Seba.Health

The Iliad 5.252–273

The Iliad 5.252–273
And I have no mind to mount upon a car, but even as I am will I go to face them; that I should quail Pallas Athene suffereth not. As for these twain, their swift horses shall not bear both back from us again, even if one or the other escape. And another thing will I tell thee, and do thou lay it to heart. If so be Athene, rich in counsel, shall vouchsafe me this glory, to slay them both, then do thou hold here these swift horses, binding the reins taut to the chariot rim; but be mindful to rush upon the horses of Aeneas and drive them forth from the Trojans to the host of the well-greaved Achaeans. For they are of that stock wherefrom Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, gave to Tros recompense for his son Ganymedes, for that they were the best of all horses that are beneath the dawn and the sun. Of this stock the king of men Anchises stole a breed, putting his mares to them while Laomedon knew naught thereof. And from these a stock of six was born him in his palace; four he kept himself and reared at the stall, and the other two he gave to Aeneas, devisers of rout.215.1 Could we but take these twain, we should win us goodly renown.
μή τι φόβον δʼ ἀγόρευʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ σὲ πεισέμεν οἴω. οὐ γάρ μοι γενναῖον ἀλυσκάζοντι μάχεσθαι οὐδὲ καταπτώσσειν· ἔτι μοι μένος ἔμπεδόν ἐστιν· ὀκνείω δʼ ἵππων ἐπιβαινέμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὔτως ἀντίον εἶμʼ αὐτῶν· τρεῖν μʼ οὐκ ἐᾷ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη. τούτω δʼ οὐ πάλιν αὖτις ἀποίσετον ὠκέες ἵπποι ἄμφω ἀφʼ ἡμείων, εἴ γʼ οὖν ἕτερός γε φύγῃσιν. ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν· αἴ κέν μοι πολύβουλος Ἀθήνη κῦδος ὀρέξῃ ἀμφοτέρω κτεῖναι, σὺ δὲ τούσδε μὲν ὠκέας ἵππους αὐτοῦ ἐρυκακέειν ἐξ ἄντυγος ἡνία τείνας, Αἰνείαο δʼ ἐπαΐξαι μεμνημένος ἵππων, ἐκ δʼ ἐλάσαι Τρώων μετʼ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς. τῆς γάρ τοι γενεῆς ἧς Τρωΐ περ εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς δῶχʼ υἷος ποινὴν Γανυμήδεος, οὕνεκʼ ἄριστοι ἵππων ὅσσοι ἔασιν ὑπʼ ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε, τῆς γενεῆς ἔκλεψεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγχίσης λάθρῃ Λαομέδοντος ὑποσχὼν θήλεας ἵππους· τῶν οἱ ἓξ ἐγένοντο ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γενέθλη. τοὺς μὲν τέσσαρας αὐτὸς ἔχων ἀτίταλλʼ ἐπὶ φάτνῃ, τὼ δὲ δύʼ Αἰνείᾳ δῶκεν μήστωρε φόβοιο. εἰ τούτω κε λάβοιμεν, ἀροίμεθά κε κλέος ἐσθλόν.
Lattimore commentary
Ganymede, on account of his surpassing beauty, was taken by the gods to serve on Olympos as Zeus’ wine-pourer (as Aineias explains in 20.234). The divine horses given as compensation to the boy’s father Tros were passed down to Tros’ grandson Laomedon. Anchises, the father of Aineias, was the son of Laomedon’s cousin.
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