The Duel Between Aineias and Akhilleus

[sdi]

Happy Ares-day!

Since so many of you asked, and I’ve never tried my hand at translating a lengthy section, I figured I’d go ahead and give it the old college try... but yipes! this took forever, and, anticipating that, I went rather more quickly than usual (managing a dozen lines a day); so it’s probably a lot less precise than I usually strive for. Consider it a first draft!

103 105 110 161 176 180 185 190 195 200 256 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 309 310 313 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350

τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων: ἥρως ἀλλ’ ἄγε καὶ σὺ θεοῖς αἰειγενέτῃσιν εὔχεο: καὶ δὲ σέ φασι Διὸς κούρης Ἀφροδίτης ἐκγεγάμεν, κεῖνος δὲ χερείονος ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστίν: ἣ μὲν γὰρ Διός ἐσθ’, ἣ δ’ ἐξ ἁλίοιο γέροντος. ἀλλ’ ἰθὺς φέρε χαλκὸν ἀτειρέα, μηδέ σε πάμπαν λευγαλέοις ἐπέεσσιν ἀποτρεπέτω καὶ ἀρειῇ. ὣς εἰπὼν ἔμπνευσε μένος μέγα ποιμένι λαῶν, βῆ δὲ διὰ προμάχων κεκορυθμένος αἴθοπι χαλκῷ. [...] Αἰνείας δὲ πρῶτος ἀπειλήσας ἐβεβήκει νευστάζων κόρυθι βριαρῇ: ἀτὰρ ἀσπίδα θοῦριν πρόσθεν ἔχε στέρνοιο, τίνασσε δὲ χάλκεον ἔγχος. Πηλεΐδης δ’ ἑτέρωθεν ἐναντίον ὦρτο λέων ὣς [...] οἳ δ’ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπ’ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες, τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς: Αἰνεία τί σὺ τόσσον ὁμίλου πολλὸν ἐπελθὼν ἔστης; ἦ σέ γε θυμὸς ἐμοὶ μαχέσασθαι ἀνώγει ἐλπόμενον Τρώεσσιν ἀνάξειν ἱπποδάμοισι τιμῆς τῆς Πριάμου; ἀτὰρ εἴ κεν ἔμ’ ἐξεναρίξῃς, οὔ τοι τοὔνεκά γε Πρίαμος γέρας ἐν χερὶ θήσει: εἰσὶν γάρ οἱ παῖδες, ὃ δ’ ἔμπεδος οὐδ’ ἀεσίφρων. ἦ νύ τί τοι Τρῶες τέμενος τάμον ἔξοχον ἄλλων καλὸν φυταλιῆς καὶ ἀρούρης, ὄφρα νέμηαι αἴ κεν ἐμὲ κτείνῃς; χαλεπῶς δέ σ’ ἔολπα τὸ ῥέξειν. ἤδη μὲν σέ γέ φημι καὶ ἄλλοτε δουρὶ φοβῆσαι. ἦ οὐ μέμνῃ ὅτε πέρ σε βοῶν ἄπο μοῦνον ἐόντα σεῦα κατ’ Ἰδαίων ὀρέων ταχέεσσι πόδεσσι καρπαλίμως; τότε δ’ οὔ τι μετατροπαλίζεο φεύγων. ἔνθεν δ’ ἐς Λυρνησσὸν ὑπέκφυγες: αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τὴν πέρσα μεθορμηθεὶς σὺν Ἀθήνῃ καὶ Διὶ πατρί, ληϊάδας δὲ γυναῖκας ἐλεύθερον ἦμαρ ἀπούρας ἦγον: ἀτὰρ σὲ Ζεὺς ἐρρύσατο καὶ θεοὶ ἄλλοι. ἀλλ’ οὐ νῦν ἐρύεσθαι ὀΐομαι, ὡς ἐνὶ θυμῷ βάλλεαι: ἀλλά σ’ ἔγωγ’ ἀναχωρήσαντα κελεύω ἐς πληθὺν ἰέναι, μηδ’ ἀντίος ἵστασ’ ἐμεῖο, πρίν τι κακὸν παθέειν: ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω. τὸν δ’ αὖτ’ Αἰνείας ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε: Πηλεΐδη μὴ δὴ ἐπέεσσί με νηπύτιον ὣς ἔλπεο δειδίξεσθαι, ἐπεὶ σάφα οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς ἠμὲν κερτομίας ἠδ’ αἴσυλα μυθήσασθαι. [...] ἀλκῆς δ’ οὔ μ’ ἐπέεσσιν ἀποτρέψεις μεμαῶτα πρὶν χαλκῷ μαχέσασθαι ἐναντίον: ἀλλ’ ἄγε θᾶσσον γευσόμεθ’ ἀλλήλων χαλκήρεσιν ἐγχείῃσιν. ἦ ῥα καὶ ἐν δεινῷ σάκει ἤλασεν ὄβριμον ἔγχος σμερδαλέῳ: μέγα δ’ ἀμφὶ σάκος μύκε δουρὸς ἀκωκῇ. Πηλεΐδης δὲ σάκος μὲν ἀπὸ ἕο χειρὶ παχείῃ ἔσχετο ταρβήσας: φάτο γὰρ δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος ῥέα διελεύσεσθαι μεγαλήτορος Αἰνείαο νήπιος, οὐδ’ ἐνόησε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν ὡς οὐ ῥηΐδι’ ἐστὶ θεῶν ἐρικυδέα δῶρα ἀνδράσι γε θνητοῖσι δαμήμεναι οὐδ’ ὑποείκειν. οὐδὲ τότ’ Αἰνείαο δαΐφρονος ὄβριμον ἔγχος ῥῆξε σάκος: χρυσὸς γὰρ ἐρύκακε, δῶρα θεοῖο: ἀλλὰ δύω μὲν ἔλασσε διὰ πτύχας, αἳ δ’ ἄρ’ ἔτι τρεῖς ἦσαν, ἐπεὶ πέντε πτύχας ἤλασε κυλλοποδίων, τὰς δύο χαλκείας, δύο δ’ ἔνδοθι κασσιτέροιο, τὴν δὲ μίαν χρυσῆν, τῇ ῥ’ ἔσχετο μείλινον ἔγχος. δεύτερος αὖτ’ Ἀχιλεὺς προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος, καὶ βάλεν Αἰνείαο κατ’ ἀσπίδα πάντοσ’ ἐΐσην ἄντυγ’ ὕπο πρώτην, ᾗ λεπτότατος θέε χαλκός, λεπτοτάτη δ’ ἐπέην ῥινὸς βοός: ἣ δὲ διὰ πρὸ Πηλιὰς ἤϊξεν μελίη, λάκε δ’ ἀσπὶς ὑπ’ αὐτῆς. Αἰνείας δ’ ἐάλη καὶ ἀπὸ ἕθεν ἀσπίδ’ ἀνέσχε δείσας: ἐγχείη δ’ ἄρ’ ὑπὲρ νώτου ἐνὶ γαίῃ ἔστη ἱεμένη, διὰ δ’ ἀμφοτέρους ἕλε κύκλους ἀσπίδος ἀμφιβρότης: ὃ δ’ ἀλευάμενος δόρυ μακρὸν ἔστη, κὰδ δ’ ἄχος οἱ χύτο μυρίον ὀφθαλμοῖσι, ταρβήσας ὅ οἱ ἄγχι πάγη βέλος. αὐτὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς ἐμμεμαὼς ἐπόρουσεν ἐρυσσάμενος ξίφος ὀξὺ σμερδαλέα ἰάχων: ὃ δὲ χερμάδιον λάβε χειρὶ Αἰνείας, μέγα ἔργον, ὃ οὐ δύο γ’ ἄνδρε φέροιεν, οἷοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσ’: ὃ δέ μιν ῥέα πάλλε καὶ οἶος. ἔνθά κεν Αἰνείας μὲν ἐπεσσύμενον βάλε πέτρῳ ἢ κόρυθ’ ἠὲ σάκος, τό οἱ ἤρκεσε λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον, τὸν δέ κε Πηλεΐδης σχεδὸν ἄορι θυμὸν ἀπηύρα, εἰ μὴ ἄρ’ ὀξὺ νόησε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων: αὐτίκα δ’ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖς μετὰ μῦθον ἔειπεν: ὢ πόποι ἦ μοι ἄχος μεγαλήτορος Αἰνείαο, ὃς τάχα Πηλεΐωνι δαμεὶς Ἄϊδος δὲ κάτεισι πειθόμενος μύθοισιν Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκάτοιο νήπιος, οὐδέ τί οἱ χραισμήσει λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον. ἀλλὰ τί ἢ νῦν οὗτος ἀναίτιος ἄλγεα πάσχει μὰψ ἕνεκ’ ἀλλοτρίων ἀχέων, κεχαρισμένα δ’ αἰεὶ δῶρα θεοῖσι δίδωσι τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν; ἀλλ’ ἄγεθ’ ἡμεῖς πέρ μιν ὑπὲκ θανάτου ἀγάγωμεν, μή πως καὶ Κρονίδης κεχολώσεται, αἴ κεν Ἀχιλλεὺς τόνδε κατακτείνῃ: μόριμον δέ οἵ ἐστ’ ἀλέασθαι, ὄφρα μὴ ἄσπερμος γενεὴ καὶ ἄφαντος ὄληται Δαρδάνου, ὃν Κρονίδης περὶ πάντων φίλατο παίδων οἳ ἕθεν ἐξεγένοντο γυναικῶν τε θνητάων. [...] τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα βοῶπις πότνια Ἥρη: ἐννοσίγαι’, αὐτὸς σὺ μετὰ φρεσὶ σῇσι νόησον [...]. ἤτοι μὲν γὰρ νῶϊ πολέας ὠμόσσαμεν ὅρκους πᾶσι μετ’ ἀθανάτοισιν ἐγὼ καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη μή ποτ’ ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀλεξήσειν κακὸν ἦμαρ, μηδ’ ὁπότ’ ἂν Τροίη μαλερῷ πυρὶ πᾶσα δάηται καιομένη, καίωσι δ’ ἀρήϊοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τό γ’ ἄκουσε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων, βῆ ῥ’ ἴμεν ἄν τε μάχην καὶ ἀνὰ κλόνον ἐγχειάων, ἷξε δ’ ὅθ’ Αἰνείας ἠδ’ ὃ κλυτὸς ἦεν Ἀχιλλεύς. αὐτίκα τῷ μὲν ἔπειτα κατ’ ὀφθαλμῶν χέεν ἀχλὺν Πηλεΐδῃ Ἀχιλῆϊ: ὃ δὲ μελίην εὔχαλκον ἀσπίδος ἐξέρυσεν μεγαλήτορος Αἰνείαο: καὶ τὴν μὲν προπάροιθε ποδῶν Ἀχιλῆος ἔθηκεν, Αἰνείαν δ’ ἔσσευεν ἀπὸ χθονὸς ὑψόσ’ ἀείρας. πολλὰς δὲ στίχας ἡρώων, πολλὰς δὲ καὶ ἵππων Αἰνείας ὑπερᾶλτο θεοῦ ἀπὸ χειρὸς ὀρούσας, ἷξε δ’ ἐπ’ ἐσχατιὴν πολυάϊκος πολέμοιο, ἔνθά τε Καύκωνες πόλεμον μέτα θωρήσσοντο. τῷ δὲ μάλ’ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων, καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα: Αἰνεία, τίς σ’ ὧδε θεῶν ἀτέοντα κελεύει ἀντία Πηλεΐωνος ὑπερθύμοιο μάχεσθαι, ὃς σεῦ ἅμα κρείσσων καὶ φίλτερος ἀθανάτοισιν; ἀλλ’ ἀναχωρῆσαι ὅτε κεν συμβλήσεαι αὐτῷ, μὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ μοῖραν δόμον Ἄϊδος εἰσαφίκηαι. αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κ’ Ἀχιλεὺς θάνατον καὶ πότμον ἐπίσπῃ, θαρσήσας δὴ ἔπειτα μετὰ πρώτοισι μάχεσθαι: οὐ μὲν γάρ τίς σ’ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν ἐξεναρίξει. ὣς εἰπὼν λίπεν αὐτόθ’, ἐπεὶ διεπέφραδε πάντα. αἶψα δ’ ἔπειτ’ Ἀχιλῆος ἀπ’ ὀφθαλμῶν σκέδασ’ ἀχλὺν θεσπεσίην: ὃ δ’ ἔπειτα μέγ’ ἔξιδεν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν, ὀχθήσας δ’ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν: ὢ πόποι ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδ’ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι: ἔγχος μὲν τόδε κεῖται ἐπὶ χθονός, οὐδέ τι φῶτα λεύσσω, τῷ ἐφέηκα κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων. ἦ ῥα καὶ Αἰνείας φίλος ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν ἦεν: ἀτάρ μιν ἔφην μὰψ αὔτως εὐχετάασθαι. ἐρρέτω: οὔ οἱ θυμὸς ἐμεῦ ἔτι πειρηθῆναι ἔσσεται, ὃς καὶ νῦν φύγεν ἄσμενος ἐκ θανάτοιο. ἀλλ’ ἄγε δὴ Δαναοῖσι φιλοπτολέμοισι κελεύσας τῶν ἄλλων Τρώων πειρήσομαι ἀντίος ἐλθών.

But then Lord Apollon, the son of Zeus, said to [Aineias]: “Pray, then, to the immortal gods—yes, even you, hero!*— since they say that Aphrodite, the daughter of Zeus, is your mother. That [Akhilleus] is of a lower degree of god, for your mother is of Zeus, but his, merely the Old Man of the Sea. Now, pick up your unwearying bronze, and don't you let him weary you* with curses or threats.” Then he breathed great spirit into the prince,* who went beyond the flashing bronze helmets of the vanguard. [...] And Aineias stood menacingly out in front: lowering his heavy helmet, holding his eager shield in front of him, and brandishing his bronze spear. Across the field, the son of Peleus prowled forth like a lion, [...] and when they had drawn close to each other, swift-footed, noble Akhilleus spoke first: “Aineias!? Out of such a huge crowd, why did you come out to make a stand? Were you itching to fight me* in the hopes of being lord of the horse-taming Troians, the pride of Priam? Even if you kill me, it’s not like Priam would put the crown in your hands, not while his sons are of sound body and mind. Or maybe the Troians set aside some choice parcel of good orchards and fields* for you to manage if you kill me? I don’t think you’ll find it easy— I seem to remember having already set you running scared of my spear! Or had you forgotten that time you were separated from your cows and I chased you down Mount Ida as fast as your feet could carry you? You never even looked back as you ran! You escaped to Lurnessos, but I set it to the torch, having tracked you with Athene and father Zeus, and I took away her women’s day of freedom* and led them away.* Zeus and the other gods saved you then, but I don’t think they’ll save you now, like you think they will;* I urge you to go back into the crowd instead of facing me man-to-man— you might get hurt! ‘Only an idiot makes the same mistake twice.*’” Then Aineias spoke in answer to him: “Son of Peleus! You can’t hope to frighten me like a baby with your words, since I, too, know how to bitch and moan. [...]* You will not turn me from the battle I desire before we meet bronze-to-bronze. Come on, then— let’s taste each other’s spears!*” And with that he hurled his heavy, fearsome spear into that marvelous shield,* and the great shield rang out from the impact. With his strong hand the son of Peleus pushed the shield away from him in alarm, since he foolishly thought the long spear of heroic Aineias would pass right through it— he didn’t realize, deep in his heart and mind, that the glorious gifts of the gods are not easily broken or turned aside by mortal men! So the heavy spear of skillful Aineias did not pierce that god-given shield, since the gold held; even so, he drove it through two plates, but three remained, since the Clubfoot* had forged it of five: two of bronze, two of tin within those, and [the middle] one of gold,* which held the ashwood spear. Next, Akhilleus hurled his long-handled spear and struck the circular shield of Aineias on its edge, where the bronze and leather run thinnest, and the the son of Pelias’s ashwood shot through and the shield crashed under it. Aineias shrank and flung his shield up in fear, and the spear deflected over his back and stuck in the earth, having sundered the two parts of the circle of the massive shield.* Having dodged the hefty shaft, he stood still, eyes wide in shock, frightened that the missile grazed so near, while Akhilleus quickly drew his double-edged sidearm* and pounced at him with a fearsome roar, but Aineias seized a boulder in his hand— a mighty deed! two men couldn’t have lifted it, such as men are now, but he wielded it easily by himself— then Aineias would have charged and thrown the rock at helmet or shield, which would have kept [Akhilleus] from certain death, and the son of Peleus would have closed and taken away his life with his sword, had not Poseidaon Earth-Shaker seen it quickly and immediately spoke his mind to the immortal gods: “Damn, I ache for great-hearted Aineias,* soon to be broken by the son of Peleus and descend to the house of Haides, having let himself be persuaded by the words of Sniper Apollo— foolishly, since [the god] won’t save him from a grim fate. But why should this innocent pointlessly suffer for others’ mischief, when he always gives such nice gifts to the gods who hold the wide heavens? How about we snatch him away from death? The son of Kronos might also be angry if Akhilleus cuts him down, since he is destined to escape [Troia], lest the bloodline of Dardanos be destroyed or forgotten, since he was the favorite of all the sons of Zeus that were born to him of mortal women. [...]” Then the cow-eyed queen Here answered him, saying: “You do you,* Earth-Shaker, [...] but as for us, we have sworn many oaths before the immortals, little Athene* and I, never to prevent a bad day for the Troians— not even should all Troia be set alight and consumed by fire, so long as the martial* sons of the Akhaians kindle it.*” But when Poseidaon Earth-Shaker had heard this,* he went on over the fighting and clash of weapons and came to where Aineias and glorious Akhilleus were, and he immediately poured a mist down over the eyes of Akhilleus, son of Peleus, and drew the bronze-tipped ashwood from the shield of greathearted Aineias and set it at the feet of Akhilleus; but Aineieas he spirited away, lifting him high above the earth. And many ranks of heroes and horses both were quickly passed over by Aineias in the hand of the god, until he landed at the furthest of the many battle fronts, where the Kaukonians were arming up for war. Then Poseidaon Earth-Shaker came up beside him and admonished him, piercing with words fletched as arrows:* “Aineias! Who the hell ordered you to recklessly face that madman son of Peleus’s in battle? He’s both stronger and dearer to the immortals than you are!* He ever comes near you, you run— or else you’re going to the house of Haides no matter what your destiny is. But when Akhilleus is dead and gone to his fate, then take courage and fight at the forefront, since he’s the only Akhaian that can beat you.” He left Aineias there after saying all this and dispersed the heaven-sent mist from Akhilleus’s eyes so that he goggled and ranted to himself: “What the fuck kind of magic is this!? Here’s my spear lying on the ground, but I can’t see the man I meant to kill with it. So Aineias really is dear to the immortal gods! I thought he was just bullshitting me. Eh, fuck it: he won’t have the guts to face me again, happy to have cheated death once. Come on, I’ll rally the bloodthirsty Danaans to go and try some other Troian face-to-face.”

(Homer, Iliad XX 103–352, as translated—hopefully not too badly!—by yours truly.)

---

Notes:

104. Hero: ἥρως, literally “hero” in Greek, too. Hero comes from the Egyptian heru “falcon,” referring to the god Horos; that is, a “hero” is a little-H horos (rather than the big-H Horos). Many sources (Herodotos, Histories II cxliv; Diodoros, Library of History I xxv; Ploutarkhos, Isis and Osiris XII) equate Apollon with Horos, implying that Apollon is the god of heroes. If the god of heroes himself calls you a hero, I imagine you’re doing something right! In fact, Aineias is much beloved by the gods, being saved from certain death by each of Aphrodite, Apollon, and (as we see here) Poseidaon. He was also the only Troian hero to survive the fall of Troia.
109. Weary you: the pun is mine; the Greek is ἀτειρέα "unable to be dulled" and ἀποτρεπέτω "turn you away."
110. Prince: ποιμένι λαῶν, literally “shepherd of his people.” Homer has a higher opinion of nobility than I do, but then, I guess I always was more of a Hesiod sort of guy!
179. Itching to fight me: ἦ σέ γε θυμὸς ἐμοὶ μαχέσασθαι ἀνώγει, literally “did your heart command you to fight me?”
185. Orchards and fields: Greek distinguishes “land planted with field crops” (wheat, barley, etc.) and “land planted with anything else” (e.g. orchards, vineyards, gardens, etc.), and these are the two kinds of land being described.
193. Day of freedom: what a serendipitous turn of phrase!
194. Led them away: this was when Akhilleus captured his favorite girl-toy, Briseis, the fight over whom started off the events of the Iliad.
195. Like you think they will: ὡς ἐνὶ θυμῷ βάλλεαι, literally “as is set in your heart.”
198. Only an idiot makes the same mistake twice: ῥεχθὲν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω, literally “even a child learns from experience,” but I wanted to clarify it since Akhilleus is implying that Aineias would be foolish to try his luck again.
202. [...]: I know I make Aineias sound like a stoic, actions-speak-louder-than-words type of person here, but you should know that he goes on at excruciating length about the lineage of princes of Troia. He's actually much more of a kinda square, by-the-book sort.
258. Spears: χαλκήρεσιν ἐγχείῃσιν, literally “bronze-tipped spears,” but the excessive repetition of the word “bronze” was galling.
259. That marvelous shield: the beautifully-crafted shield that Hephaistos, god of smiths, forged for him the night before and inlaid with beautiful imagery. Its description is one of the highlights of the Iliad, and can be found in XVIII 478–608.
270. The Clubfoot: Hephaistos, who was born lame.
272. [The middle] one of gold: gonna be honest, it seems pretty strange to use tin (which is brittle) and gold (which is both soft and very heavy) in a shield, especially on the inside where their corrosion-resistance and beauty aren't on display!
281. Massive shield: ἀσπίδος ἀμφιβρότης, literally “shield which covers both sides of a man.”
284. Double-edged sidearm: ξίφος ὀξὺ, literally “sharp-pointed xiphos,” which was a backup weapon, a large dagger or short sword sharpened on both sides, meant for both slashing and stabbing.
293. I ache for great-hearted Aineias: Throughout the Iliad, Poseidaon sides with the Akhaians. His regard for Aineias is therefore quite special!
310. You do you: αὐτὸς σὺ μετὰ φρεσὶ σῇσι νόησον, “decide for yourself within your own heart.”
314. Little Athene: Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη, usually transliterated “Pallas Athene,” but Παλλάς from πάλλαξ, “child below the age of puberty.” I suppose that’s why she’s always said to be a virgin...
317. Martial: ἀρήϊοι, literally “of/like/devoted-to Ares,” which is the equivalent to "martial" (e.g. “of/like/devoted-to Mars”) in English. I edited this on 8 May 2025, and had originally translated this word as "warlike." The comments below reference the original.
317. So long as the [...] Akhaians kindle it: sheesh, talk about vindictive!
318. But when Poseidaon [...] had heard this: I like to think he rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh before rushing off to save Aineias.
331. Piercing with words fletched as arrows: φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα, literally “speaking feathered words,” usually translated “winged words.” Like “the wine-colored sea” of the Odyssey, this is one of those phrases that classicists have been arguing over forever. I can’t for the life of me tell why, since the meaning seems obvious enough?
334. Dearer to the immortals than you are: yeah, maybe his mommy got him some fancy-pants armor, but you don't see anybody rescuing Akhilleus from the battlefield, do you?
343. To himself: πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν, literally “at his own mighty heart.”