Iliad

The fight between Trojans and Achaeans was now left to rage as it would, and the tide of war surged hither and thither over the plain as they aimed their bronze-shod spears at one another between the streams of Simoeis and Xanthos .

Τρώων δʼ οἰώθη καὶ Ἀχαιῶν φύλοπις αἰνή·

πολλὰ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθʼ ἴθυσε μάχη πεδίοιο

ἀλλήλων ἰθυνομένων χαλκήρεα δοῦρα

μεσσηγὺς Σιμόεντος ἰδὲ Ξάνθοιο ῥοάων.

First, Ajax son of Telamon, tower of strength to the Achaeans, broke a phalanx of the Trojans, and came to the assistance of his comrades by killing Akamas son of Eussoros, the best man among the Thracians, being both brave and of great stature. The spear struck the projecting peak of his helmet: its bronze point then went through his forehead into the brain, and darkness veiled his eyes.

Αἴας δὲ πρῶτος Τελαμώνιος ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν

Τρώων ῥῆξε φάλαγγα, φόως δʼ ἑτάροισιν ἔθηκεν,

ἄνδρα βαλὼν ὃς ἄριστος ἐνὶ Θρῄκεσσι τέτυκτο

υἱὸν Ἐϋσσώρου Ἀκάμαντʼ ἠΰν τε μέγαν τε.

τόν ῥʼ ἔβαλε πρῶτος κόρυθος φάλον ἱπποδασείης,

ἐν δὲ μετώπῳ πῆξε, πέρησε δʼ ἄρʼ ὀστέον εἴσω

Then Diomedes killed Axylos son of Teuthranos, a rich man who lived in the strong city of Arisbe, and was beloved by all men; for he had a house by the roadside, and entertained every one who passed; howbeit not one of his guests stood before him to save his life, and Diomedes killed both him and his squire [ therapôn ] Kalesios, who was then his charioteer - so the pair passed beneath the earth.

αἰχμὴ χαλκείη· τὸν δὲ σκότος ὄσσε κάλυψεν.

Ἄξυλον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπεφνε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης

Τευθρανίδην, ὃς ἔναιεν ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν Ἀρίσβῃ

ἀφνειὸς βιότοιο, φίλος δʼ ἦν ἀνθρώποισι.

πάντας γὰρ φιλέεσκεν ὁδῷ ἔπι οἰκία ναίων.

ἀλλά οἱ οὔ τις τῶν γε τότʼ ἤρκεσε λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον

πρόσθεν ὑπαντιάσας, ἀλλʼ ἄμφω θυμὸν ἀπηύρα

αὐτὸν καὶ θεράποντα Καλήσιον, ὅς ῥα τόθʼ ἵππων

ἔσκεν ὑφηνίοχος· τὼ δʼ ἄμφω γαῖαν ἐδύτην.

Euryalos killed Dresus and Opheltios, and then went in pursuit of Aesepos and Pedasos, whom the naiad nymph Abarbarea had borne to noble Bucolion. Bucolion was eldest son to Laomedon, but he was a bastard. While tending his sheep he had converse with the nymph, and she conceived twin sons; these the son of Mekisteus now slew, and he stripped the armor from their shoulders.

Δρῆσον δʼ Εὐρύαλος καὶ Ὀφέλτιον ἐξενάριξε·

βῆ δὲ μετʼ Αἴσηπον καὶ Πήδασον, οὕς ποτε νύμφη

νηῒς Ἀβαρβαρέη τέκʼ ἀμύμονι Βουκολίωνι.

Βουκολίων δʼ ἦν υἱὸς ἀγαυοῦ Λαομέδοντος

πρεσβύτατος γενεῇ, σκότιον δέ ἑ γείνατο μήτηρ·

ποιμαίνων δʼ ἐπʼ ὄεσσι μίγη φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ,

ἣ δʼ ὑποκυσαμένη διδυμάονε γείνατο παῖδε.

καὶ μὲν τῶν ὑπέλυσε μένος καὶ φαίδιμα γυῖα

Polypoites then killed Astyalos, Odysseus Pidytes of Perkote, and Teucer Aretaon. Ablerus fell by the spear of Nestor's son Antilokhos, and Agamemnon, king of men, killed Elatus who dwelt in Pedasos by the banks of the river Satnioeis. Leitos killed Phylakos as he was fleeing, and Eurypylos slew Melanthos. Then Menelaos of the loud war-cry took Adrastos alive, for his horses ran into a tamarisk bush, as they were flying wildly over the plain, and broke the pole from the car; they went on towards the city along with the others in full flight, but Adrastos rolled out, and fell in the dust flat on his face by the wheel of his chariot; Menelaos came up to him spear in hand, but Adrastos caught him by the knees begging for his life. "Take me alive," he cried, "son of Atreus, and you shall have a full ransom for me: my father is rich and has much treasure of gold, bronze, and wrought iron laid by in his house. From this store he will give you a large ransom should he hear of my being alive and at the ships of the Achaeans."

Μηκιστηϊάδης καὶ ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἐσύλα.

Ἀστύαλον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπεφνε μενεπτόλεμος Πολυποίτης·

Πιδύτην δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς Περκώσιον ἐξενάριξεν

ἔγχεϊ χαλκείῳ, Τεῦκρος δʼ Ἀρετάονα δῖον.

Ἀντίλοχος δʼ Ἄβληρον ἐνήρατο δουρὶ φαεινῷ

Νεστορίδης, Ἔλατον δὲ ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

ναῖε δὲ Σατνιόεντος ἐϋρρείταο παρʼ ὄχθας

Πήδασον αἰπεινήν. Φύλακον δʼ ἕλε Λήϊτος ἥρως

φεύγοντʼ· Εὐρύπυλος δὲ Μελάνθιον ἐξενάριξεν.

Ἄδρηστον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος

ζωὸν ἕλʼ· ἵππω γάρ οἱ ἀτυζομένω πεδίοιο

ὄζῳ ἔνι βλαφθέντε μυρικίνῳ ἀγκύλον ἅρμα

ἄξαντʼ ἐν πρώτῳ ῥυμῷ αὐτὼ μὲν ἐβήτην

πρὸς πόλιν, ᾗ περ οἱ ἄλλοι ἀτυζόμενοι φοβέοντο,

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ δίφροιο παρὰ τροχὸν ἐξεκυλίσθη

πρηνὴς ἐν κονίῃσιν ἐπὶ στόμα· πὰρ δέ οἱ ἔστη

Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἔχων δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος.

Ἄδρηστος δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα λαβὼν ἐλίσσετο γούνων·

ζώγρει Ἀτρέος υἱέ, σὺ δʼ ἄξια δέξαι ἄποινα·

πολλὰ δʼ ἐν ἀφνειοῦ πατρὸς κειμήλια κεῖται

χαλκός τε χρυσός τε πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος,

τῶν κέν τοι χαρίσαιτο πατὴρ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα

εἴ κεν ἐμὲ ζωὸν πεπύθοιτʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.

Thus did he plead, and Menelaos was for yielding and giving him to a squire [ therapôn ] to take to the ships of the Achaeans, but Agamemnon came running up to him and rebuked him. "My good Menelaos," said he, "this is no time for giving quarter. Has, then, your house fared so well at the hands of the Trojans? Let us not spare a single one of them - not even the child unborn and in its mother's womb; let not a man of them be left alive, but let all in Ilion perish, unheeded and forgotten."

ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔπειθε·

καὶ δή μιν τάχʼ ἔμελλε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν

δώσειν ᾧ θεράποντι καταξέμεν· ἀλλʼ Ἀγαμέμνων

ἀντίος ἦλθε θέων, καὶ ὁμοκλήσας ἔπος ηὔδα·

ὦ πέπον ὦ Μενέλαε, τί ἢ δὲ σὺ κήδεαι οὕτως

ἀνδρῶν; ἦ σοὶ ἄριστα πεποίηται κατὰ οἶκον

πρὸς Τρώων; τῶν μή τις ὑπεκφύγοι αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον

χεῖράς θʼ ἡμετέρας, μηδʼ ὅν τινα γαστέρι μήτηρ

κοῦρον ἐόντα φέροι, μηδʼ ὃς φύγοι, ἀλλʼ ἅμα πάντες

Ἰλίου ἐξαπολοίατʼ ἀκήδεστοι καὶ ἄφαντοι.

Thus did he speak, and his brother was persuaded by him, for his words were just. Menelaos, therefore, thrust Adrastos from him, whereon King Agamemnon struck him in the flank, and he fell: then the son of Atreus planted his foot upon his breast to draw his spear from the body.

ὣς εἰπὼν ἔτρεψεν ἀδελφειοῦ φρένας ἥρως

αἴσιμα παρειπών· ὃ δʼ ἀπὸ ἕθεν ὤσατο χειρὶ

ἥρωʼ Ἄδρηστον· τὸν δὲ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

οὖτα κατὰ λαπάρην· ὃ δʼ ἀνετράπετʼ, Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ

λὰξ ἐν στήθεσι βὰς ἐξέσπασε μείλινον ἔγχος.

Meanwhile Nestor shouted to the Argives, saying, "My friends, Danaan warriors, squires [therapontes] of Ares, let no man lag that he may spoil the dead, and bring back much booty to the ships. Let us kill as many as we can; the bodies will lie upon the plain, and you can despoil them later at your leisure."

Νέστωρ δʼ Ἀργείοισιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·

ὦ φίλοι ἥρωες Δαναοὶ θεράποντες Ἄρηος

μή τις νῦν ἐνάρων ἐπιβαλλόμενος μετόπισθε

μιμνέτω ὥς κε πλεῖστα φέρων ἐπὶ νῆας ἵκηται,

ἀλλʼ ἄνδρας κτείνωμεν· ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἕκηλοι

νεκροὺς ἂμ πεδίον συλήσετε τεθνηῶτας.

With these words he put heart and soul into them all. And now the Trojans would have been routed and driven back into Ilion , had not Priam's son Helenos, wisest of augurs, said to Hektor and Aeneas, "Hektor and Aeneas, the labors of you two make you the mainstays of the Trojans and Lycians, for you are foremost at all times, alike in fight and counsel; hold your ground here, and go about among the host to rally them in front of the gates, or they will fling themselves into the arms of their wives, to the great joy of our foes. Then, when you have put heart into all our companies, we will stand firm here and fight the Danaans however hard they press us, for there is nothing else to be done. Meanwhile do you, Hektor, go to the city and tell our mother what is happening. Tell her to bid the matrons gather at the temple of Athena in the acropolis; let her then take her key and open the doors of the sacred building; there, upon the knees of Athena, let her lay the largest, fairest robe she has in her house - the one she sets most store by; let her, moreover, promise to sacrifice twelve yearling heifers that have never yet felt the goad, in the temple of the goddess, if she will take pity on the town, with the wives and little ones of the Trojans, and keep the son of Tydeus from falling on the goodly city of Ilion ; for he fights with fury and fills men's souls with panic. I hold him mightiest of them all; we did not fear even their great champion Achilles, son of a goddess though he be, as we do this man: his rage is beyond all bounds, and there is none can vie with him in prowess"

ὣς εἰπὼν ὄτρυνε μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἑκάστου.

ἔνθά κεν αὖτε Τρῶες ἀρηϊφίλων ὑπʼ Ἀχαιῶν

Ἴλιον εἰσανέβησαν ἀναλκείῃσι δαμέντες,

εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ Αἰνείᾳ τε καὶ Ἕκτορι εἶπε παραστὰς

Πριαμίδης Ἕλενος οἰωνοπόλων ὄχʼ ἄριστος·

Αἰνεία τε καὶ Ἕκτορ, ἐπεὶ πόνος ὔμμι μάλιστα

Τρώων καὶ Λυκίων ἐγκέκλιται, οὕνεκʼ ἄριστοι

πᾶσαν ἐπʼ ἰθύν ἐστε μάχεσθαί τε φρονέειν τε,

στῆτʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ λαὸν ἐρυκάκετε πρὸ πυλάων

πάντῃ ἐποιχόμενοι πρὶν αὖτʼ ἐν χερσὶ γυναικῶν

φεύγοντας πεσέειν, δηΐοισι δὲ χάρμα γενέσθαι.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί κε φάλαγγας ἐποτρύνητον ἁπάσας,

ἡμεῖς μὲν Δαναοῖσι μαχησόμεθʼ αὖθι μένοντες,

καὶ μάλα τειρόμενοί περ· ἀναγκαίη γὰρ ἐπείγει·

Ἕκτορ ἀτὰρ σὺ πόλιν δὲ μετέρχεο, εἰπὲ δʼ ἔπειτα

μητέρι σῇ καὶ ἐμῇ· ἣ δὲ ξυνάγουσα γεραιὰς

νηὸν Ἀθηναίης γλαυκώπιδος ἐν πόλει ἄκρῃ

οἴξασα κληῗδι θύρας ἱεροῖο δόμοιο

πέπλον, ὅς οἱ δοκέει χαριέστατος ἠδὲ μέγιστος

εἶναι ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ καί οἱ πολὺ φίλτατος αὐτῇ,

θεῖναι Ἀθηναίης ἐπὶ γούνασιν ἠϋκόμοιο,

καί οἱ ὑποσχέσθαι δυοκαίδεκα βοῦς ἐνὶ νηῷ

ἤνις ἠκέστας ἱερευσέμεν, αἴ κʼ ἐλεήσῃ

ἄστύ τε καὶ Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα,

ὥς κεν Τυδέος υἱὸν ἀπόσχῃ Ἰλίου ἱρῆς

ἄγριον αἰχμητὴν κρατερὸν μήστωρα φόβοιο,

ὃν δὴ ἐγὼ κάρτιστον Ἀχαιῶν φημι γενέσθαι.

οὐδʼ Ἀχιλῆά ποθʼ ὧδέ γʼ ἐδείδιμεν ὄρχαμον ἀνδρῶν,

ὅν πέρ φασι θεᾶς ἐξέμμεναι· ἀλλʼ ὅδε λίην

μαίνεται, οὐδέ τίς οἱ δύναται μένος ἰσοφαρίζειν.

Hektor did as his brother bade him. He sprang from his chariot, and went about everywhere among the host, brandishing his spears, urging the men on to fight, and raising the dread cry of battle. Thereon they rallied and again faced the Achaeans,

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἕκτωρ δʼ οὔ τι κασιγνήτῳ ἀπίθησεν.

αὐτίκα δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων σὺν τεύχεσιν ἆλτο χαμᾶζε,

πάλλων δʼ ὀξέα δοῦρα κατὰ στρατὸν ᾤχετο πάντῃ

ὀτρύνων μαχέσασθαι, ἔγειρε δὲ φύλοπιν αἰνήν.

οἳ δʼ ἐλελίχθησαν καὶ ἐναντίοι ἔσταν Ἀχαιῶν·

Ἀργεῖοι δʼ ὑπεχώρησαν, λῆξαν δὲ φόνοιο,

who gave ground and ceased their murderous onset, for they deemed that some one of the immortals had come down from starry heaven to help the Trojans, so strangely had they rallied. And Hektor shouted to the Trojans, "Trojans and allies, be men, my friends, and fight with might and main, while I go to Ilion and tell the old men of our council and our wives to pray to the gods [ daimones ] and vow hecatombs in their honor."

φὰν δέ τινʼ ἀθανάτων ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος

Τρωσὶν ἀλεξήσοντα κατελθέμεν, ὡς ἐλέλιχθεν.

Ἕκτωρ δὲ Τρώεσσιν ἐκέκλετο μακρὸν ἀΰσας·

Τρῶες ὑπέρθυμοι τηλεκλειτοί τʼ ἐπίκουροι

ἀνέρες ἔστε φίλοι, μνήσασθε δὲ θούριδος ἀλκῆς,

ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ βείω προτὶ Ἴλιον, ἠδὲ γέρουσιν

εἴπω βουλευτῇσι καὶ ἡμετέρῃς ἀλόχοισι

δαίμοσιν ἀρήσασθαι, ὑποσχέσθαι δʼ ἑκατόμβας.

With this he went his way, and the black rim of hide that went round his shield beat against his neck and his ankles.

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

ἀμφὶ δέ μιν σφυρὰ τύπτε καὶ αὐχένα δέρμα κελαινὸν

ἄντυξ ἣ πυμάτη θέεν ἀσπίδος ὀμφαλοέσσης.

Then Glaukos son of Hippolokhos, and the son of Tydeus went into the open space between the hosts to fight in single combat. When they were close up to one another Diomedes of the loud war-cry was the first to speak. "Who, my good sir," said he, "who are you among men? I have never seen you in battle until now, but you are daring beyond all others if you abide my onset. Woe to those fathers whose sons face my might. If, however, you are one of the immortals and have come down from heaven, I will not fight you; for even valiant Lycurgus, son of Dryas, did not live long when he took to fighting with the gods. He it was that drove the nursing women who were in charge of frenzied Bacchus through the land of Nysa , and they flung their thyrsi on the ground as murderous Lycurgus beat them with his oxgoad. Bacchus himself plunged terror-stricken into the sea, and Thetis took him to her bosom to comfort him, for he was scared by the fury with which the man reviled him. Thereon the gods who live at ease were angry with Lycurgus and the son of Kronos struck him blind, nor did he live much longer after he had become hateful to the immortals. Therefore I will not fight with the blessed gods; but if you are of them that eat the fruit of the ground, draw near and meet your doom."

Γλαῦκος δʼ Ἱππολόχοιο πάϊς καὶ Τυδέος υἱὸς

ἐς μέσον ἀμφοτέρων συνίτην μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι.

οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντε,

τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

τίς δὲ σύ ἐσσι φέριστε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων;

οὐ μὲν γάρ ποτʼ ὄπωπα μάχῃ ἔνι κυδιανείρῃ

τὸ πρίν· ἀτὰρ μὲν νῦν γε πολὺ προβέβηκας ἁπάντων

σῷ θάρσει, ὅ τʼ ἐμὸν δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος ἔμεινας·

δυστήνων δέ τε παῖδες ἐμῷ μένει ἀντιόωσιν.

εἰ δέ τις ἀθανάτων γε κατʼ οὐρανοῦ εἰλήλουθας,

οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγε θεοῖσιν ἐπουρανίοισι μαχοίμην.

οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ Δρύαντος υἱὸς κρατερὸς Λυκόοργος

δὴν ἦν, ὅς ῥα θεοῖσιν ἐπουρανίοισιν ἔριζεν·

ὅς ποτε μαινομένοιο Διωνύσοιο τιθήνας

σεῦε κατʼ ἠγάθεον Νυσήϊον· αἳ δʼ ἅμα πᾶσαι

θύσθλα χαμαὶ κατέχευαν ὑπʼ ἀνδροφόνοιο Λυκούργου

θεινόμεναι βουπλῆγι· Διώνυσος δὲ φοβηθεὶς

δύσεθʼ ἁλὸς κατὰ κῦμα, Θέτις δʼ ὑπεδέξατο κόλπῳ

δειδιότα· κρατερὸς γὰρ ἔχε τρόμος ἀνδρὸς ὁμοκλῇ.

τῷ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ὀδύσαντο θεοὶ ῥεῖα ζώοντες,

καί μιν τυφλὸν ἔθηκε Κρόνου πάϊς· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτι δὴν

ἦν, ἐπεὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀπήχθετο πᾶσι θεοῖσιν·

οὐδʼ ἂν ἐγὼ μακάρεσσι θεοῖς ἐθέλοιμι μάχεσθαι.

εἰ δέ τίς ἐσσι βροτῶν οἳ ἀρούρης καρπὸν ἔδουσιν,

ἆσσον ἴθʼ ὥς κεν θᾶσσον ὀλέθρου πείραθʼ ἵκηαι.

And the son of Hippolokhos answered, son of Tydeus, why ask me of my lineage? Men come and go as leaves year by year upon the trees. Those of autumn the wind sheds upon the ground, but when the season [ hôra ] of spring returns the forest buds forth with fresh vines.

τὸν δʼ αὖθʼ Ἱππολόχοιο προσηύδα φαίδιμος υἱός·

Τυδεΐδη μεγάθυμε τί ἢ γενεὴν ἐρεείνεις;

οἵη περ φύλλων γενεὴ τοίη δὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν.

φύλλα τὰ μέν τʼ ἄνεμος χαμάδις χέει, ἄλλα δέ θʼ ὕλη

τηλεθόωσα φύει, ἔαρος δʼ ἐπιγίγνεται ὥρη·

Even so is it with the generations of humankind, the new spring up as the old are passing away. If, then, you would learn my descent, it is one that is well known to many. There is a city in the heart of Argos , pasture land of horses, called Ephyra , where Sisyphus lived, who was the craftiest of all humankind. He was the son of Aeolus, and had a son named Glaukos, who was father to Bellerophon, whom heaven endowed with the most surpassing comeliness and beauty. But Proetus devised his ruin, and being stronger than he, drove him from the district [ dêmos ] of the Argives, over which Zeus had made him ruler. For Antaea, wife of Proetus, lusted after him, and would have had him lie with her in secret; but Bellerophon was an honorable man and would not, so she told lies about him to Proetus. ‘Proetus,’ said she, ‘kill Bellerophon or die, for he would have had converse with me against my will.’ The king was angered, but shrank from killing Bellerophon, so he sent him to Lycia bearing baneful signs [ sêmata ], written inside a folded tablet and containing much ill against the bearer. He bade Bellerophon show these written signs to his father-in-law, to the end that he might thus perish; Bellerophon therefore went to Lycia , and the gods convoyed him safely.

ὣς ἀνδρῶν γενεὴ ἣ μὲν φύει ἣ δʼ ἀπολήγει.

εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις καὶ ταῦτα δαήμεναι ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῇς

ἡμετέρην γενεήν, πολλοὶ δέ μιν ἄνδρες ἴσασιν·

ἔστι πόλις Ἐφύρη μυχῷ Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο,

ἔνθα δὲ Σίσυφος ἔσκεν, ὃ κέρδιστος γένετʼ ἀνδρῶν,

Σίσυφος Αἰολίδης· ὃ δʼ ἄρα Γλαῦκον τέκεθʼ υἱόν,

αὐτὰρ Γλαῦκος τίκτεν ἀμύμονα Βελλεροφόντην·

τῷ δὲ θεοὶ κάλλός τε καὶ ἠνορέην ἐρατεινὴν

ὤπασαν· αὐτάρ οἱ Προῖτος κακὰ μήσατο θυμῷ,

ὅς ῥʼ ἐκ δήμου ἔλασσεν, ἐπεὶ πολὺ φέρτερος ἦεν,

Ἀργείων· Ζεὺς γάρ οἱ ὑπὸ σκήπτρῳ ἐδάμασσε.

τῷ δὲ γυνὴ Προίτου ἐπεμήνατο δῖʼ Ἄντεια

κρυπταδίῃ φιλότητι μιγήμεναι· ἀλλὰ τὸν οὔ τι

πεῖθʼ ἀγαθὰ φρονέοντα δαΐφρονα Βελλεροφόντην.

ἣ δὲ ψευσαμένη Προῖτον βασιλῆα προσηύδα·

τεθναίης ὦ Προῖτʼ, ἢ κάκτανε Βελλεροφόντην,

ὅς μʼ ἔθελεν φιλότητι μιγήμεναι οὐκ ἐθελούσῃ.

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δὲ ἄνακτα χόλος λάβεν οἷον ἄκουσε·

κτεῖναι μέν ῥʼ ἀλέεινε, σεβάσσατο γὰρ τό γε θυμῷ,

πέμπε δέ μιν Λυκίην δέ, πόρεν δʼ ὅ γε σήματα λυγρὰ

γράψας ἐν πίνακι πτυκτῷ θυμοφθόρα πολλά,

δεῖξαι δʼ ἠνώγειν ᾧ πενθερῷ ὄφρʼ ἀπόλοιτο.

αὐτὰρ ὁ βῆ Λυκίην δὲ θεῶν ὑπʼ ἀμύμονι πομπῇ.

"When he reached the river Xanthos , which is in Lycia , the king received him with all goodwill, feasted him nine days, and killed nine heifers in his honor, but when rosy-fingered morning appeared upon the tenth day, he questioned him and desired to see the written signs [ sêmata ] from his son-in-law Proetus. When he had received the wicked written signs [ sêmata ] he first commanded Bellerophon to kill that savage monster, the Chimaera, who was not a human being, but a goddess, for she had the head of a lion and the tail of a serpent, while her body was that of a goat, and she breathed forth flames of fire; but Bellerophon slew her, for he was guided by signs from heaven. He next fought the far-famed Solymoi, and this, he said, was the hardest of all his battles.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Λυκίην ἷξε Ξάνθόν τε ῥέοντα,

προφρονέως μιν τῖεν ἄναξ Λυκίης εὐρείης·

ἐννῆμαρ ξείνισσε καὶ ἐννέα βοῦς ἱέρευσεν.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ δεκάτη ἐφάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠὼς

καὶ τότε μιν ἐρέεινε καὶ ᾔτεε σῆμα ἰδέσθαι

ὅττί ῥά οἱ γαμβροῖο πάρα Προίτοιο φέροιτο.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σῆμα κακὸν παρεδέξατο γαμβροῦ,

πρῶτον μέν ῥα Χίμαιραν ἀμαιμακέτην ἐκέλευσε

πεφνέμεν· ἣ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔην θεῖον γένος οὐδʼ ἀνθρώπων,

πρόσθε λέων, ὄπιθεν δὲ δράκων, μέσση δὲ χίμαιρα,

δεινὸν ἀποπνείουσα πυρὸς μένος αἰθομένοιο,

καὶ τὴν μὲν κατέπεφνε θεῶν τεράεσσι πιθήσας.

δεύτερον αὖ Σολύμοισι μαχέσσατο κυδαλίμοισι·

καρτίστην δὴ τήν γε μάχην φάτο δύμεναι ἀνδρῶν.

Thirdly, he killed the Amazons, women who were the peers of men, and as he was returning thence the king devised yet another plan for his destruction; he picked [ krinô ] the bravest warriors in all Lycia , and placed them in ambuscade, but not a man ever came back, for Bellerophon killed every one of them. Then the king knew that he must be the valiant offspring of a god, so he kept him in Lycia , gave him his daughter in marriage, and made him of equal honor [ timê ] in the kingdom with himself; and the Lycians gave him a piece of land, the best in all the country, fair with vineyards and tilled fields, to have and to hold.

τὸ τρίτον αὖ κατέπεφνεν Ἀμαζόνας ἀντιανείρας.

τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀνερχομένῳ πυκινὸν δόλον ἄλλον ὕφαινε·

κρίνας ἐκ Λυκίης εὐρείης φῶτας ἀρίστους

εἷσε λόχον· τοὶ δʼ οὔ τι πάλιν οἶκον δὲ νέοντο·

πάντας γὰρ κατέπεφνεν ἀμύμων Βελλεροφόντης.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ γίγνωσκε θεοῦ γόνον ἠῢν ἐόντα

αὐτοῦ μιν κατέρυκε, δίδου δʼ ὅ γε θυγατέρα ἥν,

δῶκε δέ οἱ τιμῆς βασιληΐδος ἥμισυ πάσης·

καὶ μέν οἱ Λύκιοι τέμενος τάμον ἔξοχον ἄλλων

καλὸν φυταλιῆς καὶ ἀρούρης, ὄφρα νέμοιτο.

"The king's daughter bore Bellerophon three children, Isandros, Hippolokhos, and Laodameia. Zeus, the lord of counsel, lay with Laodameia, and she bore him noble Sarpedon; but when Bellerophon came to be hated by all the gods, he wandered all desolate and dismayed upon the Alean plain, gnawing at his own heart, and shunning the path of man. Ares, insatiate of battle, killed his son Isandros while he was fighting the Solymi; his daughter was killed by Artemis of the golden reins, for she was angered with her; but Hippolokhos was father to myself, and when he sent me to Troy he urged me again and again to fight ever among the foremost and outvie my peers, so as not to shame the blood of my fathers who were the noblest in Ephyra and in all Lycia . This, then, is the descent I claim."

ἣ δʼ ἔτεκε τρία τέκνα δαΐφρονι Βελλεροφόντῃ

Ἴσανδρόν τε καὶ Ἱππόλοχον καὶ Λαοδάμειαν.

Λαοδαμείῃ μὲν παρελέξατο μητίετα Ζεύς,

ἣ δʼ ἔτεκʼ ἀντίθεον Σαρπηδόνα χαλκοκορυστήν.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ καὶ κεῖνος ἀπήχθετο πᾶσι θεοῖσιν,

ἤτοι ὃ κὰπ πεδίον τὸ Ἀλήϊον οἶος ἀλᾶτο

ὃν θυμὸν κατέδων, πάτον ἀνθρώπων ἀλεείνων·

Ἴσανδρον δέ οἱ υἱὸν Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο

μαρνάμενον Σολύμοισι κατέκτανε κυδαλίμοισι·

τὴν δὲ χολωσαμένη χρυσήνιος Ἄρτεμις ἔκτα.

Ἱππόλοχος δέ μʼ ἔτικτε, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ φημι γενέσθαι·

πέμπε δέ μʼ ἐς Τροίην, καί μοι μάλα πόλλʼ ἐπέτελλεν

αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν καὶ ὑπείροχον ἔμμεναι ἄλλων,

μηδὲ γένος πατέρων αἰσχυνέμεν, οἳ μέγʼ ἄριστοι

ἔν τʼ Ἐφύρῃ ἐγένοντο καὶ ἐν Λυκίῃ εὐρείῃ.

ταύτης τοι γενεῆς τε καὶ αἵματος εὔχομαι εἶναι.

Thus did he speak, and the heart of Diomedes was glad. He planted his spear in the ground, and spoke to him with friendly words. "Then," he said, you are an old friend of my father's house. Great Oeneus once entertained Bellerophon for twenty days, and the two exchanged presents. Oeneus gave a belt rich with purple, and Bellerophon a double cup, which I left at home when I set out for Troy . I do not remember Tydeus, for he was taken from us while I was yet a child, when the army of the Achaeans was cut to pieces before Thebes .

ὣς φάτο, γήθησεν δὲ βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·

ἔγχος μὲν κατέπηξεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ,

αὐτὰρ ὃ μειλιχίοισι προσηύδα ποιμένα λαῶν·

ἦ ῥά νύ μοι ξεῖνος πατρώϊός ἐσσι παλαιός·

Οἰνεὺς γάρ ποτε δῖος ἀμύμονα Βελλεροφόντην

ξείνισʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἐείκοσιν ἤματʼ ἐρύξας·

οἳ δὲ καὶ ἀλλήλοισι πόρον ξεινήϊα καλά·

Οἰνεὺς μὲν ζωστῆρα δίδου φοίνικι φαεινόν,

Βελλεροφόντης δὲ χρύσεον δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον

καί μιν ἐγὼ κατέλειπον ἰὼν ἐν δώμασʼ ἐμοῖσι.

Τυδέα δʼ οὐ μέμνημαι, ἐπεί μʼ ἔτι τυτθὸν ἐόντα

κάλλιφʼ, ὅτʼ ἐν Θήβῃσιν ἀπώλετο λαὸς Ἀχαιῶν.

Henceforth, however, I must be your host in middle Argos , and you mine in Lycia , if I should ever go to that district [ dêmos ]; let us avoid one another's spears even during a general engagement; there are many noble Trojans and allies whom I can kill, if I overtake them and heaven delivers them into my hand; so again with yourself, there are many Achaeans whose lives you may take if you can; we two, then, will exchange armor, that all present may know of the old ties that subsist between us."

τὼ νῦν σοὶ μὲν ἐγὼ ξεῖνος φίλος Ἄργεϊ μέσσῳ

εἰμί, σὺ δʼ ἐν Λυκίῃ ὅτε κεν τῶν δῆμον ἵκωμαι.

ἔγχεα δʼ ἀλλήλων ἀλεώμεθα καὶ διʼ ὁμίλου·

πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐμοὶ Τρῶες κλειτοί τʼ ἐπίκουροι

κτείνειν ὅν κε θεός γε πόρῃ καὶ ποσσὶ κιχείω,

πολλοὶ δʼ αὖ σοὶ Ἀχαιοὶ ἐναιρέμεν ὅν κε δύνηαι.

τεύχεα δʼ ἀλλήλοις ἐπαμείψομεν, ὄφρα καὶ οἵδε

γνῶσιν ὅτι ξεῖνοι πατρώϊοι εὐχόμεθʼ εἶναι.

With these words they sprang from their chariots, grasped one another's hands, and plighted friendship. But the son of Kronos made Glaukos take leave of his wits, for he exchanged golden armor for bronze, the worth of a hundred head of cattle for the worth of nine.

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσαντε καθʼ ἵππων ἀΐξαντε

χεῖράς τʼ ἀλλήλων λαβέτην καὶ πιστώσαντο·

ἔνθʼ αὖτε Γλαύκῳ Κρονίδης φρένας ἐξέλετο Ζεύς,

ὃς πρὸς Τυδεΐδην Διομήδεα τεύχεʼ ἄμειβε

χρύσεα χαλκείων, ἑκατόμβοιʼ ἐννεαβοίων.

Now when Hektor reached the Scaean gates and the oak tree, the wives and daughters of the Trojans came running towards him to ask after their sons, brothers, kinsmen, and husbands: he told them to set about praying to the gods, and many were made sorrowful as they heard him.

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὡς Σκαιάς τε πύλας καὶ φηγὸν ἵκανεν,

ἀμφʼ ἄρα μιν Τρώων ἄλοχοι θέον ἠδὲ θύγατρες

εἰρόμεναι παῖδάς τε κασιγνήτους τε ἔτας τε

καὶ πόσιας· ὃ δʼ ἔπειτα θεοῖς εὔχεσθαι ἀνώγει

πάσας ἑξείης· πολλῇσι δὲ κήδεʼ ἐφῆπτο.

Presently he reached the splendid palace of King Priam, adorned with colonnades of hewn stone. In it there were fifty bedchambers - all of hewn stone - built near one another, where the sons of Priam slept, each with his wedded wife. Opposite these, on the other side the courtyard, there were twelve upper rooms also of hewn stone for Priam's daughters, built near one another, where his sons-in-law slept with their wives. When Hektor got there, his fond mother came up to him with Laodike the fairest of her daughters. She took his hand within her own and said, "My son, why have you left the battle to come hither? Are the Achaeans, woe betide them, pressing you hard about the city that you have thought fit to come and uplift your hands to Zeus from the citadel? Wait till I can bring you wine that you may make offering to Zeus and to the other immortals, and may then drink and be refreshed. Wine gives a man fresh strength when he is wearied, as you now are with fighting on behalf of your kinsmen."

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Πριάμοιο δόμον περικαλλέʼ ἵκανε

ξεστῇς αἰθούσῃσι τετυγμένον· αὐτὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ

πεντήκοντʼ ἔνεσαν θάλαμοι ξεστοῖο λίθοιο

πλησίον ἀλλήλων δεδμημένοι, ἔνθα δὲ παῖδες

κοιμῶντο Πριάμοιο παρὰ μνηστῇς ἀλόχοισι,

κουράων δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐναντίοι ἔνδοθεν αὐλῆς

δώδεκʼ ἔσαν τέγεοι θάλαμοι ξεστοῖο λίθοιο

πλησίον ἀλλήλων δεδμημένοι, ἔνθα δὲ γαμβροὶ

κοιμῶντο Πριάμοιο παρʼ αἰδοίῃς ἀλόχοισιν·

ἔνθά οἱ ἠπιόδωρος ἐναντίη ἤλυθε μήτηρ

Λαοδίκην ἐσάγουσα θυγατρῶν εἶδος ἀρίστην·

ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·

τέκνον τίπτε λιπὼν πόλεμον θρασὺν εἰλήλουθας;

ἦ μάλα δὴ τείρουσι δυσώνυμοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν

μαρνάμενοι περὶ ἄστυ· σὲ δʼ ἐνθάδε θυμὸς ἀνῆκεν

ἐλθόντʼ ἐξ ἄκρης πόλιος Διὶ χεῖρας ἀνασχεῖν.

ἀλλὰ μένʼ ὄφρά κέ τοι μελιηδέα οἶνον ἐνείκω,

ὡς σπείσῃς Διὶ πατρὶ καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισι

πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δὲ καὐτὸς ὀνήσεαι αἴ κε πίῃσθα.

ἀνδρὶ δὲ κεκμηῶτι μένος μέγα οἶνος ἀέξει,

ὡς τύνη κέκμηκας ἀμύνων σοῖσιν ἔτῃσι.

And Hektor answered, "Honored mother, bring no wine, lest you unman me and I forget my strength. I dare not make a drink-offering to Zeus with unwashed hands; one who is bespattered with blood and filth may not pray to the son of Kronos. Get the matrons together, and go with offerings to the temple of Athena driver of the spoil; there, upon the knees of Athena, lay the largest and fairest robe you have in your house - the one you set most store by; promise, moreover, to sacrifice twelve yearling heifers that have never yet felt the goad, in the temple of the goddess if she will take pity on the town, with the wives and little ones of the Trojans, and keep the son of Tydeus from off the goodly city of Ilion , for he fights with fury, and fills men's souls with panic. Go, then, to the temple of Athena, while I seek Paris and exhort him, if he will hear my words. Would that the earth might open her jaws and swallow him, for Zeus bred him to be the bane of the Trojans, and of Priam and Priam's sons. Could I but see him go down into the house of Hades, my heart would forget its heaviness."

τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

μή μοι οἶνον ἄειρε μελίφρονα πότνια μῆτερ,

μή μʼ ἀπογυιώσῃς μένεος, ἀλκῆς τε λάθωμαι·

χερσὶ δʼ ἀνίπτοισιν Διὶ λείβειν αἴθοπα οἶνον

ἅζομαι· οὐδέ πῃ ἔστι κελαινεφέϊ Κρονίωνι

αἵματι καὶ λύθρῳ πεπαλαγμένον εὐχετάασθαι.

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν πρὸς νηὸν Ἀθηναίης ἀγελείης

ἔρχεο σὺν θυέεσσιν ἀολλίσσασα γεραιάς·

πέπλον δʼ, ὅς τίς τοι χαριέστατος ἠδὲ μέγιστος

ἔστιν ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ καί τοι πολὺ φίλτατος αὐτῇ,

τὸν θὲς Ἀθηναίης ἐπὶ γούνασιν ἠϋκόμοιο,

καί οἱ ὑποσχέσθαι δυοκαίδεκα βοῦς ἐνὶ νηῷ

ἤνις ἠκέστας ἱερευσέμεν, αἴ κʼ ἐλεήσῃ

ἄστύ τε καὶ Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα,

αἴ κεν Τυδέος υἱὸν ἀπόσχῃ Ἰλίου ἱρῆς

ἄγριον αἰχμητὴν κρατερὸν μήστωρα φόβοιο.

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν πρὸς νηὸν Ἀθηναίης ἀγελείης

ἔρχευ, ἐγὼ δὲ Πάριν μετελεύσομαι ὄφρα καλέσσω

αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσʼ εἰπόντος ἀκουέμεν· ὥς κέ οἱ αὖθι

γαῖα χάνοι· μέγα γάρ μιν Ὀλύμπιος ἔτρεφε πῆμα

Τρωσί τε καὶ Πριάμῳ μεγαλήτορι τοῖό τε παισίν.

εἰ κεῖνόν γε ἴδοιμι κατελθόντʼ Ἄϊδος εἴσω

φαίην κε φρένʼ ἀτέρπου ὀϊζύος ἐκλελαθέσθαι.

His mother went into the house and called her waiting-women who gathered the matrons throughout the city. She then went down into her fragrant store-room, where her embroidered robes were kept, the work of Sidonian women, whom Alexander had brought over from Sidon when he sailed the seas [ pontos ] upon that voyage during which he carried off Helen. Hecuba took out the largest robe, and the one that was most beautifully enriched with embroidery, as an offering to Athena: it glittered like a star, and lay at the very bottom of the chest. With this she went on her way and many matrons with her.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἣ δὲ μολοῦσα ποτὶ μέγαρʼ ἀμφιπόλοισι

κέκλετο· ταὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀόλλισσαν κατὰ ἄστυ γεραιάς.

αὐτὴ δʼ ἐς θάλαμον κατεβήσετο κηώεντα,

ἔνθʼ ἔσάν οἱ πέπλοι παμποίκιλα ἔργα γυναικῶν

Σιδονίων, τὰς αὐτὸς Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς

ἤγαγε Σιδονίηθεν ἐπιπλὼς εὐρέα πόντον,

τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν Ἑλένην περ ἀνήγαγεν εὐπατέρειαν·

τῶν ἕνʼ ἀειραμένη Ἑκάβη φέρε δῶρον Ἀθήνῃ,

ὃς κάλλιστος ἔην ποικίλμασιν ἠδὲ μέγιστος,

ἀστὴρ δʼ ὣς ἀπέλαμπεν· ἔκειτο δὲ νείατος ἄλλων.

βῆ δʼ ἰέναι, πολλαὶ δὲ μετεσσεύοντο γεραιαί.

When they reached the temple of Athena, lovely Theano, daughter of Kisseus and wife of Antenor, opened the doors, for the Trojans had made her priestess of Athena. The women lifted up their hands to the goddess with a loud cry, and Theano took the robe to lay it upon the knees of Athena, praying the while to the daughter of great Zeus.

αἱ δʼ ὅτε νηὸν ἵκανον Ἀθήνης ἐν πόλει ἄκρῃ,

τῇσι θύρας ὤϊξε Θεανὼ καλλιπάρῃος

Κισσηῒς ἄλοχος Ἀντήνορος ἱπποδάμοιο·

τὴν γὰρ Τρῶες ἔθηκαν Ἀθηναίης ἱέρειαν.

αἳ δʼ ὀλολυγῇ πᾶσαι Ἀθήνῃ χεῖρας ἀνέσχον·

ἣ δʼ ἄρα πέπλον ἑλοῦσα Θεανὼ καλλιπάρῃος

θῆκεν Ἀθηναίης ἐπὶ γούνασιν ἠϋκόμοιο,

εὐχομένη δʼ ἠρᾶτο Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο·

"Holy Athena," she cried, "protectress of our city, mighty goddess, break the spear of Diomedes and lay him low before the Scaean gates. Do this, and we will sacrifice twelve heifers that have never yet known the goad, in your temple, if you will have pity upon the town, with the wives and little ones If the Trojans." Thus she prayed, but Pallas Athena granted not her prayer.

πότνιʼ Ἀθηναίη ἐρυσίπτολι δῖα θεάων

ἆξον δὴ ἔγχος Διομήδεος, ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτὸν

πρηνέα δὸς πεσέειν Σκαιῶν προπάροιθε πυλάων,

ὄφρά τοι αὐτίκα νῦν δυοκαίδεκα βοῦς ἐνὶ νηῷ

ἤνις ἠκέστας ἱερεύσομεν, αἴ κʼ ἐλεήσῃς

ἄστύ τε καὶ Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα.

ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχομένη, ἀνένευε δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.

While they were thus praying to the daughter of great Zeus, Hektor went to the fair house of Alexander, which he had built for him by the foremost builders in the land. They had built him his house, storehouse, and courtyard near those of Priam and Hektor on the acropolis. Here Hektor entered, with a spear eleven cubits long in his hand; the bronze point gleamed in front of him, and was fastened to the shaft of the spear by a ring of gold. He found Alexander within the house, busied about his armor, his shield and cuirass, and handling his curved bow; there, too, sat Argive Helen with her women, setting them their several tasks; and as Hektor saw him he rebuked him with words of scorn. "Sir," said he, "you do ill to nurse this rancor; the people perish fighting round this our town; you would yourself chide one whom you saw shirking his part in the combat. Up then, or ere long the city will be in a blaze."

ὣς αἳ μέν ῥʼ εὔχοντο Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο,

Ἕκτωρ δὲ πρὸς δώματʼ Ἀλεξάνδροιο βεβήκει

καλά, τά ῥʼ αὐτὸς ἔτευξε σὺν ἀνδράσιν οἳ τότʼ ἄριστοι

ἦσαν ἐνὶ Τροίῃ ἐριβώλακι τέκτονες ἄνδρες,

οἵ οἱ ἐποίησαν θάλαμον καὶ δῶμα καὶ αὐλὴν

ἐγγύθι τε Πριάμοιο καὶ Ἕκτορος ἐν πόλει ἄκρῃ.

ἔνθʼ Ἕκτωρ εἰσῆλθε Διῒ φίλος, ἐν δʼ ἄρα χειρὶ

ἔγχος ἔχʼ ἑνδεκάπηχυ· πάροιθε δὲ λάμπετο δουρὸς

αἰχμὴ χαλκείη, περὶ δὲ χρύσεος θέε πόρκης.

τὸν δʼ εὗρʼ ἐν θαλάμῳ περικαλλέα τεύχεʼ ἕποντα

ἀσπίδα καὶ θώρηκα, καὶ ἀγκύλα τόξʼ ἁφόωντα·

Ἀργείη δʼ Ἑλένη μετʼ ἄρα δμῳῇσι γυναιξὶν

ἧστο καὶ ἀμφιπόλοισι περικλυτὰ ἔργα κέλευε.

τὸν δʼ Ἕκτωρ νείκεσσεν ἰδὼν αἰσχροῖς ἐπέεσσι·

δαιμόνιʼ οὐ μὲν καλὰ χόλον τόνδʼ ἔνθεο θυμῷ,

λαοὶ μὲν φθινύθουσι περὶ πτόλιν αἰπύ τε τεῖχος

μαρνάμενοι· σέο δʼ εἵνεκʼ ἀϋτή τε πτόλεμός τε

ἄστυ τόδʼ ἀμφιδέδηε· σὺ δʼ ἂν μαχέσαιο καὶ ἄλλῳ,

ὅν τινά που μεθιέντα ἴδοις στυγεροῦ πολέμοιο.

ἀλλʼ ἄνα μὴ τάχα ἄστυ πυρὸς δηΐοιο θέρηται.

And Alexander answered, "Hektor, your rebuke is just; listen therefore, and believe me when I tell you that I am not here so much through rancor or ill-will [nemesis] towards the Trojans, as from a desire to indulge my grief. My wife was even now gently urging me to battle, and I hold it better that I should go, for victory is ever fickle. Wait, then, while I put on my armor, or go first and I will follow. I shall be sure to overtake you."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής·

Ἕκτορ ἐπεί με κατʼ αἶσαν ἐνείκεσας οὐδʼ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν,

τοὔνεκά τοι ἐρέω· σὺ δὲ σύνθεο καί μευ ἄκουσον·

οὔ τοι ἐγὼ Τρώων τόσσον χόλῳ οὐδὲ νεμέσσι

ἥμην ἐν θαλάμῳ, ἔθελον δʼ ἄχεϊ προτραπέσθαι.

νῦν δέ με παρειποῦσʼ ἄλοχος μαλακοῖς ἐπέεσσιν

ὅρμησʼ ἐς πόλεμον· δοκέει δέ μοι ὧδε καὶ αὐτῷ

λώϊον ἔσσεσθαι· νίκη δʼ ἐπαμείβεται ἄνδρας.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ἐπίμεινον, Ἀρήϊα τεύχεα δύω·

ἢ ἴθʼ, ἐγὼ δὲ μέτειμι· κιχήσεσθαι δέ σʼ ὀΐω.

Hektor made no answer, but Helen tried to soothe him. "Brother," said she, "to my abhorred and sinful self, would that a whirlwind had caught me up on the day my mother brought me forth, and had borne me to some mountain or

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ οὔ τι προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

τὸν δʼ Ἑλένη μύθοισι προσηύδα μειλιχίοισι·

δᾶερ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς κακομηχάνου ὀκρυοέσσης,

ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ ἤματι τῷ ὅτε με πρῶτον τέκε μήτηρ

οἴχεσθαι προφέρουσα κακὴ ἀνέμοιο θύελλα

εἰς ὄρος ἢ εἰς κῦμα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης,

to the waves of the roaring sea that should have swept me away ere this mischief had come about. But, since the gods have devised these evils, would, at any rate, that I had been wife to a better man - to one who could smart under dishonor [nemesis] and men's evil speeches. This man was never yet to be depended upon, nor never will be, and he will surely reap what he has sown. Still, brother, come in and rest upon this seat, for it is you who bear the brunt of that toil [ ponos ] that has been caused by my hateful self and by the veering [ atê ] of Alexander - both of whom Zeus has doomed to be a theme of song among those that shall be born hereafter."

ἔνθά με κῦμʼ ἀπόερσε πάρος τάδε ἔργα γενέσθαι.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τάδε γʼ ὧδε θεοὶ κακὰ τεκμήραντο,

ἀνδρὸς ἔπειτʼ ὤφελλον ἀμείνονος εἶναι ἄκοιτις,

ὃς ᾔδη νέμεσίν τε καὶ αἴσχεα πόλλʼ ἀνθρώπων.

τούτῳ δʼ οὔτʼ ἂρ νῦν φρένες ἔμπεδοι οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ὀπίσσω

ἔσσονται· τὼ καί μιν ἐπαυρήσεσθαι ὀΐω.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν εἴσελθε καὶ ἕζεο τῷδʼ ἐπὶ δίφρῳ

δᾶερ, ἐπεί σε μάλιστα πόνος φρένας ἀμφιβέβηκεν

εἵνεκʼ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκʼ ἄτης,

οἷσιν ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε κακὸν μόρον, ὡς καὶ ὀπίσσω

ἀνθρώποισι πελώμεθʼ ἀοίδιμοι ἐσσομένοισι.

And Hektor answered, "Bid me not be seated, Helen, for all the goodwill you bear me. I cannot stay. I am in haste to help the Trojans, who miss me greatly when I am not among them; but urge your husband, and of his own self also let him make haste to overtake me before I am out of the city. I must go home to see my household, my wife and my little son, for I know not whether I shall ever again return to them, or whether the gods will cause me to fill by the hands of the Achaeans."

τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ

μή με κάθιζʼ Ἑλένη φιλέουσά περ· οὐδέ με πείσεις·

ἤδη γάρ μοι θυμὸς ἐπέσσυται ὄφρʼ ἐπαμύνω

Τρώεσσʼ, οἳ μέγʼ ἐμεῖο ποθὴν ἀπεόντος ἔχουσιν.

ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ ὄρνυθι τοῦτον, ἐπειγέσθω δὲ καὶ αὐτός,

ὥς κεν ἔμʼ ἔντοσθεν πόλιος καταμάρψῃ ἐόντα.

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν οἶκον δὲ ἐλεύσομαι ὄφρα ἴδωμαι

οἰκῆας ἄλοχόν τε φίλην καὶ νήπιον υἱόν.

οὐ γὰρ οἶδʼ εἰ ἔτι σφιν ὑπότροπος ἵξομαι αὖτις,

ἦ ἤδη μʼ ὑπὸ χερσὶ θεοὶ δαμόωσιν Ἀχαιῶν.

Then Hektor left her, and forthwith was at his own house. He did not find Andromache, for she was on the wall with her child and one of her maids, weeping bitterly. Seeing, then, that she was not within, he stood on the threshold of the women's rooms and said, "Women, tell me, and tell me true, where did Andromache go when she left the house? Was it to my sisters, or to my brothers' wives? or is she at the temple of Athena where the other women are propitiating the awful goddess?"

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

αἶψα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἵκανε δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας,

οὐδʼ εὗρʼ Ἀνδρομάχην λευκώλενον ἐν μεγάροισιν,

ἀλλʼ ἥ γε ξὺν παιδὶ καὶ ἀμφιπόλῳ ἐϋπέπλῳ

πύργῳ ἐφεστήκει γοόωσά τε μυρομένη τε.

Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὡς οὐκ ἔνδον ἀμύμονα τέτμεν ἄκοιτιν

ἔστη ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰών, μετὰ δὲ δμῳῇσιν ἔειπεν·

εἰ δʼ ἄγε μοι δμῳαὶ νημερτέα μυθήσασθε·

πῇ ἔβη Ἀνδρομάχη λευκώλενος ἐκ μεγάροιο;

ἠέ πῃ ἐς γαλόων ἢ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων

ἢ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι

Τρῳαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται;

His good housekeeper answered, "Hektor, since you bid me tell you truly [ alêthea ], she did not go to your sisters nor to your brothers' wives, nor yet to the temple of Athena, where the other women are propitiating the awful goddess, but she is on the high wall of Ilion , for she had heard the Trojans were being hard pressed, and that the Achaeans were in great force: she went to the wall in frenzied haste, and the nurse went with her carrying the child."

τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ ὀτρηρὴ ταμίη πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

Ἕκτορ ἐπεὶ μάλʼ ἄνωγας ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι,

οὔτέ πῃ ἐς γαλόων οὔτʼ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων

οὔτʼ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι

Τρῳαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται,

ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πύργον ἔβη μέγαν Ἰλίου, οὕνεκʼ ἄκουσε

τείρεσθαι Τρῶας, μέγα δὲ κράτος εἶναι Ἀχαιῶν.

ἣ μὲν δὴ πρὸς τεῖχος ἐπειγομένη ἀφικάνει

μαινομένῃ ἐϊκυῖα· φέρει δʼ ἅμα παῖδα τιθήνη.

Hektor hurried from the house when she had done speaking, and went down the streets by the same way that he had come. When he had gone through the city and had reached the Scaean gates through which he would go out on to the plain, his wife came running towards him, Andromache, daughter of great Eetion who ruled in Thebe under the wooded slopes of Mount Plakos, and was king of the Cilicians. His daughter had married Hektor, and now came to meet him with a nurse who carried his little child in her bosom - a mere babe. Hektor's darling son, and lovely as a star. Hektor had named him Skamandrios, but the people called him Astyanax, for his father stood alone as chief guardian of Ilion . Hektor smiled as he looked upon the boy, but he did not speak, and Andromache stood by him weeping and taking his hand in her own. "Dear husband," said she, "your valor will bring you to destruction; think on your infant son, and on my hapless self who ere long shall be your widow - for the Achaeans will set upon you in a body and kill you. It would be better for me, should I lose you, to lie dead and buried, for I shall have nothing left to comfort me when you are gone, save only sorrow [ akhos ]. I have neither father nor mother now. Achilles slew my father when he sacked Thebe the goodly city of the Cilicians. He slew him, but did not for very shame despoil him; when he had burned him in his wondrous armor, he raised a barrow over his ashes and the mountain nymphs, daughters of aegis-bearing Zeus, planted a grove of elms about his tomb [ sêma ]. I had seven brothers in my father's house, but on the same day they all went within the house of Hades. Achilles killed them as they were with their sheep and cattle. My mother - her who had been queen of all the land under Mount Plakos - he brought hither with the spoil, and freed her for a great sum, but the archer - queen Artemis took her in the house of your father. Nay - Hektor - you who to me are father, mother, brother, and dear husband - have mercy upon me;

ἦ ῥα γυνὴ ταμίη, ὃ δʼ ἀπέσσυτο δώματος Ἕκτωρ

τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν αὖτις ἐϋκτιμένας κατʼ ἀγυιάς.

εὖτε πύλας ἵκανε διερχόμενος μέγα ἄστυ

Σκαιάς, τῇ ἄρʼ ἔμελλε διεξίμεναι πεδίον δέ,

ἔνθʼ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος ἐναντίη ἦλθε θέουσα

Ἀνδρομάχη θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἠετίωνος

Ἠετίων ὃς ἔναιεν ὑπὸ Πλάκῳ ὑληέσσῃ

Θήβῃ Ὑποπλακίῃ Κιλίκεσσʼ ἄνδρεσσιν ἀνάσσων·

τοῦ περ δὴ θυγάτηρ ἔχεθʼ Ἕκτορι χαλκοκορυστῇ.

ἥ οἱ ἔπειτʼ ἤντησʼ, ἅμα δʼ ἀμφίπολος κίεν αὐτῇ

παῖδʼ ἐπὶ κόλπῳ ἔχουσʼ ἀταλάφρονα νήπιον αὔτως

Ἑκτορίδην ἀγαπητὸν ἀλίγκιον ἀστέρι καλῷ,

τόν ῥʼ Ἕκτωρ καλέεσκε Σκαμάνδριον, αὐτὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι

Ἀστυάνακτʼ· οἶος γὰρ ἐρύετο Ἴλιον Ἕκτωρ.

ἤτοι ὃ μὲν μείδησεν ἰδὼν ἐς παῖδα σιωπῇ·

Ἀνδρομάχη δέ οἱ ἄγχι παρίστατο δάκρυ χέουσα,

ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·

δαιμόνιε φθίσει σε τὸ σὸν μένος, οὐδʼ ἐλεαίρεις

παῖδά τε νηπίαχον καὶ ἔμʼ ἄμμορον, ἣ τάχα χήρη

σεῦ ἔσομαι· τάχα γάρ σε κατακτανέουσιν Ἀχαιοὶ

πάντες ἐφορμηθέντες· ἐμοὶ δέ κε κέρδιον εἴη

σεῦ ἀφαμαρτούσῃ χθόνα δύμεναι· οὐ γὰρ ἔτʼ ἄλλη

ἔσται θαλπωρὴ ἐπεὶ ἂν σύ γε πότμον ἐπίσπῃς

ἀλλʼ ἄχεʼ· οὐδέ μοι ἔστι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ.

ἤτοι γὰρ πατέρʼ ἁμὸν ἀπέκτανε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,

ἐκ δὲ πόλιν πέρσεν Κιλίκων εὖ ναιετάουσαν

Θήβην ὑψίπυλον· κατὰ δʼ ἔκτανεν Ἠετίωνα,

οὐδέ μιν ἐξενάριξε, σεβάσσατο γὰρ τό γε θυμῷ,

ἀλλʼ ἄρα μιν κατέκηε σὺν ἔντεσι δαιδαλέοισιν

ἠδʼ ἐπὶ σῆμʼ ἔχεεν· περὶ δὲ πτελέας ἐφύτευσαν

νύμφαι ὀρεστιάδες κοῦραι Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

οἳ δέ μοι ἑπτὰ κασίγνητοι ἔσαν ἐν μεγάροισιν

οἳ μὲν πάντες ἰῷ κίον ἤματι Ἄϊδος εἴσω·

πάντας γὰρ κατέπεφνε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς

βουσὶν ἐπʼ εἰλιπόδεσσι καὶ ἀργεννῇς ὀΐεσσι.

μητέρα δʼ, ἣ βασίλευεν ὑπὸ Πλάκῳ ὑληέσσῃ,

τὴν ἐπεὶ ἂρ δεῦρʼ ἤγαγʼ ἅμʼ ἄλλοισι κτεάτεσσιν,

ἂψ ὅ γε τὴν ἀπέλυσε λαβὼν ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα,

πατρὸς δʼ ἐν μεγάροισι βάλʼ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα.

stay here upon this wall; make not your child fatherless, and your wife a widow; as for the host, place them near the fig-tree, where the city can be best scaled, and the wall is weakest. Thrice have the bravest of them come thither and assailed it, under the two Ajaxes, Idomeneus, the sons of Atreus, and the brave son of Tydeus, either of their own bidding, or because some soothsayer had told them."

Ἕκτορ ἀτὰρ σύ μοί ἐσσι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

ἠδὲ κασίγνητος, σὺ δέ μοι θαλερὸς παρακοίτης·

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ἐλέαιρε καὶ αὐτοῦ μίμνʼ ἐπὶ πύργῳ,

μὴ παῖδʼ ὀρφανικὸν θήῃς χήρην τε γυναῖκα·

λαὸν δὲ στῆσον παρʼ ἐρινεόν, ἔνθα μάλιστα

ἀμβατός ἐστι πόλις καὶ ἐπίδρομον ἔπλετο τεῖχος.

τρὶς γὰρ τῇ γʼ ἐλθόντες ἐπειρήσανθʼ οἱ ἄριστοι

ἀμφʼ Αἴαντε δύω καὶ ἀγακλυτὸν Ἰδομενῆα

ἠδʼ ἀμφʼ Ἀτρεΐδας καὶ Τυδέος ἄλκιμον υἱόν·

ἤ πού τίς σφιν ἔνισπε θεοπροπίων ἐῢ εἰδώς,

ἤ νυ καὶ αὐτῶν θυμὸς ἐποτρύνει καὶ ἀνώγει.

And Hektor answered, "Wife, I too have thought upon all this, but with what face should I look upon the Trojans, men or women, if I shirked battle like a coward? I cannot do so: I know nothing save to fight bravely in the forefront of the Trojan host and win renown [kleos] alike for my father and myself. Well do I know that the day will surely come when mighty Ilion shall be destroyed with Priam and Priam's people, but I grieve for none of these - not even for Hecuba, nor King Priam, nor for my brothers many and brave who may fall in the dust before their foes - for none of these do I grieve as for yourself when the day shall come on which some one of the Achaeans shall rob you for ever of your freedom, and bear you weeping away. It may be that you will have to ply the loom in Argos at the bidding of a mistress, or to fetch water from the springs Messeis or Hypereia, treated brutally by some cruel task-master; then will one say who sees you weeping, ‘She was wife to Hektor, the bravest warrior among the Trojans during the war before Ilion .’ On this your tears will break forth anew for him who would have put away the day of captivity from you. May I lie dead under the barrow that is heaped over my body ere I hear your cry as they carry you into bondage."

τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

ἦ καὶ ἐμοὶ τάδε πάντα μέλει γύναι· ἀλλὰ μάλʼ αἰνῶς

αἰδέομαι Τρῶας καὶ Τρῳάδας ἑλκεσιπέπλους,

αἴ κε κακὸς ὣς νόσφιν ἀλυσκάζω πολέμοιο·

οὐδέ με θυμὸς ἄνωγεν, ἐπεὶ μάθον ἔμμεναι ἐσθλὸς

αἰεὶ καὶ πρώτοισι μετὰ Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι

ἀρνύμενος πατρός τε μέγα κλέος ἠδʼ ἐμὸν αὐτοῦ.

εὖ γὰρ ἐγὼ τόδε οἶδα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν·

ἔσσεται ἦμαρ ὅτʼ ἄν ποτʼ ὀλώλῃ Ἴλιος ἱρὴ

καὶ Πρίαμος καὶ λαὸς ἐϋμμελίω Πριάμοιο.

ἀλλʼ οὔ μοι Τρώων τόσσον μέλει ἄλγος ὀπίσσω,

οὔτʼ αὐτῆς Ἑκάβης οὔτε Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος

οὔτε κασιγνήτων, οἵ κεν πολέες τε καὶ ἐσθλοὶ

ἐν κονίῃσι πέσοιεν ὑπʼ ἀνδράσι δυσμενέεσσιν,

ὅσσον σεῦ, ὅτε κέν τις Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων

δακρυόεσσαν ἄγηται ἐλεύθερον ἦμαρ ἀπούρας·

καί κεν ἐν Ἄργει ἐοῦσα πρὸς ἄλλης ἱστὸν ὑφαίνοις,

καί κεν ὕδωρ φορέοις Μεσσηΐδος ἢ Ὑπερείης

πόλλʼ ἀεκαζομένη, κρατερὴ δʼ ἐπικείσετʼ ἀνάγκη·

καί ποτέ τις εἴπῃσιν ἰδὼν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσαν·

Ἕκτορος ἥδε γυνὴ ὃς ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι

Τρώων ἱπποδάμων ὅτε Ἴλιον ἀμφεμάχοντο.

ὥς ποτέ τις ἐρέει· σοὶ δʼ αὖ νέον ἔσσεται ἄλγος

χήτεϊ τοιοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀμύνειν δούλιον ἦμαρ.

ἀλλά με τεθνηῶτα χυτὴ κατὰ γαῖα καλύπτοι

πρίν γέ τι σῆς τε βοῆς σοῦ θʼ ἑλκηθμοῖο πυθέσθαι.

He stretched his arms towards his child, but the boy cried and nestled in his nurse's bosom, scared at the sight of his father's armor, and at the horse-hair plume that nodded fiercely from his helmet. His father and mother laughed to see him, but Hektor took the helmet from his head and laid it all gleaming upon the ground. Then he took his darling child,

ὣς εἰπὼν οὗ παιδὸς ὀρέξατο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·

ἂψ δʼ ὃ πάϊς πρὸς κόλπον ἐϋζώνοιο τιθήνης

ἐκλίνθη ἰάχων πατρὸς φίλου ὄψιν ἀτυχθεὶς

ταρβήσας χαλκόν τε ἰδὲ λόφον ἱππιοχαίτην,

δεινὸν ἀπʼ ἀκροτάτης κόρυθος νεύοντα νοήσας.

ἐκ δʼ ἐγέλασσε πατήρ τε φίλος καὶ πότνια μήτηρ·

αὐτίκʼ ἀπὸ κρατὸς κόρυθʼ εἵλετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ,

καὶ τὴν μὲν κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ παμφανόωσαν·

kissed him, and dandled him in his arms, praying over him the while to Zeus and to all the gods. "Zeus," he cried, "grant that this my child may be even as myself, chief among the Trojans; let him be not less excellent in strength, and let him rule Ilion with his might. Then may one say of him as he comes from battle, ‘The son is far better than the father.’ May he bring back the blood-stained spoils of him whom he has laid low, and let his mother's heart be glad.’"

αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ὃν φίλον υἱὸν ἐπεὶ κύσε πῆλέ τε χερσὶν

εἶπε δʼ ἐπευξάμενος Διί τʼ ἄλλοισίν τε θεοῖσι·

Ζεῦ ἄλλοι τε θεοὶ δότε δὴ καὶ τόνδε γενέσθαι

παῖδʼ ἐμὸν ὡς καὶ ἐγώ περ ἀριπρεπέα Τρώεσσιν,

ὧδε βίην τʼ ἀγαθόν, καὶ Ἰλίου ἶφι ἀνάσσειν·

καί ποτέ τις εἴποι πατρός γʼ ὅδε πολλὸν ἀμείνων

ἐκ πολέμου ἀνιόντα· φέροι δʼ ἔναρα βροτόεντα

κτείνας δήϊον ἄνδρα, χαρείη δὲ φρένα μήτηρ.

With this he laid the child again in the arms of his wife, who took him to her own soft bosom, smiling through her tears. As her husband watched her his heart yearned towards her and he caressed her fondly, saying, "My own wife, do not take these things too bitterly to heart. No one can hurry me down to Hades before my time, but if a man's hour is come, be he brave or be he coward, there is no escape for him when he has once been born. Go, then, within the house, and busy yourself with your daily duties, your loom, your distaff, and the ordering of your servants; for war is man's matter, and mine above all others of them that have been born in Ilion ."

ὣς εἰπὼν ἀλόχοιο φίλης ἐν χερσὶν ἔθηκε

παῖδʼ ἑόν· ἣ δʼ ἄρα μιν κηώδεϊ δέξατο κόλπῳ

δακρυόεν γελάσασα· πόσις δʼ ἐλέησε νοήσας,

χειρί τέ μιν κατέρεξεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·

δαιμονίη μή μοί τι λίην ἀκαχίζεο θυμῷ·

οὐ γάρ τίς μʼ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν ἀνὴρ Ἄϊδι προϊάψει·

μοῖραν δʼ οὔ τινά φημι πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν,

οὐ κακὸν οὐδὲ μὲν ἐσθλόν, ἐπὴν τὰ πρῶτα γένηται.

ἀλλʼ εἰς οἶκον ἰοῦσα τὰ σʼ αὐτῆς ἔργα κόμιζε

ἱστόν τʼ ἠλακάτην τε, καὶ ἀμφιπόλοισι κέλευε

ἔργον ἐποίχεσθαι· πόλεμος δʼ ἄνδρεσσι μελήσει

πᾶσι, μάλιστα δʼ ἐμοί, τοὶ Ἰλίῳ ἐγγεγάασιν.

He took his plumed helmet from the ground, and his wife went back again to her house, weeping bitterly and often looking back towards him. When she reached her home she found her maidens within, and bade them all join in her lament; so they mourned Hektor in his own house though he was yet alive, for they deemed that they should never see him return safe from battle, and from the furious hands of the Achaeans.

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας κόρυθʼ εἵλετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ

ἵππουριν· ἄλοχος δὲ φίλη οἶκον δὲ βεβήκει

ἐντροπαλιζομένη, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα.

αἶψα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἵκανε δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας

Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο, κιχήσατο δʼ ἔνδοθι πολλὰς

ἀμφιπόλους, τῇσιν δὲ γόον πάσῃσιν ἐνῶρσεν.

αἳ μὲν ἔτι ζωὸν γόον Ἕκτορα ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ·

οὐ γάρ μιν ἔτʼ ἔφαντο ὑπότροπον ἐκ πολέμοιο

ἵξεσθαι προφυγόντα μένος καὶ χεῖρας Ἀχαιῶν.

Paris did not remain long in his house. He donned his goodly armor overlaid with bronze, and hastened through the city as fast as his feet could take him. As a horse, stabled and fed, breaks loose and gallops gloriously over the plain to the place where he is wont to bathe in the fair-flowing river - he holds his head high, and his mane streams upon his shoulders as he exults in his strength and flies like the wind to the haunts and feeding ground of the mares -

οὐδὲ Πάρις δήθυνεν ἐν ὑψηλοῖσι δόμοισιν,

ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ, ἐπεὶ κατέδυ κλυτὰ τεύχεα ποικίλα χαλκῷ,

σεύατʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀνὰ ἄστυ ποσὶ κραιπνοῖσι πεποιθώς.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε τις στατὸς ἵππος ἀκοστήσας ἐπὶ φάτνῃ

δεσμὸν ἀπορρήξας θείῃ πεδίοιο κροαίνων

εἰωθὼς λούεσθαι ἐϋρρεῖος ποταμοῖο

κυδιόων· ὑψοῦ δὲ κάρη ἔχει, ἀμφὶ δὲ χαῖται

ὤμοις ἀΐσσονται· ὃ δʼ ἀγλαΐηφι πεποιθὼς

ῥίμφά ἑ γοῦνα φέρει μετά τʼ ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων·

even so went forth Paris from high Pergamos , gleaming like sunlight in his armor, and he laughed aloud as he sped swiftly on his way. Forthwith he came upon his brother Hektor, who was then turning away from the place where he had held converse with his wife, and he was himself the first to speak. "Sir," said he, "I fear that I have kept you waiting when you are in haste, and have not come as quickly as you bade me."

ὣς υἱὸς Πριάμοιο Πάρις κατὰ Περγάμου ἄκρης

τεύχεσι παμφαίνων ὥς τʼ ἠλέκτωρ ἐβεβήκει

καγχαλόων, ταχέες δὲ πόδες φέρον· αἶψα δʼ ἔπειτα

Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔτετμεν ἀδελφεὸν εὖτʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλε

στρέψεσθʼ ἐκ χώρης ὅθι ᾗ ὀάριζε γυναικί.

τὸν πρότερος προσέειπεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής·

ἠθεῖʼ ἦ μάλα δή σε καὶ ἐσσύμενον κατερύκω

δηθύνων, οὐδʼ ἦλθον ἐναίσιμον ὡς ἐκέλευες;

"My good brother," answered Hektor, you fight bravely, and no man with any justice can make light of your doings in battle. But you are careless and willfully remiss. It grieves me to the heart to hear the ill that the Trojans speak about you, for they have suffered much toil [ ponos ] on your account. Let us be going, and we will make things right hereafter, should Zeus grant us to set the cup of our deliverance before ever-living gods of heaven in our own homes, when we have chased the Achaeans from Troy ."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·

δαιμόνιʼ οὐκ ἄν τίς τοι ἀνὴρ ὃς ἐναίσιμος εἴη

ἔργον ἀτιμήσειε μάχης, ἐπεὶ ἄλκιμός ἐσσι·

ἀλλὰ ἑκὼν μεθιεῖς τε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλεις· τὸ δʼ ἐμὸν κῆρ

ἄχνυται ἐν θυμῷ, ὅθʼ ὑπὲρ σέθεν αἴσχεʼ ἀκούω

πρὸς Τρώων, οἳ ἔχουσι πολὺν πόνον εἵνεκα σεῖο.

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν· τὰ δʼ ὄπισθεν ἀρεσσόμεθʼ, αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς

δώῃ ἐπουρανίοισι θεοῖς αἰειγενέτῃσι

κρητῆρα στήσασθαι ἐλεύθερον ἐν μεγάροισιν

ἐκ Τροίης ἐλάσαντας ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.