Seba.Health

The Iliad 21.273–283

The Iliad 21.273–283
None other of the heavenly gods do I blame so much, but only my dear mother, that beguiled me with false words, saying that beneath the wall of the mail-clad Trojans I should perish by the swift missiles of Apollo. Would that Hector had slain me, the best of the men bred here; then had a brave man been the slayer, and a brave man had he slain. But now by a miserable death was it appointed me to be cut off, pent in the great river, like a swine-herd boy whom a torrent sweepeth away as he maketh essay to cross it in winter.
Ζεῦ πάτερ ὡς οὔ τίς με θεῶν ἐλεεινὸν ὑπέστη ἐκ ποταμοῖο σαῶσαι· ἔπειτα δὲ καί τι πάθοιμι. ἄλλος δʼ οὔ τις μοι τόσον αἴτιος Οὐρανιώνων, ἀλλὰ φίλη μήτηρ, με ψεύδεσσιν ἔθελγεν· μʼ ἔφατο Τρώων ὑπὸ τείχεϊ θωρηκτάων λαιψηροῖς ὀλέεσθαι Ἀπόλλωνος βελέεσσιν. ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ Ἕκτωρ κτεῖναι ὃς ἐνθάδε γʼ ἔτραφʼ ἄριστος· τώ κʼ ἀγαθὸς μὲν ἔπεφνʼ, ἀγαθὸν δέ κεν ἐξενάριξε· νῦν δέ με λευγαλέῳ θανάτῳ εἵμαρτο ἁλῶναι ἐρχθέντʼ ἐν μεγάλῳ ποταμῷ ὡς παῖδα συφορβόν, ὅν ῥά τʼ ἔναυλος ἀποέρσῃ χειμῶνι περῶντα.
Lattimore commentary
The first we hear from Achilleus hints of a crisis of faith. Until now he has been confident of the support of Thetis and Athene; in addition, he has learned that Hera and Hephaistos have given their support. The potential of death by water creates here the same dread that Odysseus feels in the Odyssey, that lack of burial would mean loss of fame (Od. 5.306–12).
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