ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος,
καὶ βάλε Πηλεΐδαο μέσον σάκος οὐδ᾽ ἀφάμαρτε:290
τῆλε δ᾽ ἀπεπλάγχθη σάκεος δόρυ: χώσατο δ᾽ Ἕκτωρ
ὅττί ῥά οἱ βέλος ὠκὺ ἐτώσιον ἔκφυγε χειρός,
στῆ δὲ κατηφήσας, οὐδ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ ἔχε μείλινον ἔγχος.
Δηΐφοβον δ᾽ ἐκάλει λευκάσπιδα μακρὸν ἀΰσας:
ᾔτεέ μιν δόρυ μακρόν: ὃ δ᾽ οὔ τί οἱ ἐγγύθεν ἦεν.295
Ἕκτωρ δ᾽ ἔγνω ᾗσιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶ φώνησέν τε:
ὢ πόποι ἦ μάλα δή με θεοὶ θάνατον δὲ κάλεσσαν:
Δηΐφοβον γὰρ ἔγωγ᾽ ἐφάμην ἥρωα παρεῖναι:
ἀλλ᾽ ὃ μὲν ἐν τείχει, ἐμὲ δ᾽ ἐξαπάτησεν Ἀθήνη.
νῦν δὲ δὴ ἐγγύθι μοι θάνατος κακός, οὐδ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἄνευθεν,300
οὐδ᾽ ἀλέη: ἦ γάρ ῥα πάλαι τό γε φίλτερον ἦεν
Ζηνί τε καὶ Διὸς υἷι ἑκηβόλῳ, οἵ με πάρος γε
πρόφρονες εἰρύατο: νῦν αὖτέ με μοῖρα κιχάνει.
μὴ μὰν ἀσπουδί γε καὶ ἀκλειῶς ἀπολοίμην,
ἀλλὰ μέγα ῥέξας τι καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι.305
ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας εἰρύσσατο φάσγανον ὀξύ,
τό οἱ ὑπὸ λαπάρην τέτατο μέγα τε στιβαρόν τε,
οἴμησεν δὲ ἀλεὶς ὥς τ᾽ αἰετὸς ὑψιπετήεις,
ὅς τ᾽ εἶσιν πεδίον δὲ διὰ νεφέων ἐρεβεννῶν
ἁρπάξων ἢ ἄρν᾽ ἀμαλὴν ἤ πτῶκα λαγωόν:310
ὣς Ἕκτωρ οἴμησε τινάσσων φάσγανον ὀξύ.
ὁρμήθη δ᾽ Ἀχιλεύς, μένεος δ᾽ ἐμπλήσατο θυμὸν
ἀγρίου, πρόσθεν δὲ σάκος στέρνοιο κάλυψε
καλὸν δαιδάλεον, κόρυθι δ᾽ ἐπένευε φαεινῇ
τετραφάλῳ: καλαὶ δὲ περισσείοντο ἔθειραι315
χρύσεαι, ἃς Ἥφαιστος ἵει λόφον ἀμφὶ θαμειάς.
οἷος δ᾽ ἀστὴρ εἶσι μετ᾽ ἀστράσι νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ
ἕσπερος, ὃς κάλλιστος ἐν οὐρανῷ ἵσταται ἀστήρ,
ὣς αἰχμῆς ἀπέλαμπ᾽ εὐήκεος, ἣν ἄρ᾽ Ἀχιλλεὺς
πάλλεν δεξιτερῇ φρονέων κακὸν Ἕκτορι δίῳ320
εἰσορόων χρόα καλόν, ὅπῃ εἴξειε μάλιστα.
τοῦ δὲ καὶ ἄλλο τόσον μὲν ἔχε χρόα χάλκεα τεύχεα
καλά, τὰ Πατρόκλοιο βίην ἐνάριξε κατακτάς:
φαίνετο δ᾽ ᾗ κληῗδες ἀπ᾽ ὤμων αὐχέν᾽ ἔχουσι,
λαυκανίην, ἵνα τε ψυχῆς ὤκιστος ὄλεθρος:325
τῇ ῥ᾽ ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαῶτ᾽ ἔλασ᾽ ἔγχεϊ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,
ἀντικρὺ δ᾽ ἁπαλοῖο δι᾽ αὐχένος ἤλυθ᾽ ἀκωκή:
οὐδ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἀπ᾽ ἀσφάραγον μελίη τάμε χαλκοβάρεια,
ὄφρά τί μιν προτιείποι ἀμειβόμενος ἐπέεσσιν.
ἤριπε δ᾽ ἐν κονίῃς: ὃ δ᾽ ἐπεύξατο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς:330
Ἕκτορ ἀτάρ που ἔφης Πατροκλῆ᾽ ἐξεναρίζων
σῶς ἔσσεσθ᾽, ἐμὲ δ᾽ οὐδὲν ὀπίζεο νόσφιν ἐόντα
νήπιε: τοῖο δ᾽ ἄνευθεν ἀοσσητὴρ μέγ᾽ ἀμείνων
νηυσὶν ἔπι γλαφυρῇσιν ἐγὼ μετόπισθε λελείμμην,
ὅς τοι γούνατ᾽ ἔλυσα: σὲ μὲν κύνες ἠδ᾽ οἰωνοὶ335
ἑλκήσουσ᾽ ἀϊκῶς, τὸν δὲ κτεριοῦσιν Ἀχαιοί.
notes
Hector's spear finds its mark but bounces off Achilles' shield. Hector asks Deiphobus for another, but when Deiphobus is nowhere to be seen Hector realizes that Athena has deceived him and that the gods are calling him to his death. Resolving to die courageously, he draws his sword and charges at Achilles. Achilles, his divine armor gleaming, aims his spear at the vulnerable spot and drives it through Hector's neck.
The moment towards which Homer has been drawing us since at least Book 15 has now arrived. Hector’s death is the dramatic climax of the poem and, true to his practice, the poet holds the moment and marks its importance with similes.
read full essay
Hector, buoyed by Athena’s lies and Achilles’ miss, throws his weapon, hits his mark, and watches the spear bounce harmlessly off the divine armor. He calls to Deiphobus for help, and the trap closes:
But he was not nearby.
Hector knew in his heart and spoke:
“Ah, now surely the gods have called me to my death.”
Iliad 22.295–97
Though we have known for some time that the Trojan hero and his city are doomed, the directness of this statement rings ominously. At key turning points in the story, Homer often foregoes his usual expansive style in favor of concision, letting the meaning hit home unadorned. Some examples: Antilochus breaks the news of Patroclus’s death to Achilles in three terse clauses:
Patroclus lies dead; they are fighting over his naked
corpse; Hector of the shining helmet has his arms.
Iliad 18.20–21
Zeus’s golden scales render a verdict, sending Hector to his death:
Hector’s day of death sank;
it moved toward Hades’ house; and Phoebus Apollo left him.
Iliad 22.212–13
Achilles agrees to return Hector’s body, opening the way for Hector’s funeral:
So be it. Let him bring ransom and take the corpse,
if the Olympian himself earnestly urges it.
Iliad 24.139–40
Perhaps only now, with his own simple realization and admission, do we feel the full weight of the desolation that settles over Hector. He has led an exemplary life, devoted to others, and his reward is to die abandoned, utterly alone.
Although—or maybe because—he knows the issue has been decided, Hector makes one last charge, and the poet gives him a valedictory simile: he swoops like an eagle swoops at a tender lamb or a cowering hare. Since we know the imminent result, the simile only adds to the pathos in Hector’s bravado.
With this one final nod to the Trojan hero’s gallantry, Homer shifts the focus to Achilles, whose armor glitters with the uncanny menace we first saw when Athena delivered it from Olympus in Book 18: the beautiful figured shield, the gleaming four-horned helmet with golden tassels, the spear point that shines,
As a star moves among the other stars in the murk of night,
the evening star, the most beautiful one in the heavens…
Iliad 22.317–18
The simile echoes Priam’s earlier nightmare vision of Achilles as the Dog Star, racing across the plain toward Hector (22.26–31). The emphasis there was on the star’s baneful power, bleaching the strength from men’s limbs. Here it is the beauty of the star—which might seem slightly incongruous given Achilles’ savage behavior—that captures the poet’s attention. But despite their differences, the two similes share the quality of transcendence, which may finally be more important for the poet’s purposes. However revolting Achilles’ actions may be, Homer can never let the bestial aspect of his hero entirely overwhelm our sense of awe at his semi-divine nature. The character only works if part of him remains frightening but also mysterious, removed. The Greek word for this quality is δεινός, “awe-inspiring,” which covers a wide range of meaning, from dreadful, terrible, to mighty, even venerable. The twang of Apollo’s bow, the Gorgon’s head on Athena’s shield, the force of the fire snorted out by the Chimaera, all are δεινός. Even as he closes in for the kill, ready to savage his enemy’s corpse, Achilles must inspire not only revulsion but also a horrified fascination. The full force of the poem’s luminous resolution in the last book depends on it.
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Achilles closes in for the kill, selecting the most efficient place for the deathblow as our vision narrows with his down to the target: the small triangle of soft tissue at the base of the throat. As he did in Priam’s horrific vision of his own genitals being eaten by dogs (22.66–71), the poet draws us slowly closer to the vulnerable flesh. In the taunting speech that follows, Achilles keeps Priam’s nightmare in our minds, vowing that Patroclus will get an honorable funeral, while Hector’s corpse will be torn apart by dogs and birds. It seems the wrath of Achilles will finally come to fruition:
Sing the wrath, goddess, of Achilles, son of Peleus,
destructive, which sent countless pains upon the Achaeans,
and threw forth many strong souls of heroes to Hades’ house,
but left their bodies as spoils for the dogs
and all the birds…
Iliad 1.1–5
Homer tells us that when Achilles’ spear rips through Hector’s throat it somehow misses the windpipe. He is pinned to the ground like a butterfly on the collector’s page, an inert body, whispering his last words. The gruesomely detailed description of Hector’s body has already begun to change him from valiant hero to lifeless corpse.
Further Reading
Goldhill, S. 1991. The Poet’s Voice: Essays on Poetics and Greek Literature, 96–166. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Griffin, J. 1980. Homer on Life and Death, 115–116. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Redfield, J. 1975. Nature and Culture in the Iliad, 31–35. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Schein, S. 1984. The Mortal Hero: An Introduction to Homer’s Iliad, 151–152. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Van Nortwick, T. 1992. Somewhere I Have Never Travelled: The Second Self and the Hero’s Journey in Ancient Epic, 70–73. New York: Oxford University Press.
291: ἀπεπλάγχθη: “glanced off of” + gen., 3rd sg. aor. pass. > ἀποπλάζω, a verb found only in the aor. pass. σάκεος: gen. of separation.
292: ὅττι: = ὅτι, “because.” οἱ: “his” = αὐτῷ.
293: στῆ δὲ κατηφήσας: “he stood there downcast.” στῆ: unaugmented 3rd sg. root aor. > ἵστημι. ἄλλ᾽: = ἄλλο, “another.”
294–295: ᾔτεε explains ἐκάλει, hence the asyndeton (Monro).
294: ἐκάλει: “he called (by name)” + acc., = ἐκάλε-ε, impf. μακρὸν: “loudly,” adverbial acc.
295: ᾔτεε: impf. > αἰτέω with a double acc., “asked x (acc.) for y (acc.).” ὃ δ᾽: “but this one,” Deiphobus. οὔ τί: “not at all.” οἱ: dat. obj. of ἐγγύθεν. ἦεν: 3rd sg. impf. > εἰμί, Att. ἦν.
296: ἔγνω: 3rd sg. aor. > γιγνώσκω. ᾗσιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶ: “in his mind.” ᾗσιν: = ἑῇσιν, fem. dat. pl. > ἑός. ἐνὶ: = ἐν.
297: ἦ μάλα δή: “quite truly now.” θάνατόνδε: “to death,” -δε implies place to which (Monro 335.2).
298: ἐφάμην: “I thought,” 1st sg. impf. > φημί (see 22.247). Δηΐφοβον … ἥρωα: acc. subject of inf. παρεῖναι: inf. > πάρ-ειμι.
299: ὅ μὲν: “this one,” supply ἐστί. ἐν: “within”
300: μοι: dat. obj. of ἐγγύθεν (“near me”) or possessive dat. pers. pronoun (“my death”).
301: ἀλέη: predicate, add linking ἐστἰ (“there is no escape”). ἦ γάρ ῤα πάλαι … ἦεν: “since indeed, it seems, this was long since dearer.” ἄρα + impf. ( > εἰμί) indicates that the predestination of an event is realized ex post facto” (de Jong on 356). τό γε: “this,” i.e. Hector’s death. φίλτερον: “dearer,” comparative > φίλος.
302: Ζηνί τε καὶ … υἷι: “to Zeus and the … son.” πάρος γε: “previously at least,” see 301.
303: πρόφρονες: “with forward mind,” i.e. “energetic(ally).” As often the nom. adj. is best translated as an adverb. εἰρύατο: plpf. > ἐρύω, “had drawn … (from danger),” i.e. “had rescued,” see 6.403 for a similar use.
304: μὴ μὰν … ἀπολοίμην: “Truly may I not perish,” aor. opt. of wish > ἀπόλλυμι. μάν (= μήν) has an assertive force. ἀσπουδί: “without an effort,” tamely (Monro).
305: μέγα ῥέξας τι: “having done something great,” nom. sg. aor. ptc. > ῥέζω. This sentiment is in direct contrast to ἀσπουδί above. ἐσσομένοισι: “for (those) to come,” people in the future, fut. ptc. > εἰμί. See 6.358 for Helen’s similar awareness. πυθέσθαι: aor. inf. of purpose (Goodell 565.a).
306: εἰρύσσατο: aor. mid. > ἐρύω, “draw, unsheathe” a sword.
307: τό: “which,” relative. τέτατο: “was suspended,” unaugmented intransitive plpf. mid. > τείνω.
308: ἀλεὶς: “gathering himself together,” “having contracted his body,” nom. aor. pass. ptc. > εἴλω, here deponent. See LSJ s.v. εἴλω I.B.2. ὥς τε … ὅς τε: “just as an eagle who,” epic τε in both the simile and the dependent relative clause (Monro 332.b).
309: εἶσιν: 3rd sg. pres. > εἶμι (Goodell 385).
310: πτῶκα: “cowering” (πτήσσω): πτώξ is also used as a substantive to denote a hare (17.676) (Monro).
311: ὣς: “so,” closing the simile from 308.
312: ὁρμήθη: “rushed,” intransitive use of the aor. pass. μένεος: gen. > μένος. ἐμπλήσατο: "filled with" + gen., aor. mid. > ἐμ-πίπλημι.
313: ἀγρίου: to be scanned ἀγγρίοο (Monro). πρόσθεν κάλυψε: lit. “put (acc.) over as a covering in front of (gen.),” πρόσθεν governs the gen. στέρνοιο.
314: κόρυθι: dat. governed by ἐπί of ἐπι-νεύω (Monro 145.6). Shaking the helmet plume, like brandishing a spear, serves to intimidate the opponent (de Jong).
315: περισσείοντο: "waved," in an intimidating fashion, impf. pass. > περι-σείομαι.
316: ἃς: relative, antecedent is ἔθειραι. ἵει: = ἵε-ε, 3rd sg. impf. > ἵημι. λόφον ἀμφὶ: = ἀμφὶ λόφον. θαμειάς: used predicatively, “set thick” (Monro).
317: οἷος δ᾽… ὣς: “as … so,” a simile. ἀστὴρ … ἕσπερος: “the evening star,” the planet Venus appearing low in the western sky at sunset. εἶσι: 3rd sg. pres. > εἶμι. νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ: dat. time when (Goodell 527.c).
318: ἵσταται: 3rd sg. pres. mid. > ἵστημι.
319: αἰχμῆς … εὐήκεος: gen. source governed by the prefix ἀπ- of ἀπέλαμπε, “it shined,” a rare impersonal use of this verb. ἣν: relative, antecedent αἰχμῆς.
320: δεξιτερῇ: dat. of means, with χείρ understood.
321: εἰσορόων: nom. sg. ptc. > εἰσορῶν. ὅπῃ εἴξειε μάλιστα: “where it (Hector’ body) might give way,” i.e. “where it would offer least resistance” or “where it would offer most space.” εἴξειε is an oblique optative depending on εἰσορόων (“looking on and asking himself where…” (de Jong).
322–4: “the rest of his body the bronze armor as good as completely covered … but flesh showed where the collar-bones separate the neck from the shoulders, the gullet, where loss of life is quickest” (de Jong).
322: τοῦ δὲ: “(as for the rest) of this one,” i.e. Hector, depending on ἄλλο. καὶ ἄλλο τόσον μὲν … δ’: “as for the rest (of him), so much … but,” i.e. “as for the rest of his body, (the armor covered) so much of his flesh.” ἄλλο is an acc. of respect which introduces the subordinate τόσον clause. καί is adverbial. ἔχε: “protected,” “covered,” 3rd sg. with neut. pl. subject.
323: τὰ: relative, acc. obj. of ἐνάριξε. Πατρόκλοιο βίην: “mighty Patroclus,” a common Homeric periphrasis. ἐνάριξε: “stripped (acc.) off of (+ acc.),” this verb governs a double acc. κατακτάς: nom. aor. ptc. > κατακτείνω.
324: φαίνετο: “it (flesh) appeared,” “showed,” understand χρώς from 322. ᾗ: “where,” “in which place,” dat. sg. fem. of the relative pronoun (Goodell 236). κληΐδες … ἔχουσι: “collarbone separates.” αὐχέν᾽: "neck," = αὐχένα. acc. sg. obj.
325: λαυκανίην: “the neck,” re-stating αὐχέν᾽. ἵνα τε: “where… (is),” epic τε in generalizing statement (Monro 332.b).
326: τῇ: “in this (place),” “there,” dat. sg. demonstrative pronoun, correlative with ᾗ in 234. ἐπὶ οἷ μεμαῶτ’: “(Hector) rushing upon him,” i.e. upon Achilles. οἷ: dat. sg. personal pronoun, here used reflexively (as indicated by the accent), = ἑαυτῷ. μεμαῶτ’: = μεμαῶτ(α), acc.
328: ἀπ᾽… τάμε: “cut off,” so-called tmesis, aor. > ἀποτέμνω.
329: ὄφρα … προτιείποι: “so as to make him say something,” this is a special use of ὄφρα, to express the natural consequences expected in circumstances. Scholars adhering to the normal use of ὄφρα + subj. in a purpose clause have suggest that the gods or fate are arranging these events, but no gods are mentioned in the present scene (de Jong; see Monro 307).
330: ἤριπε: “crashed down (to the ground),” intransitive aor. > ἐρείπω.
331: Ἕκτορ: vocative direct address. που: “I suppose.” ἔφης: “you thought that (you),” impf. > φημί + acc. subj. and inf. (see 22.280). Πατροκλῆα: acc. obj. of ptc. ἐξεναρίζων, which here means simply “slay” rather than specifically “rob of arms” (see 323).
332: σῶς: “safe,” predicate nominative in indirect discourse with no change in subject. ἔσσεσθαι: fut. dep. mid. inf. > εἰμί. οὐδὲν: “not at all,” an adverbial acc. ὀπίζεο: “you did not at all reckon with me,” = ὀπίζε(σ)ο, unaugmented 2nd sg. dep. mid. impf. This is the only instance the verb has a human rather than divine object (de Jong).
333: τοῖο: “of him,” = τοῦ, best taken as objective genitive with ἀοσσητὴρ (“of him a champion,” see 15.254), though gen. with ἄνευθεν (“apart from him”) with anastrophe is also possible. ἀοσσητὴρ: Achilles is referring to how he stayed by the ships as Patroclus fought and died in battle. μέγ᾽: “far,” “by far,” “greatly,” adv. acc. ἄνευθεν: “in the background,” explained by νηυσὶν ἔπι κ.τ.λ. (Monro)
334: ἔπι: “beside,” anastrophe. λελείμμην: “I had been left,” i.e. “I stayed,” plpf. pass. > λείπω.
335: ὅς: “(I) who,” relative. τοι: = σοι, “your (knees),” possessive dat. sg. pronoun (see 22.122). γούνατ’ ἔλυσα: “I loosened your knees,” i.e., gravely wounded or killed.
336: τὸν δὲ: “but this one,” Patroclus, in contrast with σὲ μὲν.
vocabulary
ἠμί, impf. ἦ: to say, speak. ἦ καί is used after a speech that is reported, where the same subject is continued for the following verb.
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.
ἀναπάλλω: to swing, brandish
προίημι: to send forth, send forward; hurl
δολιχόσκιος –ον: casting a long shadow
ἔγχος –εος τό: spear, lance
Πηλεύς gen. –ῆος and έος : Peleus, king of the Myrmidons. He was the son of Aeacus, husband of Thetis, and father of Achilles.290
σάκος -εος τό: a shield
ἀφαμαρτάνω, aor. partic. ἀφαμαρτούσῃ: to miss the target, fail to reach the mark; to lose, be bereft (+ gen.)
τῆλε: at a distance, far off, far away
ἀποπλάζω: to spring back, rebound
δόρυ, gen. δόρατος or δουρός: timber, beam, spear
χώομαι: to be angry, be wroth, be incensed
Ἕκτωρ: Hector, the most distinguished warrior of the Trojans, son of Priam and Hecabe, and husband of Andromache.
οἱ (enclitic, dat. 3rd pers. pron.): (to) him, (to) her
βέλος –εος τό: missile, arrow, spear, stone
ὠκύς ὠκεῖα ὠκύ: quick, swift, fleet
ἐτώσιος: in vain, useless
ἐκφεύγω, 2nd aor. ἔκφυγε(ν): to escape, flee from
κατηφέω, aor. partic. κατηφήσας: to be downcast, to be confused
μέλινος: ashen
Δηίφοβος: Deïphobus, son of Priam and Hecabe, and brother of Hector
λεύκασπις: white-shielded
αὔω: to burn, light a fire, get a light
μιν: him, her, it295
ἐγγύθεν: from near, nearby
ἑός ἑή ἑόν: his, her own
φρήν φρενός ἡ: heart, mind
φωνέω, aor. φώνησεν: to speak
πόποι: alas!
ἥρως ἥρωος ὁ: hero, warrior
ἐξαπατάω ἐξαπατήσω ἠξαπάτησα ἠξαπάτηκα ἠξαπάτημαι ἠξαπατήθην: to deceive
Ἀθήνη and Ἀθηναίη: Athena
ἐγγύθι or ἐγγύς: near (+gen.)300
ἄνευθε: without; far away (+gen)
ἀλέη: an escape
πάλαι: formerly, a long time ago; now for a long time, a long time since
φίλτερος –α –ον: dearer
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus, son of Cronus, the husband and brother of Hera and the wisest and mightiest of the gods.
ἑκηβόλος: far-darting, far-shooting
πάρος: before, formerly
πρόφρων –ονος: with ready heart, zealous; (adv.) προφρονέως, readily, graciously, zealously
ἐρύομαι, εἰρύομαι, ἔρυμαι, or εἴρυμαι, impf. ἔρυτο, aor. εἰρύσατο and ἐρύσσατο, aor. inf. εἰρύσσασθαι: to protect, preserve, save, defend, observe, ward off
αὖτε: again, on the other hand, however, but
μοῖρα –ας ἡ: portion, fate, lot
κιχάνω, fut. κιχήσεσθαι, aor. κιχήσατο, aor. subj. κιχείω [κιχῶ], aor. partic. κιχήμενον: to find, come to, overtake
μήν or μάν: surely, certainly, in truth
ἀσπουδί: without a struggle
ἀκλεής: inglorious
ῥέζω: to do, perform, offer305
ἐρύω: to drag, pull, tear; draw up, raise, balance
φάσγανον: a sword
λαπάρα -ας ἡ: the soft part of the body, flank
τείνω, aor. τεῖνεν, τεῖναν, aor. partic. τείνας, plpf. pass. τέτατο: to stretch, draw tight; to tie; pass. to be stretched tight, be suspended
στιβαρός: compact, strong, stout, sturdy
οἰμάω, aor. οἴμησε(ν): to swoop, rush on
εἴλω, aor. pass. ἄλεν, subj. εἰλέωσι: to hold back, detain
ἀετός or αἰετος: an eagle
ὑψιπέτης: high-flying, soaring
πεδίον –ου τό: a plain
νέφος –εος τό: a cloud, mass
ἐρεβεννός: dark, gloomy
ἁρπάζω ἁρπάσομαι ἥρπασα ἥρπακα ἥρπασμαι ἡρπάσθην: to snatch away, seize, steal away310
ἀρνός: lamb
ἀμαλός: tender
πτώξ: the cowering animal
λαγώς or λαγωός: hare
τινάσσω, aor. ἐτίναξε: to shake, brandish
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.
μένος –εος τό: might, force, strength, prowess, courage
ἐμπίμπλημι ἐμπλήσω ἐνέπλησα ἐμπέπληκα ἐμπέπλησμαι ἐωεπλήθην: fill quite full
ἄγριος –α –ον: wild, savage, harsh
πρόσθεν: before, in front
στέρνον –ου τό: the breast, chest
καλύπτω, aor. (ἐ)κάλυψε(ν): to cover with
δαιδάλεος: richly ornamented
κόρυς –υθος ἡ: a helmet
ἐπινεύω, aor. ἐπένευσα: to nod
φαεινός –ή –όν: bright, brilliant, radiant
τετράφαλος: with four horns315
περι(σ)σείομαι, impf. περισσείοντο: to shake around, wave around
ἔθειρα: horse hair, plume
χρύσε(ι)ος –η –ον: golden, of gold
Ἥφαιστος: Hephaestus, son of Zeus and Here, god of fire and maker of wonderful arms and armor.
λόφος –ου ὁ: neck of a man or a horse; crest of a helmet, made from a horse's mane; hillock, high place, hill
θαμέες –εῖαι –έα: crowded, thick
οἷος –α –ον: of what sort, what kind of, what, such as, as
ἀστήρ –έρος ὁ: star
ἀμολγός: darkness, νυκτός ἀμολγῷ 'in the dead of night'
ἕσπερος: evening, evening-star
αἱχμή –ῆς ἡ: spear-point
ἀπολάμπω: to shine, gleam
εὐήκης: well-pointed, sharp
πάλλω, aor. πῆλε: to brandish, shake, cast (of lots), toss320
δεξιτερός: right
δῖος –α –ον: divine, noble, illustrious; marvelous, magnificent
εἰσοράω, 2nd aor. εἴσιδε, aor. inf. εἰσιδέειν: to look into, look upon, view, behold
χρώς χρωτός ὁ: skin, flesh, body
ὅπη: by which way
εἴκω, imperat. εἶκε, partic. εἴκων, aor. opt. εἴξειε, aor. partic. εἴξας: to give way, yield
τόσ(σ)ος: so great, so vast, so much, so long. adv. τόσ(σ)ον
χάλκεος: of bronze, bronze
τεῦχος –εος τό: (pl.) arms, armour
Πάτροκλος: Patroclus, son of Menoetius and Opus and comrade of Achilles. He is slain by Hector.
βία –ας ἡ: bodily strength, force, power, might
ἐναρίζω: to strip a slain foe of his arms
κατακτείνω: to kill, slay, murder
ᾗ: which way, where, whither, in
κληίς –ῖδος: key; collar-bone
ὦμος ὤμου ὁ: shoulder (with the upper arm)
αὐχήν –ένος ὁ: the neck, throat
λαυκανίη: the throat325
ὄλεθρος -ου ὁ: ruin, destruction, death
τῇ: there
μέμαα, perf.: to be eager, rush on impetuously. μεμαότες: eager
ἀντικρύ: over against, straight on, outright, utterly
ἁπαλός: soft, tender
ἀκωκή: a point
ἀσφάραγος: windpipe
μελία: the ash
χαλκοβαρής: heavy with bronze, bronze
ὄφρα: in order that; as long as, until
ἀμείβω, aor. ἀμείψατο: to change, exchange; (mid.) to answer, reply
ἐρείπω, 2nd aor. ἤριπε(ν), aor. partic. ἐριπών: to dash down; instrans. to fall330
κονία or κονίη: dust, a cloud of dust
ἐπεύχομαι, aor partic. ἐπευξάμενος: to pray, boast over, exult
ἀτάρ: but, yet
ἐξεναρίζω, aor. ἐξενάριξε(ν): to strip of armor, despoil; to lay low
σῶς: safe
ὀπίζομαι, impf. ὠπίζετο: to have regard for
νόσφι: apart, separate, far from (+gen)
νήπιος -α -ον: infant, childish
ἀοσσητήρ: an ally, avenger
γλαφυρός -ά, -όν: hollow, hollowed
μετόπισθε: from behind, backwards, back
γόνυ, gen. γόνατος or γούνατος: knee335
κύων κυνός ὁ or ἡ: a dog
ἠδέ: and
οἰωνός: bird
ἑλκέω: to drag off, tear asunder
ἀεικής: unseemly, shameful; adv. ἀικῶς, in an unseemly way, horribly
κτερίζω: to bury with honors
Ἀχαιός: Achaian