Book 6 (Ζ）
[237] Hector, fulfilling the bidding of his brother Helenus, returns to the city to urge a public supplication of Athene and the other gods. The ‘oak’ seems to have been a conspicuous landmark on the plain, outside the Scaean gate; elsewhere (e. g. E 693) it is mentioned as sacred to Zeus.
[239] εἰρόμεναι παῖδας κτλ., ‘asking about their sons’ etc.
ἔτας, ‘relatives,’ more distant.
[243] ξεστῇς αἰθούσῃσι, porticoes built about the courtyard with blocks of smoothly hewn stone.
[245] δεδμημένοι, δέμω.
[247] ‘And for his daughters, on the opposite side, facing these [chambers of his sons] within the courtyard, were twelve chambers.’
κουράων limits “θάλαμοι” (l. 248).
[251] ἔνθα indicates the courtyard with its chambers, to which Hecabe was coming from the “μέγαρον”.
[252] Λαοδίκην ἐσάγουσα probably means ‘while she was leading [or ‘accompanying’] Laodice to her apartment’; the old interpretation, ‘while proceeding to Laodice's apartment,’ suits the sense well enough; the objection to it is that it makes “ἐσάγουσα” intransitive. The verse offers an explanation of Hecabe's presence in the courtyard.
[253] Arrange for translation: οἷ (dative of interest) ἐνέφυ χειρί, ‘she grasped [literally ‘grew to’] his hand.’
[256] μαρναμένους, agreeing with “Τρῶας” or some equivalent word understood, object of “τείρουσι” (l. 255).
ἐνθάδε, to be translated with “ἐλθόντα” (l. 257).—ἀνῆκεν, ἀν-ίημι.
[257] ἐξ ἄκρης πόλιος, with “χεῖρας ἀνασχεῖν”. The temples of the gods were in the citadel; cf. E 446, Z 297.—On the form πόλιος, § 103.
[258] ὄφρα, ‘until.’
[260] The sentence beginning ἔπειτα δέ is independent of the preceding construction.
ὀνήσεαι is future indicative.
[261] δέ, ‘for.’
μένος μέγα οἶνος ἀέξει, ‘wine makes the strength wax mighty.’
ἔτῃσιν, ‘compatriots,’ ‘fellows.’
[264] ἄειρε, ‘offer.’
[267] οὐδέ πῃ ἔστι, ‘for it is not at all possible,’ i. e. ‘permissible.’
[268] πεπαλαγμένον, agreeing with “τινά” (‘anybody’) understood.
On the sentiment cf.
“Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu patriosque Penates;
me, bello e tanto digressum et caede recenti,
attrectare nefas, donec me flumine vivo abluero.
”
‘Do you, father, take in your hand the sacred emblems and the household Penates; for me, freshly come out of the great battle and carnage, it is impious to handle them until I shall have washed in running water.’
[272] ἐνί, with lengthened ultima, § 38.
[274] ὑποσχέσθαι, infinitive for imperative.
[275] ἤνις, ‘yearlings,’ § 81.
[278] φόβοιο, almost always ‘flight’ in Homer, not ‘fear.’ So “φοβέομαι” means ‘flee,’ not as in later Greek, ‘fear.’
[281] ‘In the hope that he will listen to me as I speak.’ On the time denoted by εἰπόντος, § 186.
[282] χάνοι, optative of wish, introduced by “ὥς κε. κε” is very unusual with the optative of wish; some editors therefore change it to “δέ”, but without MS. authority.
μέγα, with “πῆμα”: ‘the Olympian raised him to be a great burden.’
[284] κατελθόντ᾽（α), like “εἰπόντος” (l. 281), refers to a single act, and denotes time coincident with that of “ἴδοιμι.”
Ἄιδος εἴσω = “δόμον Ἄιδος εἴσω” (3.322).
[285] ‘I should think I had quite forgotten joyless woe in my heart,’ i. e. ‘I should think my heart quite free from joyless woe.’ φρένα is to be regarded as accusative of specification. An easier reading is that of Zenodotus, which has “φίλον ἦτορ” instead of “φρέν᾽ ἀτέρπου”.
[286] ποτί has ultima long, § 38.
[288] κατεβήσετο, tense, § 153.
[289] οἱ, dative of possession.
[290] τάς, the antecedent is “γυναικῶν” (l. 289).
[291] ἐπιπλώς, second aorist participle of which indicative forms “-έπλως, -έπλω” exist; the Attic is “ἐπιπλεύσας” (first aorist).
[292] τὴν ὁδόν, accusative with “ἤγαγε” (l. 291); cf. A 496. The allusion to Sidon indicates that the poet was familiar with the story that Paris brought Helen to Troy by a roundabout way.
Herodotus (II, 113-116), who says he heard the story from Egyptian priests, narrates that Paris with Helen touched at Egypt too, to which land they were driven by adverse winds. Herodotus tells at length of their experience in Egypt: King Proteus on learning the story of Paris's wickedness decided to keep Helen and the treasures stolen from Sparta until Menelaus should call for them; he ordered Paris and his other companions to leave Egypt within three days. While Homer did not find this story suited to his purposes, he yet knew it, Herodotus thinks, as the reference to Sidon shows.
Herodotus adds (ib. 117) that according to another account (the Cypria) Alexander and Helen came from Sparta to Troy in three days (“on the third day”), with a fair wind and smooth sea. As this is evidently contradictory to the allusion in ll. 290-292, he argues that Homer could not have written the Cypria.
[294] ποικίλμασιν, ‘gay-colored patterns.’
[295] ἄλλων, ablatival genitive after the comparative idea involved in “νείατος”: ‘undermost of all.’ Compare the similar construction of “ἄλλων”, A 505.
[299] The final syllables of both “Κισσηίς” and “ἄλοχος”, although naturally short, receive the ictus. § 32, § 33.
[300] ἔθηκαν = “ἐποίησαν”, as often in Homer.
“frange manu telum Phrygii praedonis, et ipsum
pronum sterne solo, portisque effunde sub altis.
”
The Latin matrons pray to Athene for defense against Aeneas:
‘Break with thy arm the spear of the Phrygian pirate, lay him headlong on the ground, and under the high gates overwhelm him.’
[311] ἀνένευε, ‘nodded upward,’ in token of dissent, as the Greeks do to-day.
[313] Unlike the other children of Priam, Paris and Hector (ll. 305, 370) had houses of their own.
[316] θάλαμον καὶ δῶμα καὶ αὐλήν indicate the complete Homeric house: (1) the interior and sleeping room, in particular the women's apartment; (2) the general reception hall (“μέγαρον”); (3) the courtyard. For description in detail and plan see Jebb's Homer: An Introduction to the Iliad and the Odyssey (Boston, 1894), pp. 57-62.
[319] πάροιθε δουρός, ‘at the end of the spear.’
[320] χρύσεος, on quantity of antepenult, § 30.
πόρκης, ‘ring,’ ‘ferrule.’ The metal head of the spear was set in the wooden shaft; then a ferrule was bound around the juncture.
[321] ἕποντα, ‘busy.’
[322] ἀσπίδα καὶ θώρηκα, in apposition to “τεύχἐ”（“α”), l. 321.
[326] δαιμόνι᾽（ε), ‘brother, you are acting strangely’; cf. A 561.—οὐ μὲν καλὰ κτλ., ‘you have not done right to cherish this wrath.’ καλά is an adverb.
ἔνθεο, second aorist indicative of “ἐν-τίθεμαι”. The ‘wrath’ is probably that which Hector supposes Paris to feel against his fellow Trojans; they hated him (3.454) and were quite indifferent to his fate in the duel with Menelaus (3.320-323); and Paris doubtless returned their feelings. Of course, one may understand that the Trojans' wrath toward Paris is meant, an interpretation old as the scholia.
327, 328. The underlying thought, which Hector does not express in words, is: “Yet you sit here, careless and indifferent.”
[329] σὺ δ᾽ ἂν μαχέσαιο κτλ., ‘and you would quarrel with any other man, too, whomsoever you should see forbear from hateful war.’
[331] ἄνα, adverb meaning ‘up!’
πυρός, see note on B 415.
θέρηται, ‘be burned.’
[335] νεμέσσι, remarkable form from “νέμεσις”, equivalent to Attic “῎εμέσει”.
[336] ἄχεϊ προτραπέσθαι, ‘to give way to anguish.’
[337] παρειποῦσ᾽（α) has its first syllable long because originally sounded “παρϝειποῦσα” § 61.16). But the digamma is neglected, A 555.
[339] νίκη δ᾽ ἐπαμείβεται ἄνδρας, ‘victory comes to men by turns.’ For a similar sentiment of Paris see 3.439 f.
[340] δύω, aorist subjunctive, § 193.
[344] κυνός, appositive to “ἐμεῖο”. For signification cf. A 225, 3.180.— κακομηχάνοο, § 74.
κρυοέσσης, causing chilly fear, ‘horrid.’
[345] ὥς μ᾽（ε) ὄφελ᾽（ε), a past impossible wish, § 203. The subject of ὄφελε (= Attic “ὤφελε”) is “θύελλα” (l. 346). μ̓ (l. 345) is object of “προφέρουσα” (l. 346). οἴχεσθαι (l. 346) although present in form is past in meaning. Translate: ‘would that a dreadful blast of wind had borne me onward’ (literally ‘had gone bearing me’). Compare Helen's previous wish, not unlike this, 3.173, and Tennyson's reminiscence of the lines:
“I would the white cold heavy-plunging foam,
Whirl'd by the wind, had roll'd me deep below,
Then when I left my home.
”A Dream of Fair Women.
[348] ἀπόερσε: elision of “ο” was prevented by the consonant sound that originally intervened between “ο” and “ε”; a digamma is inferred. Compare “ἐπιειμένε”, A 149.—In construction, ἔνθα ... ἀπόερσε is the protasis of a past contrary to fact condition: ‘where the billow would have swept me away.’ The conditional force may be clearly seen if the idea be phrased thus: ‘I wish a whirlwind had carried me seaward, if the billows could have swept me away there before these deeds were done.’
[350] A present impossible wish, § 203; GG. 470 b.
[351] ‘Who were sensitive to the censure and repeated reproaches of men.’ The clause ὃς ᾔδει is equivalent, in construction, to the protasis of a present contrary to fact condition. Compare “ἔνθα ... ἀπόερσε” (l. 348).— Why is ὅς long? § 61.23.
ἐπαυρήσεσθαι, ‘will reap the fruits’; cf. A 410. Supply ‘of his witlessness’ after the infinitive.
[361] ἐπέσσυται, ὄφρ᾽（α) “κτλ.”, a solitary instance of this construction; usually “ἐπέσσυται” is followed by the infinitive.
[366] οἰκῆας, the ultima receives the ictus § 32). The word is best understood as = “οἰκέτας”.
[367] γάρ is a long syllable before “ϝοῖδα” § 61.23); ἤ is short § 25.1).
[370] ἐὺ ναιετάοντας, ‘well-situated’ or ‘comfortable.’
[373] πύργῳ, the great tower over the Scaean gate, mentioned 3.153.
[374] ἔνδον, within the “μέγαοον”.
[375] οὐδόν, the threshold of the “θάλαμος”, in the rear of the “μέγαρον”. Cf. l. 316.
[376] εἰ δ᾽ ἄγε. See note on A 302.
[378] For the omission of the noun with the genitives γαλόων, etc., cf. “Ἄϊδος εἴσω”, l. 284.
[388] ἐπειγομένη, ‘with haste.’
[389] μαινομένῃ ἐικυῖα, ‘like one distraught.’
[391] τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδόν (for construction cf. A 496), ‘the same road’ as the one by which he had come to the palace. The article as used here, while possibly demonstrative, resembles the Attic; elsewhere (Od. 8.107, Od. 10.263, Od. 16.138) “αὐτὴν ὁδόν” occurs, without the article, meaning ‘the same road.’
[393] τῇ, relative adverb.
[394] Andromache seems to have left the tower (cf. l. 386 ff.) whence she had looked in vain over the field of battle for her husband; and as she turns homeward she meets him.
πολύδωρος, ‘much giving.’ ‘bounteous’ (cf. “ἠπιόδωρος”, l. 251), which easily passes into ‘richly dowered.’ Cf. note on X 472.
[396] Ἠετίων, nominative for genitive, attracted to the case of its following relative “ὅς”—a singular construction.
[398] Ἕκτορι, equivalent to “ὑπὸ Ἕκτορος”. See note on 3.301, “ἄλλοισι”.
[400] νήπιον αὔτως, ‘a mere infant.’
402, 403. Hector named his boy after the Trojan river “Σκάμανδρος”. but the people, out of gratitude to their great defender, called his child Ἀστυάναξ, ‘city-lord,’ a name appropriate to the father. The name “Ἕκτωρ” itself may be from “ἔχω” and mean ‘upholder,’ ‘defender.’ In allusion to this signification Andromache says in her lamentation (24.730): “ἔχες δ᾽ ἀλόχους κεδνὰς καὶ νήπια τέκνα”, ‘thou didst defend honored wives and young children.’—On the quantity of the syllable before Σκαμάνδριον see note on B 465.
[407] δαιμόνιε, ‘my husband, I like not your daring.’ Cf. l. 326 and A 561.
τὸ σὸν μένος, ‘this might of yours’; cf. A 207.
[412] θαλπωρή, ‘comfort’ (from “θάλπω”, ‘warm’); on formation see § 156.2.—ἐπί-σπῃς, ἐφ-έπω.
[413] This line and one below (429) suggested to Sophocles the words which he put into the mouth of Tecmessa (as noted in the scholium ad locum) when she addressed Ajax:
“I have nothing left whereunto I can look, save thee. Thou didst ravage my country with the spear, and another doom hath laid low my mother and my sire, that they should dwell with Hades in their death. What home, then, could I find, if I lost thee? What wealth? On thee hangs all my welfare.”—Translation of Sir Richard Jebb.“ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐκέτ᾽ ἔστιν εἰς ὅ τι βλέπω
πλὴν σοῦ: σὺ γάρ μοι πατρίδ᾽ ᾔστωσας δορί,
καὶ μητέρ᾽ ἄλλη μοῖρα τὸν φύσαντά τε
καθεῖλεν Ἅιδου θανασίμους οἰκήτορας.
τἰς δῆτ᾽ ἐμοὶ γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἀντὶ σοῦ πατρίς;
τίς πλοῦτος; ἐν σοὶ πᾶσ᾽ ἔγωγε σῴζομαι.
”
[419] ἔπι, adverb, ‘thereon.’
[421] οἵ, relative; the antecedent is the demonstrative “οἵ” of the following line.
[423] κατέπεφνε, tense, § 128.
[424] ἔπ᾽（ι), ‘with,’ i. e. ‘in charge of,’ ‘while tending.’
[426] τήν repeats the object “μητέρα” (l. 425).
[428] Apollo is said to slay men, and Artemis women, that die by sudden —but not violent—death.
[430] θαλερός, ‘blooming.’ ‘stalwart.’
[432] μὴ ... θήῃς § 149 (2)], ‘lest you make.’
[433] Lines 433-439 are a weak ending of the splendid âppeal. Military directions sound strange indeed on the lips of Andromache.
[434] The statements that one portion of the wall is scalable and that perhaps the Greeks have been directed to this part by an oracle (l. 438) allude to a story not found in Homer, but repeated in Pindar's eighth Olympian ode, ll. 40-57. Its substance is this: Apollo and Poseidon, when about to build a rampart around Troy, called a mortal, Aeacus, to their aid. After the wall was built, three dragons tried to scale it; two died in the attempt, but one succeeded, in the part where the hands of Aeacus had wrought. Then Apollo interpreted the portent to mean that Troy was destined to be taken at the place where the mortal had labored.
[435] τρὶς ... ἐπειρήσανθ᾽ (i. e. “ἐπειρήσαντο”): there is no other allusion in Homer to these three attacks; and in fact the battle at present is not near the city wall.
[438] ἔνισπε, i. e. “ἔνι-σπε”, second aorist from “ἐννέπω” (“ἐν-σέπω”). ἐὺ εἰδώς, with genitive, § 174 (4).
[443] κακὸς ὥς, § § 37; 123, 5.
[444] οὐδέ με θυμὸς ἄνωγεν, supply “μίμνειν ἐπὶ πύργῳ” (cf. l. 431).
[446] ἀρνύμενος, ‘seeking to guard.’
αὐτοῦ agrees with an “ἐμοῦ” implied in “ἐμὸν” (“κλέος”).
447-449. This terrible foreboding of Hector is an indication of his present state of mind and possibly has no further significance. At any rate he seems to forget it later when he prays for his boy (ll. 476-481).
[450] ‘But no sorrow for Trojans hereafter wounds my heart so deeply nor for Hecabe herself nor for lord Priam nor for my brothers, who though many and brave will fall in the dust beneath their foes, as grief for you’ (supply “ἐμοὶ μέλει”).—The genitives Τρώων, etc., including σεῦ (l. 454), are objective after “ἄλγος”.
[453] κεν (l. 452) ... “πέσοιεν”, § 206.
[454] σεῦ, the MSS. have “σεἶ” (or “σεῖο”) here, which might be retained; but “σεῦ” is preferred by some editors to avoid elision before the following pause.
[456] Ἄργει seems to mean here ‘Greece,’ in a general sense.
πρὸς ἄλλης = “ὑπὸ ἄλλης κελευομένη”.
[457] Μεσσηίδος, if understood of the spring in Laconia, suggests the realm of Menelaus; while ῾γπερείης suggests the home of Achilles, in southern Thessaly. These two genitives are ablatival.
[459] εἴπῃσιν, § 136, § 6; 191.
[460] ἀριστεύεσκε, followed by infinitive, is equivalent to “ἄριστος ἦν”.
[463] χήτεϊ, dative of cause.
ἀμύνειν depends on “τοιοῦδ᾽”（“ε”), or rather on a “οἵου” which it implies; translate ‘such as,’ ‘able.’
[464] κατὰ ... καλύπτοι, a wish.
[465] ἔτι, ‘besides,’ i. e. in addition to your other distresses. Many editors prefer “γέ τι” for “γ᾽ ἔτι”. Both readings are found in MSS.
With βοῆς, πυθέσθαι means ‘hear’; with ἑλκηθμοῖο, ‘hear of.’ For the latter genitive cf. § 174 (1).
[470] ‘Seeing it nodding dreadfully from the peak of the helmet.’— δεινόν is cognate accusative with “νεύοντα”, which agrees with “λόφον” understood.
[474] “κύσε, κυνέω.—πῆλε, πάλλω”.
[476] In this prayer (ll. 476 ff.) the Sophoclean scholia note a resemblance to the following lines which Ajax addresses to his child:
“ὦ παῖ, γένοιο πατρὸς εὐτυχέστερος,
τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ ὅμοιος: καὶ γένοι᾽ ἂν οὐ κακός.
”
‘My boy, I pray that you may be more fortunate than your father, but in all other respects like him; and you will not be base.’
[477] παῖδ᾽ ἐμόν, appositive to “τόνδε” (l. 476), while “ἀριπρεπέα” is a predicate adjective in agreement, after “γενέσθαι”
Τρώεσσιν, ‘among the Trojans’; cf. 2.483, “ἡρώεσσιν”.
[478] Instead of ἀνάσσειν an adjective or participle might be expected, corresponding with “ἀγαθόν”. As the construction stands, “ἀνάσσειν” depends on “δότε” (l. 476).
[479] τις, ‘men’ in general.
[480] ἀνιόντα agrees with “μιν”, or a similar word, understood, object of “εἴποι”: ‘may men say of him, as he returns from war.’
[482] χερσίν, ‘arms,’ as 1.441.
[484] δακρυόεν, cognate accusative with “γελάσασα.”
ἐλέησε, ‘was moved to pity.’
[486] δαιμονίη, ‘dear wife, I do not understand you.’
[487] ὑπὲρ αἶσαν, ‘beyond my doom,’ ‘before my time.’
[488] πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι = Attic “πεφευγέναι”.
[489] κακὸν ... ἐσθλόν, in sense of ‘the coward’ and ‘the brave man.’
ἐπὴν τὰ πρῶτα γένηται, ‘when once he is born.’
αὐτῆς agrees with the implied genitive. Compare l. 446, “αὺτοῦ”.
[499] γόον, a noun.
[500] γόον, a verb, commonly called second aorist of “γοάω” (l. 373).
[501] μιν, although short, receives the ictus.
[503] Paris was evidently stung by Hector's reproof (ll. 326-331), and wished to make amends by his readiness to enter the battle again.
[506] ‘And as happens when’ etc., the protasis of a present general condition, § 197. The simile (ll. 506-511) is imitated by Vergil, who applies the comparison to Turnus:
“qualis ubi abruptis fugit praesepia vinclis
tandem liber equus, campoque potitus aperto
aut ille in pastus armentaque tendit equarum,
aut assuetus aquae perfundi flumine noto
emicat, arrectisque fremit cervicibus alte
luxurians, luduntque iubae per colla, per armos.
”
As when, his halter snapped, the steed Darts forth, rejoicing to be freed, And ranges o'er the open mead, Keen life in every limb: Now hies he to the pastured mares, Now to the well-known river fares, Where oft he wont to swim: He tosses high his head, and neighs: His mane o'er neck and shoulder plays.—Conington.
So luxurious Paris, proud of his fair looks and waving hair, prances off heedlessly to battle.
[507] θείῃ, Attic “θέῃ”, § 150.
ἐυρρεῖος, contracted genitive from “ἐυρρεέος”. The nominative is “ἐυρρεής”, and the word is declined like “ἀληθής.”
ποταμοῖο, a kind of partitive genitive, in construction like “πεδίοιο” (l. 507); or it may be compared with “πυρός”, B 415.
[510] ἀγλαΐηφι, equivalent to dative § 155.1). The nominative ὃ δ᾽ (έ) has no predicate; ἑ (l. 511), which repeats “ὃ δ᾽”（“έ”), is object of “φέρει”, while γοῦνα is subject.
[511] Note the galloping effect of the abundant dactyls.
[515] ἀδελφεόν, Attic “ἀδελφόν.”
ἔμελλεν, ‘he was about,’ followed by future infinitive, as in Attic.
[518] ἠθεῖ᾽（ε), ‘my dear [brother].’
[519] ἐναίσιμον, ‘in good time.’
[521] δαιμόνιε, cf. A 561, 3.399, Z 326, 407, 486.
ὃς ἐναίσιμος εἴη, either the protasis of a less vivid future condition, or “εἴη” is assimilated from the indicative to the mood of “ἀτιμήσειε” (l. 522).
[523] ἀλλὰ ἑκὼν κτλ., ‘but you are willingly remiss and irresolute.’— μεθιεῖς, on form, § 132; for meaning cf. “μεθήμων”, B 241.
οὐκ ἐθέλεις, literally ‘you have not the will to do.’
τό, ‘therefore,’ is probably a cognate object of “ἄχνυται”. Cf. 3.176.
ὑπέρ, used in sense of “περί”, ‘about.’
[525] πρὸς Τρώων, ‘on the part of’ or ‘from the Trojans.’
[526] τὰ δ᾽ ὄπισθεν ἀρεσσόμεθ᾽（α), ‘we will adjust these things hereafter.’
[528] κρητῆρα ... ἐλεύθερον, ‘a mixing-bowl in honor of freedom.’
[529] ἐλάσαντας agrees with “ἡμᾶς”, the understood subject of “στήσασθαι” (l. 528). Translate the whole: ‘if ever Zeus shall allow us, in honor of the heavenly gods that live for ever, to set forth a mixing-bowl in the name of freedom in our halls, when we have driven from Troy the well-greaved Achaeans.’
