All 25 Uses of
aloof
in
The Iliad by Homer - (translated by: Edward)
- For Peleus' godlike son, the swift of foot, Lay idly in his tent, the loss resenting Of Brises' fair-hair'd daughter; whom himself Had chosen, prize of all his warlike toil, When he Lyrnessus and the walls of Thebes O'erthrew, and Mynes and Epistrophus Struck down, bold warriors both, Evenus' sons, Selepius' royal heir; for her in wrath, He held aloof, but soon again to appear.†
Chpt 1.2
- Then Jove, with cutting words and taunting tone, Began the wrath of Juno to provoke: "Two Goddesses for Menelaus fight, Thou, Juno, Queen of Argos, and with thee Minerva, shield of warriors; but ye two Sitting aloof, well-pleased it seems, look on; While laughter-loving Venus, at the side Of Paris standing, still averts his fate, And rescues, when, as now, expecting death.†
Chpt 1.4
- He left his horses and brass-mounted car (The champing horses by Eurymedon, The son of Ptolemy, Peiraeus' son, Were held aloof), but with repeated charge Still to be near at hand, when faint with toil His limbs should fail him marshalling his host.†
Chpt 1.4
- And thou too, master of all tricky arts, Why, ling'ring, stand ye thus aloof, and wait For others coming? ye should be the first The hot assault of battle to confront; For ye are first my summons to receive, Whene'er the honour'd banquet we prepare: And well ye like to eat the sav'ry meat, And, at your will, the luscious wine-cups drain: Now stand ye here, and unconcern'd would see Ten columns pass before you to the fight."†
Chpt 1.4
- At length the blue-ey'd Goddess, Pallas, said: "O Father, Son of Saturn, King of Kings, Well do we know thy pow'r invincible; Yet deeply grieve we for the warlike Greeks, Condemn'd to hopeless ruin; from the fight, Since such is thy command, we stand aloof; But yet some saving counsel may we give, Lest in thine anger thou destroy them quite."†
Chpt 2.8
- Juno and Pallas only sat aloof; No word they utter'd, no enquiry made.†
Chpt 2.8 *
- Well do we know thy pow'r invincible, Yet deeply grieve we for the warlike Greeks, Condemn'd to hopeless ruin: from the fight, Since such is thy command, we stand aloof; But yet some saving counsel may we give, Lest in thine anger thou destroy them quite."†
Chpt 2.8
- …he thus To golden-winged Iris gave command: "Haste thee, swift Iris, and to Hector bear From me this message; bid him, that as long As Agamemnon in the van appears, Raging, and dealing death among the ranks, He from the battle keep himself aloof, But urge the rest undaunted to maintain The stubborn fight; but should Atrides, struck By spear or arrow, to his car withdraw, He shall from me receive such pow'r to slay, As to the ships shall bear him, ere the sun Decline, and Darkness…†
Chpt 2.11
- …him thus: "Hector, thou son of Priam, sage as Jove In council, he the Universal Lord Sends thee by me this message; that as long As Agamemnon in the van appears, Raging, and dealing death amid the ranks, Thou from the battle keep thyself aloof, But urge the rest undaunted to maintain The stubborn fight; but should Atrides, struck By spear or arrow, to his car withdraw, Thou shalt from him receive such pow'r to slay As to the ships shall bear thee, ere the sun Decline, and Darkness…†
Chpt 2.11
- That ye, the best and bravest of the host, Should stand aloof thus idly, 'tis not well; If meaner men should from the battle shrink, I might not blame them; but that such as ye Should falter, indignation fills my soul.†
Chpt 2.13
- Yet not aloof he stood, but in their midst, Commingled; nor held motionless his spear; But ever threat'ning, turn'd from side to side, Prepar'd to hurl, or hand to hand engage.†
Chpt 2.13
- On ev'ry side the circling ring of war Is blazing all around thee; and, thou seest, Our valiant Trojans, since the wall they scal'd, Or stand aloof, or scatter'd 'mid the ships Outnumber'd, with superior forces strive.†
Chpt 2.13
- Then thou, retiring, hither call the chiefs; Here take we counsel fully, if to fall Upon their well-mann'd ships, should Heaven vouchsafe The needful strength, or, scatheless yet, withdraw; For much I fear they soon will pay us back Their debt of yesterday; since in their ranks One yet remains insatiate of the fight, And he, methinks, not long will stand aloof."†
Chpt 2.13
- Though wounded, to the battle I advise That we perforce repair; yet not ourselves To join the combat, or confront the spears, Lest wounds to wounds be added; but to rouse The spirits of some, who, zealous heretofore, How stand aloof, nor mingle in the fray.†
Chpt 2.14
- …his chest was driv'n: These while the Trojans of their arms despoil'd, Through ditch and palisades promiscuous dash'd The flying Greeks, and gain'd, hard-press'd, the wall; While loudly Hector to the Trojans call'd To assail the ships, and leave the bloody spoils: "Whom I elsewhere, and from the ships aloof Shall find, my hand shall doom him on the spot; For him no fun'ral pyre his kin shall light, Or male or female; but before the wall Our city's dogs his mangled flesh shall tear."†
Chpt 2.15
- His words fresh courage rous'd in ev'ry breast; And from their eyeballs Pallas purg'd away The film of darkness; and on ev'ry side, Both tow'rd the ships and tow'rd the level fight, Clear light diffus'd; there Hector they discern'd, And all his comrades, those who stood aloof, And those who near the ships maintain'd the war.†
Chpt 2.15
- …Nor Ajax yet endur'd, by hostile spears Now sorely gall'd; yet but a little space, Back to the helmsman's sev'n-foot board he mov'd, Expecting death; and left the lofty deck, Where long he stood on guard; but still his spear The Trojans kept aloof, whoe'er essay'd Amid the ships to launch th' unwearied flames; And, loudly shouting, to the Greeks he call'd: "Friends, Grecian heroes, ministers of Mars, Quit ye like men! dear friends, remember now Your wonted valour! think ye in your rear…†
Chpt 2.15
- So saying, Hector of the glancing helm, Withdrawing from the field, with rapid steps His comrades follow'd, and ere long o'ertook, Who tow'rd the town Achilles' armour bore; Then standing from the bloody fight aloof The armour he exchang'd; his own he bade The warlike Trojans to the city bear; While he, of Peleus' son, Achilles, donn'd The heav'nly armour, which th' immortal Gods Gave to his sire; he to his son convey'd; Yet in that armour grew not old that son.†
Chpt 2.17
- The tough bull's-hide they tore, and gorging lapp'd Th' intestines and dark blood; with vain attempt The herdsmen following closely, to the attack Cheer'd their swift dogs; these shunn'd the lions' jaws, And close around them baying, held aloof.†
Chpt 2.18
- When all the Greeks were closely throng'd around, Up rose Achilles swift of foot, and said: "Great son of Atreus, what hath been the gain To thee or me, since heart-consuming strife Hath fiercely rag'd between us, for a girl, Who would to Heav'n had died by Dian's shafts That day when from Lyrnessus' captur'd town I bore her off? so had not many a Greek Bitten the bloody dust, by hostile hands Subdued, while I in anger stood aloof.†
Chpt 2.19
- Then tow'rd the ranks he sprang, each sev'ral man Exhorting: "From the Trojans, valiant Greeks, No longer stand aloof; but man to man Confront the foe, and nobly dare the fight.†
Chpt 2.20
- When Hector saw his brother Polydore Writhing in death, a mist o'erspread his eyes Nor longer could he bear to stand aloof, But sprang to meet Achilles, flashing fire, His keen spear brandishing; at sight of him Up leap'd Achilles, and exulting cried: "Lo, here the man who most hath wrung my soul, Who slew my lov'd companion: now, methinks, Upon the pass of war not long shall we Stand separate, nor each the other shun."†
Chpt 2.20
- Not long they stood aloof, led on by Mars The buckler-breaker, who to Pallas first, Poising his spear, his bitter speech address'd: "What dost thou here, thou saucy jade, to war The Gods exciting, overbold of mood, Led by thy haughty spirit? dost thou forget How thou the son of Tydeus, Diomed, Didst urge against me, and with visible spear Direct his aim, and aid to wound my flesh?†
Chpt 2.21
- Thus Pallas spoke: the white-arm'd Goddess smil'd, And to Apollo thus th' Earth-shaker spoke: "Phoebus, why stand we idly thus aloof?†
Chpt 2.21
- But from the present strife we stand aloof, My horses and myself; they now have lost The daring courage and the gentle hand Of him who drove them, and with water pure Wash'd oft their manes, and bath'd with fragrant oil.†
Chpt 2.23
Definition:
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(aloof) socially distant or uninterested in something that interests others -- often thinking oneself superior to others