Iliad, Book 5: Diomedes

1ἔνθʼ αὖ Τυδεΐδῃ Διομήδεϊ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη

δῶκε μένος καὶ θάρσος, ἵνʼ ἔκδηλος μετὰ πᾶσιν

Ἀργείοισι γένοιτο ἰδὲ κλέος ἐσθλὸν ἄροιτο·

δαῖέ οἱ ἐκ κόρυθός τε καὶ ἀσπίδος ἀκάματον πῦρ

5ἀστέρʼ ὀπωρινῷ ἐναλίγκιον, ὅς τε μάλιστα

λαμπρὸν παμφαίνῃσι λελουμένος ὠκεανοῖο·

τοῖόν οἱ πῦρ δαῖεν ἀπὸ κρατός τε καὶ ὤμων,

ὦρσε δέ μιν κατὰ μέσσον ὅθι πλεῖστοι κλονέοντο.

1Then Pallas Athena gave Diomedes, Tydeus’ son,

force and courage, so that among all the Argives

he might stand out and win noble fame.

From his helmet and shield she kindled tireless fire,

5like the harvest-time star that shines

brightest of all after bathing in Ocean.

Such fire she kindled from his head and shoulders,

and drove him into the center, where the greatest mass of men surged.

9ἦν δέ τις ἐν Τρώεσσι Δάρης ἀφνειὸς ἀμύμων

10ἱρεὺς Ἡφαίστοιο· δύω δέ οἱ υἱέες ἤστην

Φηγεὺς Ἰδαῖός τε μάχης εὖ εἰδότε πάσης.

τώ οἱ ἀποκρινθέντε ἐναντίω ὁρμηθήτην·

τὼ μὲν ἀφʼ ἵπποιιν, ὃ δʼ ἀπὸ χθονὸς ὄρνυτο πεζός.

οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες

15Φηγεύς ῥα πρότερος προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος·

Τυδεΐδεω δʼ ὑπὲρ ὦμον ἀριστερὸν ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκὴ

ἔγχεος, οὐδʼ ἔβαλʼ αὐτόν· ὃ δʼ ὕστερος ὄρνυτο χαλκῷ

Τυδεΐδης· τοῦ δʼ οὐχ ἅλιον βέλος ἔκφυγε χειρός,

ἀλλʼ ἔβαλε στῆθος μεταμάζιον, ὦσε δʼ ἀφʼ ἵππων.

20Ἰδαῖος δʼ ἀπόρουσε λιπὼν περικαλλέα δίφρον,

οὐδʼ ἔτλη περιβῆναι ἀδελφειοῦ κταμένοιο·

οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδέ κεν αὐτὸς ὑπέκφυγε κῆρα μέλαιναν,

ἀλλʼ Ἥφαιστος ἔρυτο, σάωσε δὲ νυκτὶ καλύψας,

ὡς δή οἱ μὴ πάγχυ γέρων ἀκαχήμενος εἴη.

25ἵππους δʼ ἐξελάσας μεγαθύμου Τυδέος υἱὸς

δῶκεν ἑταίροισιν κατάγειν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας.

9Among the Trojans was a wealthy and blameless man, Dares,

10a priest of Hephaestus. He had two sons,

Phegeus and Idaeus, skilled in every kind of fighting.

The two broke from the ranks and charged straight at Diomedes:

they came on from their chariot, while he rose from the ground on foot.

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

15Phegeus cast first with his long-shadowed spear.

The spearpoint passed over the left shoulder of Tydeus’ son

and did not strike him. Then Tydeus’ son attacked in turn

with bronze, and the weapon did not fly useless from his hand:

it struck the chest between the nipples and hurled Phegeus from the chariot.

20Idaeus sprang away, abandoning the magnificent chariot;

he did not dare to stand astride his slaughtered brother.

Nor would he himself have escaped black death,

but Hephaestus drew him away and saved him, wrapping him in night,

so that the old man would not be left utterly overwhelmed by grief.

25The son of high-hearted Tydeus drove the horses away

and gave them to his companions to lead down to the hollow ships.

27Τρῶες δὲ μεγάθυμοι ἐπεὶ ἴδον υἷε Δάρητος

τὸν μὲν ἀλευάμενον, τὸν δὲ κτάμενον παρʼ ὄχεσφι,

πᾶσιν ὀρίνθη θυμός· ἀτὰρ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη

30χειρὸς ἑλοῦσʼ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα θοῦρον Ἄρηα·

Ἆρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιπλῆτα

οὐκ ἂν δὴ Τρῶας μὲν ἐάσαιμεν καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς

μάρνασθʼ, ὁπποτέροισι πατὴρ Ζεὺς κῦδος ὀρέξῃ,

νῶϊ δὲ χαζώμεσθα, Διὸς δʼ ἀλεώμεθα μῆνιν;

35ὣς εἰποῦσα μάχης ἐξήγαγε θοῦρον Ἄρηα·

τὸν μὲν ἔπειτα καθεῖσεν ἐπʼ ἠϊόεντι Σκαμάνδρῳ,

27When the high-hearted Trojans saw Dares’ two sons,

one had escaped and the other lay killed beside the chariot,

the spirit in every man was shaken. Bright-eyed Athena

30took furious Ares by the hand and addressed him:

“Ares, Ares, plague of mortals, bloodstained, stormer of walls,

why should we not leave the Trojans and Achaeans

to fight, whichever side Father Zeus grants glory,

while we withdraw and avoid the wrath of Zeus?”

35So she spoke and led furious Ares out of battle,

then seated him beside the reedy Scamander.

37Τρῶας δʼ ἔκλιναν Δαναοί· ἕλε δʼ ἄνδρα ἕκαστος

ἡγεμόνων· πρῶτος δὲ ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων

ἀρχὸν Ἁλιζώνων Ὀδίον μέγαν ἔκβαλε δίφρου·

40πρώτῳ γὰρ στρεφθέντι μεταφρένῳ ἐν δόρυ πῆξεν

ὤμων μεσσηγύς, διὰ δὲ στήθεσφιν ἔλασσε,

δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.

37The Danaans bent the Trojans back, and every commander killed his man.

First Agamemnon, lord of men,

hurled great Odius, leader of the Halizonians, from his chariot.

40For as Odius turned first, Agamemnon fixed the spear in his back

between the shoulders and drove it through his chest.

He fell with a crash, and his armor clattered over him.

43Ἰδομενεὺς δʼ ἄρα Φαῖστον ἐνήρατο Μῄονος υἱὸν

Βώρου, ὃς ἐκ Τάρνης ἐριβώλακος εἰληλούθει.

45τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἰδομενεὺς δουρικλυτὸς ἔγχεϊ μακρῷ

νύξʼ ἵππων ἐπιβησόμενον κατὰ δεξιὸν ὦμον·

ἤριπε δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, στυγερὸς δʼ ἄρα μιν σκότος εἷλε.

τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἰδομενῆος ἐσύλευον θεράποντες·

43Idomeneus killed Phaestus, son of Borus the Maeonian,

who had come from Tarne with its rich soil.

45Idomeneus, famed for the spear, stabbed him with his long spear

in the right shoulder as he climbed aboard his chariot.

He toppled from the car, and hateful darkness seized him.

Idomeneus’ attendants stripped his armor.

49υἱὸν δὲ Στροφίοιο Σκαμάνδριον αἵμονα θήρης

50Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἕλʼ ἔγχεϊ ὀξυόεντι

ἐσθλὸν θηρητῆρα· δίδαξε γὰρ Ἄρτεμις αὐτὴ

βάλλειν ἄγρια πάντα, τά τε τρέφει οὔρεσιν ὕλη·

ἀλλʼ οὔ οἱ τότε γε χραῖσμʼ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα,

οὐδὲ ἑκηβολίαι ᾗσιν τὸ πρίν γε κέκαστο·

55ἀλλά μιν Ἀτρεΐδης δουρικλειτὸς Μενέλαος

πρόσθεν ἕθεν φεύγοντα μετάφρενον οὔτασε δουρὶ

ὤμων μεσσηγύς, διὰ δὲ στήθεσφιν ἔλασσεν,

ἤριπε δὲ πρηνής, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.

49Then Menelaus, son of Atreus, killed Scamandrius,

50Strophius’ son, master of the hunt, with his sharp spear—

an excellent hunter, for Artemis herself had taught him

to strike every wild creature the mountain woodland breeds.

But then arrow-showering Artemis gave him no help,

nor did the long-range shots in which he had once excelled.

55Menelaus, son of Atreus, famed for the spear,

struck him from behind with the spear as he fled before him,

between the shoulders, and drove it through his chest.

He fell face-first, and his armor clattered over him.

59Μηριόνης δὲ Φέρεκλον ἐνήρατο, τέκτονος υἱὸν

60Ἁρμονίδεω, ὃς χερσὶν ἐπίστατο δαίδαλα πάντα

τεύχειν· ἔξοχα γάρ μιν ἐφίλατο Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη·

ὃς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τεκτήνατο νῆας ἐΐσας

ἀρχεκάκους, αἳ πᾶσι κακὸν Τρώεσσι γένοντο

οἷ τʼ αὐτῷ, ἐπεὶ οὔ τι θεῶν ἐκ θέσφατα ᾔδη.

65τὸν μὲν Μηριόνης ὅτε δὴ κατέμαρπτε διώκων

βεβλήκει γλουτὸν κατὰ δεξιόν· ἣ δὲ διαπρὸ

ἀντικρὺ κατὰ κύστιν ὑπʼ ὀστέον ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκή·

γνὺξ δʼ ἔριπʼ οἰμώξας, θάνατος δέ μιν ἀμφεκάλυψε.

59Meriones killed Phereclus, son of Tecton, Harmon’s son,

60whose hands knew how to fashion every intricate work;

Pallas Athena had loved him beyond all others.

He had built the well-shaped ships for Alexander,

the ships that began the disaster and brought evil on all the Trojans

and on himself, because he knew nothing of the gods’ decrees.

65When Meriones overtook him in pursuit,

he struck the right buttock, and the spearpoint passed straight through,

beneath the bone and through the bladder.

He sank to his knees with a groan, and death closed around him.

69Πήδαιον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπεφνε Μέγης Ἀντήνορος υἱὸν

70ὅς ῥα νόθος μὲν ἔην, πύκα δʼ ἔτρεφε δῖα Θεανὼ

ἶσα φίλοισι τέκεσσι χαριζομένη πόσεϊ ᾧ.

τὸν μὲν Φυλεΐδης δουρὶ κλυτὸς ἐγγύθεν ἐλθὼν

βεβλήκει κεφαλῆς κατὰ ἰνίον ὀξέϊ δουρί·

ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἀνʼ ὀδόντας ὑπὸ γλῶσσαν τάμε χαλκός·

75ἤριπε δʼ ἐν κονίῃ, ψυχρὸν δʼ ἕλε χαλκὸν ὀδοῦσιν.

69Meges killed Pedaeus, Antenor’s son.

70He was a bastard, but radiant Theano had carefully raised him

like her own dear children, to please her husband.

The spear-famed son of Phyleus came close

and struck him at the base of the skull with the sharp spear.

The bronze cut forward through his teeth beneath the tongue.

75He fell in the dust and caught the cold bronze between his teeth.

76Εὐρύπυλος δʼ Εὐαιμονίδης Ὑψήνορα δῖον

υἱὸν ὑπερθύμου Δολοπίονος, ὅς ῥα Σκαμάνδρου

ἀρητὴρ ἐτέτυκτο, θεὸς δʼ ὣς τίετο δήμῳ,

τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Εὐρύπυλος, Εὐαίμονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός,

80πρόσθεν ἕθεν φεύγοντα μεταδρομάδην ἔλασʼ ὦμον

φασγάνῳ ἀΐξας, ἀπὸ δʼ ἔξεσε χεῖρα βαρεῖαν·

αἱματόεσσα δὲ χεὶρ πεδίῳ πέσε· τὸν δὲ κατʼ ὄσσε

ἔλλαβε πορφύρεος θάνατος καὶ μοῖρα κραταιή.

76Eurypylus, Euaemon’s son, attacked radiant Hypsenor,

son of high-hearted Dolopion, who had been appointed

priest of Scamander and was honored like a god among his people.

Eurypylus, Euaemon’s splendid son,

80ran him down as he fled and slashed his shoulder

rushing in with his sword, and sheared off the heavy arm.

The bloodied hand fell on the field; over his eyes

came purple death and overpowering fate.

84ὣς οἳ μὲν πονέοντο κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην·

85Τυδεΐδην δʼ οὐκ ἂν γνοίης ποτέροισι μετείη

ἠὲ μετὰ Τρώεσσιν ὁμιλέοι ἦ μετʼ Ἀχαιοῖς.

θῦνε γὰρ ἂμ πεδίον ποταμῷ πλήθοντι ἐοικὼς

χειμάρρῳ, ὅς τʼ ὦκα ῥέων ἐκέδασσε γεφύρας·

τὸν δʼ οὔτʼ ἄρ τε γέφυραι ἐεργμέναι ἰσχανόωσιν,

90οὔτʼ ἄρα ἕρκεα ἴσχει ἀλωάων ἐριθηλέων

ἐλθόντʼ ἐξαπίνης ὅτʼ ἐπιβρίσῃ Διὸς ὄμβρος·

πολλὰ δʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἔργα κατήριπε κάλʼ αἰζηῶν·

ὣς ὑπὸ Τυδεΐδῃ πυκιναὶ κλονέοντο φάλαγγες

Τρώων, οὐδʼ ἄρα μιν μίμνον πολέες περ ἐόντες.

84So they labored in the fierce battle.

85As for Tydeus’ son, you could not have known which side he moved among,

whether he ranged among the Trojans or among the Achaeans.

He raged across the plain like a river running full,

a winter torrent whose swift current scatters every barrier.

No close-built embankment can hold it back,

90nor can the walls of flourishing vineyards restrain it

when it comes suddenly, swollen by the rain of Zeus;

beneath it many fine works of young men collapse.

So the dense Trojan formations reeled before Tydeus’ son,

and though they were many, they did not stand against him.

95τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱὸς

θύνοντʼ ἂμ πεδίον πρὸ ἕθεν κλονέοντα φάλαγγας,

αἶψʼ ἐπὶ Τυδεΐδῃ ἐτιταίνετο καμπύλα τόξα,

καὶ βάλʼ ἐπαΐσσοντα τυχὼν κατὰ δεξιὸν ὦμον

θώρηκος γύαλον· διὰ δʼ ἔπτατο πικρὸς ὀϊστός,

100ἀντικρὺ δὲ διέσχε, παλάσσετο δʼ αἵματι θώρηξ.

τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ μακρὸν ἄϋσε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

ὄρνυσθε Τρῶες μεγάθυμοι κέντορες ἵππων·

βέβληται γὰρ ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν, οὐδέ ἕ φημι

δήθʼ ἀνσχήσεσθαι κρατερὸν βέλος, εἰ ἐτεόν με

105ὦρσεν ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς ἀπορνύμενον Λυκίηθεν.

ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος· τὸν δʼ οὐ βέλος ὠκὺ δάμασσεν,

ἀλλʼ ἀναχωρήσας πρόσθʼ ἵπποιιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν

ἔστη, καὶ Σθένελον προσέφη Καπανήϊον υἱόν·

ὄρσο πέπον Καπανηϊάδη, καταβήσεο δίφρου,

110ὄφρά μοι ἐξ ὤμοιο ἐρύσσῃς πικρὸν ὀϊστόν.

95When the splendid son of Lycaon saw him

raging across the plain and scattering ranks before him,

he quickly drew his curved bow against Tydeus’ son

and hit him as he charged, on the right shoulder,

on the plate of his corselet. The bitter arrow flew through

100and pierced it clean; the armor was splashed with blood.

Then Lycaon’s splendid son shouted over him in a far-carrying voice:

“Rise, high-hearted Trojans, horse-spurring warriors!

The best of the Achaeans has been hit, and I do not think

he will endure the powerful shaft for long, if the lord,

105the son of Zeus, truly sent me out from Lycia.”

So he spoke in triumph, but the swift shaft did not subdue Diomedes.

He withdrew and stood before his horses and chariot,

then addressed Sthenelus, Capaneus’ son:

“Up, dear son of Capaneus—get down from the chariot

110and pull the bitter arrow from my shoulder.”

111ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, Σθένελος δὲ καθʼ ἵππων ἆλτο χαμᾶζε,

πὰρ δὲ στὰς βέλος ὠκὺ διαμπερὲς ἐξέρυσʼ ὤμου·

αἷμα δʼ ἀνηκόντιζε διὰ στρεπτοῖο χιτῶνος.

δὴ τότʼ ἔπειτʼ ἠρᾶτο βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

115κλῦθί μευ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος Ἀτρυτώνη,

εἴ ποτέ μοι καὶ πατρὶ φίλα φρονέουσα παρέστης

δηΐῳ ἐν πολέμῳ, νῦν αὖτʼ ἐμὲ φῖλαι Ἀθήνη·

δὸς δέ τέ μʼ ἄνδρα ἑλεῖν καὶ ἐς ὁρμὴν ἔγχεος ἐλθεῖν

ὅς μʼ ἔβαλε φθάμενος καὶ ἐπεύχεται, οὐδέ μέ φησι

120δηρὸν ἔτʼ ὄψεσθαι λαμπρὸν φάος ἠελίοιο.

111So he spoke. Sthenelus leapt down from the chariot to the ground,

stood beside him, and drew the sharp arrow clean through the shoulder.

Blood spurted upward through the woven tunic.

Then Diomedes, good at the war cry, prayed:

115“Hear me, child of aegis-bearing Zeus, unwearied one.

If ever in kindness you stood beside my father

in destructive war, then love me now, Athena.

Grant me to kill that man; let him come within the rush of my spear—

the man who struck first and boasts over me, saying

120I will not look much longer on the radiant light of the sun.”

121ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος· τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη,

γυῖα δʼ ἔθηκεν ἐλαφρά, πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ὕπερθεν·

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱσταμένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

θαρσῶν νῦν Διόμηδες ἐπὶ Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι·

125ἐν γάρ τοι στήθεσσι μένος πατρώϊον ἧκα

ἄτρομον, οἷον ἔχεσκε σακέσπαλος ἱππότα Τυδεύς·

ἀχλὺν δʼ αὖ τοι ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν ἕλον ἣ πρὶν ἐπῆεν,

ὄφρʼ εὖ γιγνώσκῃς ἠμὲν θεὸν ἠδὲ καὶ ἄνδρα.

τὼ νῦν αἴ κε θεὸς πειρώμενος ἐνθάδʼ ἵκηται

130μή τι σύ γʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖς ἀντικρὺ μάχεσθαι

τοῖς ἄλλοις· ἀτὰρ εἴ κε Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη

ἔλθῃσʼ ἐς πόλεμον, τήν γʼ οὐτάμεν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ.

ἣ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἀπέβη γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,

121So he spoke in prayer, and Pallas Athena heard him.

She made his limbs light—his feet and, above them, his hands—

and standing close, she addressed him with winged words:

“Take courage now, Diomedes, and fight against the Trojans.

125I have set your father’s fearless force within your breast,

the force that shield-brandishing Tydeus, the horseman, carried.

I have also taken from your eyes the mist that covered them before,

so that you may clearly distinguish a god from a man.

So if any god comes here to test you,

130do not fight any of the other immortal gods face to face.

But if Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus, enters the fighting,

wound her with the sharp bronze.”

So bright-eyed Athena spoke and went away.

134Τυδεΐδης δʼ ἐξαῦτις ἰὼν προμάχοισιν ἐμίχθη

135καὶ πρίν περ θυμῷ μεμαὼς Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι·

δὴ τότε μιν τρὶς τόσσον ἕλεν μένος ὥς τε λέοντα

ὅν ῥά τε ποιμὴν ἀγρῷ ἐπʼ εἰροπόκοις ὀΐεσσι

χραύσῃ μέν τʼ αὐλῆς ὑπεράλμενον οὐδὲ δαμάσσῃ·

τοῦ μέν τε σθένος ὦρσεν, ἔπειτα δέ τʼ οὐ προσαμύνει,

140ἀλλὰ κατὰ σταθμοὺς δύεται, τὰ δʼ ἐρῆμα φοβεῖται·

αἳ μέν τʼ ἀγχιστῖναι ἐπʼ ἀλλήλῃσι κέχυνται,

αὐτὰρ ὃ ἐμμεμαὼς βαθέης ἐξάλλεται αὐλῆς·

ὣς μεμαὼς Τρώεσσι μίγη κρατερὸς Διομήδης.

134Tydeus’ son returned and mingled with the front fighters.

135His spirit had been eager to fight the Trojans even before,

but now force three times as great took hold of him, like a lion

a shepherd wounds in the field among his fleecy sheep

as it vaults the enclosure, grazing it but failing to kill.

The shepherd only rouses the lion’s strength, then offers no defense;

140the lion plunges among the pens, while the abandoned flock scatters.

They are heaped close together, one upon another,

as the lion in its fury bounds out of the deep fold.

So strong Diomedes drove in fury among the Trojans.

144ἔνθʼ ἕλεν Ἀστύνοον καὶ Ὑπείρονα ποιμένα λαῶν,

145τὸν μὲν ὑπὲρ μαζοῖο βαλὼν χαλκήρεϊ δουρί,

τὸν δʼ ἕτερον ξίφεϊ μεγάλῳ κληῗδα παρʼ ὦμον

πλῆξʼ, ἀπὸ δʼ αὐχένος ὦμον ἐέργαθεν ἠδʼ ἀπὸ νώτου.

τοὺς μὲν ἔασʼ, ὃ δʼ Ἄβαντα μετῴχετο καὶ Πολύειδον

υἱέας Εὐρυδάμαντος ὀνειροπόλοιο γέροντος·

150τοῖς οὐκ ἐρχομένοις ὃ γέρων ἐκρίνατʼ ὀνείρους,

ἀλλά σφεας κρατερὸς Διομήδης ἐξενάριξε·

144There he killed Astynous and Hypeiron, shepherd of the people,

145striking one above the nipple with his bronze-shod spear;

the other he struck with his great sword at the collarbone beside the shoulder,

severing shoulder from neck and back.

He left those two and went after Abas and Polyidus,

sons of the old dream-interpreter Eurydamas.

150The old man had read no dreams for them when they left;

strong Diomedes killed them both and stripped them.

152βῆ δὲ μετὰ Ξάνθόν τε Θόωνά τε Φαίνοπος υἷε

ἄμφω τηλυγέτω· ὃ δὲ τείρετο γήραϊ λυγρῷ,

υἱὸν δʼ οὐ τέκετʼ ἄλλον ἐπὶ κτεάτεσσι λιπέσθαι.

155ἔνθʼ ὅ γε τοὺς ἐνάριζε, φίλον δʼ ἐξαίνυτο θυμὸν

ἀμφοτέρω, πατέρι δὲ γόον καὶ κήδεα λυγρὰ

λεῖπʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐ ζώοντε μάχης ἐκνοστήσαντε

δέξατο· χηρωσταὶ δὲ διὰ κτῆσιν δατέοντο.

152Then he went after Xanthus and Thoon, sons of Phaenops,

both late-born. Their father was worn by grievous age

and had fathered no other son to inherit his possessions.

155Diomedes killed them there and took the dear life

from both, leaving their father lamentation and bitter cares.

for he did not receive them alive on their return from battle;

instead, distant kinsmen divided the estate.

159ἔνθʼ υἷας Πριάμοιο δύω λάβε Δαρδανίδαο

160εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντας Ἐχέμμονά τε Χρομίον τε.

ὡς δὲ λέων ἐν βουσὶ θορὼν ἐξ αὐχένα ἄξῃ

πόρτιος ἠὲ βοὸς ξύλοχον κάτα βοσκομενάων,

ὣς τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐξ ἵππων Τυδέος υἱὸς

βῆσε κακῶς ἀέκοντας, ἔπειτα δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα·

165ἵππους δʼ οἷς ἑτάροισι δίδου μετὰ νῆας ἐλαύνειν.

159There he caught two sons of Priam the Dardanian,

160Echemmon and Chromius, riding in a single chariot.

As a lion springs among cattle and breaks the neck

of a heifer or cow grazing in wooded brush,

so the son of Tydeus hurled both men from the chariot

in brutal fashion, against their will, then stripped their armor.

165He gave their horses to his companions to drive to the ships.

166τὸν δʼ ἴδεν Αἰνείας ἀλαπάζοντα στίχας ἀνδρῶν,

βῆ δʼ ἴμεν ἄν τε μάχην καὶ ἀνὰ κλόνον ἐγχειάων

Πάνδαρον ἀντίθεον διζήμενος εἴ που ἐφεύροι·

εὗρε Λυκάονος υἱὸν ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε,

170στῆ δὲ πρόσθʼ αὐτοῖο ἔπος τέ μιν ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Πάνδαρε ποῦ τοι τόξον ἰδὲ πτερόεντες ὀϊστοὶ

καὶ κλέος; ᾧ οὔ τίς τοι ἐρίζεται ἐνθάδε γʼ ἀνήρ,

οὐδέ τις ἐν Λυκίῃ σέο γʼ εὔχεται εἶναι ἀμείνων.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε τῷδʼ ἔφες ἀνδρὶ βέλος Διὶ χεῖρας ἀνασχὼν

175ὅς τις ὅδε κρατέει καὶ δὴ κακὰ πολλὰ ἔοργε

Τρῶας, ἐπεὶ πολλῶν τε καὶ ἐσθλῶν γούνατʼ ἔλυσεν·

εἰ μή τις θεός ἐστι κοτεσσάμενος Τρώεσσιν

ἱρῶν μηνίσας· χαλεπὴ δὲ θεοῦ ἔπι μῆνις.

166Aeneas saw him devastating the lines of men

and went through the battle and turmoil of spears,

searching for godlike Pandarus, in hope of finding him.

He found Lycaon’s blameless and powerful son,

170stood directly before him, and spoke:

“Pandarus, where are your bow and winged arrows,

and your fame? No man here can rival you,

and no man in Lycia boasts that he is better than you.

Come, raise your hands to Zeus and shoot at this man,

175whoever he is who dominates here and has done the Trojans

so much harm, unstringing the knees of many brave men—

unless he is some god angered against the Trojans

in wrath over offerings. A god’s wrath lies heavy.”

179τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

180Αἰνεία Τρώων βουληφόρε χαλκοχιτώνων

Τυδεΐδῃ μιν ἔγωγε δαΐφρονι πάντα ἐΐσκω,

ἀσπίδι γιγνώσκων αὐλώπιδί τε τρυφαλείῃ,

ἵππους τʼ εἰσορόων· σάφα δʼ οὐκ οἶδʼ εἰ θεός ἐστιν.

εἰ δʼ ὅ γʼ ἀνὴρ ὅν φημι δαΐφρων Τυδέος υἱὸς

185οὐχ ὅ γʼ ἄνευθε θεοῦ τάδε μαίνεται, ἀλλά τις ἄγχι

ἕστηκʼ ἀθανάτων νεφέλῃ εἰλυμένος ὤμους,

ὃς τούτου βέλος ὠκὺ κιχήμενον ἔτραπεν ἄλλῃ.

ἤδη γάρ οἱ ἐφῆκα βέλος, καί μιν βάλον ὦμον

δεξιὸν ἀντικρὺ διὰ θώρηκος γυάλοιο·

190καί μιν ἔγωγʼ ἐφάμην Ἀϊδωνῆϊ προϊάψειν,

ἔμπης δʼ οὐκ ἐδάμασσα· θεός νύ τίς ἐστι κοτήεις.

179Then Lycaon’s splendid son answered him:

180“Aeneas, counselor of the bronze-clad Trojans,

in every way I take him for war-wise Tydeus’ son.

I know him by his shield and his tube-socketed helmet,

and by the horses I see. Yet I do not know for certain whether he is a god.

But if he is the man I say, war-wise Tydeus’ son,

185he does not rage like this without a god. Some immortal stands

close beside him with a cloud wrapped around the shoulders,

and turned my swift arrow aside when it reached him.

I already shot an arrow at him and struck his right shoulder

straight through the plate of his corselet.

190I thought I would send him down to Hades,

but I did not subdue him. Some god must be angry.

192ἵπποι δʼ οὐ παρέασι καὶ ἅρματα τῶν κʼ ἐπιβαίην·

ἀλλά που ἐν μεγάροισι Λυκάονος ἕνδεκα δίφροι

καλοὶ πρωτοπαγεῖς νεοτευχέες· ἀμφὶ δὲ πέπλοι

195πέπτανται· παρὰ δέ σφιν ἑκάστῳ δίζυγες ἵπποι

ἑστᾶσι κρῖ λευκὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι καὶ ὀλύρας.

ἦ μέν μοι μάλα πολλὰ γέρων αἰχμητὰ Λυκάων

ἐρχομένῳ ἐπέτελλε δόμοις ἔνι ποιητοῖσιν·

ἵπποισίν μʼ ἐκέλευε καὶ ἅρμασιν ἐμβεβαῶτα

200ἀρχεύειν Τρώεσσι κατὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας·

ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐ πιθόμην· ἦ τʼ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν·

ἵππων φειδόμενος, μή μοι δευοίατο φορβῆς

ἀνδρῶν εἰλομένων εἰωθότες ἔδμεναι ἄδην.

ὣς λίπον, αὐτὰρ πεζὸς ἐς Ἴλιον εἰλήλουθα

205τόξοισιν πίσυνος· τὰ δέ μʼ οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον ὀνήσειν.

ἤδη γὰρ δοιοῖσιν ἀριστήεσσιν ἐφῆκα

Τυδεΐδῃ τε καὶ Ἀτρεΐδῃ, ἐκ δʼ ἀμφοτέροιιν

ἀτρεκὲς αἷμʼ ἔσσευα βαλών, ἤγειρα δὲ μᾶλλον.

τώ ῥα κακῇ αἴσῃ ἀπὸ πασσάλου ἀγκύλα τόξα

210ἤματι τῷ ἑλόμην ὅτε Ἴλιον εἰς ἐρατεινὴν

ἡγεόμην Τρώεσσι φέρων χάριν Ἕκτορι δίῳ.

εἰ δέ κε νοστήσω καὶ ἐσόψομαι ὀφθαλμοῖσι

πατρίδʼ ἐμὴν ἄλοχόν τε καὶ ὑψερεφὲς μέγα δῶμα,

αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπʼ ἐμεῖο κάρη τάμοι ἀλλότριος φὼς

215εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ τάδε τόξα φαεινῷ ἐν πυρὶ θείην

χερσὶ διακλάσσας· ἀνεμώλια γάρ μοι ὀπηδεῖ.

192I have no horses here and no chariot to mount.

Yet in Lycaon’s halls there stand eleven chariots,

beautiful and newly built, with coverings

195spread over them. Beside each stands a matched team of horses,

eating white barley and spelt.

Old Lycaon, the spearman, urged me many times

as I was leaving his carefully built house.

He told me to mount with my horses and chariot

200and command the Trojans through the hard fighting.

But I did not obey him. It would have been far better if I had.

I spared the horses, fearing they might lack fodder

with the men packed together, while the team was used to eating its fill.

So I left them and came on foot to Ilium,

205trusting in my bow—but it was not destined to help me.

Already I have shot at two of the greatest warriors,

Tydeus’ son and Atreus’ son, and from both of them

I drew real blood with my shots, but only roused them further.

It was under an evil allotment that I took my curved bow from its peg

210on the day I led the Trojans to lovely Ilium,

bringing favor to godlike Hector.

If I return home and see with my own eyes

my native land, my wife, and my great high-roofed house,

then let some stranger cut the head from my shoulders at once

215if I do not put this bow into the blazing fire

after breaking it apart with my hands. It has served me only emptiness.”

217τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Αἰνείας Τρώων ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·

μὴ δʼ οὕτως ἀγόρευε· πάρος δʼ οὐκ ἔσσεται ἄλλως,

πρίν γʼ ἐπὶ νὼ τῷδʼ ἀνδρὶ σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν

220ἀντιβίην ἐλθόντε σὺν ἔντεσι πειρηθῆναι.

ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐμῶν ὀχέων ἐπιβήσεο, ὄφρα ἴδηαι

οἷοι Τρώϊοι ἵπποι ἐπιστάμενοι πεδίοιο

κραιπνὰ μάλʼ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διωκέμεν ἠδὲ φέβεσθαι·

τὼ καὶ νῶϊ πόλιν δὲ σαώσετον, εἴ περ ἂν αὖτε

225Ζεὺς ἐπὶ Τυδεΐδῃ Διομήδεϊ κῦδος ὀρέξῃ.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν μάστιγα καὶ ἡνία σιγαλόεντα

δέξαι, ἐγὼ δʼ ἵππων ἀποβήσομαι ὄφρα μάχωμαι·

ἠὲ σὺ τόνδε δέδεξο, μελήσουσιν δʼ ἐμοὶ ἵπποι.

217Then Aeneas, leader of the Trojans, answered him:

“Do not speak that way. Nothing will change

until you and I go against this man with horses and chariot

220and test our strength against him with our weapons.

Come, mount my chariot, so that you may see

what Trojan horses can do, how well they know the plain,

swift in every direction, whether pursuing or fleeing.

They will carry us both safely to the city, even if once more

225Zeus grants glory to Diomedes, Tydeus’ son.

Now take the whip and shining reins.

I will step down from the chariot and fight,

or you receive his attack while I tend the team.”

229τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

230Αἰνεία σὺ μὲν αὐτὸς ἔχʼ ἡνία καὶ τεὼ ἵππω·

μᾶλλον ὑφʼ ἡνιόχῳ εἰωθότι καμπύλον ἅρμα

οἴσετον, εἴ περ ἂν αὖτε φεβώμεθα Τυδέος υἱόν·

μὴ τὼ μὲν δείσαντε ματήσετον, οὐδʼ ἐθέλητον

ἐκφερέμεν πολέμοιο τεὸν φθόγγον ποθέοντε,

235νῶϊ δʼ ἐπαΐξας μεγαθύμου Τυδέος υἱὸς

αὐτώ τε κτείνῃ καὶ ἐλάσσῃ μώνυχας ἵππους.

ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ αὐτὸς ἔλαυνε τέʼ ἅρματα καὶ τεὼ ἵππω,

τὸν δὲ δʼ ἐγὼν ἐπιόντα δεδέξομαι ὀξέϊ δουρί.

229Then Lycaon’s splendid son answered him:

230“Aeneas, keep the reins yourself and drive your own horses.

They will carry the curved chariot better beneath the driver they know

if we are forced to flee again from Tydeus’ son.

Otherwise they may panic and bolt, refusing

to carry us out of battle because they miss your voice.

235Then the son of high-hearted Tydeus may rush upon us,

kill us both, and drive away the single-hoofed horses.

Drive your own chariot and your own team;

I will meet him as he comes with my sharp spear.”

239ὣς ἄρα φωνήσαντες ἐς ἅρματα ποικίλα βάντες

240ἐμμεμαῶτʼ ἐπὶ Τυδεΐδῃ ἔχον ὠκέας ἵππους.

τοὺς δὲ ἴδε Σθένελος Καπανήϊος ἀγλαὸς υἱός,

αἶψα δὲ Τυδεΐδην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

Τυδεΐδη Διόμηδες ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ,

ἄνδρʼ ὁρόω κρατερὼ ἐπὶ σοὶ μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι

245ἶνʼ ἀπέλεθρον ἔχοντας· ὃ μὲν τόξων ἐῢ εἰδὼς

Πάνδαρος, υἱὸς δʼ αὖτε Λυκάονος εὔχεται εἶναι·

Αἰνείας δʼ υἱὸς μὲν ἀμύμονος Ἀγχίσαο

εὔχεται ἐκγεγάμεν, μήτηρ δέ οἵ ἐστʼ Ἀφροδίτη.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ χαζώμεθʼ ἐφʼ ἵππων, μηδέ μοι οὕτω

250θῦνε διὰ προμάχων, μή πως φίλον ἦτορ ὀλέσσῃς.

239So they spoke, mounted the intricate chariot,

240and eagerly drove the swift horses against Tydeus’ son.

Sthenelus, splendid son of Capaneus, saw them

and quickly addressed Tydeus’ son with winged words:

“Diomedes, son of Tydeus, dearest to my heart,

I see two powerful men eager to fight you,

245both possessed of boundless strength. One is skilled with the bow,

Pandarus, who declares himself the son of Lycaon.

Aeneas declares that he was born from blameless Anchises,

and his mother is Aphrodite.

Come, let us mount the chariot and fall back. Do not charge like this

250through the front ranks, or you may lose your dear life.”

251τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

μή τι φόβον δʼ ἀγόρευʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ σὲ πεισέμεν οἴω.

οὐ γάρ μοι γενναῖον ἀλυσκάζοντι μάχεσθαι

οὐδὲ καταπτώσσειν· ἔτι μοι μένος ἔμπεδόν ἐστιν·

255ὀκνείω δʼ ἵππων ἐπιβαινέμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὔτως

ἀντίον εἶμʼ αὐτῶν· τρεῖν μʼ οὐκ ἐᾷ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.

τούτω δʼ οὐ πάλιν αὖτις ἀποίσετον ὠκέες ἵπποι

ἄμφω ἀφʼ ἡμείων, εἴ γʼ οὖν ἕτερός γε φύγῃσιν.

ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν·

260αἴ κέν μοι πολύβουλος Ἀθήνη κῦδος ὀρέξῃ

ἀμφοτέρω κτεῖναι, σὺ δὲ τούσδε μὲν ὠκέας ἵππους

αὐτοῦ ἐρυκακέειν ἐξ ἄντυγος ἡνία τείνας,

Αἰνείαο δʼ ἐπαΐξαι μεμνημένος ἵππων,

ἐκ δʼ ἐλάσαι Τρώων μετʼ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.

265τῆς γάρ τοι γενεῆς ἧς Τρωΐ περ εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

δῶχʼ υἷος ποινὴν Γανυμήδεος, οὕνεκʼ ἄριστοι

ἵππων ὅσσοι ἔασιν ὑπʼ ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε,

τῆς γενεῆς ἔκλεψεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγχίσης

λάθρῃ Λαομέδοντος ὑποσχὼν θήλεας ἵππους·

270τῶν οἱ ἓξ ἐγένοντο ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γενέθλη.

τοὺς μὲν τέσσαρας αὐτὸς ἔχων ἀτίταλλʼ ἐπὶ φάτνῃ,

τὼ δὲ δύʼ Αἰνείᾳ δῶκεν μήστωρε φόβοιο.

εἰ τούτω κε λάβοιμεν, ἀροίμεθά κε κλέος ἐσθλόν.

251Strong Diomedes looked at him from under his brows and said:

“Say nothing about flight. I do not think you will persuade me.

It is not my inherited way to fight while shrinking back

or to cower. My force still stands firm.

255I hesitate to mount the chariot; even as I am,

I will go straight against them. Pallas Athena will not let me flee.

Their swift horses will not carry both men back again

away from us, even if one of them escapes.

One thing more I will tell you; lay it within your mind.

260If Athena of many counsels grants me the glory

to kill them both, hold our own swift horses here,

stretching the reins tight from the chariot rail,

and remember to spring upon Aeneas’ horses

and drive them from the Trojans to the well-greaved Achaeans.

265They come from the stock that far-seeing Zeus gave to Tros

as payment for his son Ganymede—the best

of all horses beneath the dawn and the sun.

Anchises, lord of men, stole from that breed

in secret from Laomedon, putting his mares beneath the stallions.

270From them six foals were born in his halls.

Four he kept himself and reared at the manger;

the other two, masters of rout, he gave to Aeneas.

If we take that team, we will win noble fame.”

274ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

275τὼ δὲ τάχʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθον ἐλαύνοντʼ ὠκέας ἵππους.

τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

καρτερόθυμε δαΐφρον ἀγαυοῦ Τυδέος υἱὲ

ἦ μάλα σʼ οὐ βέλος ὠκὺ δαμάσσατο πικρὸς ὀϊστός·

νῦν αὖτʼ ἐγχείῃ πειρήσομαι αἴ κε τύχωμι.

280ἦ ῥα καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος

καὶ βάλε Τυδεΐδαο κατʼ ἀσπίδα· τῆς δὲ διὰ πρὸ

αἰχμὴ χαλκείη πταμένη θώρηκι πελάσθη·

τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ μακρὸν ἄϋσε Λυκάονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός·

βέβληαι κενεῶνα διαμπερές, οὐδέ σʼ ὀΐω

285δηρὸν ἔτʼ ἀνσχήσεσθαι· ἐμοὶ δὲ μέγʼ εὖχος ἔδωκας.

τὸν δʼ οὐ ταρβήσας προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

ἤμβροτες οὐδʼ ἔτυχες· ἀτὰρ οὐ μὲν σφῶΐ γʼ ὀΐω

πρίν γʼ ἀποπαύσεσθαι πρίν γʼ ἢ ἕτερόν γε πεσόντα

αἵματος ἆσαι Ἄρηα, ταλαύρινον πολεμιστήν.

274So they spoke these words to one another.

275The other two soon came close, driving their swift horses.

Lycaon’s splendid son addressed Diomedes first:

“Strong-hearted, war-wise son of noble Tydeus,

the swift shaft, the bitter arrow, did not subdue you.

Now I will test you with the spear and see if I can hit.”

280He spoke, brandished the long-shadowed spear, and cast.

He struck the shield of Tydeus’ son; the bronze point flew through

its outer face and came against the corselet.

Then Lycaon’s splendid son shouted over him in a far-carrying voice:

“You are hit clean through the flank, and I do not think

285you will endure for long. You have given me great triumph.”

Strong Diomedes answered without fear:

“You missed; you did not hit me. But I do not think you two

will stop until one of you falls

and sates Ares, the shield-bearing warrior, with blood.”

290ὣς φάμενος προέηκε· βέλος δʼ ἴθυνεν Ἀθήνη

ῥῖνα παρʼ ὀφθαλμόν, λευκοὺς δʼ ἐπέρησεν ὀδόντας.

τοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν γλῶσσαν πρυμνὴν τάμε χαλκὸς ἀτειρής,

αἰχμὴ δʼ ἐξελύθη παρὰ νείατον ἀνθερεῶνα·

ἤριπε δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ

295αἰόλα παμφανόωντα, παρέτρεσσαν δέ οἱ ἵπποι

ὠκύποδες· τοῦ δʼ αὖθι λύθη ψυχή τε μένος τε.

Αἰνείας δʼ ἀπόρουσε σὺν ἀσπίδι δουρί τε μακρῷ

δείσας μή πώς οἱ ἐρυσαίατο νεκρὸν Ἀχαιοί.

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῷ βαῖνε λέων ὣς ἀλκὶ πεποιθώς,

300πρόσθε δέ οἱ δόρυ τʼ ἔσχε καὶ ἀσπίδα πάντοσʼ ἐΐσην,

τὸν κτάμεναι μεμαὼς ὅς τις τοῦ γʼ ἀντίος ἔλθοι

σμερδαλέα ἰάχων· ὃ δὲ χερμάδιον λάβε χειρὶ

Τυδεΐδης μέγα ἔργον ὃ οὐ δύο γʼ ἄνδρε φέροιεν,

290So he spoke and cast. Athena guided the weapon

beside the eye through the nose and pierced the white teeth.

The unyielding bronze cut the tongue away at its root,

and the spearpoint came out beneath the lowest part of the chin.

Pandarus fell from the chariot, and the armor on him clashed,

295glittering and flashing. His swift-footed horses shied aside;

there his life and battle-force were released.

Aeneas sprang down with shield and long spear,

afraid the Achaeans might drag the corpse away.

He strode around it like a lion confident in its strength,

300holding before him his spear and shield, balanced on every side,

eager to kill whoever came against the body,

shouting terribly. But Tydeus’ son seized in one hand a stone,

a massive feat—two men could not carry it,

304οἷοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσʼ· ὃ δέ μιν ῥέα πάλλε καὶ οἶος.

305τῷ βάλεν Αἰνείαο κατʼ ἰσχίον ἔνθά τε μηρὸς

ἰσχίῳ ἐνστρέφεται, κοτύλην δέ τέ μιν καλέουσι·

θλάσσε δέ οἱ κοτύλην, πρὸς δʼ ἄμφω ῥῆξε τένοντε·

ὦσε δʼ ἀπὸ ῥινὸν τρηχὺς λίθος· αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἥρως

ἔστη γνὺξ ἐριπὼν καὶ ἐρείσατο χειρὶ παχείῃ

310γαίης· ἀμφὶ δὲ ὄσσε κελαινὴ νὺξ ἐκάλυψε.

304such as mortals are now; yet he alone swung it easily.

305With it he struck Aeneas on the hip, where the thigh

turns within the hip joint—the socket, as men call it.

He smashed the socket and broke both tendons,

and the jagged stone tore the skin away. The hero

fell to his knee and stayed there, bracing himself with his heavy hand

310against the earth; black night covered his eyes.

311καί νύ κεν ἔνθʼ ἀπόλοιτο ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Αἰνείας,

εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ὀξὺ νόησε Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη

μήτηρ, ἥ μιν ὑπʼ Ἀγχίσῃ τέκε βουκολέοντι·

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑὸν φίλον υἱὸν ἐχεύατο πήχεε λευκώ,

315πρόσθε δέ οἱ πέπλοιο φαεινοῦ πτύγμα κάλυψεν

ἕρκος ἔμεν βελέων, μή τις Δαναῶν ταχυπώλων

χαλκὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι βαλὼν ἐκ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο.

ἣ μὲν ἑὸν φίλον υἱὸν ὑπεξέφερεν πολέμοιο·

311And there Aeneas, lord of men, would have died

had not Zeus' daughter Aphrodite quickly noticed,

his mother, who bore him to Anchises while he tended cattle.

Around her dear son she spread her white arms,

315and covered him in front with a fold of her shining robe

as a shield from missiles, lest some swift-horsed Danaan

strike bronze into his chest and take away his life.

So she carried her dear son out from the fighting.

319οὐδʼ υἱὸς Καπανῆος ἐλήθετο συνθεσιάων

320τάων ἃς ἐπέτελλε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης,

ἀλλʼ ὅ γε τοὺς μὲν ἑοὺς ἠρύκακε μώνυχας ἵππους

νόσφιν ἀπὸ φλοίσβου ἐξ ἄντυγος ἡνία τείνας,

Αἰνείαο δʼ ἐπαΐξας καλλίτριχας ἵππους

ἐξέλασε Τρώων μετʼ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.

325δῶκε δὲ Δηϊπύλῳ ἑτάρῳ φίλῳ, ὃν περὶ πάσης

τῖεν ὁμηλικίης ὅτι οἱ φρεσὶν ἄρτια ᾔδη,

νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐλαυνέμεν· αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἥρως

ὧν ἵππων ἐπιβὰς ἔλαβʼ ἡνία σιγαλόεντα,

αἶψα δὲ Τυδεΐδην μέθεπε κρατερώνυχας ἵππους

330ἐμμεμαώς· ὃ δὲ Κύπριν ἐπῴχετο νηλέϊ χαλκῷ

319But Capaneus' son had not forgotten the instructions

320that Diomedes, good at the war cry, had given him.

He checked his own single-hoofed horses,

drawing the reins taut from the rail, away from the battle's roar;

then he rushed at Aeneas' fine-maned horses

and drove them from the Trojans among the well-greaved Achaeans.

325He gave them to Deipylus, his dear companion, whom above all

his comrades of the same age he honored, because Deipylus' understanding matched his own,

to drive them to the hollow ships. Then the hero

mounted his own chariot and took the gleaming reins,

and at once drove the strong-hoofed horses after Tydeus' son

330with all speed. But Diomedes pursued Cypris with pitiless bronze,

331γιγνώσκων ὅ τʼ ἄναλκις ἔην θεός, οὐδὲ θεάων

τάων αἵ τʼ ἀνδρῶν πόλεμον κάτα κοιρανέουσιν,

οὔτʼ ἄρʼ Ἀθηναίη οὔτε πτολίπορθος Ἐνυώ.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐκίχανε πολὺν καθʼ ὅμιλον ὀπάζων,

335ἔνθʼ ἐπορεξάμενος μεγαθύμου Τυδέος υἱὸς

ἄκρην οὔτασε χεῖρα μετάλμενος ὀξέϊ δουρὶ

ἀβληχρήν· εἶθαρ δὲ δόρυ χροὸς ἀντετόρησεν

ἀμβροσίου διὰ πέπλου, ὅν οἱ Χάριτες κάμον αὐταί,

πρυμνὸν ὕπερ θέναρος· ῥέε δʼ ἄμβροτον αἷμα θεοῖο

340ἰχώρ, οἷός πέρ τε ῥέει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν·

οὐ γὰρ σῖτον ἔδουσʼ, οὐ πίνουσʼ αἴθοπα οἶνον,

τοὔνεκʼ ἀναίμονές εἰσι καὶ ἀθάνατοι καλέονται.

ἣ δὲ μέγα ἰάχουσα ἀπὸ ἕο κάββαλεν υἱόν·

καὶ τὸν μὲν μετὰ χερσὶν ἐρύσατο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων

345κυανέῃ νεφέλῃ, μή τις Δαναῶν ταχυπώλων

χαλκὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι βαλὼν ἐκ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο·

331knowing she was an unwarlike goddess, not one of those

goddesses who command the warfare of men,

neither Athena nor Enyo, sacker of cities.

But when at last he caught her, chasing through the great press,

335there the son of great-hearted Tydeus reached out

and, springing forward, wounded the edge of her hand with his sharp spear,

her frail hand. At once the spear pierced her skin

through the deathless robe the Graces themselves had fashioned,

above the base of the palm; the goddess' immortal blood flowed,

340ichor, such as flows in the blessed gods.

For they eat no bread and drink no fiery wine,

and so they have no blood and are called immortals.

With a great cry she let her son fall from her arms,

but Phoebus Apollo caught him in his hands

345and wrapped him in a dark cloud, lest some swift-horsed Danaan

strike bronze into his chest and take away his life.

347τῇ δʼ ἐπὶ μακρὸν ἄϋσε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

εἶκε Διὸς θύγατερ πολέμου καὶ δηϊοτῆτος·

ἦ οὐχ ἅλις ὅττι γυναῖκας ἀνάλκιδας ἠπεροπεύεις;

350εἰ δὲ σύ γʼ ἐς πόλεμον πωλήσεαι, ἦ τέ σʼ ὀΐω

ῥιγήσειν πόλεμόν γε καὶ εἴ χʼ ἑτέρωθι πύθηαι.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἣ δʼ ἀλύουσʼ ἀπεβήσετο, τείρετο δʼ αἰνῶς·

τὴν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἶρις ἑλοῦσα ποδήνεμος ἔξαγʼ ὁμίλου

ἀχθομένην ὀδύνῃσι, μελαίνετο δὲ χρόα καλόν.

347Diomedes, good at the war cry, shouted after her in a far-carrying voice:

“Stand back, daughter of Zeus, from war and fighting!

Is it not enough that you trick women with no strength for war?

350But if you range through battle, I think

you will shudder at war even when you hear of it elsewhere.”

So he spoke. Beside herself, she went away, tormented terribly.

Wind-footed, swift Iris took her and led her from the press,

in anguish from her pains, while her lovely flesh was darkening.

355εὗρεν ἔπειτα μάχης ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ θοῦρον Ἄρηα

ἥμενον· ἠέρι δʼ ἔγχος ἐκέκλιτο καὶ ταχέʼ ἵππω·

ἣ δὲ γνὺξ ἐριποῦσα κασιγνήτοιο φίλοιο

πολλὰ λισσομένη χρυσάμπυκας ᾔτεεν ἵππους·

φίλε κασίγνητε κόμισαί τέ με δός τέ μοι ἵππους,

360ὄφρʼ ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἵκωμαι ἵνʼ ἀθανάτων ἕδος ἐστί.

λίην ἄχθομαι ἕλκος ὅ με βροτὸς οὔτασεν ἀνὴρ

Τυδεΐδης, ὃς νῦν γε καὶ ἂν Διὶ πατρὶ μάχοιτο.

ὣς φάτο, τῇ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἄρης δῶκε χρυσάμπυκας ἵππους·

ἣ δʼ ἐς δίφρον ἔβαινεν ἀκηχεμένη φίλον ἦτορ,

365πὰρ δέ οἱ Ἶρις ἔβαινε καὶ ἡνία λάζετο χερσί,

μάστιξεν δʼ ἐλάαν, τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην.

355Then she found fierce Ares on the battle's left,

sitting there; his spear and swift horses rested in mist.

Falling to her knees before her dear brother,

she begged him urgently and asked for his golden-frontleted horses:

“Dear brother, help me, and give me your horses,

360so I may reach Olympus, where the immortals dwell.

I suffer terribly from a wound a mortal man dealt me,

Tydeus' son, who now would even fight father Zeus.”

So she spoke, and Ares gave her his golden-frontleted horses.

She mounted the chariot, grieving at heart,

365and Iris stepped beside her and took the reins in hand.

She cracked the whip to drive, and both horses flew willingly.

367αἶψα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἵκοντο θεῶν ἕδος αἰπὺν Ὄλυμπον·

ἔνθʼ ἵππους ἔστησε ποδήνεμος ὠκέα Ἶρις

λύσασʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, παρὰ δʼ ἀμβρόσιον βάλεν εἶδαρ·

370ἣ δʼ ἐν γούνασι πῖπτε Διώνης δῖʼ Ἀφροδίτη

μητρὸς ἑῆς· ἣ δʼ ἀγκὰς ἐλάζετο θυγατέρα ἥν,

χειρί τέ μιν κατέρεξεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἐκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·

τίς νύ σε τοιάδʼ ἔρεξε φίλον τέκος Οὐρανιώνων

μαψιδίως, ὡς εἴ τι κακὸν ῥέζουσαν ἐνωπῇ;

367Soon they reached steep Olympus, the gods' home.

There wind-footed, swift Iris stopped the horses,

unhitched them from the chariot, and set deathless fodder before them.

370Radiant Aphrodite fell at her mother Dione's knees.

Her mother gathered her daughter into her arms,

stroked her with her hand, spoke, and called her by name:

“Which of Heaven's children did this to you, dear child,

so recklessly, as if you had been doing evil openly?”

375τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα φιλομμειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη·

οὖτά με Τυδέος υἱὸς ὑπέρθυμος Διομήδης,

οὕνεκʼ ἐγὼ φίλον υἱὸν ὑπεξέφερον πολέμοιο

Αἰνείαν, ὃς ἐμοὶ πάντων πολὺ φίλτατός ἐστιν.

οὐ γὰρ ἔτι Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν φύλοπις αἰνή,

380ἀλλʼ ἤδη Δαναοί γε καὶ ἀθανάτοισι μάχονται.

375Then laughter-loving Aphrodite answered:

“High-spirited Diomedes, son of Tydeus, wounded me

because I was carrying my dear son out of battle,

Aeneas, who is dearest to me of all.

The terrible clash is no longer Trojans against Achaeans:

380now the Danaans are fighting even the immortals.”

381τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Διώνη, δῖα θεάων·

τέτλαθι τέκνον ἐμόν, καὶ ἀνάσχεο κηδομένη περ·

πολλοὶ γὰρ δὴ τλῆμεν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες

ἐξ ἀνδρῶν χαλέπʼ ἄλγεʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι τιθέντες.

385τλῆ μὲν Ἄρης ὅτε μιν Ὦτος κρατερός τʼ Ἐφιάλτης

παῖδες Ἀλωῆος, δῆσαν κρατερῷ ἐνὶ δεσμῷ·

χαλκέῳ δʼ ἐν κεράμῳ δέδετο τρισκαίδεκα μῆνας·

καί νύ κεν ἔνθʼ ἀπόλοιτο Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο,

εἰ μὴ μητρυιὴ περικαλλὴς Ἠερίβοια

390Ἑρμέᾳ ἐξήγγειλεν· ὃ δʼ ἐξέκλεψεν Ἄρηα

ἤδη τειρόμενον, χαλεπὸς δέ ἑ δεσμὸς ἐδάμνα.

τλῆ δʼ Ἥρη, ὅτε μιν κρατερὸς πάϊς Ἀμφιτρύωνος

δεξιτερὸν κατὰ μαζὸν ὀϊστῷ τριγλώχινι

βεβλήκει· τότε καί μιν ἀνήκεστον λάβεν ἄλγος.

395τλῆ δʼ Ἀΐδης ἐν τοῖσι πελώριος ὠκὺν ὀϊστόν,

εὖτέ μιν ωὐτὸς ἀνὴρ υἱὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο

ἐν Πύλῳ ἐν νεκύεσσι βαλὼν ὀδύνῃσιν ἔδωκεν·

αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ πρὸς δῶμα Διὸς καὶ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον

κῆρ ἀχέων ὀδύνῃσι πεπαρμένος· αὐτὰρ ὀϊστὸς

400ὤμῳ ἔνι στιβαρῷ ἠλήλατο, κῆδε δὲ θυμόν.

τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ Παιήων ὀδυνήφατα φάρμακα πάσσων

ἠκέσατʼ· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι καταθνητός γε τέτυκτο.

σχέτλιος ὀβριμοεργὸς ὃς οὐκ ὄθετʼ αἴσυλα ῥέζων,

ὃς τόξοισιν ἔκηδε θεοὺς οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσι.

381Then Dione, radiant among goddesses, answered her:

“Endure, my child, and bear it, though you grieve.

Many of us who dwell in Olympian homes have endured

harsh pains from mortal men, when we set suffering upon one another.

385Ares endured it when Otus and mighty Ephialtes,

the sons of Aloeus, bound him in strong bonds.

For thirteen months he lay bound in a bronze jar,

and there Ares, insatiate for battle, might have perished

had not their stepmother, surpassingly beautiful Eeriboea,

390told Hermes; he stole Ares out

when he was already wasting away, crushed by the brutal bond.

Hera endured it when the mighty son of Amphitryon

struck her in the right breast with a three-barbed arrow;

then incurable pain seized her too.

395Among them, mighty Hades endured a swift arrow,

when the very same man, the son of aegis-bearing Zeus,

shot him at Pylos among the dead and gave him over to pain.

But he went to Zeus' house on high Olympus,

aching at heart, transfixed with pain; the arrow

400was driven into his massive shoulder and tormented his spirit.

Paeon spread pain-killing medicines over it

and healed him, for he was not born mortal.

Reckless, violent man—he cared nothing for his outrages,

he who with arrows tormented the gods who hold Olympus!

405σοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ τοῦτον ἀνῆκε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

νήπιος, οὐδὲ τὸ οἶδε κατὰ φρένα Τυδέος υἱὸς

ὅττι μάλʼ οὐ δηναιὸς ὃς ἀθανάτοισι μάχηται,

οὐδέ τί μιν παῖδες ποτὶ γούνασι παππάζουσιν

ἐλθόντʼ ἐκ πολέμοιο καὶ αἰνῆς δηϊοτῆτος.

410τὼ νῦν Τυδεΐδης, εἰ καὶ μάλα καρτερός ἐστι,

φραζέσθω μή τίς οἱ ἀμείνων σεῖο μάχηται,

μὴ δὴν Αἰγιάλεια περίφρων Ἀδρηστίνη

ἐξ ὕπνου γοόωσα φίλους οἰκῆας ἐγείρῃ

κουρίδιον ποθέουσα πόσιν τὸν ἄριστον Ἀχαιῶν

415ἰφθίμη ἄλοχος Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.

ἦ ῥα καὶ ἀμφοτέρῃσιν ἀπʼ ἰχῶ χειρὸς ὀμόργνυ·

ἄλθετο χείρ, ὀδύναι δὲ κατηπιόωντο βαρεῖαι.

405But bright-eyed Athena sent this man against you.

Fool—Tydeus' son does not grasp this in his mind:

that whoever fights the immortals has no long life,

nor do his children at his knees call him father

when he returns from war and terrible fighting.

410So let Tydeus' son, strong though he is,

beware lest someone stronger than you meet him in battle,

lest before long wise Aegialeia, Adrastus' daughter,

wake her dear household from sleep with mourning,

longing for her wedded husband, the best of the Achaeans,

415the strong wife of Diomedes, tamer of horses.”

She spoke, and with both hands wiped the ichor from her hand.

The hand healed, and the heavy pains were soothed.

418αἳ δʼ αὖτʼ εἰσορόωσαι Ἀθηναίη τε καὶ Ἥρη

κερτομίοις ἐπέεσσι Δία Κρονίδην ἐρέθιζον.

420τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Ζεῦ πάτερ ἦ ῥά τί μοι κεχολώσεαι ὅττι κεν εἴπω;

ἦ μάλα δή τινα Κύπρις Ἀχαιϊάδων ἀνιεῖσα

Τρωσὶν ἅμα σπέσθαι, τοὺς νῦν ἔκπαγλα φίλησε,

τῶν τινα καρρέζουσα Ἀχαιϊάδων ἐϋπέπλων

425πρὸς χρυσῇ περόνῃ καταμύξατο χεῖρα ἀραιήν.

ὣς φάτο, μείδησεν δὲ πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε,

καί ῥα καλεσσάμενος προσέφη χρυσῆν Ἀφροδίτην·

οὔ τοι τέκνον ἐμὸν δέδοται πολεμήϊα ἔργα,

ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ ἱμερόεντα μετέρχεο ἔργα γάμοιο,

430ταῦτα δʼ Ἄρηϊ θοῷ καὶ Ἀθήνῃ πάντα μελήσει.

418Athena and Hera watched

and taunted Zeus, Cronus' son, with cutting words.

420Bright-eyed Athena began speaking among them:

“Father Zeus, will you be angry with me for what I say?

Cypris must have been urging some Achaean woman

to follow the Trojans, whom she has come to love so fiercely,

and while caressing one of the Achaean women in her fine robe,

425she scratched her delicate hand on a golden brooch.”

So she spoke, and the father of gods and men smiled,

then called golden Aphrodite and said:

“My child, the works of war have not been assigned to you.

Go instead after the lovely works of marriage;

430swift Ares and Athena will attend to all of this.”

431ὣς οἳ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

Αἰνείᾳ δʼ ἐπόρουσε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης,

γιγνώσκων ὅ οἱ αὐτὸς ὑπείρεχε χεῖρας Ἀπόλλων·

ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἄρʼ οὐδὲ θεὸν μέγαν ἅζετο, ἵετο δʼ αἰεὶ

435Αἰνείαν κτεῖναι καὶ ἀπὸ κλυτὰ τεύχεα δῦσαι.

τρὶς μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἐπόρουσε κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων,

τρὶς δέ οἱ ἐστυφέλιξε φαεινὴν ἀσπίδʼ Ἀπόλλων·

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸ τέταρτον ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος,

δεινὰ δʼ ὁμοκλήσας προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων·

440φράζεο Τυδεΐδη καὶ χάζεο, μηδὲ θεοῖσιν

ἶσʼ ἔθελε φρονέειν, ἐπεὶ οὔ ποτε φῦλον ὁμοῖον

ἀθανάτων τε θεῶν χαμαὶ ἐρχομένων τʼ ἀνθρώπων.

ὣς φάτο, Τυδεΐδης δʼ ἀνεχάζετο τυτθὸν ὀπίσσω

μῆνιν ἀλευάμενος ἑκατηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος.

431So they spoke these words to one another.

Diomedes, good at the war cry, rushed at Aeneas,

knowing Apollo himself held his hands above him.

Yet he did not even stand in awe of the great god; he kept striving

435to kill Aeneas and strip away his glorious armor.

Three times he sprang forward, eager to kill him,

and three times Apollo battered back his shining shield.

But when for the fourth time he charged, like a god,

far-working Apollo shouted terribly and said:

440“Take care, son of Tydeus, and give way; do not seek

to think yourself equal to the gods, for the race is never the same—

that of immortal gods and that of human beings who walk the earth.”

So he spoke. Tydeus' son drew back a little,

avoiding the wrath of far-shooting Apollo.

445Αἰνείαν δʼ ἀπάτερθεν ὁμίλου θῆκεν Ἀπόλλων

Περγάμῳ εἰν ἱερῇ, ὅθι οἱ νηός γε τέτυκτο.

ἤτοι τὸν Λητώ τε καὶ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα

ἐν μεγάλῳ ἀδύτῳ ἀκέοντό τε κύδαινόν τε·

αὐτὰρ ὃ εἴδωλον τεῦξʼ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων

450αὐτῷ τʼ Αἰνείᾳ ἴκελον καὶ τεύχεσι τοῖον,

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ εἰδώλῳ Τρῶες καὶ δῖοι Ἀχαιοὶ

δῄουν ἀλλήλων ἀμφὶ στήθεσσι βοείας

ἀσπίδας εὐκύκλους λαισήϊά τε πτερόεντα.

445Apollo set Aeneas apart from the battle

in sacred Pergamus, where his temple stood.

There Leto and arrow-showering Artemis

healed him in the great sanctuary and gave him glory.

Then silver-bowed Apollo fashioned an image

450like Aeneas himself and wearing armor just like his,

Around the image, Trojans and godlike Achaeans

hacked at the oxhide shields guarding one another's chests,

the well-rounded shields and fluttering bucklers.

454δὴ τότε θοῦρον Ἄρηα προσηύδα Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων·

455Ἆρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιπλῆτα,

οὐκ ἂν δὴ τόνδʼ ἄνδρα μάχης ἐρύσαιο μετελθὼν

Τυδεΐδην, ὃς νῦν γε καὶ ἂν Διὶ πατρὶ μάχοιτο;

Κύπριδα μὲν πρῶτα σχεδὸν οὔτασε χεῖρʼ ἐπὶ καρπῷ,

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ αὐτῷ μοι ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος.

460ὣς εἰπὼν αὐτὸς μὲν ἐφέζετο Περγάμῳ ἄκρῃ,

Τρῳὰς δὲ στίχας οὖλος Ἄρης ὄτρυνε μετελθὼν

εἰδόμενος Ἀκάμαντι θοῷ ἡγήτορι Θρῃκῶν·

υἱάσι δὲ Πριάμοιο διοτρεφέεσσι κέλευεν·

ὦ υἱεῖς Πριάμοιο διοτρεφέος βασιλῆος

465ἐς τί ἔτι κτείνεσθαι ἐάσετε λαὸν Ἀχαιοῖς;

ἦ εἰς ὅ κεν ἀμφὶ πύλῃς εὖ ποιητῇσι μάχωνται;

κεῖται ἀνὴρ ὃν ἶσον ἐτίομεν Ἕκτορι δίῳ

Αἰνείας υἱὸς μεγαλήτορος Ἀγχίσαο·

ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ ἐκ φλοίσβοιο σαώσομεν ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον.

470ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.

454Then Phoebus Apollo addressed fierce Ares:

455“Ares, Ares, plague of mortals, bloodstained, stormer of walls,

will you not enter the fighting and draw this man away,

Tydeus' son, who now would even fight father Zeus?

First he wounded Cypris at close range, at the wrist;

then he charged even at me like a god.”

460So he spoke, then seated himself on Pergamus' height.

Ruinous Ares moved through the Trojan ranks and roused them,

in the likeness of swift Acamas, leader of the Thracians.

He urged the Zeus-nurtured sons of Priam:

“Sons of Priam, the Zeus-nurtured king,

465how long will you let your people be killed by the Achaeans?

Until they fight around the well-built gates?

A man lies fallen whom we honored equal to godlike Hector,

Aeneas, son of great-hearted Anchises.

Come—let us rescue our noble companion from the battle's roar.”

470So he spoke and stirred each man's force and spirit.

471ἔνθʼ αὖ Σαρπηδὼν μάλα νείκεσεν Ἕκτορα δῖον·

Ἕκτορ πῇ δή τοι μένος οἴχεται ὃ πρὶν ἔχεσκες;

φῆς που ἄτερ λαῶν πόλιν ἑξέμεν ἠδʼ ἐπικούρων

οἶος σὺν γαμβροῖσι κασιγνήτοισί τε σοῖσι.

475τῶν νῦν οὔ τινʼ ἐγὼ ἰδέειν δύναμʼ οὐδὲ νοῆσαι,

ἀλλὰ καταπτώσσουσι κύνες ὣς ἀμφὶ λέοντα·

ἡμεῖς δὲ μαχόμεσθʼ οἵ πέρ τʼ ἐπίκουροι ἔνειμεν.

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπίκουρος ἐὼν μάλα τηλόθεν ἥκω·

τηλοῦ γὰρ Λυκίη Ξάνθῳ ἔπι δινήεντι,

480ἔνθʼ ἄλοχόν τε φίλην ἔλιπον καὶ νήπιον υἱόν,

κὰδ δὲ κτήματα πολλά, τὰ ἔλδεται ὅς κʼ ἐπιδευής.

ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς Λυκίους ὀτρύνω καὶ μέμονʼ αὐτὸς

ἀνδρὶ μαχήσασθαι· ἀτὰρ οὔ τί μοι ἐνθάδε τοῖον

οἷόν κʼ ἠὲ φέροιεν Ἀχαιοὶ ἤ κεν ἄγοιεν·

485τύνη δʼ ἕστηκας, ἀτὰρ οὐδʼ ἄλλοισι κελεύεις

λαοῖσιν μενέμεν καὶ ἀμυνέμεναι ὤρεσσι.

μή πως ὡς ἀψῖσι λίνου ἁλόντε πανάγρου

ἀνδράσι δυσμενέεσσιν ἕλωρ καὶ κύρμα γένησθε·

οἳ δὲ τάχʼ ἐκπέρσουσʼ εὖ ναιομένην πόλιν ὑμήν.

490σοὶ δὲ χρὴ τάδε πάντα μέλειν νύκτάς τε καὶ ἦμαρ

ἀρχοὺς λισσομένῳ τηλεκλειτῶν ἐπικούρων

νωλεμέως ἐχέμεν, κρατερὴν δʼ ἀποθέσθαι ἐνιπήν.

ὣς φάτο Σαρπηδών, δάκε δὲ φρένας Ἕκτορι μῦθος·

471Then Sarpedon bitterly rebuked godlike Hector:

“Hector, where has the force you once had gone?

You used to claim, I suppose, that without troops or allies you could hold the city

alone, with your brothers-in-law and brothers.

475Not one of them can I now see or make out.

They cower like dogs around a lion,

while we, who are only allies, do the fighting.

I too am an ally and have come from very far away.

Far off lies Lycia beside eddying Xanthus,

480where I left my dear wife and infant son,

and great possessions, which any needy man longs for.

Even so, I urge the Lycians on and am eager myself

to fight a man. Yet I have nothing here

for the Achaeans to carry or drive away.

485But you stand here and do not even command the other

troops to stand firm and defend their wives.

Take care you are not caught in the coils of an all-ensnaring net,

to become prey and spoil for hostile men,

who will soon sack your well-inhabited city.

490All this must occupy you night and day,

as you beg the leaders of far-famed allies

to hold unceasingly firm, and lay aside harsh rebuke.”

So Sarpedon spoke, and his speech bit Hector's heart.

494αὐτίκα δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων σὺν τεύχεσιν ἆλτο χαμᾶζε,

495πάλλων δʼ ὀξέα δοῦρα κατὰ στρατὸν ᾤχετο πάντῃ

ὀτρύνων μαχέσασθαι, ἔγειρε δὲ φύλοπιν αἰνήν.

οἳ δʼ ἐλελίχθησαν καὶ ἐναντίοι ἔσταν Ἀχαιῶν·

Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ὑπέμειναν ἀολλέες οὐδὲ φόβηθεν.

ὡς δʼ ἄνεμος ἄχνας φορέει ἱερὰς κατʼ ἀλωὰς

500ἀνδρῶν λικμώντων, ὅτε τε ξανθὴ Δημήτηρ

κρίνῃ ἐπειγομένων ἀνέμων καρπόν τε καὶ ἄχνας,

αἳ δʼ ὑπολευκαίνονται ἀχυρμιαί· ὣς τότʼ Ἀχαιοὶ

λευκοὶ ὕπερθε γένοντο κονισάλῳ, ὅν ῥα διʼ αὐτῶν

οὐρανὸν ἐς πολύχαλκον ἐπέπληγον πόδες ἵππων

505ἂψ ἐπιμισγομένων· ὑπὸ δʼ ἔστρεφον ἡνιοχῆες.

οἳ δὲ μένος χειρῶν ἰθὺς φέρον· ἀμφὶ δὲ νύκτα

θοῦρος Ἄρης ἐκάλυψε μάχῃ Τρώεσσιν ἀρήγων

πάντοσʼ ἐποιχόμενος· τοῦ δʼ ἐκραίαινεν ἐφετμὰς

Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος χρυσαόρου, ὅς μιν ἀνώγει

510Τρωσὶν θυμὸν ἐγεῖραι, ἐπεὶ ἴδε Παλλάδʼ Ἀθήνην

οἰχομένην· ἣ γάρ ῥα πέλεν Δαναοῖσιν ἀρηγών.

494At once he leapt from his chariot to the ground in his armor.

495Brandishing sharp spears, he went throughout the army,

urging them to fight and waking the terrible clash.

They wheeled and stood facing the Achaeans;

the Argives held in close order and did not flee.

As wind carries chaff across the sacred threshing floors

500of men winnowing, when golden Demeter

separates grain from chaff beneath the pressing winds,

and the chaff heaps grow white—so then the Achaeans

were whitened above by the dust cloud, which through their ranks

the horses' feet drove up to the bronze sky

505as the teams closed again, and the charioteers wheeled them round.

They drove the force of their arms straight forward;

fierce Ares wrapped night around the battle to aid the Trojans,

moving everywhere; he fulfilled the commands

of golden-sworded Phoebus Apollo, who had told him

510to rouse the Trojans' spirit when he saw Pallas Athena

departing, for she had been the Danaans' defender.

512αὐτὸς δʼ Αἰνείαν μάλα πίονος ἐξ ἀδύτοιο

ἧκε, καὶ ἐν στήθεσσι μένος βάλε ποιμένι λαῶν.

Αἰνείας δʼ ἑτάροισι μεθίστατο· τοὶ δὲ χάρησαν,

515ὡς εἶδον ζωόν τε καὶ ἀρτεμέα προσιόντα

καὶ μένος ἐσθλὸν ἔχοντα· μετάλλησάν γε μὲν οὔ τι.

οὐ γὰρ ἔα πόνος ἄλλος, ὃν ἀργυρότοξος ἔγειρεν

Ἄρης τε βροτολοιγὸς Ἔρις τʼ ἄμοτον μεμαυῖα.

512Apollo himself sent Aeneas from the rich inner sanctuary

and put force into the breast of the shepherd of the people.

Aeneas took his place among his companions, and they rejoiced

515when they saw him approaching alive and unharmed,

possessed of noble force; but they asked him nothing.

For another struggle gave them no chance, raised by silver-bowed Apollo,

Ares, plague of mortals, and Strife raging without rest.

519τοὺς δʼ Αἴαντε δύω καὶ Ὀδυσσεὺς καὶ Διομήδης

520ὄτρυνον Δαναοὺς πολεμιζέμεν· οἳ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

οὔτε βίας Τρώων ὑπεδείδισαν οὔτε ἰωκάς,

ἀλλʼ ἔμενον νεφέλῃσιν ἐοικότες ἅς τε Κρονίων

νηνεμίης ἔστησεν ἐπʼ ἀκροπόλοισιν ὄρεσσιν

ἀτρέμας, ὄφρʼ εὕδῃσι μένος Βορέαο καὶ ἄλλων

525ζαχρειῶν ἀνέμων, οἵ τε νέφεα σκιόεντα

πνοιῇσιν λιγυρῇσι διασκιδνᾶσιν ἀέντες·

ὣς Δαναοὶ Τρῶας μένον ἔμπεδον οὐδὲ φέβοντο.

Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἐφοίτα πολλὰ κελεύων·

ὦ φίλοι ἀνέρες ἔστε καὶ ἄλκιμον ἦτορ ἕλεσθε,

530ἀλλήλους τʼ αἰδεῖσθε κατὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας·

αἰδομένων ἀνδρῶν πλέονες σόοι ἠὲ πέφανται·

φευγόντων δʼ οὔτʼ ἂρ κλέος ὄρνυται οὔτε τις ἀλκή.

519The two Ajaxes, Odysseus, and Diomedes

520urged the Danaans to fight. They themselves

feared neither the Trojans' force nor their attacks,

but stood like clouds that Cronus' son

sets motionless on the mountain peaks in windless weather,

while the strength of Boreas and the other

525raging winds sleeps—winds that, when they blow,

scatter the shadowed clouds with shrilling blasts.

So the Danaans stood firm against the Trojans and did not flee.

Atreus' son moved through the press, giving many commands:

“Friends, be men, and take courage in your hearts!

530Have regard for one another in the hard fighting.

Of men with such regard, more are saved than killed;

for those who run, neither fame nor any defense arises.”

533ἦ καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ θοῶς, βάλε δὲ πρόμον ἄνδρα

Αἰνείω ἕταρον μεγαθύμου Δηϊκόωντα

535Περγασίδην, ὃν Τρῶες ὁμῶς Πριάμοιο τέκεσσι

τῖον, ἐπεὶ θοὸς ἔσκε μετὰ πρώτοισι μάχεσθαι.

τόν ῥα κατʼ ἀσπίδα δουρὶ βάλε κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων·

ἣ δʼ οὐκ ἔγχος ἔρυτο, διὰ πρὸ δὲ εἴσατο χαλκός,

νειαίρῃ δʼ ἐν γαστρὶ διὰ ζωστῆρος ἔλασσε·

540δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.

533He spoke and hurled his spear swiftly, striking a foremost man,

Deicoon, son of Pergasus, companion of great-hearted Aeneas,

535whom the Trojans honored equally with Priam's sons,

because he was swift to fight among the foremost.

Wide-ruling Agamemnon struck him on the shield with his spear.

The shield did not stop it: bronze drove through,

then through the belt and into his lower belly.

540He fell with a crash, and his armor clattered over him.

541ἔνθʼ αὖτʼ Αἰνείας Δαναῶν ἕλεν ἄνδρας ἀρίστους

υἷε Διοκλῆος Κρήθωνά τε Ὀρσίλοχόν τε,

τῶν ῥα πατὴρ μὲν ἔναιεν ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐνὶ Φηρῇ

ἀφνειὸς βιότοιο, γένος δʼ ἦν ἐκ ποταμοῖο

545Ἀλφειοῦ, ὅς τʼ εὐρὺ ῥέει Πυλίων διὰ γαίης,

ὃς τέκετʼ Ὀρτίλοχον πολέεσσʼ ἄνδρεσσιν ἄνακτα·

Ὀρτίλοχος δʼ ἄρʼ ἔτικτε Διοκλῆα μεγάθυμον,

ἐκ δὲ Διοκλῆος διδυμάονε παῖδε γενέσθην,

Κρήθων Ὀρσίλοχός τε μάχης εὖ εἰδότε πάσης.

550τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἡβήσαντε μελαινάων ἐπὶ νηῶν

Ἴλιον εἰς εὔπωλον ἅμʼ Ἀργείοισιν ἑπέσθην,

τιμὴν Ἀτρεΐδῃς Ἀγαμέμνονι καὶ Μενελάῳ

ἀρνυμένω· τὼ δʼ αὖθι τέλος θανάτοιο κάλυψεν.

οἵω τώ γε λέοντε δύω ὄρεος κορυφῇσιν

555ἐτραφέτην ὑπὸ μητρὶ βαθείης τάρφεσιν ὕλης·

τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἁρπάζοντε βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα

σταθμοὺς ἀνθρώπων κεραΐζετον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὼ

ἀνδρῶν ἐν παλάμῃσι κατέκταθεν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ·

τοίω τὼ χείρεσσιν ὑπʼ Αἰνείαο δαμέντε

560καππεσέτην, ἐλάτῃσιν ἐοικότες ὑψηλῇσι.

541Then Aeneas killed two of the Danaans' best men,

the sons of Diocles, Crethon and Orsilochus.

Their father lived in well-built Pherae,

a man of abundant wealth, whose line descended from the river

545Alpheus, which flows broad through the land of the Pylians.

Alpheus fathered Ortilochus, lord over many men;

Ortilochus fathered great-hearted Diocles,

and to Diocles twin sons were born,

Crethon and Orsilochus, skilled in every kind of battle.

550When they came of age, the two followed the Argives

on the dark ships to Ilium, rich in horses,

seeking honor for the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus.

But there the end of death covered them.

Like two lions raised on the mountain peaks

555by their mother in the thickets of a deep forest,

who seized cattle and strong sheep

and ravaged men's farmsteads, until they too

were killed by men's hands with sharp bronze—

so the two, beaten down beneath Aeneas' hands,

560fell like tall fir trees.

561τὼ δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος,

βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ

σείων ἐγχείην· τοῦ δʼ ὄτρυνεν μένος Ἄρης,

τὰ φρονέων ἵνα χερσὶν ὑπʼ Αἰνείαο δαμείη.

565τὸν δʼ ἴδεν Ἀντίλοχος μεγαθύμου Νέστορος υἱός,

βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων· περὶ γὰρ δίε ποιμένι λαῶν

μή τι πάθοι, μέγα δέ σφας ἀποσφήλειε πόνοιο.

τὼ μὲν δὴ χεῖράς τε καὶ ἔγχεα ὀξυόεντα

ἀντίον ἀλλήλων ἐχέτην μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι·

570Ἀντίλοχος δὲ μάλʼ ἄγχι παρίστατο ποιμένι λαῶν.

Αἰνείας δʼ οὐ μεῖνε θοός περ ἐὼν πολεμιστὴς

ὡς εἶδεν δύο φῶτε παρʼ ἀλλήλοισι μένοντε.

οἳ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν νεκροὺς ἔρυσαν μετὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν,

τὼ μὲν ἄρα δειλὼ βαλέτην ἐν χερσὶν ἑταίρων,

575αὐτὼ δὲ στρεφθέντε μετὰ πρώτοισι μαχέσθην.

561War-loving Menelaus pitied them when they fell,

and moved through the foremost, armed in gleaming bronze,

brandishing his spear. Ares stirred his force,

intending that Aeneas should kill him with his own hands.

565But Antilochus, son of great-hearted Nestor, saw him

and moved through the foremost, afraid for the shepherd of the people,

that he might suffer harm and bring all their labor to nothing.

The two held their sharp-pointed spears ready

against one another, eager to fight;

570and Antilochus stood very close beside the shepherd of the people.

Aeneas did not wait, swift fighter though he was,

when he saw two men standing side by side.

When they had dragged the dead among the Achaean troops,

they laid the two wretched men in their companions' arms,

575then turned and fought among the foremost.

576ἔνθα Πυλαιμένεα ἑλέτην ἀτάλαντον Ἄρηϊ

ἀρχὸν Παφλαγόνων μεγαθύμων ἀσπιστάων.

τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Ἀτρεΐδης δουρικλειτὸς Μενέλαος

ἑσταότʼ ἔγχεϊ νύξε κατὰ κληῗδα τυχήσας·

580Ἀντίλοχος δὲ Μύδωνα βάλʼ ἡνίοχον θεράποντα

ἐσθλὸν Ἀτυμνιάδην· ὃ δʼ ὑπέστρεφε μώνυχας ἵππους·

χερμαδίῳ ἀγκῶνα τυχὼν μέσον· ἐκ δʼ ἄρα χειρῶν

ἡνία λεύκʼ ἐλέφαντι χαμαὶ πέσον ἐν κονίῃσιν.

Ἀντίλοχος δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπαΐξας ξίφει ἤλασε κόρσην·

585αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἀσθμαίνων εὐεργέος ἔκπεσε δίφρου

κύμβαχος ἐν κονίῃσιν ἐπὶ βρεχμόν τε καὶ ὤμους.

δηθὰ μάλʼ ἑστήκει· τύχε γάρ ῥʼ ἀμάθοιο βαθείης·

ὄφρʼ ἵππω πλήξαντε χαμαὶ βάλον ἐν κονίῃσι·

τοὺς ἵμασʼ Ἀντίλοχος, μετὰ δὲ στρατὸν ἤλασʼ Ἀχαιῶν.

576There they killed Pylaemenes, peer of Ares,

leader of the great-hearted Paphlagonian shieldmen.

Menelaus, son of Atreus, famed for the spear,

struck him as he stood, catching him at the collarbone.

580Antilochus struck Mydon, his charioteer and attendant,

the noble son of Atymnius, as he wheeled the single-hoofed horses.

He hit the middle of his elbow with a stone; from his hands

the reins, white with ivory, fell into the dust.

Antilochus sprang and drove his sword into his temple.

585Gasping, he fell from the well-built chariot

headfirst into the dust, on crown and shoulders.

For a long time he stood there—he had struck deep sand—

until the horses knocked him down into the dust.

Antilochus whipped them and drove them among the Achaean army.

590τοὺς δʼ Ἕκτωρ ἐνόησε κατὰ στίχας, ὦρτο δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς

κεκλήγων· ἅμα δὲ Τρώων εἵποντο φάλαγγες

καρτεραί· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρα σφιν Ἄρης καὶ πότνιʼ Ἐνυώ,

ἣ μὲν ἔχουσα Κυδοιμὸν ἀναιδέα δηϊοτῆτος,

Ἄρης δʼ ἐν παλάμῃσι πελώριον ἔγχος ἐνώμα,

595φοίτα δʼ ἄλλοτε μὲν πρόσθʼ Ἕκτορος, ἄλλοτʼ ὄπισθε.

τὸν δὲ ἰδὼν ῥίγησε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ἀπάλαμνος ἰὼν πολέος πεδίοιο

στήῃ ἐπʼ ὠκυρόῳ ποταμῷ ἅλα δὲ προρέοντι

ἀφρῷ μορμύροντα ἰδών, ἀνά τʼ ἔδραμʼ ὀπίσσω,

600ὣς τότε Τυδεΐδης ἀνεχάζετο, εἶπέ τε λαῷ·

ὦ φίλοι οἷον δὴ θαυμάζομεν Ἕκτορα δῖον

αἰχμητήν τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ θαρσαλέον πολεμιστήν·

τῷ δʼ αἰεὶ πάρα εἷς γε θεῶν, ὃς λοιγὸν ἀμύνει·

καὶ νῦν οἱ πάρα κεῖνος Ἄρης βροτῷ ἀνδρὶ ἐοικώς.

605ἀλλὰ πρὸς Τρῶας τετραμμένοι αἰὲν ὀπίσσω

εἴκετε, μηδὲ θεοῖς μενεαινέμεν ἶφι μάχεσθαι.

590Hector saw them through the ranks and charged at them

shouting; the strong Trojan battalions followed,

with Ares and lady Enyo leading them:

Enyo bore shameless Tumult of battle,

while Ares wielded an enormous spear in his hands,

595ranging now before Hector, now behind.

Diomedes, good at the war cry, shuddered at the sight.

As a helpless man crossing a broad plain

halts at a swift-running river pouring toward the sea,

sees it roaring with foam, and runs back—

600so Tydeus' son gave ground and spoke to the troops:

“Friends, how we marvel at godlike Hector

for being a spearman and fearless fighter!

Yet one of the gods is always beside him, warding off ruin.

Now that one is Ares beside him in the shape of a mortal man.

605Keep your faces toward the Trojans, but always give ground;

do not be eager to fight the gods by force.”

607ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, Τρῶες δὲ μάλα σχεδὸν ἤλυθον αὐτῶν.

ἔνθʼ Ἕκτωρ δύο φῶτε κατέκτανεν εἰδότε χάρμης

εἰν ἑνὶ δίφρῳ ἐόντε, Μενέσθην Ἀγχίαλόν τε.

610τὼ δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησε μέγας Τελαμώνιος Αἴας·

στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰών, καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ,

καὶ βάλεν Ἄμφιον Σελάγου υἱόν, ὅς ῥʼ ἐνὶ Παισῷ

ναῖε πολυκτήμων πολυλήϊος· ἀλλά ἑ μοῖρα

ἦγʼ ἐπικουρήσοντα μετὰ Πρίαμόν τε καὶ υἷας.

615τόν ῥα κατὰ ζωστῆρα βάλεν Τελαμώνιος Αἴας,

νειαίρῃ δʼ ἐν γαστρὶ πάγη δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος,

δούπησεν δὲ πεσών· ὃ δʼ ἐπέδραμε φαίδιμος Αἴας

τεύχεα συλήσων· Τρῶες δʼ ἐπὶ δούρατʼ ἔχευαν

ὀξέα παμφανόωντα· σάκος δʼ ἀνεδέξατο πολλά.

620αὐτὰρ ὃ λὰξ προσβὰς ἐκ νεκροῦ χάλκεον ἔγχος

ἐσπάσατʼ· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτʼ ἄλλα δυνήσατο τεύχεα καλὰ

ὤμοιιν ἀφελέσθαι· ἐπείγετο γὰρ βελέεσσι.

δεῖσε δʼ ὅ γʼ ἀμφίβασιν κρατερὴν Τρώων ἀγερώχων,

οἳ πολλοί τε καὶ ἐσθλοὶ ἐφέστασαν ἔγχεʼ ἔχοντες,

625οἵ ἑ μέγαν περ ἐόντα καὶ ἴφθιμον καὶ ἀγαυὸν

ὦσαν ἀπὸ σφείων· ὃ δὲ χασσάμενος πελεμίχθη.

607So he spoke, and the Trojans came very close to them.

There Hector killed two men skilled in battle,

both riding in a single chariot, Menesthes and Anchialus.

610Great Telamonian Ajax pitied them when they fell.

He came and stood very near, then cast his shining spear

and struck Amphius, son of Selagus, who lived in Paesus,

rich in possessions, rich in grain; but his allotted fate

had led him to aid Priam and Priam’s sons.

615Telamonian Ajax struck him across the belt,

and the long-shadowed spear lodged in his lower belly.

He fell with a crash, and glorious Ajax ran up to him

to strip his armor. The Trojans showered spears upon him,

keen and flashing, and his shield caught many of them.

620Planting his foot against the corpse, he pulled out the bronze spear,

but could not strip the rest of the fine armor

from the dead man’s shoulders, for missiles pressed him hard.

He feared the strong encirclement of the proud Trojans,

many brave men standing over him with spears in hand.

625Though he was tall and mighty and illustrious,

they drove him away from them; he recoiled and staggered.

627ὣς οἳ μὲν πονέοντο κατὰ κρατερὴν ὑσμίνην·

Τληπόλεμον δʼ Ἡρακλεΐδην ἠΰν τε μέγαν τε

ὦρσεν ἐπʼ ἀντιθέῳ Σαρπηδόνι μοῖρα κραταιή.

630οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες

υἱός θʼ υἱωνός τε Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο,

τὸν καὶ Τληπόλεμος πρότερος πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·

Σαρπῆδον Λυκίων βουληφόρε, τίς τοι ἀνάγκη

πτώσσειν ἐνθάδʼ ἐόντι μάχης ἀδαήμονι φωτί;

635ψευδόμενοι δέ σέ φασι Διὸς γόνον αἰγιόχοιο

εἶναι, ἐπεὶ πολλὸν κείνων ἐπιδεύεαι ἀνδρῶν

οἳ Διὸς ἐξεγένοντο ἐπὶ προτέρων ἀνθρώπων·

ἀλλʼ οἷόν τινά φασι βίην Ἡρακληείην

εἶναι, ἐμὸν πατέρα θρασυμέμνονα θυμολέοντα·

640ὅς ποτε δεῦρʼ ἐλθὼν ἕνεχʼ ἵππων Λαομέδοντος

ἓξ οἴῃς σὺν νηυσὶ καὶ ἀνδράσι παυροτέροισιν

Ἰλίου ἐξαλάπαξε πόλιν, χήρωσε δʼ ἀγυιάς·

σοὶ δὲ κακὸς μὲν θυμός, ἀποφθινύθουσι δὲ λαοί.

οὐδέ τί σε Τρώεσσιν ὀΐομαι ἄλκαρ ἔσεσθαι

645ἐλθόντʼ ἐκ Λυκίης, οὐδʼ εἰ μάλα καρτερός ἐσσι,

ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ἐμοὶ δμηθέντα πύλας Ἀΐδαο περήσειν.

627So they labored in the fierce battle.

But Tlepolemus, Heracles’ son, great and good,

was driven against godlike Sarpedon by mighty fate.

630When at last they drew near, advancing against each other—

a son and a grandson of cloud-gathering Zeus—

Tlepolemus was first to address the other:

“Sarpedon, counselor of the Lycians, what need compels you

to cower here like a man unskilled in battle?

635Men speak falsely when they say you are a son of aegis-bearing Zeus,

since you fall far short of those men

who were born from Zeus in earlier generations.

But they tell what mighty Heracles was like—

my father, bold, steadfast, with a lion’s heart.

640Once he came here for the horses of Laomedon

with only six ships and far fewer men,

yet sacked the city of Ilium and left its streets bereft.

Your spirit is weak, and your troops are wasting away.

I do not think you will prove any defense for the Trojans

645though you have come from Lycia, however strong you are.

Subdued beneath my hands, you will pass through Hades’ gates.”

647τὸν δʼ αὖ Σαρπηδὼν Λυκίων ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Τληπόλεμʼ ἤτοι κεῖνος ἀπώλεσεν Ἴλιον ἱρὴν

ἀνέρος ἀφραδίῃσιν ἀγαυοῦ Λαομέδοντος,

650ὅς ῥά μιν εὖ ἕρξαντα κακῷ ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ,

οὐδʼ ἀπέδωχʼ ἵππους, ὧν εἵνεκα τηλόθεν ἦλθε.

σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ ἐνθάδε φημὶ φόνον καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν

ἐξ ἐμέθεν τεύξεσθαι, ἐμῷ δʼ ὑπὸ δουρὶ δαμέντα

εὖχος ἐμοὶ δώσειν, ψυχὴν δʼ Ἄϊδι κλυτοπώλῳ.

655ὣς φάτο Σαρπηδών, ὃ δʼ ἀνέσχετο μείλινον ἔγχος

Τληπόλεμος· καὶ τῶν μὲν ἁμαρτῇ δούρατα μακρὰ

ἐκ χειρῶν ἤϊξαν· ὃ μὲν βάλεν αὐχένα μέσσον

Σαρπηδών, αἰχμὴ δὲ διαμπερὲς ἦλθʼ ἀλεγεινή·

τὸν δὲ κατʼ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐρεβεννὴ νὺξ ἐκάλυψε.

660Τληπόλεμος δʼ ἄρα μηρὸν ἀριστερὸν ἔγχεϊ μακρῷ

βεβλήκειν, αἰχμὴ δὲ διέσσυτο μαιμώωσα

ὀστέω ἐγχριμφθεῖσα, πατὴρ δʼ ἔτι λοιγὸν ἄμυνεν.

647Sarpedon, leader of the Lycians, answered him face to face:

“Tlepolemus, that man did destroy sacred Ilium,

but through the folly of noble Laomedon,

650who repaid his good service with a vicious rebuke

and withheld the horses for which he had come so far.

But here, I tell you, death and black doom

will come to you from me. Subdued beneath my spear,

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

655So Sarpedon spoke. Tlepolemus raised his ash spear,

and at the same instant their long spears shot

from their hands. Sarpedon struck the center of his neck,

and the grievous point passed all the way through.

Dark night covered Tlepolemus’ eyes.

660But Tlepolemus had struck Sarpedon’s left thigh with his long spear,

and the point drove eagerly through the flesh,

grazing the bone; but his father still warded destruction away.

663οἳ μὲν ἄρʼ ἀντίθεον Σαρπηδόνα δῖοι ἑταῖροι

ἐξέφερον πολέμοιο· βάρυνε δέ μιν δόρυ μακρὸν

665ἑλκόμενον· τὸ μὲν οὔ τις ἐπεφράσατʼ οὐδὲ νόησε

μηροῦ ἐξερύσαι δόρυ μείλινον ὄφρʼ ἐπιβαίη

σπευδόντων· τοῖον γὰρ ἔχον πόνον ἀμφιέποντες.

Τληπόλεμον δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ

ἐξέφερον πολέμοιο· νόησε δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

670τλήμονα θυμὸν ἔχων, μαίμησε δέ οἱ φίλον ἦτορ·

μερμήριξε δʼ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν

ἢ προτέρω Διὸς υἱὸν ἐριγδούποιο διώκοι,

ἦ ὅ γε τῶν πλεόνων Λυκίων ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο.

οὐδʼ ἄρʼ Ὀδυσσῆϊ μεγαλήτορι μόρσιμον ἦεν

675ἴφθιμον Διὸς υἱὸν ἀποκτάμεν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ·

τώ ῥα κατὰ πληθὺν Λυκίων τράπε θυμὸν Ἀθήνη.

663Sarpedon’s noble companions carried the godlike man

out of battle; as they carried him, the long spear weighed him down.

665No one noticed or thought

to pull the ash spear from his thigh so he could walk,

so hard was the labor that occupied them in their haste.

From the other side the well-greaved Achaeans

carried Tlepolemus from battle. Godlike Odysseus saw them,

670his spirit enduring; his own heart surged with fury.

Then he pondered in mind and spirit

whether to pursue the son of thunderous Zeus

or take the lives of still more Lycians.

But it was not allotted to great-hearted Odysseus

675to kill the mighty son of Zeus with sharp bronze.

So Athena turned his spirit against the mass of Lycians.

677ἔνθʼ ὅ γε Κοίρανον εἷλεν Ἀλάστορά τε Χρομίον τε

Ἄλκανδρόν θʼ Ἅλιόν τε Νοήμονά τε Πρύτανίν τε.

καί νύ κʼ ἔτι πλέονας Λυκίων κτάνε δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

680εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ὀξὺ νόησε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ

δεῖμα φέρων Δαναοῖσι· χάρη δʼ ἄρα οἱ προσιόντι

Σαρπηδὼν Διὸς υἱός, ἔπος δʼ ὀλοφυδνὸν ἔειπε·

Πριαμίδη, μὴ δή με ἕλωρ Δαναοῖσιν ἐάσῃς

685κεῖσθαι, ἀλλʼ ἐπάμυνον· ἔπειτά με καὶ λίποι αἰὼν

ἐν πόλει ὑμετέρῃ, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον ἔγωγε

νοστήσας οἶκον δὲ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν

εὐφρανέειν ἄλοχόν τε φίλην καὶ νήπιον υἱόν.

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ οὔ τι προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ,

690ἀλλὰ παρήϊξεν λελιημένος ὄφρα τάχιστα

ὤσαιτʼ Ἀργείους, πολέων δʼ ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἕλοιτο.

677There he killed Coeranus, Alastor, and Chromius,

Alcander, Halius, Noemon, and Prytanis.

Godlike Odysseus would have killed still more Lycians

680if great Hector of the flashing helmet had not quickly seen him.

Hector strode through the front ranks, armed in gleaming bronze,

bringing terror to the Danaans. Sarpedon, Zeus’s son,

rejoiced at his approach and spoke a sorrowful word:

“Son of Priam, do not leave me lying here

685as spoil for the Danaans. Defend me; afterward let life leave me

within your city, since I was not destined

to return home to my dear native land

and gladden my dear wife and infant son.”

So he spoke, but Hector of the flashing helmet gave no answer.

690He swept past, eager to drive back the Argives

as quickly as he could and take the lives of many.

692οἳ μὲν ἄρʼ ἀντίθεον Σαρπηδόνα δῖοι ἑταῖροι

εἷσαν ὑπʼ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς περικαλλέϊ φηγῷ·

ἐκ δʼ ἄρα οἱ μηροῦ δόρυ μείλινον ὦσε θύραζε

695ἴφθιμος Πελάγων, ὅς οἱ φίλος ἦεν ἑταῖρος.

τὸν δʼ ἔλιπε ψυχή, κατὰ δʼ ὀφθαλμῶν κέχυτʼ ἀχλύς·

αὖτις δʼ ἐμπνύνθη, περὶ δὲ πνοιὴ Βορέαο

ζώγρει ἐπιπνείουσα κακῶς κεκαφηότα θυμόν.

Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ὑπʼ Ἄρηϊ καὶ Ἕκτορι χαλκοκορυστῇ

700οὔτε ποτὲ προτρέποντο μελαινάων ἐπὶ νηῶν

οὔτε ποτʼ ἀντεφέροντο μάχῃ, ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ὀπίσσω

χάζονθʼ, ὡς ἐπύθοντο μετὰ Τρώεσσιν Ἄρηα.

692Sarpedon’s noble companions set the godlike man down

beneath the beautiful oak of aegis-bearing Zeus.

Mighty Pelagon, his dear companion,

695pushed the ash spear outward from his thigh.

His spirit left him, and mist poured down across his eyes;

but he breathed again, and the breath of Boreas

blowing around him revived his spirit as it gasped in pain.

Before Ares and bronze-helmeted Hector, the Argives

700neither turned in flight toward their black ships

nor stood their ground in battle, but steadily gave way

when they learned that Ares was among the Trojans.

703ἔνθα τίνα πρῶτον τίνα δʼ ὕστατον ἐξενάριξαν

Ἕκτωρ τε Πριάμοιο πάϊς καὶ χάλκεος Ἄρης;

705ἀντίθεον Τεύθραντʼ, ἐπὶ δὲ πλήξιππον Ὀρέστην,

Τρῆχόν τʼ αἰχμητὴν Αἰτώλιον Οἰνόμαόν τε,

Οἰνοπίδην θʼ Ἕλενον καὶ Ὀρέσβιον αἰολομίτρην,

ὅς ῥʼ ἐν Ὕλῃ ναίεσκε μέγα πλούτοιο μεμηλώς,

λίμνῃ κεκλιμένος Κηφισίδι· πὰρ δέ οἱ ἄλλοι

710ναῖον Βοιωτοὶ μάλα πίονα δῆμον ἔχοντες.

703Whom did Hector, Priam’s son, and bronze Ares

kill first, and whom last?

705Godlike Teuthras, then Orestes, driver of horses,

Trechus the Aetolian spearman, and Oenomaus,

Helenus son of Oenops, and Oresbius in his flashing waist-guard,

who lived in Hyle, deeply concerned with his great wealth,

beside the Cephisian lake; and near him the other

710Boeotians lived, possessors of an exceedingly rich land.

711τοὺς δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη

Ἀργείους ὀλέκοντας ἐνὶ κρατερῇ ὑσμίνῃ,

αὐτίκʼ Ἀθηναίην ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

ὢ πόποι αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος Ἀτρυτώνη,

715ἦ ῥʼ ἅλιον τὸν μῦθον ὑπέστημεν Μενελάῳ

Ἴλιον ἐκπέρσαντʼ εὐτείχεον ἀπονέεσθαι,

εἰ οὕτω μαίνεσθαι ἐάσομεν οὖλον Ἄρηα.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ καὶ νῶϊ μεδώμεθα θούριδος ἀλκῆς.

ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.

711When the white-armed goddess Hera saw them

destroying the Argives in the fierce battle,

she at once addressed Athena with winged words:

“Ah, child of aegis-bearing Zeus, unwearied one,

715surely the word we pledged to Menelaus was in vain—

that he would return after sacking well-walled Ilium—

if we allow ruinous Ares to rage like this.

Come then—let us too turn our minds to furious courage.”

So she spoke, and the bright-eyed goddess Athena did not disobey.

720ἣ μὲν ἐποιχομένη χρυσάμπυκας ἔντυεν ἵππους

Ἥρη πρέσβα θεὰ θυγάτηρ μεγάλοιο Κρόνοιο·

Ἥβη δʼ ἀμφʼ ὀχέεσσι θοῶς βάλε καμπύλα κύκλα

χάλκεα ὀκτάκνημα σιδηρέῳ ἄξονι ἀμφίς.

τῶν ἤτοι χρυσέη ἴτυς ἄφθιτος, αὐτὰρ ὕπερθε

725χάλκεʼ ἐπίσσωτρα προσαρηρότα, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι·

πλῆμναι δʼ ἀργύρου εἰσὶ περίδρομοι ἀμφοτέρωθεν·

δίφρος δὲ χρυσέοισι καὶ ἀργυρέοισιν ἱμᾶσιν

ἐντέταται, δοιαὶ δὲ περίδρομοι ἄντυγές εἰσι.

τοῦ δʼ ἐξ ἀργύρεος ῥυμὸς πέλεν· αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ ἄκρῳ

730δῆσε χρύσειον καλὸν ζυγόν, ἐν δὲ λέπαδνα

κάλʼ ἔβαλε χρύσειʼ· ὑπὸ δὲ ζυγὸν ἤγαγεν Ἥρη

ἵππους ὠκύποδας, μεμαυῖʼ ἔριδος καὶ ἀϋτῆς.

720Hera went about harnessing the gold-frontleted horses,

the elder goddess, daughter of great Cronus.

while Hebe swiftly fitted curved wheels to the chariot,

bronze and eight-spoked, on either side of the iron axle.

Their rim was imperishable gold, and over it

725bronze tires were tightly fitted—a wonder to behold.

Their revolving hubs were silver on both sides.

The chariot body was stretched with straps of gold and silver,

and two encircling rails ran around it.

From it extended a silver pole; at its end

730Hebe tied the beautiful golden yoke and fitted

the fine golden yoke-straps. Hera led beneath the yoke

the swift-footed horses, herself eager for strife and the battle cry.

733αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο

πέπλον μὲν κατέχευεν ἑανὸν πατρὸς ἐπʼ οὔδει

735ποικίλον, ὅν ῥʼ αὐτὴ ποιήσατο καὶ κάμε χερσίν·

ἣ δὲ χιτῶνʼ ἐνδῦσα Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο

τεύχεσιν ἐς πόλεμον θωρήσσετο δακρυόεντα.

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ὤμοισιν βάλετʼ αἰγίδα θυσσανόεσσαν

δεινήν, ἣν περὶ μὲν πάντῃ Φόβος ἐστεφάνωται,

740ἐν δʼ Ἔρις, ἐν δʼ Ἀλκή, ἐν δὲ κρυόεσσα Ἰωκή,

ἐν δέ τε Γοργείη κεφαλὴ δεινοῖο πελώρου

δεινή τε σμερδνή τε, Διὸς τέρας αἰγιόχοιο.

κρατὶ δʼ ἐπʼ ἀμφίφαλον κυνέην θέτο τετραφάληρον

χρυσείην, ἑκατὸν πολίων πρυλέεσσʼ ἀραρυῖαν·

745ἐς δʼ ὄχεα φλόγεα ποσὶ βήσετο, λάζετο δʼ ἔγχος

βριθὺ μέγα στιβαρόν, τῷ δάμνησι στίχας ἀνδρῶν

ἡρώων, οἷσίν τε κοτέσσεται ὀβριμοπάτρη.

733Athena, daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus,

let her soft robe fall upon her father’s floor,

735the intricate robe she herself had made with her hands.

She put on the tunic of cloud-gathering Zeus

and armed herself for tear-bringing war.

Around her shoulders she threw the tasselled aegis,

dreadful, crowned on every side with Rout;

740on it were Strife, Battle-Strength, and chilling Pursuit,

and on it the Gorgon head of the dreadful monster,

terrible and grim, the portent of aegis-bearing Zeus.

On her head she set a double-ridged, four-bossed helmet,

golden, fitted for the fighters of a hundred cities.

745She stepped into the flaming chariot and took up her spear,

heavy, huge, and strong, with which she subdues the ranks

of heroic men whenever the mighty Father’s daughter is angry.

748Ἥρη δὲ μάστιγι θοῶς ἐπεμαίετʼ ἄρʼ ἵππους·

αὐτόμαται δὲ πύλαι μύκον οὐρανοῦ ἃς ἔχον Ὧραι,

750τῇς ἐπιτέτραπται μέγας οὐρανὸς Οὔλυμπός τε

ἠμὲν ἀνακλῖναι πυκινὸν νέφος ἠδʼ ἐπιθεῖναι.

τῇ ῥα διʼ αὐτάων κεντρηνεκέας ἔχον ἵππους·

εὗρον δὲ Κρονίωνα θεῶν ἄτερ ἥμενον ἄλλων

ἀκροτάτῃ κορυφῇ πολυδειράδος Οὐλύμποιο.

755ἔνθʼ ἵππους στήσασα θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη

Ζῆνʼ ὕπατον Κρονίδην ἐξείρετο καὶ προσέειπε·

Ζεῦ πάτερ οὐ νεμεσίζῃ Ἄρῃ τάδε καρτερὰ ἔργα

ὁσσάτιόν τε καὶ οἷον ἀπώλεσε λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν

μὰψ ἀτὰρ οὐ κατὰ κόσμον ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος, οἳ δὲ ἕκηλοι

760τέρπονται Κύπρίς τε καὶ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων

ἄφρονα τοῦτον ἀνέντες, ὃς οὔ τινα οἶδε θέμιστα;

Ζεῦ πάτερ ἦ ῥά τί μοι κεχολώσεαι, αἴ κεν Ἄρηα

λυγρῶς πεπληγυῖα μάχης ἐξαποδίωμαι;

748Hera swiftly laid the whip upon the horses.

The gates of heaven groaned open of themselves, the gates the Hours keep,

750for to them great heaven and Olympus are entrusted,

both to open the dense cloud and close it again.

Through those gates they drove the horses on beneath the goad.

They found the son of Cronus sitting apart from the other gods

on the highest peak of many-ridged Olympus.

755There the white-armed goddess Hera halted the horses

and questioned Zeus, highest son of Cronus:

“Father Zeus, are you not indignant at Ares for these violent deeds—

how great a host of Achaeans he has destroyed, and what men they were,

recklessly and beyond all order, to my grief—while undisturbed

760Cypris and silver-bowed Apollo take their pleasure,

having loosed this madman, who recognizes no ordinance?

Father Zeus, will you be angry with me if I strike Ares

grievously and drive him out of battle?”

764τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

765ἄγρει μάν οἱ ἔπορσον Ἀθηναίην ἀγελείην,

ἥ ἑ μάλιστʼ εἴωθε κακῇς ὀδύνῃσι πελάζειν.

ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη,

μάστιξεν δʼ ἵππους· τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην

μεσσηγὺς γαίης τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος.

770ὅσσον δʼ ἠεροειδὲς ἀνὴρ ἴδεν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν

ἥμενος ἐν σκοπιῇ, λεύσσων ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον,

τόσσον ἐπιθρῴσκουσι θεῶν ὑψηχέες ἵπποι.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Τροίην ἷξον ποταμώ τε ῥέοντε,

ἧχι ῥοὰς Σιμόεις συμβάλλετον ἠδὲ Σκάμανδρος,

775ἔνθʼ ἵππους ἔστησε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη

λύσασʼ ἐξ ὀχέων, περὶ δʼ ἠέρα πουλὺν ἔχευε·

τοῖσιν δʼ ἀμβροσίην Σιμόεις ἀνέτειλε νέμεσθαι.

αἳ δὲ βάτην τρήρωσι πελειάσιν ἴθμαθʼ ὁμοῖαι

ἀνδράσιν Ἀργείοισιν ἀλεξέμεναι μεμαυῖαι·

764Cloud-gathering Zeus answered her:

765“Go—set Athena, gatherer of spoil, upon him.

She is the one most accustomed to bringing him bitter pain.”

So he spoke, and the white-armed goddess Hera did not disobey.

She lashed the horses, and the pair flew onward willingly

midway between the earth and starry heaven.

770As far through the hazy distance as a man can see

sitting at a lookout and gazing over the wine-dark sea,

so far at each bound the loud-neighing horses of the gods leapt.

When they reached Troy and the two flowing rivers,

where Simoeis and Scamander join their streams,

775the white-armed goddess Hera halted the horses,

unhitched them from the chariot, and poured thick mist around them.

For their grazing Simoeis made ambrosia spring from the earth.

The two goddesses walked on with steps like timid doves,

eager to defend the Argive men.

780ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵκανον ὅθι πλεῖστοι καὶ ἄριστοι

ἕστασαν ἀμφὶ βίην Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο

εἰλόμενοι λείουσιν ἐοικότες ὠμοφάγοισιν

ἢ συσὶ κάπροισιν, τῶν τε σθένος οὐκ ἀλαπαδνόν,

ἔνθα στᾶσʼ ἤϋσε θεὰ λευκώλενος Ἥρη

785Στέντορι εἰσαμένη μεγαλήτορι χαλκεοφώνῳ,

ὃς τόσον αὐδήσασχʼ ὅσον ἄλλοι πεντήκοντα·

αἰδὼς Ἀργεῖοι κάκʼ ἐλέγχεα εἶδος ἀγητοί·

ὄφρα μὲν ἐς πόλεμον πωλέσκετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,

οὐδέ ποτε Τρῶες πρὸ πυλάων Δαρδανιάων

790οἴχνεσκον· κείνου γὰρ ἐδείδισαν ὄβριμον ἔγχος·

νῦν δὲ ἑκὰς πόλιος κοίλῃς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ μάχονται.

ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.

780When they reached the place where the greatest number and the best

stood clustered around the might of horse-taming Diomedes,

like lions that feed on raw flesh

or wild boars whose strength is not feeble,

the white-armed goddess Hera stood there and shouted,

785taking the form of great-hearted, bronze-voiced Stentor,

whose voice was as powerful as the voices of fifty other men:

“Shame, Argives—foul disgraces, splendid only to look at!

As long as godlike Achilles ranged through battle,

the Trojans never passed beyond the Dardanian gates,

790for they feared his massive spear.

But now they fight far from the city beside the hollow ships.”

With these words she roused the force and spirit of every man.

793Τυδεΐδῃ δʼ ἐπόρουσε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

εὗρε δὲ τόν γε ἄνακτα παρʼ ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν

795ἕλκος ἀναψύχοντα τό μιν βάλε Πάνδαρος ἰῷ.

ἱδρὼς γάρ μιν ἔτειρεν ὑπὸ πλατέος τελαμῶνος

ἀσπίδος εὐκύκλου· τῷ τείρετο, κάμνε δὲ χεῖρα,

ἂν δʼ ἴσχων τελαμῶνα κελαινεφὲς αἷμʼ ἀπομόργνυ.

ἱππείου δὲ θεὰ ζυγοῦ ἥψατο φώνησέν τε·

800ἦ ὀλίγον οἷ παῖδα ἐοικότα γείνατο Τυδεύς.

Τυδεύς τοι μικρὸς μὲν ἔην δέμας, ἀλλὰ μαχητής·

καί ῥʼ ὅτε πέρ μιν ἐγὼ πολεμίζειν οὐκ εἴασκον

οὐδʼ ἐκπαιφάσσειν, ὅτε τʼ ἤλυθε νόσφιν Ἀχαιῶν

ἄγγελος ἐς Θήβας πολέας μετὰ Καδμείωνας·

805δαίνυσθαί μιν ἄνωγον ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἕκηλον·

αὐτὰρ ὃ θυμὸν ἔχων ὃν καρτερὸν ὡς τὸ πάρος περ

κούρους Καδμείων προκαλίζετο, πάντα δʼ ἐνίκα

ῥηϊδίως· τοίη οἱ ἐγὼν ἐπιτάρροθος ἦα.

σοὶ δʼ ἤτοι μὲν ἐγὼ παρά θʼ ἵσταμαι ἠδὲ φυλάσσω,

810καί σε προφρονέως κέλομαι Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι·

ἀλλά σευ ἢ κάματος πολυᾶϊξ γυῖα δέδυκεν

ἤ νύ σέ που δέος ἴσχει ἀκήριον· οὐ σύ γʼ ἔπειτα

Τυδέος ἔκγονός ἐσσι δαΐφρονος Οἰνεΐδαο.

793The bright-eyed goddess Athena sprang toward Tydeus’ son.

She found the lord beside his horses and chariot,

795cooling the wound where Pandarus had struck him with an arrow.

Sweat tormented him beneath the broad strap

of his well-rounded shield; it oppressed him, and his arm grew weary.

He kept lifting the strap and wiping away the dark blood.

The goddess touched the horses’ yoke and said:

800“Tydeus fathered a son with little resemblance to himself.

Tydeus was small in body, but he was a fighter.

Even when I would not let him fight

or charge furiously—when he came apart from the Achaeans

as an envoy to Thebes among the many Cadmeans—

805I told him to feast quietly in their halls.

But keeping the same strong spirit he had before,

he challenged the Cadmean youths and won every contest

with ease; so powerful a helper was I to him.

Now I stand beside you and guard you,

810and earnestly command you to fight the Trojans.

But either weariness from your many onsets has sunk into your limbs,

or some spiritless fear now holds you. If so, you are not

the offspring of war-wise Tydeus, Oeneus’ son.”

814τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης·

815γιγνώσκω σε θεὰ θύγατερ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο·

τώ τοι προφρονέως ἐρέω ἔπος οὐδʼ ἐπικεύσω.

οὔτέ τί με δέος ἴσχει ἀκήριον οὔτέ τις ὄκνος,

ἀλλʼ ἔτι σέων μέμνημαι ἐφετμέων ἃς ἐπέτειλας·

οὔ μʼ εἴας μακάρεσσι θεοῖς ἀντικρὺ μάχεσθαι

820τοῖς ἄλλοις· ἀτὰρ εἴ κε Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη

ἔλθῃσʼ ἐς πόλεμον, τήν γʼ οὐτάμεν ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ.

τοὔνεκα νῦν αὐτός τʼ ἀναχάζομαι ἠδὲ καὶ ἄλλους

Ἀργείους ἐκέλευσα ἀλήμεναι ἐνθάδε πάντας·

γιγνώσκω γὰρ Ἄρηα μάχην ἀνὰ κοιρανέοντα.

814Strong Diomedes answered her:

815“I know you, goddess, daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus.

So I will speak to you frankly and conceal nothing.

Neither spiritless fear nor hesitation holds me;

I still remember the commands you laid upon me.

You would not let me fight any of the blessed gods face to face,

820except if Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus,

entered the battle—I was to wound her with sharp bronze.

That is why I myself am giving ground now, and why I ordered

all the other Argives to gather here,

for I recognize Ares commanding the battle.”

825τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Τυδεΐδη Διόμηδες ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ

μήτε σύ γʼ Ἄρηα τό γε δείδιθι μήτε τινʼ ἄλλον

ἀθανάτων, τοίη τοι ἐγὼν ἐπιτάρροθός εἰμι·

ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐπʼ Ἄρηϊ πρώτῳ ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους,

830τύψον δὲ σχεδίην μηδʼ ἅζεο θοῦρον Ἄρηα

τοῦτον μαινόμενον, τυκτὸν κακόν, ἀλλοπρόσαλλον,

ὃς πρῴην μὲν ἐμοί τε καὶ Ἥρῃ στεῦτʼ ἀγορεύων

Τρωσὶ μαχήσεσθαι, ἀτὰρ Ἀργείοισιν ἀρήξειν,

νῦν δὲ μετὰ Τρώεσσιν ὁμιλεῖ, τῶν δὲ λέλασται.

835ὣς φαμένη Σθένελον μὲν ἀφʼ ἵππων ὦσε χαμᾶζε,

χειρὶ πάλιν ἐρύσασʼ, ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐμμαπέως ἀπόρουσεν·

ἣ δʼ ἐς δίφρον ἔβαινε παραὶ Διομήδεα δῖον

ἐμμεμαυῖα θεά· μέγα δʼ ἔβραχε φήγινος ἄξων

βριθοσύνῃ· δεινὴν γὰρ ἄγεν θεὸν ἄνδρά τʼ ἄριστον.

825The bright-eyed goddess Athena answered him:

“Diomedes, son of Tydeus, dear to my heart,

do not fear Ares now, nor any other

of the immortals, for so powerful a helper am I to you.

Come—drive your solid-hoofed horses first against Ares,

830strike him at close range, and show no reverence for raging Ares,

that raving, embodied evil, that double-dealing god.

Only recently he boasted in a promise to Hera and me

that he would fight the Trojans and help the Argives.

Now he moves among the Trojans and has forgotten the Argives.”

835With these words she pushed Sthenelus from the chariot to the ground,

drawing him backward by the hand; he promptly leapt clear.

The eager goddess mounted the chariot beside godlike Diomedes.

The oaken axle groaned loudly

beneath the weight of the dread goddess and the best of men.

840λάζετο δὲ μάστιγα καὶ ἡνία Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη·

αὐτίκʼ ἐπʼ Ἄρηϊ πρώτῳ ἔχε μώνυχας ἵππους.

ἤτοι ὃ μὲν Περίφαντα πελώριον ἐξενάριζεν

Αἰτωλῶν ὄχʼ ἄριστον Ὀχησίου ἀγλαὸν υἱόν·

τὸν μὲν Ἄρης ἐνάριζε μιαιφόνος· αὐτὰρ Ἀθήνη

845δῦνʼ Ἄϊδος κυνέην, μή μιν ἴδοι ὄβριμος Ἄρης.

ὡς δὲ ἴδε βροτολοιγὸς Ἄρης Διομήδεα δῖον,

ἤτοι ὃ μὲν Περίφαντα πελώριον αὐτόθʼ ἔασε

κεῖσθαι ὅθι πρῶτον κτείνων ἐξαίνυτο θυμόν,

αὐτὰρ ὃ βῆ ῥʼ ἰθὺς Διομήδεος ἱπποδάμοιο.

850οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες,

πρόσθεν Ἄρης ὠρέξαθʼ ὑπὲρ ζυγὸν ἡνία θʼ ἵππων

ἔγχεϊ χαλκείῳ μεμαὼς ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἑλέσθαι·

καὶ τό γε χειρὶ λαβοῦσα θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη

ὦσεν ὑπὲκ δίφροιο ἐτώσιον ἀϊχθῆναι.

855δεύτερος αὖθʼ ὡρμᾶτο βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης

ἔγχεϊ χαλκείῳ· ἐπέρεισε δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη

νείατον ἐς κενεῶνα ὅθι ζωννύσκετο μίτρῃ·

τῇ ῥά μιν οὖτα τυχών, διὰ δὲ χρόα καλὸν ἔδαψεν,

ἐκ δὲ δόρυ σπάσεν αὖτις· ὃ δʼ ἔβραχε χάλκεος Ἄρης

860ὅσσόν τʼ ἐννεάχιλοι ἐπίαχον ἢ δεκάχιλοι

ἀνέρες ἐν πολέμῳ ἔριδα ξυνάγοντες Ἄρηος.

τοὺς δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὸ τρόμος εἷλεν Ἀχαιούς τε Τρῶάς τε

δείσαντας· τόσον ἔβραχʼ Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο.

οἵη δʼ ἐκ νεφέων ἐρεβεννὴ φαίνεται ἀὴρ

865καύματος ἐξ ἀνέμοιο δυσαέος ὀρνυμένοιο,

τοῖος Τυδεΐδῃ Διομήδεϊ χάλκεος Ἄρης

φαίνεθʼ ὁμοῦ νεφέεσσιν ἰὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν.

840Pallas Athena took the whip and reins.

At once she drove the solid-hoofed horses straight at Ares.

He was stripping the enormous Periphas,

by far the best of the Aetolians, Ochesius’ splendid son.

Bloodstained Ares was stripping him, but Athena

845put on Hades’ helmet so massive Ares would not see her.

When Ares, plague of mortals, saw godlike Diomedes,

he left the enormous Periphas lying there

where he had first killed him and taken his life,

and went straight at horse-taming Diomedes.

850When at last they drew near, advancing against each other,

Ares thrust first, over the horses’ yoke and reins,

with his bronze spear, eager to take Diomedes’ life.

But the bright-eyed goddess Athena caught the spear in her hand

and pushed it out beyond the chariot, so it flew in vain.

855Then Diomedes, good at the war cry, charged in turn

with his bronze spear, and Pallas Athena drove it home

in the lowest part of Ares’ flank, where his waist-guard was fastened.

There Diomedes struck him, tearing through his beautiful skin,

then pulled the spear out again. Bronze Ares roared

860as loudly as nine thousand or ten thousand men

shout in war when they join in the strife of Ares.

Trembling seized Achaeans and Trojans alike

in terror, so loudly did Ares roar, insatiate for war.

As dark mist appears from the clouds

865when a harsh wind rises after heat,

so bronze Ares appeared to Diomedes, Tydeus’ son,

going up with the clouds into the broad sky.

868καρπαλίμως δʼ ἵκανε θεῶν ἕδος αἰπὺν Ὄλυμπον,

πὰρ δὲ Διὶ Κρονίωνι καθέζετο θυμὸν ἀχεύων,

870δεῖξεν δʼ ἄμβροτον αἷμα καταρρέον ἐξ ὠτειλῆς,

καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

Ζεῦ πάτερ οὐ νεμεσίζῃ ὁρῶν τάδε καρτερὰ ἔργα;

αἰεί τοι ῥίγιστα θεοὶ τετληότες εἰμὲν

ἀλλήλων ἰότητι, χάριν ἄνδρεσσι φέροντες.

875σοὶ πάντες μαχόμεσθα· σὺ γὰρ τέκες ἄφρονα κούρην

οὐλομένην, ᾗ τʼ αἰὲν ἀήσυλα ἔργα μέμηλεν.

ἄλλοι μὲν γὰρ πάντες ὅσοι θεοί εἰσʼ ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ

σοί τʼ ἐπιπείθονται καὶ δεδμήμεσθα ἕκαστος·

ταύτην δʼ οὔτʼ ἔπεϊ προτιβάλλεαι οὔτέ τι ἔργῳ,

880ἀλλʼ ἀνιεῖς, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸς ἐγείναο παῖδʼ ἀΐδηλον·

ἣ νῦν Τυδέος υἱὸν ὑπερφίαλον Διομήδεα

μαργαίνειν ἀνέηκεν ἐπʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι.

Κύπριδα μὲν πρῶτον σχεδὸν οὔτασε χεῖρʼ ἐπὶ καρπῷ,

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ αὐτῷ μοι ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος·

885ἀλλά μʼ ὑπήνεικαν ταχέες πόδες· ἦ τέ κε δηρὸν

αὐτοῦ πήματʼ ἔπασχον ἐν αἰνῇσιν νεκάδεσσιν,

ἤ κε ζὼς ἀμενηνὸς ἔα χαλκοῖο τυπῇσι.

868Swiftly he reached steep Olympus, the seat of the gods,

and sat beside Zeus, son of Cronus, grieving at heart.

870He showed the immortal blood running from his wound

and addressed him with winged words of complaint:

“Father Zeus, are you not indignant to see these violent deeds?

We gods are always suffering the most terrible things

by one another’s will as we bring favor to mortals.

875We all contend with you, for you fathered a foolish girl,

accursed, whose concern is always with lawless deeds.

All the other gods who dwell on Olympus

obey you, and each of us has been subdued.

But you neither check her with a word nor with an action;

880you let her loose because you yourself fathered this destructive child.

Now she has loosed arrogant Diomedes, Tydeus’ son,

to rage against the immortal gods.

First he wounded Cypris at close range, on the hand at the wrist,

and then he charged at me myself, like a god.

885But my swift feet carried me away. Otherwise, for a long time

I would have suffered pain there among the terrible heaps of corpses,

or remained alive but strengthless beneath the blows of bronze.”

888τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς.

μή τί μοι ἀλλοπρόσαλλε παρεζόμενος μινύριζε.

890ἔχθιστος δέ μοί ἐσσι θεῶν οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν·

αἰεὶ γάρ τοι ἔρις τε φίλη πόλεμοί τε μάχαι τε.

μητρός τοι μένος ἐστὶν ἀάσχετον οὐκ ἐπιεικτὸν

Ἥρης· τὴν μὲν ἐγὼ σπουδῇ δάμνημʼ ἐπέεσσι·

τώ σʼ ὀΐω κείνης τάδε πάσχειν ἐννεσίῃσιν.

895ἀλλʼ οὐ μάν σʼ ἔτι δηρὸν ἀνέξομαι ἄλγεʼ ἔχοντα·

ἐκ γὰρ ἐμεῦ γένος ἐσσί, ἐμοὶ δέ σε γείνατο μήτηρ·

εἰ δέ τευ ἐξ ἄλλου γε θεῶν γένευ ὧδʼ ἀΐδηλος

καί κεν δὴ πάλαι ἦσθα ἐνέρτερος Οὐρανιώνων.

888Cloud-gathering Zeus looked at him from under his brows and said:

“Do not sit beside me whining, you double-dealer.

890You are the most hateful to me of all the gods who hold Olympus.

Strife is always dear to you, and wars and battles.

You have your mother Hera’s ungovernable, unyielding force.

I can barely master her even with words.

So I think you suffer this through her prompting.

895Still, I will not let you endure your pain much longer,

for your lineage comes from me, and your mother bore you to me.

But if you had been born from some other god, as destructive as you are,

you would long ago have lain lower than the sons of Heaven.”

899ὣς φάτο, καὶ Παιήονʼ ἀνώγειν ἰήσασθαι.

900τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ Παιήων ὀδυνήφατα φάρμακα πάσσων

ἠκέσατʼ· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι καταθνητός γʼ ἐτέτυκτο.

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ὀπὸς γάλα λευκὸν ἐπειγόμενος συνέπηξεν

ὑγρὸν ἐόν, μάλα δʼ ὦκα περιτρέφεται κυκόωντι,

ὣς ἄρα καρπαλίμως ἰήσατο θοῦρον Ἄρηα.

905τὸν δʼ Ἥβη λοῦσεν, χαρίεντα δὲ εἵματα ἕσσε·

πὰρ δὲ Διὶ Κρονίωνι καθέζετο κύδεϊ γαίων.

αἳ δʼ αὖτις πρὸς δῶμα Διὸς μεγάλοιο νέοντο

Ἥρη τʼ Ἀργείη καὶ Ἀλαλκομενηῒς Ἀθήνη

παύσασαι βροτολοιγὸν Ἄρηʼ ἀνδροκτασιάων.

899So he spoke and ordered Paeon to heal him.

900Paeon spread pain-killing medicines upon the wound

and healed him, for Ares was not made mortal.

As fig sap swiftly curdles white milk,

liquid before, but quickly thickening as one stirs it,

so swiftly Paeon healed raging Ares.

905Hebe washed him and clothed him in graceful garments.

He sat beside Zeus, son of Cronus, exulting in his glory.

Then the two goddesses returned to the house of great Zeus,

Argive Hera and Athena of Alalcomenae,

having stopped Ares, plague of mortals, from his slaughter.