Τρώων δ᾽ οἰώθη καὶ Ἀχαιῶν φύλοπις αἰνή:
πολλὰ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθ᾽ ἴθυσε μάχη πεδίοιο
ἀλλήλων ἰθυνομένων χαλκήρεα δοῦρα
μεσσηγὺς Σιμόεντος ἰδὲ Ξάνθοιο ῥοάων.
5
Αἴας δὲ πρῶτος Τελαμώνιος ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν
Τρώων ῥῆξε φάλαγγα, φόως δ᾽ ἑτάροισιν ἔθηκεν,
ἄνδρα βαλὼν ὃς ἄριστος ἐνὶ Θρῄκεσσι τέτυκτο
υἱὸν Ἐϋσσώρου Ἀκάμαντ᾽ ἠΰν τε μέγαν τε.
τόν ῥ᾽ ἔβαλε πρῶτος κόρυθος φάλον ἱπποδασείης,
ἐν δὲ μετώπῳ πῆξε, πέρησε δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὀστέον εἴσω10
αἰχμὴ χαλκείη: τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψεν.
Ἄξυλον δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔπεφνε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης
Τευθρανίδην, ὃς ἔναιεν ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν Ἀρίσβῃ
ἀφνειὸς βιότοιο, φίλος δ᾽ ἦν ἀνθρώποισι.
πάντας γὰρ φιλέεσκεν ὁδῷ ἔπι οἰκία ναίων.15
ἀλλά οἱ οὔ τις τῶν γε τότ᾽ ἤρκεσε λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον
πρόσθεν ὑπαντιάσας, ἀλλ᾽ ἄμφω θυμὸν ἀπηύρα
αὐτὸν καὶ θεράποντα Καλήσιον, ὅς ῥα τόθ᾽ ἵππων
ἔσκεν ὑφηνίοχος: τὼ δ᾽ ἄμφω γαῖαν ἐδύτην.
20
Δρῆσον δ᾽ Εὐρύαλος καὶ Ὀφέλτιον ἐξενάριξε:
βῆ δὲ μετ᾽ Αἴσηπον καὶ Πήδασον, οὕς ποτε νύμφη
νηῒς Ἀβαρβαρέη τέκ᾽ ἀμύμονι Βουκολίωνι.
Βουκολίων δ᾽ ἦν υἱὸς ἀγαυοῦ Λαομέδοντος
πρεσβύτατος γενεῇ, σκότιον δέ ἑ γείνατο μήτηρ:
ποιμαίνων δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ὄεσσι μίγη φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ,25
ἣ δ᾽ ὑποκυσαμένη διδυμάονε γείνατο παῖδε.
καὶ μὲν τῶν ὑπέλυσε μένος καὶ φαίδιμα γυῖα
Μηκιστηϊάδης καὶ ἀπ᾽ ὤμων τεύχε᾽ ἐσύλα.
Ἀστύαλον δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔπεφνε μενεπτόλεμος Πολυποίτης:
Πιδύτην δ᾽ Ὀδυσεὺς Περκώσιον ἐξενάριξεν30
ἔγχεϊ χαλκείῳ, Τεῦκρος δ᾽ Ἀρετάονα δῖον.
Ἀντίλοχος δ᾽ Ἄβληρον ἐνήρατο δουρὶ φαεινῷ
Νεστορίδης, Ἔλατον δὲ ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων:
ναῖε δὲ Σατνιόεντος ἐϋρρείταο παρ᾽ ὄχθας
Πήδασον αἰπεινήν. Φύλακον δ᾽ ἕλε Λήϊτος ἥρως35
φεύγοντ᾽: Εὐρύπυλος δὲ Μελάνθιον ἐξενάριξεν.
notes
The gods depart from the battlefield. The Achaeans, led by Telemonian Ajax, defeat a series of Trojans, some of whom are given short biographies.
In these first duels, Homer underscores the gravity of the Trojans’ situation by showing us all of the principal Greek warriors (Ajax, Diomedes, Odysseus, and Agamemnon), killing Trojans. Translations can sometimes make battle narratives seem dull and repetitive, but reading the Greek lets us see the marvelous variety and inventiveness in these encounters. [read full essay]
1: οἰώθη: “was abandoned,” by the gods, 3rd sg. aor. dep. pass. > οἰόομαι.
2: πολλὰ: “many times, often,” adverbial acc. (Goodell 230); ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθ’: “here and there”; πεδίοιο: “on the plain,” Homeric 2nd decl. gen. sg., gen. of place within which, depending on ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα (Goodell 515).
3: ἀλλήλων ἰθυνομένων … δοῦρα: “each side driving straight their spears,” gen. absolute (Goodell 590). χαλκήρεα: uncontracted acc. neut. pl. δοῦρα: acc. neut. pl., the most common plural form of singular δόρυ/δοῦρο (Graziosi-Haubold), though Homer also uses the full form δούρατα, e.g., Il. 5.656 (Monro 107).
5: ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν: in apposition to Αἴας
6: ῥῆξε: “broke,” unaugmented aor. > ῥήγνυμι (Monro 69). φόως: “light” of safety, or a hole in the enemy line, neuter accusative > φάος or φόως, (dat. φάει, nom./acc. pl. φάεα). ἐτάροισιν: Homeric dat. pl. (Monro 93). ἔθηκε: “made,” aor. > τίθημι (Goodell 373).
7: βαλὼν: masc. nom. sg. aor. ptc. > βάλλω. ὅς: “who...,” ὅς (often a demonstrative pronoun) here functions as a relative pronoun, whose antecedent is ἄνδρα (Monro 266). ἐνὶ: “among” = ἐν, a common alternative spelling. Θρῄκεσσι: Aeolic 3rd decl. dat. pl. τέτυκτο: “was,” unaugmented 3rd sg. plpf. > τεύχω (Monro 69).
8: υἱὸν: in apposition to ἄνδρα and Ἀκάμαντ’.
9: τὸν: “him,” or “this man,” personal pronoun or demonstrative. ὅ, ἥ, τό is rarely a “pure article” and instead generally has a demonstrative function in Homer (Monro 256). ἔβαλε: governs two accusatives, first of the person (τόν), then of the part of the body (or, in this case, attire: φάλον), as often in Homer (Graziosi-Haubold; see Monro 141). φάλον: “on the crest” of his helmet. The φάλος was apparently something on the helmet that carried the plume.
10: πῆξε: “stuck,” “planted,” unaugmented aor. > πήγνμι (Monro 69).
11: τὸν … ὄσσε: “his eyes.” ὄσσε: “(two) eyes,” neut. acc. dual., a noun found in Homer only in the dual (Monro 107.1).
12: ἔπεφνε: “killed,” “slew,” 3rd sg. reduplicated aorist > θείνω, aor. ἔπεφνον or πέφνον, infin. πεφνέμεν (Monro 36.5). βοὴν: “in/at the battle cry,” acc. of respect is common after an adj., here ἀγαθός (Goodell 537).
13: ὅς: “who,” relative pronoun. Ἀρίσβῃ: ancient Arisbe, modern Musaköy, was located in the Troad region of Asia Minor, not far from Troy.
14: ἦν: 3rd sg. impf. > εἰμί (Goodell 384)
15: φιλέεσκεν: “used to show hospitality to,” “used to entertain” + acc.; -σκ- indicates iterative impf., like ἔσκεν in line 19 (Monro 48-9). ὁδῷ ἔπι: “on the roadway,” = ἑφ’ ὁδῷ (anastrophe). οἰκία: acc. neut. pl. > οἰκίον, which is formally a diminutive of οἶκος, but the implication is that Axylos’ house was grand, since he habitually entertained travelers.
16–17: “but this time (τότε) none of them (οὔ τις τῶν) warded off grim destruction from him (οἱ) by coming to meet the enemy (ὑπαντιάσας) out in front (πρόσθεν).” οἱ: = αὐτῷ, 3rd pers. sg. dat. of the personal pronoun (Monro 99), dative of interest with ἤρκεσε (Goodell 523). ὑπαντιάσας: “come to meet,” i.e. to meet the enemy and defend a man, masc. nom. sg. aor. ptc. > ὔπαντιάζω. ἄμφω θυμὸν ἀπηύρα: “robbed the two of life,” double acc. after ἀπαυράω (Goodell 534). ἀπηύρᾱ: root aor. of a defective verb, with a final long α. At some point the form must have been interpreted as an imperfect on the model of ἐτίμᾱ (= ἐτίμα-ε).
18: αὐτὸν: “Axylos himself.” τόθ᾽: = τότε, elision before an aspirated vowel.
19: ἔσκεν: “was,” iterative impf. of εἰμί, compare φιλέεσκεν in line 15. τὼ: “these,” dual nom. pl. demonstrative pronoun modifying ἄμφω. ἐδύτην: “went beneath,” “entered,” i.e. to the underworld, 3rd dual aor. act. > δύω.
21: βῆ: = ἔβη, unaugmented 3rd sg. root aor. > βαίνω (Goodell 366). μετ᾽: “after,” i.e. in pursuit, = μετὰ. νύμφη / νηῒς: “water nymph,” the female presiding spirit of a local spring.
22: τέκ᾽: “bore to” = τέκε, unaugmented 3rd sg. aor. > τίκτω. Βουκολίωνι: dat. of interest (Goodell 523).
24: γενεῇ: “in birth (order),” specifying dative (Goodell 527.b). ἑ: “him,” = αὐτόν (Monro 97), 3rd sg. personal pronoun, acc. obj. σκότιον: “in the dark,” “in secret,” compare σκότος, -εος, τό, darkness, gloom.
25: “while shepherding his flocks he lay with the nymph in love.” ἐπ᾽ὄεσσι: “over the sheep.” ὄεσσι: Aeolic dat. pl. (Monro 102). μίγη: “he mingled,” i.e. “had sexual intercourse with,” 3rd sg. aor. pass. > μίγνυμι. φιλότητι … εὐνῇ: “in love and bed” (i.e. in the bed of love, hendiadys), specifying dative (Goodell 527.b).
26: ἥ δ᾽: “and she,” “this one.” διδυμάονε … παῖδε: dual acc. (Goodell 114).
27: τῶν: “of these,” i.e. twins, demonstrative pronoun. μένος … γυῖα: neuter acc.
28: τεύχε᾽ = τεύχεα, uncontracted acc. pl. > τὸ τεῦχος.
30: Περκώσιον: “from Percote,” another city located in the Troad.
31: Τεῦκρος: understand ἐξενάριξεν from line 30. Teucer, founder of Salamis on Cyprus and half-brother of Ajax, was famous for his archery.
32: ἐνήρατο: unaugmented aor. mid. > ἐναίρω, “kill,” with no difference in meaning from the active.
33: Ἀγαμέμνων: understand ἐνήρατο.
34: ναῖε: “he used to dwell in” + acc. of the place (Πήδασον), unaugmented impf. Elatus is subject. δέ: suggests a change of subject from the previous line. ἐϋρρείταο: gen. sg. > ἐϋρρείτης/ἐϋρρεής “fair-flowing,” “well-flowing,” an epithet of rivers (Monro 98).
35: Πήδασον: not to be confused with the city in the Peneloponnese, but rather a minor town in the southern Troad, located close to the river Satnioeis. ἕλε: “took,” i.e. killed, unaugmented 3rd sg. aor. > αἱρέω.
vocabulary
Τρῶες: Trojans
οἰόομαι: to be left alone, abandoned, forsaken
Ἀχαιός: Achaian
φύλοπις -ιδος ἡ: battle-cry, din of battle, battle
αἰνός -ή -όν: dread, dire, grim
ἄρα, ῥά (enclit.), ἄρ, ῥ᾿: so, then, as you know, you know, it seems. Very often it marks an action as natural, or reminds of something recently said. It also marks transitions.
ἰθύω: to go straight, press right on, charge
πεδίον -ου τό: a plain
ἰθύνω: to send straight at, direct, guide; ἀλλήλων ἰθυνομένων 'as they aimed at each other'
χαλκήρης -ες: fitted with brass, tipped with brass
δόρυ, gen. δόρατος or δουρός: timber, beam, spear
μεσηγύ(ς): between, in the middle of (+ gen.); meantime
Σιμόεις Σιμόεντος ὁ: Simoeis river
ἰδέ: and
Ξάνθος Ξάνθοιο ὁ: Xanthus (m. of persons and rivers; f. of town)
ῥοή: a river, stream, flood
Αἴας ‑αντος ὁ: Ajax
5
τελαμώνιος: of Telamon, son of Telamon
ἕρκος -εος τό: hedge, wall, defence; ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν, 'bulwark of the Achaeans'
ῥήγνυμι, aor. ἔρρηξεν or ῥῆξε: to break, break through
φάλαγξ -αγγος ἡ: rank, column
φόως or φόος -εος τό: light; help, safety
ἑταῖρος -ου ὁ: a comrade, companion, mate
Θρᾷξ ‑ᾳκός or Θρῇξ ‑ῃκός ὁ: a Thracian
τεύχω τεύξω ἔτευξα τέτευχα τέτυγμαι ἐτύχθην: to make ready, make, build, work
Ἐϋσσώρος -ου ὁ: Eussorus, a Thracian
Ἀκάμας -αντος ὁ: Acamas, a Thracian, who was slain by Ajax
ἐύς or ἠύς, neut. ἐύ, gen. ἑῆος: good, brave, noble
κόρυς -υθος ἡ: a helmet
φάλος -οιο ὁ: crest of helmet, or a plate holding the crest
ἱππόδασυς -εια -υ: bushy with horse-hair
μέτωπον: the space between the eyes, the brow, forehead10
πήγνυμι, aor. ἔπηξε or πάγε: to make fast, stick, dig in, plant in, fix
περάω περάσω (or περῶ) ἐπέρασα πεπέρακα: to drive right through; pass, penetrate
ὀστέον -ου τό: bone
εἴσω (ἔσω): to within, into
αἱχμή -ῆς ἡ: spear-point
χάλκεος or χάλκειος: of bronze, bronze, bronze pointed (of a spear)
σκότος -ου ὁ: darkness, gloom
ὄσσε (τώ): the two eyes
καλύπτω, aor. (ἐ)κάλυψε(ν): to cover with
θείνω, aor. ἔπεφνον, πέφνε, infin. πεφνέμεν: to strike, beat, wound; to batter, kill (only in forms with redupl. πεφ-)
βοή -ῆς ἡ: a loud cry, shout
Διομήδης -εος ὁ: Diomedes, son of Tydeus, king of Argos, one of the bravest and mightiest of the Achaeans fighting in Troy
ναίω or ναιετάω: to dwell, inhabit
ἐϋκτίμενος: well-built
Ἀρίσβα: Arisba, a town in the Troad; a town on Lesbos
ἀφνειός: rich, wealthy; full
βίοτος: substance, possessions; life
φίλος -η -ον: loved, beloved, dear, own
φιλέω, iterative impf. φιλέεσκεν, aor. φίλησα, ἐφίλατο: to love, entertain, receive hospitably15
οἰκίον -ου τό: house, palace (always plural)
οἱ (enclitic, dat. 3rd pers. pron.): (to) him, (to) her
ἀρκέω, aor. ἤρκεσε: to protect, ward off
λυγρός -ά -όν: sore, baneful, mournful
ὄλεθρος -ου ὁ: ruin, destruction, death
πρόσθεν: before
ὑπαντιάω: to face, meet
ἄμφω: both
ἀπαυράω: to take away, rob, deprive
θεράπων -οντος ὁ: attendant, servant, assistant, companion
τόθι: there, in that place
ὑφηνίοχος -ου ὁ: the charioteer, as subordinate to the warrior
γαῖα -ας ἡ: a land, country
δύω, fut. δύσω, aor. inf. δῦσαι, aor. mid. (ἐ)δύσετο, aor. ἔδυ, perf. δέδυκεν: to enter, go into, put on; πρὶν ἠέλιον δῦναι, before the sun set; γαῖαν ἐδύτην, (their souls) entered the earth.
Δρῆσος: Dresus, a Trojan20
Εὐρύαλος: Euryalus, an Argive
Ὀφέλτιος: Opheltius, a Trojan
ἐξεναρίζω, aor. ἐξενάριξε(ν): to strip of armor, despoil; to lay low
Αἴσηπος: Aesepus, a Trojan, son of Abarbarea and Bucolion
Πήδασος: Pedasus, a Trojan, son of Bucolion
νύμφη: nymph
ναϊάς or νηίς -ίδος ἡ: naiad, river-nymph, spring-nymph
Ἀβαρβαρέη: a Trojan naiad
ἀμύμων -ονος: blameless, noble, excellent
Βουκολίων: Bucolion, son of Laomedon
ἀγαυός: illustrious, noble
Λαομέδων ‑οντος ὁ: Laomedon, father of Priam and Bucolion, Son of Ilus
γενεά or γενεή: race, stock, family
σκότιον: in shadow, in secret
γείνομαι, aor. ἐγείναο: to be born; (aor.) begot, bore
ποιμαίνω: to be a shepherd25
ὄις ὄιος: sheep
φιλότης -ητος ἡ: friendship, love, affection
εὐνή: bed, couch
ὑποκύομαι: to conceive, become pregnant
διδυμάων -ονος ὁ/ἡ: twin
ὑπολύω: to release from under, weaken
μένος -εος τό: might, force, strength, prowess, courage
φαίδιμος, ον: illustrious, glorious
γυῖον -ου τό: a limb
Μηκιστηϊάδης: son of Mecisteus, Euryalus
ὦμος ὤμου ὁ: shoulder (with the upper arm)
τεῦχος -εος τό: (pl.) arms, armour
συλάω: to strip off
Ἀστύαλος: Astyalus
μενεπτόλεμος: staunch in battle, steadfast
Πολυποίτης: Polypoetes, a Lapith
Πιδύτης: Pidytes, a Trojan30
Ὀδυσσεύς, Ὀδυσῆος: Odysseus, an Ithacan. He is called πολύμητις, crafty, and πολυμήχανος, full of strategems. He was one of the wisest Achaean leaders.
ἔγχος -εος τό: spear, lance
Τεῦκρος: Teucer, son of Telamon, half-brother of Ajax, and the best bowman in the Greek army
Ἀρετάων: Aretaon, a Trojan, slain by Teucer
δῖος -α -ον: divine, noble, illustrious; marvelous, magnificent
Ἀντίλοχος: Antilochus, son of Nestor
Ἄβληρος: Ablerus, a Trojan
ἐναίρω, aor. ἐνήρατο: to slay
φαεινός -ή -όν: bright, brilliant, radiant
Νεστορίδης: son of Nestor
ἄναξ -ακτος ὁ: lord, king, master
Ἀγαμέμνων -ονος ὁ: Agamemnon, son of Atreus, king of Mycenae and the leader of the expedition against Troy
Σατνιόεις -εντος ὁ: Satnioeis, river in the Troad
ἐϋρρεής and ἐϋρρείτης: strong-flowing, fair-flowing
ὄχθη: a bank, dyke
αἰπεινός: high, lofty35
Φύλακος: Phylacus, a Trojan
Λήϊτος: Leitus, a leader of the Boeotians
ἥρως ἥρωος ὁ: hero, warrior
Εὐρύπυλος: Eurypylus, a Thessalian
Μελάνθιος: Melanthius, a Trojan