τὴν δ᾽ ἠμείβετ᾽ ἔπειτα μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ:
μή μοι οἶνον ἄειρε μελίφρονα πότνια μῆτερ,
μή μ᾽ ἀπογυιώσῃς μένεος, ἀλκῆς τε λάθωμαι:265
χερσὶ δ᾽ ἀνίπτοισιν Διὶ λείβειν αἴθοπα οἶνον
ἅζομαι: οὐδέ πῃ ἔστι κελαινεφέϊ Κρονίωνι
αἵματι καὶ λύθρῳ πεπαλαγμένον εὐχετάασθαι.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν πρὸς νηὸν Ἀθηναίης ἀγελείης
ἔρχεο σὺν θυέεσσιν ἀολλίσσασα γεραιάς:270
πέπλον δ᾽, ὅς τίς τοι χαριέστατος ἠδὲ μέγιστος
ἔστιν ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ καί τοι πολὺ φίλτατος αὐτῇ,
τὸν θὲς Ἀθηναίης ἐπὶ γούνασιν ἠϋκόμοιο,
καί οἱ ὑποσχέσθαι δυοκαίδεκα βοῦς ἐνὶ νηῷ
ἤνις ἠκέστας ἱερευσέμεν, αἴ κ᾽ ἐλεήσῃ275
ἄστύ τε καὶ Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα,
αἴ κεν Τυδέος υἱὸν ἀπόσχῃ Ἰλίου ἱρῆς
ἄγριον αἰχμητὴν κρατερὸν μήστωρα φόβοιο.
ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν πρὸς νηὸν Ἀθηναίης ἀγελείης
ἔρχευ, ἐγὼ δὲ Πάριν μετελεύσομαι ὄφρα καλέσσω280
αἴ κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσ᾽ εἰπόντος ἀκουέμεν: ὥς κέ οἱ αὖθι
γαῖα χάνοι: μέγα γάρ μιν Ὀλύμπιος ἔτρεφε πῆμα
Τρωσί τε καὶ Πριάμῳ μεγαλήτορι τοῖό τε παισίν.
εἰ κεῖνόν γε ἴδοιμι κατελθόντ᾽ Ἄϊδος εἴσω
φαίην κε φρέν᾽ ἀτέρπου ὀϊζύος ἐκλελαθέσθαι.285
ὣς ἔφαθ᾽, ἣ δὲ μολοῦσα ποτὶ μέγαρ᾽ ἀμφιπόλοισι
κέκλετο: ταὶ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἀόλλισσαν κατὰ ἄστυ γεραιάς.
αὐτὴ δ᾽ ἐς θάλαμον κατεβήσετο κηώεντα,
ἔνθ᾽ ἔσάν οἱ πέπλοι παμποίκιλα ἔργα γυναικῶν
Σιδονίων, τὰς αὐτὸς Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς290
ἤγαγε Σιδονίηθεν ἐπιπλὼς εὐρέα πόντον,
τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν Ἑλένην περ ἀνήγαγεν εὐπατέρειαν:
τῶν ἕν᾽ ἀειραμένη Ἑκάβη φέρε δῶρον Ἀθήνῃ,
ὃς κάλλιστος ἔην ποικίλμασιν ἠδὲ μέγιστος,
ἀστὴρ δ᾽ ὣς ἀπέλαμπεν: ἔκειτο δὲ νείατος ἄλλων.295
βῆ δ᾽ ἰέναι, πολλαὶ δὲ μετεσσεύοντο γεραιαί.
notes
Hector gently refuses Hecabe’s offer of wine. As Helenos had suggested, Hector asks Hecabe to bring a peplos to Athena and to promise animal sacrifice as well, in the hope that Athena might ward off Diomedes’ attacks. Hector promises to go and find his brother Paris, for whom he expresses disgust. Hecabe fetches the peplos and brings it to Athena’s shrine as the old women of the city gather there.
What we see are the first signs of Hector’s alienation from the people he loves, for whom he will soon give his life. The blood of battle makes him ritually unclean, but also symbolizes his status as a warrior, whose strength is always problematic for his city. He can be a source of protection, but might also bring deadly violence to the fragile civilization he defends. [read full essay]
263: τὴν δ᾽: “her,” Hecuba.
264: μὴ … ἄειρε: “don’t lift up,” and hence “don’t offer,” negative 2nd sg. pres. act. imper. > ἀείρω. πότνια μῆτερ: vocative direct address.
265: μή μ᾽ ἀπογυιώσῃς ... λάθωμαι: “lest you enfeeble … and I forget,” negative purpose clause (Monro 281.1.a). μ᾽: = με. μένεος: gen. of separation governed by the prepositional prefix ἀπο- in ἀπογυιώσῃς. λάθωμαι: “(and lest) I forget” + gen., 1st sg. aor. mid. subj.> λανθάνω (Goodell 511.b).
266: δ᾽: “but…,” adversative. χερσὶ: dat. pl. > χείρ.
267: ἔστι: “is it possible,” existential 3rd sg. pres. > εἰμί. (Goodell 384.b.3). Κρονίωνι: = Κρονίδῃ, referring to Zeus, son of Cronus.
268: αἵματι καὶ λύθρῳ: dat. of means (Goodell 526.a). πεπαλαγμένον: pf. pass. ptc. > παλάσσω modifies an understood accusative subject of εὐχετάασθαι, perhaps τινα or με.
269: ἔρχε(σ)ο: uncontracted 2nd sg. imperative > ἔρχομαι.
270: ἀολλίσσασα: fem. sg. aor. ptc. > ἀολλίζω.
271: ὅς τίς: “whichever,” > ὅστις, the accented τίς comes from enclitic τοι (= σοι).
272: ἐνὶ: = ἐν. πολὺ: “by far,” “far,” adverbial accusative (Monro 134). τοι ... αὐτῇ: “to you yourself,” personal pronoun with intensive αὐτός.
273: τὸν: “this one,” the πέπλον. θὲς: 2nd sg. aor. imperative > τίθημι
274-8: = 6.93-7.
274: οἱ: “to her,” Athena, = αὐτῄ. ὑποσχέσθαι: “promise,” aor. inf. as imperative.
275: ἤνῑς: acc. plural indicated by long iota. ἱερευσέμεν: fut. inf. with ὑποσχέσθαι. αἴ κε ἐλεήσῃ: “in the hope that…,” 3rd sg. aor subj. > ἐλεέω. In Homeric Greek, conditional clauses with verb in the subjunctive can express a purpose, especially after imperatives (Monro 293).
277: αἴ κεν … ἀπόσχῃ: “in the hope that (Athena)…,” 3rd sg. aor. subj. > ἀπ-έχω, conditional purpose clause (see 6.275). ἱρῆς: = ἱερῆς. Ἰλίου is gen. fem. sg., governed by the prepositional prefix ἀπο- in ἀπόσχῃ.
278: ἄγριον … φόβοιο: in apposition to υἱὸν.
280: ἔρχευ: sg. pres. dep. mid. imperative > ἔρχομαι, Attic ἔρχου. μετελεύσομαι: “go to seek someone” + acc., fut. dep. mid. > μετ-έρχομαι (Stoevesandt). ὄφρα καλέσσω: “so that…,” purpose clause (see 6.230), 1st sg. aor. subj. > καλέω.
281: αἴ κ᾽ἐθέλῃσ(ι): “in the hope that…,” 3rd sg. pres. subj. (see 6.275, above). εἰπόντος: gen. sg. aor. ptc. > εἶπον (Goodell 391), modifying a missing μου, the obj. of ἀκουέμεν. ἀκουέμεν: inf. > ἀκούω + quasi-partitive genitive with verbs of perception (Monro 151.d).
281-2: ὡς … χάνοι: “may … gape open,” aor. opt. of wish. κέ is uncommon and superfluous here. οἱ: = αὐτῷ, i.e. for Paris. αὖθι: = αὐτόθι, “immediately, at once.”
282: μέγα … πῆμα: “as a great bane,” second of a double acc., in the predicative position (Goodell 535).
283: Τρωσί … παισίν: dat. of interest. τοῖο: “of that one,” = τοῦ, anaphoric demonstrative pronoun.
284-5: εἰ ἴδοιμι, φαίην κε: "if I could…, I would,” future-less-vivid condition (εἰ + opt., κέ + opt), here with aor. opt. > εἶδον (see 6.176) and pres. opt. > φημί.
284: κατελθόντα: aor. ptc. > κατ-έρχομαι. Ἄϊδος εἴσω: “into the house of Hades,” = εἰς Ἄϊδος, (anastrophe), εἰς + gen. = “into the house of” (Goodell 507.a).
285: φρέν᾽: = φρένα, “(my) mind,” i.e. Hector’s, acc. subject of the inf.. ἐκλελαθέσθαι: reduplicated aor. inf. > ἐκ-λανθάνω, governing a gen. object (see 6.265) (Monro 36.1).
286: ἔφαθ᾽: = ἔφατο. ἥ δὲ: “and she,” Hecabe. μολοῦσα: fem. sg. aor. ptc. > βλώσκω. ποτὶ: = πρός.
287: κέκλετο: reduplicated aor. > κέλομαι (Monro 143.4), “urge, order” + dat. ταὶ δ᾽: “these,” demonstrative. κατὰ: “over…,” extensive in sense.
288: αὐτὴ: “she herself,” intensive pronoun. κατεβήσετο: mixed aor. mid. > καταβαίνω (Monro 41).
289: ἔνθ᾽: = ἔνθα, “where.” ἔσαν: = ἦσαν. οἱ: = αὐτῇ, dat. of possession (Goodell 524.a).
290: τὰς: “which,” relative pronoun. Note the absence of δέ.
291: Σιδονίηθεν: “from Sidon,” with -θεν indicating place from which (Monro 159). Sidon, a Phoenecian maritime city located on the coast of modern-day Lebanon, was famous for trade and craftsmen. ἐπιπλὼς: nom. sg. root aor. ptc. > ἐπιπλέω.
292: τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν … περ: “over that very route over which he led,” inner accusative with ἤγαγε, or else acc. of extent of space (common with ὁδόν). τὴν: better read as a demonstrative pronoun than article. ἣν: relative pronoun. περ: stresses Ἑλένην. ἀνήγαγεν: “led up (to sea),” aor. > ἀν-άγω.
293: τῶν: “of these,” i.e πέπλοι, partitive gen. ἕν᾽: = ἕνα, acc. sg. > εἷς.
294: ἔην: 3rd sg. impf. > εἰμί, Attic ἦν. ποικίλμασιν: “in…,” specifying dat. pl. with κάλλιστος (Goodell 527.b).
295: ἀστὴρ δ᾽ὣς: “just as a star,” “as a star”, = ὡς ἀστήρ (anastrophe). ἔκειτο: impf. > κεῖμαι. νείατος: the bottom-most, lowest.
296: βῆ δ᾽ἰέναι: “and he set out to go,” common Homeric expression, unaugmented 3rd sg. root aor. > βαίνω and pres. inf. of purpose > εἶμι (Goodell 565.a).
vocabulary
ἀμείβω, aor. ἀμείψατο: to change, exchange; (mid.) to answer, reply
κορυθαίολος: crest-waving, gleaming-crested
Ἕκτωρ -ορος ὁ: Hector
οἶνος -ου ὁ: wine
ἀείρω: to lift, heave, raise up
μελίφρων: sweet to the mind, delicious
πότνια: mistress, honored
ἀπογυιόω, aor. subj. ἀπογυιώσῃς: to weaken265
μένος -εος τό: might, force, strength, prowess, courage
ἀλκή -ῆς ἡ: strength, bravery, courage, help, defense
ἄνιπτος: unwashed
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus, son of Cronus, the husband and brother of Hera and the wisest and mightiest of the gods.
λείβω: to pour a libation
αἶθοψ: bright, gleaming
ἅζομαι: to revere, feel pious fear
πῃ (enclitic): in any way, in any direction, perhaps
κελαινεφής -ές: in dark clouds, cloud-wrapped (of Zeus), dark
Κρονίων -ωνος: son of Cronus, Zeus
λύθρον: defilement, gore
παλάσσω, perf. partic. πεπαλαγμένον: to spatter, besmear
εὐχετάομαι, inf. εὐετάασθαι: to pray
Ἀθηνᾶ -ᾶς ἡ: Athena
ἀγελείη: giver of spoils, leader of the people, epithet of Athena
θύος -εος τό: a burnt sacrifice; probably not always animal sacrifices, but some kind of incense270
ἀολλίζω, aor. ἀόλλισαν: to bring together, assemble, collect
γεραιός -ά -όν: old
πέπλος -ου ὁ: a robe; The principal female garment, but not made to fit the person. It was a large quadrangular piece of cloth, doubled for the upper part of the body, laid around the person, and fastened by brooches (περόναι) on the shoulders, and down the side. This left the arms bare, but reached to the feet. It was gathered at the waist by a girdle (ζώνη). A πέπλος was used also for the protection of an unused chariot from dust.
χαρίεις -ίεσσα -ίεν: graceful, beautiful, pleasing; superl. χαριέστατος
ἠδέ: and
μέγαρον -ου τό: large room, main hall (in the center) of the house; (pl.) dwelling, house, palace.
φίλτατος -η -ον: dearest
γόνυ, gen. γόνατος or γούνατος: knee
εὔκομος: fair-haired
οἱ (enclitic, dat. 3rd pers. pron.): (to) him, (to) her
ὑπισχνέομαι, aor. imp. ὑπόσχεο, aor. inf. ὑποσχέσθαι: to promise
δυοκαίδεκα: twelve
ἦνις: a year old, yearling275
ἤκεστος: untouched by the goad
ἱερεύω, fut. inf. ἱερευσέμεν, aor. ἱέρευσεν: to sacrifice, offer in sacrifice; slaughter, since most of the flesh of the victims was eaten, and on the other hand no flesh was eaten until a part had been sacrificed to the gods.
ἐλεέω, aor. ἐλέησε: to pity, take pity
ἄστυ ἄστεος τό: a city, town
Τρῶες: Trojans
ἄλοχος -ου ἡ: wife
νήπιος -α -ον: infant, childish
Τυδεύς -έος ὁ: Tydeus, son of Oeneus of Calydon, brother of Meleager, father of Diomedes. Having slain some kinsmen, he fled to Argos, where he married a daughter of King Adrastus. He was one of the Seven against Thebes.
ἀπέχω ἀφέξω (or ἀποσχήσω) ἀπέσχον ἀπέσχηκα: to keep off
Ἴλιος -ου ἡ: Ilius or Ilium, the city of Ilus, Troy
ἄγριος -α -ον: wild, savage, harsh
αἰχμητής -οῦ ὁ: a spearman
κρατερός -ά -όν: strong, powerful, mighty
μήστωρ -ωρος ὁ: counselor; μήστωρε φόβοιο, inspirers of flight, inciters to flight; μήστωρες ἀυτῆς, eager for the fray
μετέρχομαι: to go, look for, seek280
ὄφρα: in order that; as long as, until
αὖθι: on the spot, here, there, immediately, at once
γαῖα -ας ἡ: a land, country
χάσκω or χαίνω: to gape wide
μιν: him, her, it
Ὀλύμπιος: Olympian, of Olympus, dwelling on Olympus
πῆμα -ατος τό: suffering, disaster, bane
Πρίαμος: Priam, son of Laomedon. King of Troy.
μεγαλήτωρ -ορος ὁ or ἡ,: great-hearted, heroic
κατέρχομαι, aor. inf. κατήλυθον, κατελθέμεν [κατελθεῖν]: to go down, come down
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.
εἴσω (ἔσω): to within, into
φρήν φρενός ἡ: heart, mind285
ἀτερπής: cheerless
ὀϊζύς -ύος ἡ: suffering, misery, woe
ἐκλανθάνω, aor. trans. ἐκλέλαθον, mid. ἐκλελαθέσθαι: (mid.) forget; (aor. trans.) caused to forget
βλώσκω, aor. partic. μολοῦσα: to go
ἀμφίπολος -ον: busied about, busy
κέλομαι, aor. (ἐ)κέκλετο: to urge on, bid, command; freq. with dative.
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.
θάλαμος: women's apartment, chamber (esp. of married people); storeroom
καταβαίνω, aor. κατεβήσετο, imperat. καταβήσεο, aor. inf. καταβῆναι: to go down, descend
κηώδης -ες: fragrant
παμποίκιλος: all-variegated, of many colors
Σιδόνιος: of Sidon, Sidonian290
Ἀλέξανδρος -ου ὁ: Paris, son of Priam, husband of Helen, and thus the author of the Trojan War
θεοειδής -ές: god-like
Σιδονίηθεν: from Sidon
ἐπιπλέω ἐπιπλεύσομαι ἐπέπλευσα: to sail upon
εὐρύς -εῖα -ύ: wide, broad
πόντος -ου ὁ: the sea
Ἑλένη: Helen, daughter of Zeus, sister of Castor and Polydeuces, wife of Menelaus, mother of Hermione. Famed for her beauty. Carried off by Paris, son of Priam, to Troy, which was the root cause of the Trojan War. After the capture of Ilios she returned to Sparta with Menelaus.
ἀνάγω ἀνάξω ἀνήγαγον ἀνῆχα ἀνῆγμαι ἀνήχθην: to lead up; (mid.) set sail
εὐπατέρεια: daughter of a noble father
Ἑκάβη: Hecabe, wife of King Priam of Troy
δῶρον -ου τό: a gift, present
ποίκιλμα -ατος τό: embroidery
ἀστήρ -έρος ὁ: star295
ἀπολάμπω: to shine, gleam
νέατος or νείατος: lowest; ἔκειτο δὲ νείατος ἄλλων, 'it lay at the bottom beneath the others.'
μετασεύομαι: to rush after, hasten after