τὸν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς:260
Ἕκτορ μή μοι ἄλαστε συνημοσύνας ἀγόρευε:
ὡς οὐκ ἔστι λέουσι καὶ ἀνδράσιν ὅρκια πιστά,
οὐδὲ λύκοι τε καὶ ἄρνες ὁμόφρονα θυμὸν ἔχουσιν,
ἀλλὰ κακὰ φρονέουσι διαμπερὲς ἀλλήλοισιν,
ὣς οὐκ ἔστ᾽ ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ φιλήμεναι, οὐδέ τι νῶϊν265
ὅρκια ἔσσονται, πρίν γ᾽ ἢ ἕτερόν γε πεσόντα
αἵματος ἆσαι Ἄρηα ταλαύρινον πολεμιστήν.
παντοίης ἀρετῆς μιμνήσκεο: νῦν σε μάλα χρὴ
αἰχμητήν τ᾽ ἔμεναι καὶ θαρσαλέον πολεμιστήν.
οὔ τοι ἔτ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὑπάλυξις, ἄφαρ δέ σε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη270
ἔγχει ἐμῷ δαμάᾳ: νῦν δ᾽ ἀθρόα πάντ᾽ ἀποτίσεις
κήδε᾽ ἐμῶν ἑτάρων οὓς ἔκτανες ἔγχεϊ θύων.
ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος:
καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄντα ἰδὼν ἠλεύατο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ:
ἕζετο γὰρ προϊδών, τὸ δ᾽ ὑπέρπτατο χάλκεον ἔγχος,275
ἐν γαίῃ δ᾽ ἐπάγη: ἀνὰ δ᾽ ἥρπασε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη,
ἂψ δ᾽ Ἀχιλῆϊ δίδου, λάθε δ᾽ Ἕκτορα ποιμένα λαῶν.
Ἕκτωρ δὲ προσέειπεν ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα:
ἤμβροτες, οὐδ᾽ ἄρα πώ τι θεοῖς ἐπιείκελ᾽ Ἀχιλλεῦ
ἐκ Διὸς ἠείδης τὸν ἐμὸν μόρον, ἦ τοι ἔφης γε:280
ἀλλά τις ἀρτιεπὴς καὶ ἐπίκλοπος ἔπλεο μύθων,
ὄφρά σ᾽ ὑποδείσας μένεος ἀλκῆς τε λάθωμαι.
οὐ μέν μοι φεύγοντι μεταφρένῳ ἐν δόρυ πήξεις,
ἀλλ᾽ ἰθὺς μεμαῶτι διὰ στήθεσφιν ἔλασσον
εἴ τοι ἔδωκε θεός: νῦν αὖτ᾽ ἐμὸν ἔγχος ἄλευαι285
χάλκεον: ὡς δή μιν σῷ ἐν χροῒ πᾶν κομίσαιο.
καί κεν ἐλαφρότερος πόλεμος Τρώεσσι γένοιτο
σεῖο καταφθιμένοιο: σὺ γάρ σφισι πῆμα μέγιστον.
notes
Achilles angrily refuses to make any kind of agreement with Hector. He throws a spear, which Hector dodges and Athena returns to him, unbeknownst to Hector. Hector criticizes Achilles for overconfidence and prepares to hurl his own spear.
In his reply Achilles himself assumes the persona of wild animal, first lion to Hector’s human, then wolf to Hector’s lamb, confirmation that this battle will be fought well outside the constraints that Hector vainly imagines might govern the encounter. [read full essay]
260: ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν: “looking from under gathered and lowered brows,” nom. aor. ptc. > εἶδον, which supplies the aorist of ὁράω (Goodell 391), see LSJ s.v. ὑπόδρα. It indicates irritation and anger with an element of threat. It prefaces a speech which expresses implacable hatred, desire for vengeance, and determination utterly to extinguish the prestige that Hector has won in killing Patroclus. (de Jong).
261: Ἕκτορ: voc. direct address. μή … ἀγόρευε: negative imperative. ἄλαστε: “unforgettable,” i.e., not to be forgiven or forgotten by Achilles. Voc. direct address.
262: ὡς: “just as.” οὐκ ἔστι: “there does not exist.” λέουσι, ἀνδράσιν: “between” or “for,” either dat. of reference (“there does no exist trusted oaths for lions and men”) or possession (“lions and humans do not have…”).
264: κακὰ φρονέουσι: “they devise evil things.” κακὰ is acc. pl. substantive adjective, serving as object.
265: ὣς: “so,” closing the simile. οὐκ ἔστ(ι): “it is not possible that” + acc. subj. + inf. φιλήμεναι: “to be friends,” = φιλεῖν (Monro 85.2). οὐδέ τι: “nor at all,” adverbial acc. νῶϊν: “for the two of us,” 1st pers. dual pronoun either dat. of reference or possession (see 22.262).
266: ἔσσονται: fut. dep. mid. > εἰμί.
266–267: πρίν … ἕτερον … ἆσαι: “before one of us, at least, falls and satiates Ares with his blood.” πρίν clause with subj. acc. (modified by πεσόντα, aor. act. ptc. > πίπτω) and aor. inf. > ἄω (de Jong). ἆσαι: “sate (acc.) with (gen.).” “There will be no treaty between us before one of us falls”; an ironical way of saying that there can be no treaty (Monro).
267: Ἄρηα: acc. obj. of inf. > ἆσαι.
268: παντοίης ἀρετῆς: “prowess of every sort” (Monro), genitive with a verb of remembering (Goodell 511.b). μιμνήσκεο: = μιμνήσκε(σ)ο, pres. mid. imperative.
269: τ᾽… καὶ: “both … and,” joining two acc. predicates of the inf. ἔμεναι: pres. inf. > εἰμί, Att. εἶναι.
270: οὔ … ἔτ᾽: “no longer.” τοι: = σοι, dat. of reference. ἔσθ᾽: “there is,” = ἔστι.
271: ἔγχει ἐμῷ: dat. of means. δαμάᾳ: 3rd sg. fut. > δαμνάω (= δάμνημι = δαμάζω).
272: κήδε’ ἐμῶν ἑτάρων: in apposition to πάντα. ἐμῶν ἑτάρων is objective genitive, “for my comrades” (Monro). οὓς: “whom,” relative. ἔκτανες: aor. > κτείνω.
273: ἦ: “he spoke,” 3rd sg. impf. > ἠμί. ἀμπεπαλὼν: nom. sg. reduplicated aor. ptc. > ἀνα-πάλλω, with apocope and assimilation. προΐει: = προΐε-ε, 3rd sg. impf. > προίημι.
274–275: “and Hector avoided it: for he crouched down, and it flew over him, the bronze spear” (de Jong). τὸ μὲν … τὸ δ᾽: “but,” a strong contrast, which may be left untranslated, lit. “in this respect on the one hand … in that respect on the other hand.” ἄντα ἰδὼν: “looking face-to-face,” i.e. straight on without fleeing. ἠλεύατο: aor. > ἀλέομαι, "avoid."
276: ἐπάγη: 3rd sg. 2nd aor. pass. > πήγνυμι. ἀνὰ δ᾽ἥρπασε: aor. > ἀν-αρπάζω.
277: Ἀχιλῆϊ: dat. indirect object. δίδου, λάθε δέ = διδοῦσα ἔλαθε (Monro). δίδου: = δίδο-ε, 3rd sg. impf. > δίδωμι. λάθε: unaugmented aor. > λανθάνω.
279: ἤβμροτες: 2nd sg. Aeolic 2nd aor. > ἁμαρτάνω. ἐπιείκελ᾽: = ἐπιείκελε, voc. direct address. Ἀχιλλεῦ: voc. direct address.
280: ἐκ Διὸς: “from Zeus,” gen. of source. οὐδ’ … ἠείδης: “you didn’t know,” 2nd sg. plpf. > οἶδα with simple past sense (ἠ- is a temporal augment before missing digamma). ἦ τοι ἔφης γε: “though you thought so” (Monro). φημί can indicate a range of subjective claims (“think,” “imagine,” “declare,” “claim”). In speech-capping formulas it has weakened to neutral “say” (de Jong).
281: τις: “someone,” predicate of ἔπλεο “you were.” ἐπίκλοπος … μύθων: “cunning in words,” “trickster in speech,” adj. governs explanatory genitive.
282: ὄφρα … λάθωμαι: “so that I would forget” + gen., ὄφρα + subj. (aor. mid. > λανθάνω) without κεν/ἄν in pure purpose clause (Monro 287.1.b).
283: οὐ μέν: “not,” emphatic denial. ἐν δόρυ πήξεις = δόρυ ἐμπήξεις (> ἐμπήγνυμι, fix or plant in + dat.), so-called tmesis.
284: ἰθὺς μεμαῶτι: “as I make straight towards you,” “as I press straight on” to meet you (Benner). ἰθὺς: “straight on,” adverb. μεμαῶτι: dat. sg. ptc. > μέμονα, reduplicated perf. with pres. sense (Monro 36.5), agrees with μοι in 283. στήθεσφιν: the suffix -φιν forms the equivalent to a genitive plural στηθέων. ἔλασσον: aor. imperative > ἐλαύνω, with metrical doubling of σ. Understand δόρυ.
285: εἴ τοι ἔδωκε θεός: in ironical reference to lines 270 ff., where Achilles boasts of Athena as his ally. τοι: = σοι. ἄλευαι: aor. mid. imperative > ἀλέομαι, “avoid.”
286: ὡς … κομίσαιο: “would that you may receive it,” aor. mid. opt. of wish. > κομίζω, introduced by ὡς. μιν πᾶν: “it entire(ly),” μιν (= αὐτό, 3rd sg. personal pronoun), refers to δόρυ, πᾶν is a neuter adjective, best translated as an adverb.
287: κεν … γένοιτο: “would be,” potential opt., which gains the sense of a result clause with the καί introducing the main clause (de Jong). ἐλαφρότερος: comparative, pred. adj.
288: σεῖο καταφθιμένοιο: gen. absolute. σεῖο: = σοῦ. σὺ: “you (are),” supply linking verb ἐσσί. σφισι: dat. pl. 3rd pers. personal pronoun > σφεῖς (Monro 102), dat. of interest (Goodell 523).
vocabulary
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.260
ὑπόδρα: adv. with a sullen or grim look
πρόσφημι, impf. προσέφη, aor. προσεῖπον or προσέειπον: speak to, address
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.
Ἕκτωρ: Hector, the most distinguished warrior of the Trojans, son of Priam and Hecabe, and husband of Andromache.
ἄλαστος: unforgettable, ceaseless; accursed
συνημοσύνη: agreements, covenants, solemn promises
ἀγορεύω, aor. ἀγόρευσε: to speak, say, tell
λέων λέοντος ὁ: a lion
ὅρκιον: an oath, pledge
πιστός –ή –όν: trusty, faithful
λύκος ὁ : a wolf
ἀρνός: lamb
ὁμόφρων: like-minded, harmonious
διαμπερές: everywhere, throughout, continually
φιλέω, iterative impf. φιλέεσκεν, aor. φίλησα, ἐφίλατο: to love, entertain, receive hospitably265
ἄω: to satiate, fill full, glut
Ἄρης: Ares, son of Zeus and Hera, God of war and is on the side of the Trojans.
ταλαύρινος: with an ox-hide shield; stout in battle, sturdy
πολεμιστής: a warrior, fighter
παντοῖος: of all sorts, of every sort
αἰχμητής –οῦ ὁ: a spearman
θαρσαλέος: bold, courageous
ὑπάλυξις –ιος ἡ: escape
ἄφαρ: straightway, forthwith, at once, quickly, presently270
Παλλάς: Pallas (Maiden or Spear-wielding), epithet of Athena.
Ἀθήνη and Ἀθηναίη: Athena
θύω: rage
ἔγχος –εος τό: spear, lance
δαμάζω: to overpower, tame, conquer, subdue
ἀθρόος –α –ον: all together
ἀποτίνω, inf. ἀποτινέμεν, fut. ἀποτίσεις, aor. subj. ἀποτίσῃ, aor. partic. ἀποτίσας: to pay for
κῆδος –εος τό: grief, sorrow, woe
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: a comrade, companion, mate
κτείνω, aor. subj. κτείνῃς, aor. (ἔ)κτανε(ν) and ἔκτα, aor. mid. as pass. κτάμενος: to slay, kill
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.
ἀναπάλλω: to swing, brandish
προίημι: to send forth, send forward; hurl
δολιχόσκιος –ον: casting a long shadow
ἄντα: face to face, in front, opposite
ἀλέομαι or ἀλεύομαι, aor. ἀλεύατο, aor. subj. ἀλεώμεθα: to escape, avoid. ἀλευάμενον: in flight
φαίδιμος -ον: illustrious, glorious
ἕζομαι, aor. εἷσε: to seat oneself, sit, be or remain seated275
προεῖδον: to foresee, see ahead
ὑπερπέτομαι, 2nd aor. ὑπέρπτατο: to fly over
χάλκεος: of bronze, bronze
γαῖα –ας ἡ: a land, country
πήγνυμι, aor. ἔπηξε or πάγε: to make fast, stick, dig in, plant in, fix
ἁρπάζω ἁρπάσομαι ἥρπασα ἥρπακα ἥρπασμαι ἡρπάσθην: to snatch away, seize, steal away
ἄψ: backwards, back, back again
ποιμήν –ένος ὁ: shepherd
λαός –οῦ ὁ: the people
ἀμύμων –ονος: blameless, noble, excellent
Πηλεύς gen. –ῆος and έος : Peleus, king of the Myrmidons. He was the son of Aeacus, husband of Thetis, and father of Achilles.
πω: ever, yet
ἐπιείκελος: like, resembling
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus, son of Cronus, the husband and brother of Hera and the wisest and mightiest of the gods.280
μόρος -ου ὁ: doom, fate, destiny
τοι: let me tell you, surely
ἀρτιεπής: glib, clever with speech
ἐπίκλοπος: thievish, wily; cunning, deceitful
πέλω and πέλομαι, aor. as pres. ἔπλεο, ἔπλετο: to be
μῦθος –ου ὁ: word, utterance, saying, proposition, plan, thought, injunction
ὄφρα: in order that; as long as, until
ὑποδείδω, aor. ὑπέδδεισαν, aor. partic. ὑποδδείσας: to fear
μένος –εος τό: might, force, strength, prowess, courage
ἀλκή -ῆς ἡ: strength, bravery, courage, help, defense
μετάφρενον: the upper part of the back
δόρυ, gen. δόρατος or δουρός: timber, beam, spear
ἰθύς: straight, direct
μέμαα, perf.: to be eager, rush on impetuously. μεμαότες: eager
στῆθος –εος τό: the breast, chest
αὖτε: again, on the other hand, however, but285
μιν: him, her, it
χρώς χρωτός ὁ: skin, flesh, body
ἐλαφρός: light, agile, quick
Τρῶες: Trojans
καταφθίνω: to perish, be dead
σφεῖς, σφείων gen., σφίσι(ν) or σφί(ν) dat., σφέας acc.: (pl. 3rd pers. pron.) them
πῆμα –ατος τό: suffering, disaster, bane