τὸν δ᾽ ὀλιγοδρανέων προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ:
λίσσομ᾽ ὑπὲρ ψυχῆς καὶ γούνων σῶν τε τοκήων
μή με ἔα παρὰ νηυσὶ κύνας καταδάψαι Ἀχαιῶν,
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν χαλκόν τε ἅλις χρυσόν τε δέδεξο340
δῶρα τά τοι δώσουσι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ,
σῶμα δὲ οἴκαδ᾽ ἐμὸν δόμεναι πάλιν, ὄφρα πυρός με
Τρῶες καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι λελάχωσι θανόντα.
τὸν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεὺς:
μή με κύον γούνων γουνάζεο μὴ δὲ τοκήων:345
αἲ γάρ πως αὐτόν με μένος καὶ θυμὸς ἀνήη
ὤμ᾽ ἀποταμνόμενον κρέα ἔδμεναι, οἷα ἔοργας,
ὡς οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὃς σῆς γε κύνας κεφαλῆς ἀπαλάλκοι,
οὐδ᾽ εἴ κεν δεκάκις τε καὶ εἰκοσινήριτ᾽ ἄποινα
στήσωσ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἄγοντες, ὑπόσχωνται δὲ καὶ ἄλλα,350
οὐδ᾽ εἴ κέν σ᾽ αὐτὸν χρυσῷ ἐρύσασθαι ἀνώγοι
Δαρδανίδης Πρίαμος: οὐδ᾽ ὧς σέ γε πότνια μήτηρ
ἐνθεμένη λεχέεσσι γοήσεται ὃν τέκεν αὐτή,
ἀλλὰ κύνες τε καὶ οἰωνοὶ κατὰ πάντα δάσονται.
355
τὸν δὲ καταθνῄσκων προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ:
ἦ σ᾽ εὖ γιγνώσκων προτιόσσομαι, οὐδ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλον
πείσειν: ἦ γὰρ σοί γε σιδήρεος ἐν φρεσὶ θυμός.
φράζεο νῦν, μή τοί τι θεῶν μήνιμα γένωμαι
ἤματι τῷ ὅτε κέν σε Πάρις καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων
ἐσθλὸν ἐόντ᾽ ὀλέσωσιν ἐνὶ Σκαιῇσι πύλῃσιν.360
ὣς ἄρα μιν εἰπόντα τέλος θανάτοιο κάλυψε,
ψυχὴ δ᾽ ἐκ ῥεθέων πταμένη Ἄϊδος δὲ βεβήκει
ὃν πότμον γοόωσα λιποῦσ᾽ ἀνδροτῆτα καὶ ἥβην.
τὸν καὶ τεθνηῶτα προσηύδα δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς:
τέθναθι: κῆρα δ᾽ ἐγὼ τότε δέξομαι ὁππότε κεν δὴ365
Ζεὺς ἐθέλῃ τελέσαι ἠδ᾽ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι.
notes
Hector begs Achilles to accept ransom for his corpse and not to deny it proper cremation and funeral among the Trojans. Achilles refuses and promises his body will be eaten by dogs and birds of prey. Hector urges Achilles not to become the target of divine wrath on his own dying day, which, he says, is not far off. As Hector's soul departs to the house of Hades, Achilles promises to accept his own death whenever it comes.
Hector is essentially a disembodied voice now. As he lies helpless on the ground the dark fantasy from his monologue before the walls becomes real. Vulnerable and exposed, “like a woman” (22.124–125), he begs Achilles not to leave his corpse to be shredded by dogs and birds. [read full essay]
338: λίσσομ᾽: = λίσσομαι. ὑπὲρ: “by/in the name of” + gen.
339: μή … ἔᾱ: “don’t allow” + acc. and inf., = ἔα-ε, neg. command with 2nd sg. imperative > ἐάω. καταδάψαι: aor. inf. > κατα-δάπτω, devour.
340: δέδεξο: = δέδεκ-σο, pf. mid. imperative > δέχομαι.
341: δῶρα: in apposition to χαλκόν, χρυσόν. τά: “which…,” demonstrative pronoun used as a relative.
342: δόμεναι: aor. inf. (Att. δοῦναι) used as an imperative > δίδωμι. We find an imperatival infinitive when conventional social procedures are invoked (de Jong).
342–343: ὄφρα … λελάχωσι: “so that the Trojans and the wives of the Trojans might make me have a share of fire when I am dead,” i.e., allow me to be properly cremated. ὄφρα + reduplicated aor. subj. > λαγχάνω without κεν/ἄν in pure purpose clause (Monro 287.1.b).
343: θανόντα: acc. sg. aor. ptc. > θνήσκω.
345: μή με γούνων γουνάζεο: “don’t grasp me by the knees,” neg. mid. imperative, = γουνάζε(σ)ο. Achilles repeats γόνυ and the related verb γουνάζομαι in a derisive figura etymologica. κύον: vocative direct address. γούνων: “by the knees,” genitive with verb of grabbing and taking (Monro 151.a). τοκήων: “(on behalf of your) parents,” supply ὑπέρ, a response to line 338.
346: αἲ γάρ … ἀνήη: “would that (my mind) drove me…” + acc. and inf., i.e., “would that I were able to bring myself to….” ἀνήη (> ἀνίημι) is a unique form, evidently aorist indicative, making this an unattainable wish with εἰ/αἲ γὰρ (as in 6.345; see Goodell 470.a). Some editors print the optative ἀνείη, which would make it a straightforward wish (Goodell 477). αὐτόν: intensive with με, obj. of ἀνήη.
347: ὤμ’: = ὤμα, neut. adj., modifies κρέα, predicative (“eat your flesh raw”). ἔδμεναι: pres. inf. > ἔδω (Monro 85.2). οἷα ἔοργας: “the kinds of things you have done to me,” i.e. “because you have done me such wrong,” a syntactically loosely attached, explanatory οἷος-clause (de Jong). ἔοργας: 2nd sg. pf. > ἔρδω.
348: ὡς οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅς: “as there is not (anyone) who….” σῆς … κεφαλῆς: gen. of separation governed by ἀπό- of ἀπολέξω. ἀπαλάλκοι: “could ward off,” 3 sg. aor. 2 opt. > defective ἀπαλέξω, potential opt. without ἄν (Goodell 478)
349–350: εἴ κέν … στήσωσ’ … ὑπόσχωνται: “not even if they weigh … promise,” protasis of future-more-vivid condition with 3rd pl. aorist subjunctives > ἵστημι and ὑπ-ισχνέομαι. For ἵστημι = "weigh," see LSJ s.v. ἵστημι A. IV. καὶ ἄλλα: “other things also,” adverbial καί.
351–352: ἀνώγοι: opt. > ἄνωγα, perf. with pres. sense, “should order.” Achilles changes from subjunctive to optative to indicate that he considers the act of Priam offering Hector’s weight in gold as merely possible rather than very possible (de Jong). σ’ αὐτὸν: “you yourself,” i.e. your bodyweight. χρυσῷ: dat. of means. ἐρύσασθαι: “(your bodyweight) to be weighed out (in gold),” lit. “to be drawn.”
352: οὐδ᾽ὧς: “not even at this price” shall your mother place you on a funeral bed (Benner).
353: ἐνθεμένη λεχέεσσι: “having placed you on a bier,” nom. sg. aor. mid. ptc. > ἐν-τίθημι, dat. pl. governed by ἐν- of εν-τίθημι. ὃν: “whom…,” relative. τέκεν: unaugmented aor. > τίκτω. αὐτή: “she herself,” intensive.
354: κατὰ … δάσονται: “will divide up,” i.e. “will tear apart.” πάντα: “(you) completely,” modifies a missing (σε). This predicative use, “tear you apart you complete,” is best translated as an adverb.
355: τὸν δὲ: “this one,” Achilles.
356-7: οὐδ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλον / πείσειν: “as it seems, I was not going to persuade you.” For ἄρα + impf. as ex post facto realization see 22.301.
357: σοί γε: “your,” possessive dat. pronoun, γε emphasizes the clause. σιδήρεος: “(is) of iron” nom. predicate, supply ἐστί.
358: φράζεο: pres. mid. imperative. μή … γένωμαι: “lest I become…,” negative purpose clause with aor. subj. > γίγνομαι. τοὶ: = σοὶ, “against you,” dat. of interest. θεῶν μήνιμα: “a cause of wrath against you on the part of the gods.” θεῶν is a subjective gen. (Benner)
359: ἤματι τῷ: “on that day,” = ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἤματι, dat. of time when with a demonstrative (Goodell 527.c). ὅτε κέν … ὀλέσωσιν: “when they kill,” subjunctive + κε/ἄν in a general temporal clause (kindred with a future-more-vivid condition) (Monro 296), aor. subj. > ὄλλυμι.
360: ἐόντ᾽: “though being,” concessive ptc.
362: πταμένη: “flying,” nom. sg. dep. mid. aor. > πέτομαι. Ἀϊδόσδε: “to Hades’ (house).” The suffix -δε implies place to which (Monro 335.2). βεβήκει: “turned its step,” “approached,” unaugmented 3rd sg. plpf. act. > βαίνω, aorist in sense.
363: ὃν: = ἑόν, “his own,” possessive adj. > ἑός. γοόωσα, λιποῦσα: pres. and aor. ptc. modifying fem. ψυχή.
364: τὸν: “him,” Hector. καὶ τεθνηῶτα: “even though dead,” adverbial καὶ signals a concessive ptc., pf. > θνήσκω.
365: τέθναθι: “be dead,” pf. imperative > θνήσκω, which suggests a state of completed action. The imperative standing alone is abrupt and dismissive.
365–366: ὁππότε κεν δὴ: “whenever at all.” δή increases the indefiniteness of this general temporal clause (see line 359).
366: ἠδ’: “and,” joining the nominatives.
vocabulary
ὀλιγοδρανέων: able to do little, feeble, powerless
πρόσφημι, impf. προσέφη, aor. προσεῖπον or προσέειπον: speak to, address
κορυθαίολος: crest-waving, gleaming-crested
Ἕκτωρ: Hector, the most distinguished warrior of the Trojans, son of Priam and Hecabe, and husband of Andromache.
λίσσομαι: to beg, pray, entreat, beseech
γόνυ, gen. γόνατος or γούνατος: knee
τοκεύς –ῆος ὁ: a parent
κύων κυνός ὁ or ἡ: a dog
καταδάπτω, aor. inf. καταδάψαι: to rend in pieces, devour, tear
Ἀχαιός: Achaian340
χαλκός –οῦ ὁ: bronze
ἅλις: in heaps, crowds, swarms, in abundance, in plenty
χρυσός –οῦ ὁ: gold
δῶρον –ου τό: a gift, present
πότνια: mistress, honored
οἴκαδε: to one's home, home, homewards
ὄφρα: in order that; as long as, until
Τρῶες: Trojans
ἄλοχος -ου ἡ: wife
λαγχάνω λήξομαι ἔλαχον εἴληχα εἴληγμαι ἐλήχθην: to obtain by lot; to have one's fair share
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.
ὑπόδρα: adv. with a sullen or grim look
ὠκύς ὠκεῖα ὠκύ: quick, swift, fleet
Ἀχιλλεύς -έως or -ῆος ὁ: Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis, leader of the Myrmidons and Hellenes in Thessaly, the mightiest warrior before Troy, and the principal hero of the Iliad.
γουνάζομαι, fut. γουνάσομαι: to implore, beseech345
μένος –εος τό: might, force, strength, prowess, courage
ἀνίημι, 2nd. pers. ind. ἀνιεῖς, fem. partic. ἀνιεῖσα, fut. ἀνήσει, aor. ἀνῆκε or ἀνέηκεν, aor. subj. ἀνήῃ, aor. partic. ἀνέντες: to let go, free, urge on
ὦμος: raw
ἀποτέμνω or ἀποτάμνω: to cut off, sever
κρέας τό: flesh, meat, a piece of meat
ἔδω: to eat
οἷος –α –ον: of what sort, what kind of, what, such as, as
ἔρδω: to do, accomplish, perform
ἀπαλέξω, 2nd aor. opt. ἀπαλάλκοι: to ward off
δεκάκις: ten-times, tenfold
εἰκοσινήριτος: twenty-fold
ἄποινα -ων τά: a ransom
ἐνθάδε: thither, hither, here, there350
ὑπισχνέομαι, aor. imp. ὑπόσχεο, aor. inf. ὑποσχέσθαι: to promise
ἐρύω: to drag, pull, tear; draw up, raise, balance
ἄνωγα (perf. as pres.), impf. ἄνωγον, plpf. as impf. ἠνώγει or ἀνώγειν: to command, order, bid
Δαρδανίδης –αο: a son or descendant of Dardanos
Πρίαμος: Priam, son of Laomedon. King of Troy.
ἐντίθημι, aor. ἔνθεο: to put in, set in
λέχος –εος τό: a couch, bed, bier
γοάω: to wail, groan, weep
οἰωνός: bird
δατέομαι: to divide, distribute
καταθνῄσκω, 2nd aor. κάτθανε, perf. κατατεθνήκασιν: to die355
προτιόσσομαι: to gaze upon
σιδήρεος: made of iron
φρήν φρενός ἡ: heart, mind
μήνιμα –ατος τό: a cause of wrath
ἦμαρ –ατος τό: day
Φοῖβος: Phoebus, epithet of Apollo
Ἀπόλλων: Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto, brother of Artemis, God of the sun and light, of song, of herds, of the bow, and of health and disease. He favors the Trojans against the Greeks.
ἐσθλός –ή –όν: good, decent, honorable, noble, generous; capable, able; (of things) good, useful; (of words) wise, sensible360
ὄλλυμι, fut. ὀλεῖται, ὀλέσεις, aor. ὤλεσα, ὀλέσ(σ)ῃς, ὄλοντο, οὐλόμενος, perf. ὀλώλῃ: to ruin, destroy, kill, lose; mid. and perf. to be destroyed, perish, die
Σκαιαί: the Scaean Gate of Troy, the only gate of the city which Homer mentions by name. It appears to have faced the Greek camp, affording a view over the Trojan plain.
πύλη –ης ἡ: one wing of a pair of double gates; (pl.) gate
μιν: him, her, it
καλύπτω, aor. (ἐ)κάλυψε(ν): to cover with
ῥέθος –εος τό: a limb
πέτομαι, 2nd aor. ἔπτατο, aor. partic. πταμένη: to fly, speed on
ᾍδης, gen. Ἀίδεω and Ἄϊδος, dat. Ἄϊδι, Ἀϊδωνῆι: Hades, god of the unseen lower world. His realm is the home of the dead, and in the Iliad it is beneath the earth, while in the Odyssey Odysseus sails to it, across Oceanus, and finds in it a faint, ghostly imitation of life on earth.
ἑός ἑή ἑόν: his, her own
πότμος: fate, death
ἀνδρότης: manliness, manhood, courage
ἥβη: youthful prime, youth, vigor
προσαυδάω: to speak to, address
δῖος –α –ον: divine, noble, illustrious; marvelous, magnificent
κήρ κηρός ἡ: doom, death, fate365
ὁπότε: when
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus, son of Cronus, the husband and brother of Hera and the wisest and mightiest of the gods.
τελέω τελέσω ἐτέλεσα τετέλεκα τετέλεσμαι ἐτελέσθην: to complete, fulfil, accomplish
ἠδέ: and
ἀθάνατος -ον: undying, immortal, imperishable. οἱ ἀθάνατοι: the immortals