Greek mythology’s greatest warrior - Iseult Gillespie

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Ivana Korom

Achilles was a demigod destined for greatness.

Ahil je bio polubog predodređen za velika dela.

He was born to a sea nymph and a king.

Bio je potomak morske nimfe i kralja.

And like the legendary Heracles before him,

I poput legendarnog Herakla pre njega,

he was trained by the centaur Chiron in hunting, music, and medicine.

prošao je obuku kod kentaura Hirona u lovu, muzici i medicini.

Meanwhile, his closest companion since boyhood was Patroclus,

U međuvremenu, njegov najbliži prijatelj od dečaštva je bio Patroklo,

a mortal with no divine parentage or lofty prophecies tied to his name.

smrtnik bez božanskog porekla ili uzvišenih proročanstava u vezi s njim.

Despite these differences, the two loved one another unconditionally.

Uprkos ovim razlikama, njih dvojica su se bezuslovno voleli.

But when Greece declared war on Troy,

Međutim, kada je Grčka objavila rat Troji,

Achilles was called upon as a crucial weapon.

Ahil je regrutovan kao ključno oružje.

Helen, the wife of a Greek king,

Helena, supruga grčkog kralja,

had vanished to Troy with Paris, a Trojan prince.

zbrisala je u Troju sa Parisom, trojanskim princem.

An army of Greeks assembled, determined to retrieve her.

Sastavljena je armija Grka, odlučna da je vrati.

And as war loomed, the gods themselves took sides

I dok se rat nazirao, sami bogovi su zauzeli strane

and argued over the mortals’ fates.

i raspravljali su o sudbinama smrtnika.

Achilles knew the war was written into his destiny.

Ahil je znao da je rat zapisan u njegovoj sudbini.

And with horses born from the west wind and a spear wrought from a mountain peak,

I sa konjima koje je izrodio zapadni vetar i kopljem iskovanim od planinskog vrha,

he readied himself.

bio je u pripravnosti.

But he wouldn’t be alone: Patroclus was by his side.

Međutim, nije bio sam: Patroklo je bio uz njega.

They sailed to Troy along with 1,186 ships and surged into battle.

Otplovili su u Troju zajedno sa 1 186 brodova i sjurili se u bitku.

The Trojans were led by the formidable Prince Hector,

Trojance je predvodio strašni princ Hektor,

brother of Paris and son of King Priam.

Parisov brat i sin kralja Prijama.

But they were no match for Achilles,

Međutim, nisu bili ni prineti Ahilu,

who held the upper hand for the Greeks with his striking skill.

koji je obezbeđivao nadmoć Grcima svojom veštinom udarca.

Some said Achilles was invincible because his mother dipped him into the Styx;

Neki su tvrdili da je Ahil nepobediv jer ga je majka zaronila u Stiks;

others said that she bathed him in ambrosia, the nectar of immortality.

drugi su govorili da ga je kupala u ambroziji, nektaru besmrtnosti.

Despite his talent, the war wore on for nine years

Uprkos njegovom talentu, rat se otegao na devet godina

and internal conflicts crystallized.

i unutrašnji konflikti su se iskristalisali.

Early on, Achilles took a woman named Briseis captive.

Još na početku, Ahil je zarobio ženu po imenu Briseida.

But the Greek army’s leader, King Agamemnon,

Međutim, vođa grčke vojske, kralj Agamemnon,

had grown jealous of Achilles and seized Briseis for himself.

postao je ljubomoran na Ahila i prigrabio je Briseidu za sebe.

Incensed, Achilles went on strike and the situation became dire without him.

Razjaren, Ahil je otpočeo bojkot, a bez njega situacija je postala užasna.

Patroclus witnessed the carnage firsthand.

Patroklo je iz prve ruke svedočio krvoproliću.

But still Achilles refused to fight.

Međutim, Ahil je i dalje odbijao da se bori.

Panicked at the sight of the Trojans entering the Greek encampment,

Uspaničen prizorom Trojanaca kako upadaju u grčki logor,

Patroclus urged Achilles to lend him his armor.

Patroklo je saletao Ahila da mu pozajmi njegov oklop.

The sight of Achilles alone, he argued, would drive the Trojans back.

Sami prizor Ahila, tvrdio je, nateraće Trojance na povlačenje.

Achilles agreed— provided Patroclus avoid the gates of Troy,

Ahil je pristao - pod uslovom da Patroklo izbegava kapije Troje,

from which the god Apollo protected the city.

sa kojih je bog Apolon štitio grad.

Suiting Patroclus in the armor, Achilles prayed for his safe return.

Obukavši Patrokla u oklop, Ahil se molio za njegov bezbedan povratak.

Leading a swarm of Greeks,

Predvodeći skupinu Grka,

the disguised Patroclus drove the Trojans away.

prerušeni Patroklo je odbio Trojance.

And for a few precious moments he felt as untouchable as Achilles himself.

I nekoliko dragocenih trenutaka osećao se nedodirljivim poput samog Ahila.

He hurtled towards Troy— until Apollo struck him down, knocking away his armor.

Jurio je prema Troji - dok ga Apolon nije pogodio, izbijajući oklop s njega.

Hector seized the opportunity,

Hektor je iskoristio priliku,

claiming Patroclus’ life— and Achilles’ armor.

oduzevši Patroklu život - i Ahilov oklop.

Overcome by guilt and grief,

Ophrvan krivicom i bolom,

Achilles vowed not to bury his beloved until he was avenged.

Ahil se zakleo da neće sahraniti voljenog dok ga ne osveti.

He threw himself into battle, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

Bacio se u bitku, ostavljajući za sobom trag od tela.

Soon, all Trojans had fled or perished—

Uskoro su svi Trojanci pobegli ili nestali -

all but Hector, clad in the armor that had failed to protect Patroclus.

svi osim Hektora, odevenog u oklop koji nije uspeo da zaštiti Patrokla.

Their spears clashed, but Achilles knew the armor's weak spot.

Koplja su im se sudarila, ali Ahil je znao slabu tačku na oklopu.

With a deadly strike, he took his revenge.

Smrtnim udarcem, obezbedio je sebi osvetu.

And yet, his grief and fury weren’t satisfied.

Pa ipak, njegov bol i gnev nisu zadovoljeni.

Achilles seized Hector’s body.

Ahil je zaplenio Hektorovo telo.

Denying him burial was a heinous offense, but nothing felt sacred anymore.

Odbijanje sahrane je bio gnusan prestup, ali ništa se više nije činilo svetim.

He dragged the body behind his chariot, jeering at the Trojans all the while.

Vukao je telo za svojim kočijama, sve vreme se rugajući Trojancima.

At night, the ghost of Patroclus appeared to Achilles,

Tokom noći, Patroklov duh se pojavio pred Ahilom,

warning that his death was imminent

upozoravajući ga da mu je smrt neizbežna

and asking that their bones be laid to rest together.

i zahtevajući da im kosti počivaju zajedno.

Achilles agreed and tried to embrace him, but the apparition disappeared.

Ahil je pristao i pokušao je da ga zagrli, međutim, prikaza je nestala.

Meanwhile, Priam, the Trojan king, was also tormented by grief.

U međuvremenu, Prijama, kralja Troje, takođe je razdirao bol.

He finally resolved to go to Achilles and ask him for mercy.

Naposletku je odlučio da ode do Ahila i zamoli ga za milost.

He kissed the hands that killed his son and offered payment for Hector's body.

Poljubio je ruke koje su mu ubile sina i ponudio da otkupi Hektorovo telo.

Together, they wept and shared a meal.

Zajedno su plakali i podelili hranu.

Achilles returned Hector’s corpse, praying to Patroclus for forgiveness.

Ahil je vratio Hektorov leš, moleći se Patroklu za oprost.

And with little left to lose, he returned to battle,

I nemajući šta da izgubi, vratio se u bitku,

defeating even the most skilled warriors.

porazivši čak i najveštije ratnike.

But, just as Patroclus had predicted, Achilles wouldn’t live long.

No, baš kao što je Patroklo i predvideo, Ahil neće dugo živeti.

Paris struck his heel with an arrow that some say was guided by Apollo.

Paris ga je pogodio u petu strelom,

za koju neki tvrde da ju je navodio Apolon.

The remains of Achilles and Patroclus were mingled for eternity.

Ostaci Ahila i Patrokla su isprepletani za večnost.

And the Greeks went on to win the war.

A Grci će da pobede u ratu.

But, in the course of battle,

Međutim, tokom bitke,

each side lost some of the greatest heroes of their time—

obe strane su izgubile neke od najvećih heroja svog vremena -

their zeal turning into heartbreak,

a to je njihov žar preobratilo u tugu,

even as their stories hardened into legend.

čak i dok su im se priče učvršćivale u legendu.