthroned on high, drove Ajax into retreat.

545He stood stunned and cast the seven-hide shield behind him,

then retreated, glancing at the throng like a wild beast,

turning again and again, moving knee past knee a little at a time.

As dogs and country people drive a tawny lion

away from the cattle yard,

550not letting it take the fat of the herd

as they keep watch all night, while it craves the meat

and charges straight on but accomplishes nothing, for a thick flight of spears

leaps against it from bold hands,

with blazing torches that it fears despite all its fury,

555until at dawn it goes far away with its spirit in pain,

so Ajax then moved from the Trojans, his heart in pain,

deeply unwilling, for he feared for the Achaeans’ ships.

558ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ὄνος παρʼ ἄρουραν ἰὼν ἐβιήσατο παῖδας

νωθής, ᾧ δὴ πολλὰ περὶ ῥόπαλʼ ἀμφὶς ἐάγῃ,

560κείρει τʼ εἰσελθὼν βαθὺ λήϊον· οἳ δέ τε παῖδες

τύπτουσιν ῥοπάλοισι· βίη δέ τε νηπίη αὐτῶν·

σπουδῇ τʼ ἐξήλασσαν, ἐπεί τʼ ἐκορέσσατο φορβῆς·

ὣς τότʼ ἔπειτʼ Αἴαντα μέγαν Τελαμώνιον υἱὸν

Τρῶες ὑπέρθυμοι πολυηγερέες τʼ ἐπίκουροι

565νύσσοντες ξυστοῖσι μέσον σάκος αἰὲν ἕποντο.

Αἴας δʼ ἄλλοτε μὲν μνησάσκετο θούριδος ἀλκῆς

αὖτις ὑποστρεφθείς, καὶ ἐρητύσασκε φάλαγγας

Τρώων ἱπποδάμων· ὁτὲ δὲ τρωπάσκετο φεύγειν.

πάντας δὲ προέεργε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας ὁδεύειν,

570αὐτὸς δὲ Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν θῦνε μεσηγὺ

ἱστάμενος· τὰ δὲ δοῦρα θρασειάων ἀπὸ χειρῶν

ἄλλα μὲν ἐν σάκεϊ μεγάλῳ πάγεν ὄρμενα πρόσσω,

πολλὰ δὲ καὶ μεσσηγύ, πάρος χρόα λευκὸν ἐπαυρεῖν,

ἐν γαίῃ ἵσταντο λιλαιόμενα χροὸς ἆσαι.

558As when a donkey going beside a field overpowers the children,

sluggish, with many clubs already broken around its sides,

560and enters the deep crop and mows it down, while the children

beat it with clubs, though their force is feeble,

and only with effort drive it out when it has eaten its fill,

so then great Ajax, Telamon’s son,

the high-hearted Trojans and allies gathered from many lands

565kept after him, thrusting their spears again and again into the middle of his shield.

At times Ajax remembered his furious courage,

wheeled about again, and checked the battalions

of horse-taming Trojans; at times he turned to flee.

He kept them all from making their way to the swift ships,

570while he himself surged between the Trojans and Achaeans

and stood fast. The spears from their bold hands

some lodged in his great shield as they drove forward,

but many fell between before they reached his white flesh

and stood in the ground, eager to glut themselves on flesh.

575τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησʼ Εὐαίμονος ἀγλαὸς υἱὸς

Εὐρύπυλος πυκινοῖσι βιαζόμενον βελέεσσι,

στῆ ῥα παρʼ αὐτὸν ἰών, καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ,

καὶ βάλε Φαυσιάδην Ἀπισάονα ποιμένα λαῶν

ἧπαρ ὑπὸ πραπίδων, εἶθαρ δʼ ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἔλυσεν·

580Εὐρύπυλος δʼ ἐπόρουσε καὶ αἴνυτο τεύχεʼ ἀπʼ ὤμων.

τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς

τεύχεʼ ἀπαινύμενον Ἀπισάονος, αὐτίκα τόξον

ἕλκετʼ ἐπʼ Εὐρυπύλῳ, καί μιν βάλε μηρὸν ὀϊστῷ

δεξιόν· ἐκλάσθη δὲ δόναξ, ἐβάρυνε δὲ μηρόν.

585ἂψ δʼ ἑτάρων εἰς ἔθνος ἐχάζετο κῆρʼ ἀλεείνων,

ἤϋσεν δὲ διαπρύσιον Δαναοῖσι γεγωνώς·

ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες

στῆτʼ ἐλελιχθέντες καὶ ἀμύνετε νηλεὲς ἦμαρ

Αἴανθʼ, ὃς βελέεσσι βιάζεται, οὐδέ ἕ φημι

590φεύξεσθʼ ἐκ πολέμοιο δυσηχέος· ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἄντην

ἵστασθʼ ἀμφʼ Αἴαντα μέγαν Τελαμώνιον υἱόν.

575When Eurypylus, the splendid son of Euaemon, saw Ajax

pressed hard by the dense flight of missiles,

he came and stood beside him and cast his shining spear.

He struck Apisaon, son of Phausius, shepherd of the people,

in the liver beneath the diaphragm, and at once unstrung his knees.

580Eurypylus leapt upon him and stripped the armor from his shoulders.

But when godlike Alexander saw him

stripping the armor from Apisaon, at once he drew his bow

against Eurypylus and struck his right thigh with an arrow.

The reed shaft snapped, and the arrow weighed down his thigh.

585He withdrew into the mass of his companions, avoiding doom.

He cried out in a piercing voice, calling to the Danaans:

“Friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives,

wheel about, stand fast, and ward off the pitiless day

from Ajax, who is pressed hard by missiles. I do not think

590he will escape from the grim-sounding battle. Stand facing the enemy

around great Ajax, Telamon’s son.”

592ὣς ἔφατʼ Εὐρύπυλος βεβλημένος· οἳ δὲ παρʼ αὐτὸν

πλησίοι ἔστησαν σάκεʼ ὤμοισι κλίναντες

δούρατʼ ἀνασχόμενοι· τῶν δʼ ἀντίος ἤλυθεν Αἴας.

595στῆ δὲ μεταστρεφθείς, ἐπεὶ ἵκετο ἔθνος ἑταίρων.

ὣς οἳ μὲν μάρναντο δέμας πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο·

592So wounded Eurypylus spoke. They drew close beside him

and stood with shields slanted across their shoulders

and spears raised. Ajax came to meet them,

595then wheeled and stood once he reached the mass of his companions.

So they fought on, like blazing fire.

597Νέστορα δʼ ἐκ πολέμοιο φέρον Νηλήϊαι ἵπποι

ἱδρῶσαι, ἦγον δὲ Μαχάονα ποιμένα λαῶν.

τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ἐνόησε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·

600ἑστήκει γὰρ ἐπὶ πρυμνῇ μεγακήτεϊ νηῒ

εἰσορόων πόνον αἰπὺν ἰῶκά τε δακρυόεσσαν.

αἶψα δʼ ἑταῖρον ἑὸν Πατροκλῆα προσέειπε

φθεγξάμενος παρὰ νηός· ὃ δὲ κλισίηθεν ἀκούσας

ἔκμολεν ἶσος Ἄρηϊ, κακοῦ δʼ ἄρα οἱ πέλεν ἀρχή.

597The Neleian horses bore Nestor away from battle,

sweating as they carried Machaon, shepherd of the people.

Swift-footed, godlike Achilles saw him and took notice;

600for he stood upon the stern of his huge-hulled ship,

watching the bitter struggle and the tearful rout.

At once he called to his companion Patroclus,

shouting from beside the ship. Patroclus heard him from inside the hut

and came out like Ares—and that was the beginning of disaster for him.

605τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱός·

τίπτέ με κικλήσκεις Ἀχιλεῦ; τί δέ σε χρεὼ ἐμεῖο;

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς·

δῖε Μενοιτιάδη τῷ ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ

νῦν ὀΐω περὶ γούνατʼ ἐμὰ στήσεσθαι Ἀχαιοὺς

610λισσομένους· χρειὼ γὰρ ἱκάνεται οὐκέτʼ ἀνεκτός.

ἀλλʼ ἴθι νῦν Πάτροκλε Διῒ φίλε Νέστορʼ ἔρειο

ὅν τινα τοῦτον ἄγει βεβλημένον ἐκ πολέμοιο·

ἤτοι μὲν τά γʼ ὄπισθε Μαχάονι πάντα ἔοικε

τῷ Ἀσκληπιάδῃ, ἀτὰρ οὐκ ἴδον ὄμματα φωτός·

615ἵπποι γάρ με παρήϊξαν πρόσσω μεμαυῖαι.

ὣς φάτο, Πάτροκλος δὲ φίλῳ ἐπεπείθεθʼ ἑταίρῳ,

βῆ δὲ θέειν παρά τε κλισίας καὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.

605The valiant son of Menoetius spoke to him first:

“Why are you calling me, Achilles? What need have you of me?”

Swift-footed Achilles answered him:

“Godlike son of Menoetius, dearest to my heart,

now I think the Achaeans will stand around my knees

610and beg me, for a need no longer bearable has come upon them.

But go now, Patroclus, dear to Zeus, and ask Nestor

who this wounded man is whom he is bringing from battle.

Seen from behind, he looks in every way like Machaon,

Asclepius’ son, but I did not see the man’s eyes,

615for the horses swept past me, straining onward.”

So he spoke, and Patroclus obeyed his dear companion.

He ran along the huts and ships of the Achaeans.

618οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ κλισίην Νηληϊάδεω ἀφίκοντο,

αὐτοὶ μέν ῥʼ ἀπέβησαν ἐπὶ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν,

620ἵππους δʼ Εὐρυμέδων θεράπων λύε τοῖο γέροντος

ἐξ ὀχέων· τοὶ δʼ ἱδρῶ ἀπεψύχοντο χιτώνων

στάντε ποτὶ πνοιὴν παρὰ θῖνʼ ἁλός· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

ἐς κλισίην ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ κλισμοῖσι κάθιζον.

618When they reached the hut of Neleus’ son,

they themselves stepped down upon the all-nourishing earth,

620while Eurymedon, the old man’s attendant, loosed the horses.

They let the sweat cool from their tunics,

standing in the breeze beside the shore of the sea. Then

they entered the hut and sat down upon chairs.

624τοῖσι δὲ τεῦχε κυκειῶ ἐϋπλόκαμος Ἑκαμήδη,

625τὴν ἄρετʼ ἐκ Τενέδοιο γέρων, ὅτε πέρσεν Ἀχιλλεύς,

θυγατέρʼ Ἀρσινόου μεγαλήτορος, ἥν οἱ Ἀχαιοὶ

ἔξελον οὕνεκα βουλῇ ἀριστεύεσκεν ἁπάντων.

ἥ σφωϊν πρῶτον μὲν ἐπιπροΐηλε τράπεζαν

καλὴν κυανόπεζαν ἐΰξοον, αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς

630χάλκειον κάνεον, ἐπὶ δὲ κρόμυον ποτῷ ὄψον,

ἠδὲ μέλι χλωρόν, παρὰ δʼ ἀλφίτου ἱεροῦ ἀκτήν,

πὰρ δὲ δέπας περικαλλές, ὃ οἴκοθεν ἦγʼ ὁ γεραιός,

χρυσείοις ἥλοισι πεπαρμένον· οὔατα δʼ αὐτοῦ

τέσσαρʼ ἔσαν, δοιαὶ δὲ πελειάδες ἀμφὶς ἕκαστον

635χρύσειαι νεμέθοντο, δύω δʼ ὑπὸ πυθμένες ἦσαν.

ἄλλος μὲν μογέων ἀποκινήσασκε τραπέζης

πλεῖον ἐόν, Νέστωρ δʼ ὁ γέρων ἀμογητὶ ἄειρεν.

ἐν τῷ ῥά σφι κύκησε γυνὴ ἐϊκυῖα θεῇσιν

οἴνῳ Πραμνείῳ, ἐπὶ δʼ αἴγειον κνῆ τυρὸν

640κνήστι χαλκείῃ, ἐπὶ δʼ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ πάλυνε,

πινέμεναι δʼ ἐκέλευσεν, ἐπεί ῥʼ ὥπλισσε κυκειῶ.

624For them lovely-haired Hecamede prepared a mixed drink—

625the woman the old man had taken from Tenedos when Achilles sacked it,

daughter of great-hearted Arsinous. The Achaeans

had allotted her to Nestor because he surpassed them all in counsel.

First she drew before the pair a table,

beautiful, polished, with feet of dark blue; and on it

630a bronze basket, with an onion as relish for the drink,

fresh honey, and beside it a portion of sacred barley meal.

There too was a magnificent cup the old man had brought from home,

studded with golden nails. It had four handles,

and beside each two golden doves were feeding,

635while beneath it were two supports.

Another man, when it was full, could scarcely move it

from the table, but old Nestor lifted it without effort.

In it the woman, like the goddesses, mixed their drink

with Pramnian wine. Over it she grated goat’s-milk cheese

640with a bronze grater, and sprinkled white barley meal on top.

When she had prepared the drink, she told them to drink.

642τὼ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν πίνοντʼ ἀφέτην πολυκαγκέα δίψαν

μύθοισιν τέρποντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐνέποντες,

Πάτροκλος δὲ θύρῃσιν ἐφίστατο ἰσόθεος φώς.

645τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ὁ γεραιὸς ἀπὸ θρόνου ὦρτο φαεινοῦ,

ἐς δʼ ἄγε χειρὸς ἑλών, κατὰ δʼ ἑδριάασθαι ἄνωγε.

Πάτροκλος δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἀναίνετο εἶπέ τε μῦθον·

οὐχ ἕδος ἐστὶ γεραιὲ διοτρεφές, οὐδέ με πείσεις.

αἰδοῖος νεμεσητὸς ὅ με προέηκε πυθέσθαι

650ὅν τινα τοῦτον ἄγεις βεβλημένον· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς

γιγνώσκω, ὁρόω δὲ Μαχάονα ποιμένα λαῶν.

νῦν δὲ ἔπος ἐρέων πάλιν ἄγγελος εἶμʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ.

εὖ δὲ σὺ οἶσθα γεραιὲ διοτρεφές, οἷος ἐκεῖνος

δεινὸς ἀνήρ· τάχα κεν καὶ ἀναίτιον αἰτιόῳτο.

642After drinking, they had driven off their parching thirst

and took delight speaking words to one another,

when Patroclus, a man like the gods, stood in the doorway.

645The old man saw him and rose from his shining chair.

He took him by the hand, led him inside, and urged him to sit down.

But Patroclus, for his part, declined and said:

“There is no time to sit, god-nurtured elder; you will not persuade me.

The man who sent me to learn is one I revere and fear to offend—

650to learn who this wounded man is whom you bring. But now I myself

recognize him: I see Machaon, shepherd of the people.

Now I will go back and carry the report to Achilles.

You know well, god-nurtured elder, what that man is like:

a severe man, quick to blame even someone blameless.”

655τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

τίπτε τὰρ ὧδʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ὀλοφύρεται υἷας Ἀχαιῶν,

ὅσσοι δὴ βέλεσιν βεβλήαται; οὐδέ τι οἶδε

πένθεος, ὅσσον ὄρωρε κατὰ στρατόν· οἳ γὰρ ἄριστοι

ἐν νηυσὶν κέαται βεβλημένοι οὐτάμενοί τε.

660βέβληται μὲν ὃ Τυδεΐδης κρατερὸς Διομήδης,

οὔτασται δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς δουρὶ κλυτὸς ἠδʼ Ἀγαμέμνων·

βέβληται δὲ καὶ Εὐρύπυλος κατὰ μηρὸν ὀϊστῷ·

τοῦτον δʼ ἄλλον ἐγὼ νέον ἤγαγον ἐκ πολέμοιο

ἰῷ ἀπὸ νευρῆς βεβλημένον. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς

665ἐσθλὸς ἐὼν Δαναῶν οὐ κήδεται οὐδʼ ἐλεαίρει.

ἦ μένει εἰς ὅ κε δὴ νῆες θοαὶ ἄγχι θαλάσσης

Ἀργείων ἀέκητι πυρὸς δηΐοιο θέρωνται,

αὐτοί τε κτεινώμεθʼ ἐπισχερώ; οὐ γὰρ ἐμὴ ἲς

ἔσθʼ οἵη πάρος ἔσκεν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσιν.

670εἴθʼ ὣς ἡβώοιμι βίη δέ μοι ἔμπεδος εἴη

655Then Gerenian Nestor, horseman, answered:

“Why then does Achilles lament so over the sons of the Achaeans,

all those who have been struck by missiles? He knows nothing

of how great a grief has risen through the army. Our best men

lie at the ships, struck by arrows and wounded by spears.

660Strong Diomedes, son of Tydeus, has been struck by an arrow;

Odysseus, famed for the spear, and Agamemnon have been stabbed;

Eurypylus too has been struck in the thigh by an arrow.

And this other man I have just brought from battle,

hit by an arrow shot from the bowstring. Yet Achilles,

665noble as he is, neither cares for the Danaans nor pities them.

Is he waiting until the swift ships beside the sea

burn in enemy fire against the Argives’ will,

and we ourselves are killed one after another? My strength

is no longer what it once was in my supple limbs.

670If only I were young again and my force still firm,

671ὡς ὁπότʼ Ἠλείοισι καὶ ἡμῖν νεῖκος ἐτύχθη

ἀμφὶ βοηλασίῃ, ὅτʼ ἐγὼ κτάνον Ἰτυμονῆα

ἐσθλὸν Ὑπειροχίδην, ὃς ἐν Ἤλιδι ναιετάασκε,

ῥύσιʼ ἐλαυνόμενος· ὃ δʼ ἀμύνων ᾗσι βόεσσιν

675ἔβλητʼ ἐν πρώτοισιν ἐμῆς ἀπὸ χειρὸς ἄκοντι,

κὰδ δʼ ἔπεσεν, λαοὶ δὲ περίτρεσαν ἀγροιῶται.

ληΐδα δʼ ἐκ πεδίου συνελάσσαμεν ἤλιθα πολλὴν

πεντήκοντα βοῶν ἀγέλας, τόσα πώεα οἰῶν,

τόσσα συῶν συβόσια, τόσʼ αἰπόλια πλατέʼ αἰγῶν,

680ἵππους δὲ ξανθὰς ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκοντα

πάσας θηλείας, πολλῇσι δὲ πῶλοι ὑπῆσαν.

καὶ τὰ μὲν ἠλασάμεσθα Πύλον Νηλήϊον εἴσω

ἐννύχιοι προτὶ ἄστυ· γεγήθει δὲ φρένα Νηλεύς,

οὕνεκά μοι τύχε πολλὰ νέῳ πόλεμον δὲ κιόντι.

671as when a quarrel arose between the Eleans and us

over a cattle raid, when I killed Itymoneus,

the noble son of Hypeirochus, who lived in Elis.

I was driving off cattle in reprisal, and as he defended his herd

675my spear struck him among the foremost men.

He fell, and the country people fled in terror.

From the plain we drove together an immense mass of plunder:

fifty herds of cattle, as many flocks of sheep,

an equal number of pig droves and broad herds of goats,

680and a hundred and fifty tawny horses,

all mares, with many foals beneath them.

We drove them inside Neleian Pylos

through the night toward the city; Neleus rejoiced in his heart

because so much had fallen to me, young as I was when I went to war.

685κήρυκες δʼ ἐλίγαινον ἅμʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφι

τοὺς ἴμεν οἷσι χρεῖος ὀφείλετʼ ἐν Ἤλιδι δίῃ·

οἳ δὲ συναγρόμενοι Πυλίων ἡγήτορες ἄνδρες

δαίτρευον· πολέσιν γὰρ Ἐπειοὶ χρεῖος ὄφειλον,

ὡς ἡμεῖς παῦροι κεκακωμένοι ἐν Πύλῳ ἦμεν·

690ἐλθὼν γάρ ῥʼ ἐκάκωσε βίη Ἡρακληείη

τῶν προτέρων ἐτέων, κατὰ δʼ ἔκταθεν ὅσσοι ἄριστοι·

δώδεκα γὰρ Νηλῆος ἀμύμονος υἱέες ἦμεν·

τῶν οἶος λιπόμην, οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι πάντες ὄλοντο.

ταῦθʼ ὑπερηφανέοντες Ἐπειοὶ χαλκοχίτωνες

695ἡμέας ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανόωντο.

ἐκ δʼ ὃ γέρων ἀγέλην τε βοῶν καὶ πῶϋ μέγʼ οἰῶν

εἵλετο κρινάμενος τριηκόσιʼ ἠδὲ νομῆας.

καὶ γὰρ τῷ χρεῖος μέγʼ ὀφείλετʼ ἐν Ἤλιδι δίῃ

τέσσαρες ἀθλοφόροι ἵπποι αὐτοῖσιν ὄχεσφιν

700ἐλθόντες μετʼ ἄεθλα· περὶ τρίποδος γὰρ ἔμελλον

θεύσεσθαι· τοὺς δʼ αὖθι ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Αὐγείας

κάσχεθε, τὸν δʼ ἐλατῆρʼ ἀφίει ἀκαχήμενον ἵππων.

τῶν ὃ γέρων ἐπέων κεχολωμένος ἠδὲ καὶ ἔργων

ἐξέλετʼ ἄσπετα πολλά· τὰ δʼ ἄλλʼ ἐς δῆμον ἔδωκε

705δαιτρεύειν, μή τίς οἱ ἀτεμβόμενος κίοι ἴσης.

685At the first light of dawn the heralds cried out

that all to whom a debt was owed in holy Elis should come.

The leading men of Pylos gathered together

and divided the spoil, for the Epeians owed debts to many,

since we in Pylos were few and had suffered badly,

690for the force of Heracles had come against us

in earlier years and devastated us, killing all our best men.

For we were twelve sons of blameless Neleus;

I alone remained, and all the others had perished.

Proud of this, the bronze-clad Epeians

695abused us and devised reckless outrages against us.

From the spoil the old man selected cattle and a great flock of sheep,

three hundred head together with their herdsmen,

for a great debt was owed to him as well in holy Elis:

four prize-winning horses with their chariot

700had gone to the games to race for a tripod.

But Augeas, lord of men, kept them there

and sent away the driver grieving for his horses.

The old man, angered by the words and the deeds,

took an immense share; the rest he gave to the people

705to divide, so no one would leave deprived of an equal portion.

706ἡμεῖς μὲν τὰ ἕκαστα διείπομεν, ἀμφί τε ἄστυ

ἕρδομεν ἱρὰ θεοῖς· οἳ δὲ τρίτῳ ἤματι πάντες

ἦλθον ὁμῶς αὐτοί τε πολεῖς καὶ μώνυχες ἵπποι

πανσυδίῃ· μετὰ δέ σφι Μολίονε θωρήσσοντο

710παῖδʼ ἔτʼ ἐόντʼ, οὔ πω μάλα εἰδότε θούριδος ἀλκῆς.

ἔστι δέ τις Θρυόεσσα πόλις αἰπεῖα κολώνη

τηλοῦ ἐπʼ Ἀλφειῷ, νεάτη Πύλου ἠμαθόεντος·

τὴν ἀμφεστρατόωντο διαρραῖσαι μεμαῶτες.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε πᾶν πεδίον μετεκίαθον, ἄμμι δʼ Ἀθήνη

715ἄγγελος ἦλθε θέουσʼ ἀπʼ Ὀλύμπου θωρήσσεσθαι

ἔννυχος, οὐδʼ ἀέκοντα Πύλον κάτα λαὸν ἄγειρεν

ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἐσσυμένους πολεμίζειν. οὐδέ με Νηλεὺς

εἴα θωρήσσεσθαι, ἀπέκρυψεν δέ μοι ἵππους·

οὐ γάρ πώ τί μʼ ἔφη ἴδμεν πολεμήϊα ἔργα.

720ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς ἱππεῦσι μετέπρεπον ἡμετέροισι

καὶ πεζός περ ἐών, ἐπεὶ ὧς ἄγε νεῖκος Ἀθήνη.

706We settled every claim, and throughout the city

performed sacred rites for the gods. On the third day they all came,

a mass of men together with single-hoofed horses,

the whole host at once; among them the two Moliones armed,

710still boys, not yet well versed in furious battle-strength.

There is a city called Thryoessa, a steep hill

far away on the Alpheus, the last outpost of sandy Pylos.

They encircled it, eager to tear it down.

But when they had crossed the whole plain, Athena

715came racing from Olympus as a messenger for us to arm,

arriving by night. She gathered the host throughout Pylos—not reluctant men,

but men fiercely eager to fight. Yet Neleus

would not let me arm, and hid my horses,

for he said I knew nothing yet of the work of war.

720Even so, I stood out among our horsemen

though I was on foot, for so Athena led the conflict.

722ἔστι δέ τις ποταμὸς Μινυήϊος εἰς ἅλα βάλλων

ἐγγύθεν Ἀρήνης, ὅθι μείναμεν Ἠῶ δῖαν

ἱππῆες Πυλίων, τὰ δʼ ἐπέρρεον ἔθνεα πεζῶν.

725ἔνθεν πανσυδίῃ σὺν τεύχεσι θωρηχθέντες

ἔνδιοι ἱκόμεσθʼ ἱερὸν ῥόον Ἀλφειοῖο.

ἔνθα Διὶ ῥέξαντες ὑπερμενεῖ ἱερὰ καλά,

ταῦρον δʼ Ἀλφειῷ, ταῦρον δὲ Ποσειδάωνι,

αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη γλαυκώπιδι βοῦν ἀγελαίην,

730δόρπον ἔπειθʼ ἑλόμεσθα κατὰ στρατὸν ἐν τελέεσσι,

καὶ κατεκοιμήθημεν ἐν ἔντεσιν οἷσιν ἕκαστος

ἀμφὶ ῥοὰς ποταμοῖο. ἀτὰρ μεγάθυμοι Ἐπειοὶ

ἀμφέσταν δὴ ἄστυ διαρραῖσαι μεμαῶτες·

ἀλλά σφι προπάροιθε φάνη μέγα ἔργον Ἄρηος·

735εὖτε γὰρ ἠέλιος φαέθων ὑπερέσχεθε γαίης,

συμφερόμεσθα μάχῃ Διί τʼ εὐχόμενοι καὶ Ἀθήνῃ.

722There is a river called the Minyeius that runs into the sea

near Arene. There we Pylian horsemen waited for bright Dawn,

while the companies of infantry kept streaming in.

725From there we went all together, fully armed,

and at noon reached the sacred stream of the Alpheus.

There we made splendid sacrifices to mighty Zeus:

a bull for the Alpheus, a bull for Poseidon,

and a cow from the herd for bright-eyed Athena.

730Then we took supper by companies throughout the army,

and each man lay down to sleep in his own armor

beside the river’s streams. But the great-hearted Epeians

stood around the city, eager to tear it down.

Before them, however, a great work of Ares appeared.

735When the blazing sun rose above the earth,

we came together in battle, praying to Zeus and Athena.

737ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Πυλίων καὶ Ἐπειῶν ἔπλετο νεῖκος,

πρῶτος ἐγὼν ἕλον ἄνδρα, κόμισσα δὲ μώνυχας ἵππους,

Μούλιον αἰχμητήν· γαμβρὸς δʼ ἦν Αὐγείαο,

740πρεσβυτάτην δὲ θύγατρʼ εἶχε ξανθὴν Ἀγαμήδην,

ἣ τόσα φάρμακα ᾔδη ὅσα τρέφει εὐρεῖα χθών.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ προσιόντα βάλον χαλκήρεϊ δουρί,

ἤριπε δʼ ἐν κονίῃσιν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐς δίφρον ὀρούσας

στῆν ῥα μετὰ προμάχοισιν· ἀτὰρ μεγάθυμοι Ἐπειοὶ

745ἔτρεσαν ἄλλυδις ἄλλος, ἐπεὶ ἴδον ἄνδρα πεσόντα

ἡγεμόνʼ ἱππήων, ὃς ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπόρουσα κελαινῇ λαίλαπι ἶσος,

πεντήκοντα δʼ ἕλον δίφρους, δύο δʼ ἀμφὶς ἕκαστον

φῶτες ὀδὰξ ἕλον οὖδας ἐμῷ ὑπὸ δουρὶ δαμέντες.

750καί νύ κεν Ἀκτορίωνε Μολίονε παῖδʼ ἀλάπαξα,

εἰ μή σφωε πατὴρ εὐρὺ κρείων ἐνοσίχθων

ἐκ πολέμου ἐσάωσε καλύψας ἠέρι πολλῇ.

737When the fighting between Pylians and Epeians was joined,

I was first: I brought down a warrior and led away his solid-hoofed horses:

the spearman Mulius, son-in-law of Augeas,

740who had married his eldest daughter, fair-haired Agamede.

She knew every drug the broad earth nourishes.

As he came at me I struck him with my bronze-shod spear.

He toppled into the dust, and I sprang into his chariot

and took my place among the foremost fighters. The great-hearted Epeians

745fled every way when they saw that man fallen,

the leader of their horsemen, who excelled in battle.

I rushed upon them like a black whirlwind

and took fifty chariots; beside each, two men

their teeth gripped the earth, beaten down beneath my spear.

750I would even have destroyed the two sons of Actor, the Moliones,

if their father, the wide-ruling Earthshaker,

had not saved them from battle by hiding them in a heavy mist.

753ἔνθα Ζεὺς Πυλίοισι μέγα κράτος ἐγγυάλιξε·

τόφρα γὰρ οὖν ἑπόμεσθα διὰ σπιδέος πεδίοιο

755κτείνοντές τʼ αὐτοὺς ἀνά τʼ ἔντεα καλὰ λέγοντες,

ὄφρʼ ἐπὶ Βουπρασίου πολυπύρου βήσαμεν ἵππους

πέτρης τʼ Ὠλενίης, καὶ Ἀλησίου ἔνθα κολώνη

κέκληται· ὅθεν αὖτις ἀπέτραπε λαὸν Ἀθήνη.

ἔνθʼ ἄνδρα κτείνας πύματον λίπον· αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ

760ἂψ ἀπὸ Βουπρασίοιο Πύλονδʼ ἔχον ὠκέας ἵππους,

πάντες δʼ εὐχετόωντο θεῶν Διὶ Νέστορί τʼ ἀνδρῶν.

ὣς ἔον, εἴ ποτʼ ἔον γε, μετʼ ἀνδράσιν. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς

οἶος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀπονήσεται· ἦ τέ μιν οἴω

πολλὰ μετακλαύσεσθαι ἐπεί κʼ ἀπὸ λαὸς ὄληται.

753Then Zeus placed great power in the Pylians’ hands.

For we pursued them across the level plain,

755killing the men themselves and gathering their fine armor,

until we drove our horses as far as Buprasium, rich in wheat,

the Olenian Rock, and the place called the Hill of Alesium.

From there Athena turned the army back.

There I killed and left the last man; then the Achaeans

760steered their swift horses back from Buprasium toward Pylos,

and all praised Zeus among the gods and Nestor among men.

Such was I among men—if ever I truly was. But Achilles

alone will enjoy the benefit of his valor. I think

he will grieve bitterly afterward, once the army has perished.

765ὦ πέπον ἦ μὲν σοί γε Μενοίτιος ὧδʼ ἐπέτελλεν

ἤματι τῷ ὅτε σʼ ἐκ Φθίης Ἀγαμέμνονι πέμπε,

νῶϊ δέ τʼ ἔνδον ἐόντες ἐγὼ καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

πάντα μάλʼ ἐν μεγάροις ἠκούομεν ὡς ἐπέτελλε.

Πηλῆος δʼ ἱκόμεσθα δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας

770λαὸν ἀγείροντες κατʼ Ἀχαιΐδα πουλυβότειραν.

ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἥρωα Μενοίτιον εὕρομεν ἔνδον

ἠδὲ σέ, πὰρ δʼ Ἀχιλῆα· γέρων δʼ ἱππηλάτα Πηλεὺς

πίονα μηρία καῖε βοὸς Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ

αὐλῆς ἐν χόρτῳ· ἔχε δὲ χρύσειον ἄλεισον

775σπένδων αἴθοπα οἶνον ἐπʼ αἰθομένοις ἱεροῖσι.

σφῶϊ μὲν ἀμφὶ βοὸς ἕπετον κρέα, νῶϊ δʼ ἔπειτα

στῆμεν ἐνὶ προθύροισι· ταφὼν δʼ ἀνόρουσεν Ἀχιλλεύς,

ἐς δʼ ἄγε χειρὸς ἑλών, κατὰ δʼ ἑδριάασθαι ἄνωγε,

ξείνιά τʼ εὖ παρέθηκεν, ἅ τε ξείνοις θέμις ἐστίν.

765My friend, this was how Menoetius instructed you

on the day he sent you from Phthia to Agamemnon.

Godlike Odysseus and I were both inside

and heard every word of the charge he gave you in the hall.

We had come to Peleus’ well-inhabited home

770as we gathered the army through fertile Achaea.

There inside we found the hero Menoetius,

and you, with Achilles nearby. Old Peleus, the charioteer,

was burning the fat thigh pieces of an ox to Zeus who delights in thunder

within the courtyard enclosure. He held a golden cup,

775pouring flashing wine over the blazing sacrifice.

You two were busy with the meat of the ox; then we

stood in the doorway. Achilles sprang up in astonishment.

He took us by the hand, led us inside, and urged us to sit down.

He set guest-fare properly before us, as custom requires for strangers.

780αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τάρπημεν ἐδητύος ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,

ἦρχον ἐγὼ μύθοιο κελεύων ὔμμʼ ἅμʼ ἕπεσθαι·

σφὼ δὲ μάλʼ ἠθέλετον, τὼ δʼ ἄμφω πόλλʼ ἐπέτελλον.

Πηλεὺς μὲν ᾧ παιδὶ γέρων ἐπέτελλʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ

αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν καὶ ὑπείροχον ἔμμεναι ἄλλων·

785σοὶ δʼ αὖθʼ ὧδʼ ἐπέτελλε Μενοίτιος Ἄκτορος υἱός·

τέκνον ἐμὸν γενεῇ μὲν ὑπέρτερός ἐστιν Ἀχιλλεύς,

πρεσβύτερος δὲ σύ ἐσσι· βίῃ δʼ ὅ γε πολλὸν ἀμείνων.

ἀλλʼ εὖ οἱ φάσθαι πυκινὸν ἔπος ἠδʼ ὑποθέσθαι

καί οἱ σημαίνειν· ὃ δὲ πείσεται εἰς ἀγαθόν περ.

790ὣς ἐπέτελλʼ ὃ γέρων, σὺ δὲ λήθεαι· ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν

ταῦτʼ εἴποις Ἀχιλῆϊ δαΐφρονι αἴ κε πίθηται.

τίς δʼ οἶδʼ εἴ κέν οἱ σὺν δαίμονι θυμὸν ὀρίναις

παρειπών; ἀγαθὴ δὲ παραίφασίς ἐστιν ἑταίρου.

780When we had taken our fill of food and drink,

I was the first to speak, urging both of you to come with us.

You were both very eager, and your two fathers gave you many instructions.

Old Peleus instructed his own son Achilles

always to excel and to stand above all others.

785But Menoetius, son of Actor, gave you this charge:

‘My son, Achilles stands above you in birth,

but you are older; in strength he is far better.

Speak a well-considered word to him, advise him well,

and point out the way for him. He will listen, and it will be for his good.’

790So the old man instructed you, but you forget. Even now,

you should tell these things to warlike Achilles, in case he listens.

Who knows if, with a god’s help, you may stir his spirit

by speaking to him? A companion’s persuasion is a good thing.

794εἰ δέ τινα φρεσὶν ᾗσι θεοπροπίην ἀλεείνει

795καί τινά οἱ πὰρ Ζηνὸς ἐπέφραδε πότνια μήτηρ,

ἀλλὰ σέ περ προέτω, ἅμα δʼ ἄλλος λαὸς ἑπέσθω

Μυρμιδόνων, αἴ κέν τι φόως Δαναοῖσι γένηαι·

καί τοι τεύχεα καλὰ δότω πόλεμον δὲ φέρεσθαι,

αἴ κέ σε τῷ εἴσκοντες ἀπόσχωνται πολέμοιο

800Τρῶες, ἀναπνεύσωσι δʼ ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν

τειρόμενοι· ὀλίγη δέ τʼ ἀνάπνευσις πολέμοιο.

ῥεῖα δέ κʼ ἀκμῆτες κεκμηότας ἄνδρας ἀϋτῇ

ὤσαισθε προτὶ ἄστυ νεῶν ἄπο καὶ κλισιάων.

794But if he is avoiding some prophecy in his mind,

795something his lady mother revealed to him from Zeus,

then at least let him send you, with the rest of the Myrmidon host

following beside you, so you may become a light for the Danaans.

And let him give you his fine armor to bear into battle,

so that the Trojans may mistake you for him and draw back from the fighting,

800and the Achaeans’ warlike sons, worn down as they are, may breathe again.

There is only a little breathing-space in war.

Fresh as you are, you all could easily drive exhausted men with one battle cry

away from the ships and huts and back toward the city.”

804ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὄρινε,

805βῆ δὲ θέειν παρὰ νῆας ἐπʼ Αἰακίδην Ἀχιλῆα.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ κατὰ νῆας Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο

ἷξε θέων Πάτροκλος, ἵνά σφʼ ἀγορή τε θέμις τε

ἤην, τῇ δὴ καί σφι θεῶν ἐτετεύχατο βωμοί,

ἔνθά οἱ Εὐρύπυλος βεβλημένος ἀντεβόλησε

810διογενὴς Εὐαιμονίδης κατὰ μηρὸν ὀϊστῷ

σκάζων ἐκ πολέμου· κατὰ δὲ νότιος ῥέεν ἱδρὼς

ὤμων καὶ κεφαλῆς, ἀπὸ δʼ ἕλκεος ἀργαλέοιο

αἷμα μέλαν κελάρυζε· νόος γε μὲν ἔμπεδος ἦεν.

τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ᾤκτειρε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱός,

815καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

804So he spoke, and stirred the spirit within Patroclus’ breast.

805He ran beside the ships toward Achilles, son of Aeacus.

But when, as he ran, Patroclus reached the ships of godlike Odysseus,

where the Achaeans had their place of assembly and judgment

and where they had built altars for the gods,

there Eurypylus met him, wounded—

810the Zeus-born son of Euaemon, struck in the thigh by an arrow,

limping out of battle. Sweat streamed down

his shoulders and head, and from the painful wound

black blood gurgled out; yet his mind remained steady.

The valiant son of Menoetius saw him and felt pity,

815and addressed him with winged words of complaint:

816ἆ δειλοὶ Δαναῶν ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες

ὣς ἄρʼ ἐμέλλετε τῆλε φίλων καὶ πατρίδος αἴης

ἄσειν ἐν Τροίῃ ταχέας κύνας ἀργέτι δημῷ.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ διοτρεφὲς Εὐρύπυλʼ ἥρως,

820ἤ ῥʼ ἔτι που σχήσουσι πελώριον Ἕκτορʼ Ἀχαιοί,

ἦ ἤδη φθίσονται ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δουρὶ δαμέντες;

816“Ah, wretched leaders and rulers of the Danaans,

so this was how you were destined, far from friends and native land,

to glut the swift dogs at Troy with your shining fat.

But come, tell me this, god-nurtured hero Eurypylus:

820will the Achaeans still be able to hold back monstrous Hector,

or will they now perish, subdued beneath his spear?”

822τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Εὐρύπυλος βεβλημένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

οὐκέτι διογενὲς Πατρόκλεες ἄλκαρ Ἀχαιῶν

ἔσσεται, ἀλλʼ ἐν νηυσὶ μελαίνῃσιν πεσέονται.

825οἳ μὲν γὰρ δὴ πάντες, ὅσοι πάρος ἦσαν ἄριστοι,

ἐν νηυσὶν κέαται βεβλημένοι οὐτάμενοί τε

χερσὶν ὕπο Τρώων· τῶν δὲ σθένος ὄρνυται αἰέν.

ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ μὲν σὺ σάωσον ἄγων ἐπὶ νῆα μέλαιναν,

μηροῦ δʼ ἔκταμʼ ὀϊστόν, ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ δʼ αἷμα κελαινὸν

830νίζʼ ὕδατι λιαρῷ, ἐπὶ δʼ ἤπια φάρμακα πάσσε

ἐσθλά, τά σε προτί φασιν Ἀχιλλῆος δεδιδάχθαι,

ὃν Χείρων ἐδίδαξε δικαιότατος Κενταύρων.

ἰητροὶ μὲν γὰρ Ποδαλείριος ἠδὲ Μαχάων

τὸν μὲν ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ὀΐομαι ἕλκος ἔχοντα

835χρηΐζοντα καὶ αὐτὸν ἀμύμονος ἰητῆρος

κεῖσθαι· ὃ δʼ ἐν πεδίῳ Τρώων μένει ὀξὺν Ἄρηα.

822Wounded Eurypylus answered him face to face:

“Zeus-born Patroclus, there will no longer be any defense for the Achaeans;

they will fall among the black ships.

825All those who once were our best men

lie at the ships, struck by arrows and wounded by spears

at Trojan hands, while the Trojans’ strength keeps rising.

But save me: lead me to my black ship,

cut the arrow from my thigh, wash the dark blood from it

830with warm water, and sprinkle soothing medicines over the wound—

good remedies that they say you learned from Achilles,

whom Chiron taught, most righteous of the Centaurs.

As for the physicians Podalirius and Machaon,

one, I think, lies in the huts with a wound,

835himself in need of a blameless healer,

while the other remains on the plain to face the Trojans’ sharp war.”

837τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Μενοιτίου ἄλκιμος υἱός·

πῶς τὰρ ἔοι τάδε ἔργα; τί ῥέξομεν Εὐρύπυλʼ ἥρως;

ἔρχομαι ὄφρʼ Ἀχιλῆϊ δαΐφρονι μῦθον ἐνίσπω

840ὃν Νέστωρ ἐπέτελλε Γερήνιος οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν·

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὧς περ σεῖο μεθήσω τειρομένοιο.

ἦ, καὶ ὑπὸ στέρνοιο λαβὼν ἄγε ποιμένα λαῶν

ἐς κλισίην· θεράπων δὲ ἰδὼν ὑπέχευε βοείας.

ἔνθά μιν ἐκτανύσας ἐκ μηροῦ τάμνε μαχαίρῃ

845ὀξὺ βέλος περιπευκές, ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ δʼ αἷμα κελαινὸν

νίζʼ ὕδατι λιαρῷ, ἐπὶ δὲ ῥίζαν βάλε πικρὴν

χερσὶ διατρίψας ὀδυνήφατον, ἥ οἱ ἁπάσας

ἔσχʼ ὀδύνας· τὸ μὲν ἕλκος ἐτέρσετο, παύσατο δʼ αἷμα.

837The valiant son of Menoetius spoke to him again:

“How can these things be managed? What shall we do, hero Eurypylus?

I am going to tell warlike Achilles the message

840Gerenian Nestor, bulwark of the Achaeans, charged me to carry.

But even so, I will not abandon you in your suffering.”

He spoke, took the shepherd of the people beneath the chest, and led him

to his hut. An attendant saw them and spread ox-hides beneath him.

There Patroclus stretched him out and cut from his thigh with a knife

845the sharp, piercing arrow. He washed the dark blood from it

with warm water, then applied a bitter root,

rubbing it between his hands—a pain-killing herb that checked

all his pains. The wound dried, and the blood stopped.