Dolon

Mortal · 5 speeches

Psychological Vocabulary

All Speeches (5)

Lines 319–327

to go close to the swift-faring ships and spy out all. But come, I pray thee, lift up thy staff and swear to me that verily thou wilt give me the horses and the chariot, richly dight with bronze, even them that bear the peerless son of Peleus. And to thee shall I prove no vain scout, neither one to deceive thy hopes. For I will go straight on to the camp, even until I come to the ship of Agamemnon, where, I ween, the chieftains will be holding council, whether to flee or to fight.

Ἕκτορ ἔμʼ ὀτρύνει κραδίη καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ νηῶν ὠκυπόρων σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν ἔκ τε πυθέσθαι. ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τὸ σκῆπτρον ἀνάσχεο, καί μοι ὄμοσσον ἦ μὲν τοὺς ἵππους τε καὶ ἅρματα ποικίλα χαλκῷ δωσέμεν, οἳ φορέουσιν ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα, σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ οὐχ ἅλιος σκοπὸς ἔσσομαι οὐδʼ ἀπὸ δόξης· τόφρα γὰρ ἐς στρατὸν εἶμι διαμπερὲς ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκωμαι νῆʼ Ἀγαμεμνονέην, ὅθι που μέλλουσιν ἄριστοι βουλὰς βουλεύειν ἢ φευγέμεν ἠὲ μάχεσθαι.

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kradie thumos

Dolon to Diomedes

Lines 378–381

thereof would my father grant you ransom past counting, should he hear that I am alive at the ships of the Achaeans.

ζωγρεῖτʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐμὲ λύσομαι· ἔστι γὰρ ἔνδον χαλκός τε χρυσός τε πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος, τῶν κʼ ὔμμιν χαρίσαιτο πατὴρ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα εἴ κεν ἐμὲ ζωὸν πεπύθοιτʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.

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Dolon to Odysseus

Lines 391–399

whether the swift ships be guarded as of old, or whether by now our foes, subdued beneath our hands, are planning flight among themselves, and have no mind to watch the night through, being fordone with dread weariness.

πολλῇσίν μʼ ἄτῃσι παρὲκ νόον ἤγαγεν Ἕκτωρ, ὅς μοι Πηλεΐωνος ἀγαυοῦ μώνυχας ἵππους δωσέμεναι κατένευσε καὶ ἅρματα ποικίλα χαλκῷ, ἠνώγει δέ μʼ ἰόντα θοὴν διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν ἀνδρῶν δυσμενέων σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν, ἔκ τε πυθέσθαι ἠὲ φυλάσσονται νῆες θοαὶ ὡς τὸ πάρος περ, ἦ ἤδη χείρεσσιν ὑφʼ ἡμετέρῃσι δαμέντες φύξιν βουλεύουσι μετὰ σφίσιν, οὐδʼ ἐθέλουσι νύκτα φυλασσέμεναι, καμάτῳ ἀδηκότες αἰνῷ.

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noos

Dolon to Odysseus

Lines 413–422

is holding council by the tomb of godlike Ilus, away from the turmoil; but as touching the guards whereof thou askest, O warrior, no special guard keepeth or watcheth the host. By all the watch-fires of the Trojans verily, they that needs must, lie awake and bid one another keep watch, but the allies, summoned from many lands, are sleeping; for to the Trojans they leave it to keep watch, seeing their own children abide not nigh, neither their wives.

τοὶ γὰρ ἐγώ τοι ταῦτα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω. Ἕκτωρ μὲν μετὰ τοῖσιν, ὅσοι βουληφόροι εἰσί, βουλὰς βουλεύει θείου παρὰ σήματι Ἴλου νόσφιν ἀπὸ φλοίσβου· φυλακὰς δʼ ἃς εἴρεαι ἥρως οὔ τις κεκριμένη ῥύεται στρατὸν οὐδὲ φυλάσσει. ὅσσαι μὲν Τρώων πυρὸς ἐσχάραι, οἷσιν ἀνάγκη οἷ δʼ ἐγρηγόρθασι φυλασσέμεναί τε κέλονται ἀλλήλοις· ἀτὰρ αὖτε πολύκλητοι ἐπίκουροι εὕδουσι· Τρωσὶν γὰρ ἐπιτραπέουσι φυλάσσειν· οὐ γάρ σφιν παῖδες σχεδὸν εἵαται οὐδὲ γυναῖκες.

Lattimore commentary

The tomb of Ilos (the son of Tros and father of Laomedon), like the fig and oak trees, is one of the rare spatial markers in the poem’s stylized picture of the Trojan plain. It has not been identified with any detectable archaeological feature.

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Dolon to Odysseus

Lines 427–445

And towards Thymbre fell the lot of the Lycians and the lordly Mysians, and the Phrygians that fight from chariots and the Maeonians, lords of chariots. But why is it that ye question me closely regarding all these things? For if ye are fain to enter the throng of the Trojans, lo, here apart be the Thracians, new comers, the outermost of all, and among them their king Rhesus, son of Eïoneus. His be verily the fairest horses that ever I saw, and the greatest, whiter than snow, and in speed like the winds. And his chariot is cunningly wrought with gold and silver, and armour of gold brought he with him, huge of size, a wonder to behold. Such armour it beseemeth not that mortal men should wear, but immortal gods. But bring ye me now to the swift-faring ships, or bind me with a cruel bond and leave me here, that ye may go and make trial of me, whether or no I have spoken to you according to right.

τοὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ ταῦτα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω. πρὸς μὲν ἁλὸς Κᾶρες καὶ Παίονες ἀγκυλότοξοι καὶ Λέλεγες καὶ Καύκωνες δῖοί τε Πελασγοί, πρὸς Θύμβρης δʼ ἔλαχον Λύκιοι Μυσοί τʼ ἀγέρωχοι καὶ Φρύγες ἱππόμαχοι καὶ Μῄονες ἱπποκορυσταί. ἀλλὰ τί ἢ ἐμὲ ταῦτα διεξερέεσθε ἕκαστα; εἰ γὰρ δὴ μέματον Τρώων καταδῦναι ὅμιλον Θρήϊκες οἷδʼ ἀπάνευθε νεήλυδες ἔσχατοι ἄλλων· ἐν δέ σφιν Ῥῆσος βασιλεὺς πάϊς Ἠϊονῆος. τοῦ δὴ καλλίστους ἵππους ἴδον ἠδὲ μεγίστους· λευκότεροι χιόνος, θείειν δʼ ἀνέμοισιν ὁμοῖοι· ἅρμα δέ οἱ χρυσῷ τε καὶ ἀργύρῳ εὖ ἤσκηται· τεύχεα δὲ χρύσεια πελώρια θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι ἤλυθʼ ἔχων· τὰ μὲν οὔ τι καταθνητοῖσιν ἔοικεν ἄνδρεσσιν φορέειν, ἀλλʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν. ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ μὲν νῦν νηυσὶ πελάσσετον ὠκυπόροισιν, ἠέ με δήσαντες λίπετʼ αὐτόθι νηλέϊ δεσμῷ, ὄφρά κεν ἔλθητον καὶ πειρηθῆτον ἐμεῖο ἠὲ κατʼ αἶσαν ἔειπον ἐν ὑμῖν, ἦε καὶ οὐκί.

Lattimore commentary

The list of Trojan allies is a contracted and slightly varied form of that found in the catalogue at 2.840–77. This correspondence with the narrator’s words has the effect of making Dolon’s report ring true. The story of the slaughter is the subject of a tragedy attributed to Euripides, the Rhesus.

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