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Friday, March 11, 2011

Homer, Iliad Book 6

Homer
c. 730 BC (over 2,700 years ago)
Trans. RMBullard
Greek (Archaic/Ionic)

Γλαῦκος δ᾽ Ἱππολόχοιο πάϊς καὶ Τυδέος υἱὸς ἐς μέσον ἀμφοτέρων συνίτην μεμαῶτε μάχεσθαι.
(Then Glaucus, son of Hippolachus, and the son of Tydeus met to battle in the middle of the two armies;)

οἳ δ᾽ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπ᾽ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντε, τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
(Then indeed, the two men were lunging against each other, ready for battle, when first brave Diomedes spoke out in a shout:)

τίς δὲ σύ ἐσσι φέριστε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων; οὐ μὲν γάρ ποτ᾽ ὄπωπα μάχηι ἔνι κυδιανείρηι τὸ πρίν·
('And who of mortal men are you, brave man? Truly, I have never seen you before in battle where men glory;)

ἀτὰρ μὲν νῦν γε πολὺ προβέβηκας ἁπάντων σῶι θάρσει, ὅ τ᾽ ἐμὸν δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος ἔμεινας·
(Now really you have come far ahead of all the others, and you have awaited my shadow-casting spear;)

δυστήνων δέ τε παῖδες ἐμῶι μένει ἀντιόωσιν.
(A man leaves behind his children grieving, if should he stand against me;)

εἰ δέ τις ἀθανάτων γε κατ᾽ οὐρανοῦ εἰλήλουθας, οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγε θεοῖσιν ἐπουρανίοισι μαχοίμην.
(And if you have really come from heaven, one of the immortal beings, at least I would not fight against the heavenly gods;)

οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ Δρύαντος υἱὸς κρατερὸς Λυκόοργος δὴν ἦν, ὅς ῥα θεοῖσιν ἐπουρανίοισιν ἔριζεν·
(For not even the mighty son of Dryas, Lycurgus, was long-lasting after he raged against the heavenly gods;)

ὅς ποτε μαινομένοιο Διωνύσοιο τιθήνας σεῦε κατ᾽ ἠγάθεον Νυσήϊον·
(And he drove the nurses of frenzied Dionysus from the Nyseian house;)

αἳ δ᾽ ἅμα πᾶσαι θύσθλα χαμαὶ κατέχευαν ὑπ᾽ ἀνδροφόνοιο Λυκούργου θεινόμεναι βουπλῆγι·
(Then all the nurses, rushing down headlong, abandoned their thyrsoi, terrified by the ox-plow of man-slaying Lykurgus;)

Διώνυσος δὲ φοβηθεὶς δύσεθ᾽ ἁλὸς κατὰ κῦμα, Θέτις δ᾽ ὑπεδέξατο κόλπωι δειδιότα· κρατερὸς γὰρ ἔχε τρόμος ἀνδρὸς ὁμοκλῆι.
(Then Dionysus, frightened, took off onto the wave of the sea, and Thetis raised the fearful lad to her breast; for he kept a strong shudder from the man’s attack;)

τῶι μὲν ἔπειτ᾽ ὀδύσαντο θεοὶ ῥεῖα ζώοντες, καί μιν τυφλὸν ἔθηκε Κρόνου πάϊς·
(Then the gods, living in leisure, grew angry with the man, and the son of Kronos struck blindness unto him;)

οὐδ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔτι δὴν ἦν, ἐπεὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀπήχθετο πᾶσι θεοῖσιν· οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἐγὼ μακάρεσσι θεοῖς ἐθέλοιμι μάχεσθαι.
(So he was not long-lived, since he was despised by all the immortal gods; I would not come to battle with the blessed gods;)

εἰ δέ τίς ἐσσι βροτῶν οἳ ἀρούρης καρπὸν ἔδουσιν, ἆσσον ἴθ᾽ ὥς κεν θᾶσσον ὀλέθρου πείραθ᾽ ἵκηαι.
(But if you are someone of mortal stock for whom the earth bears earth, come, whoever you are, so that you can reach the point of your death’)

τὸν δ᾽ αὖθ᾽ Ἱππολόχοιο προσηύδα φαίδιμος υἱός·
(Then, the radiant son of Hippolochus spoke back to the man:)

Τυδεΐδη μεγάθυμε τί ἢ γενεὴν ἐρεείνεις; οἵη περ φύλλων γενεὴ τοίη δὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν.
(‘Brave-hearted son of Tydeus, why do you inquire of my lineage? As of leaves, so may it be the same of men’s lineage;)

φύλλα τὰ μέν τ᾽ ἄνεμος χαμάδις χέει, ἄλλα δέ θ᾽ ὕλη τηλεθόωσα φύει, ἔαρος δ᾽ ἐπιγίγνεται ὥρη· ὣς ἀνδρῶν γενεὴ ἣ μὲν φύει ἣ δ᾽ ἀπολήγει.
(The wind blows the leaves to the ground, but then the wood bursts out sprouts again, and the springtime arrives; likewise, the lineage of men either waxes or wanes;)

εἰ δ᾽ ἐθέλεις καὶ ταῦτα δαήμεναι ὄφρ᾽ ἐῢ εἰδῆις ἡμετέρην γενεήν, πολλοὶ δέ μιν ἄνδρες ἴσασιν·
(But if you really wish to know these things, so that you might learn my true lineage, there are plenty of men who do know me;)

ἔστι πόλις Ἐφύρη μυχῶι Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο, ἔνθα δὲ Σίσυφος ἔσκεν, ὁ κέρδιστος γένετ᾽ ἀνδρῶν, Σίσυφος Αἰολίδης· ὁ δ᾽ ἄρα Γλαῦκον τέκεθ᾽ υἱόν, αὐτὰρ Γλαῦκος τίκτεν ἀμύμονα Βελλεροφόντην·
(There is a city, Ephyrae, in the remote part of horse-nourishing Argos, where Sisyphus was born, one who was born the strongest of men, that Sisyphus, son of Aeolus; then in time, he sired his son Glaucus, after which Glaucus sired worthy Bellerophon;)

τῶι δὲ θεοὶ κάλλός τε καὶ ἠνορέην ἐρατεινὴν ὤπασαν·
(Then the gods gave this man beauty and virile manhood;)

αὐτάρ οἱ Προῖτος κακὰ μήσατο θυμῶι, ὅς ῥ᾽ ἐκ δήμου ἔλασσεν, ἐπεὶ πολὺ φέρτερος ἦεν, Ἀργείων· Ζεὺς γάρ οἱ ὑπὸ σκήπτρωι ἐδάμασσε.
(In time, Proetus, who at once drove him from the land of the Argives, planned evil things for him in his heart, since Bellerophon was much stronger; for Zeus was swayed under his scepter;)

τῶι δὲ γυνὴ Προίτου ἐπεμήνατο δῖ᾽ Ἄντεια κρυπταδίηι φιλότητι μιγήμεναι·
(Then, Proetus’ wife, goddess-like Anteia, was smitten with sexual passion to lie with him;)

ἀλλὰ τὸν οὔ τι πεῖθ᾽ ἀγαθὰ φρονέοντα δαΐφρονα Βελλεροφόντην.ἣ δὲ ψευσαμένη Προῖτον βασιλῆα προσηύδα·
(But she did not persuade him at all, courageous Bellerophon of virtuous steel, and lying, she spoke to King Proetus;)

τεθναίης ὦ Προῖτ᾽, ἢ κάκτανε Βελλεροφόντην, ὅς μ᾽ ἔθελεν φιλότητι μιγήμεναι οὐκ ἐθελούσηι.
(‘O Proetus, either you shall perish, or may you destroy Bellerophon, the man who wished to lie with me as my lover, even though I did not want to’)

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δὲ ἄνακτα χόλος λάβεν οἷον ἄκουσε·
(She spoke this, and while he listened, anger seized the king;)

κτεῖναι μέν ῥ᾽ ἀλέεινε, σεβάσσατο γὰρ τό γε θυμῶι, πέμπε δέ μιν Λυκίην δέ, πόρεν δ᾽ ὅ γε σήματα λυγρὰ γράψας ἐν πίνακι πτυκτῶι θυμοφθόρα πολλά, δεῖξαι δ᾽ ἠνώγειν ὧι πενθερῶι ὄφρ᾽ ἀπόλοιτο.
(While at once he yearned to kill him, still he was so shocked in his heart, that he sent him to Lycia, and he gave him extremely dangerous notes in a folded tablet, a death sentence for sure, and he ordered him to take it to his father-in-law, so that he could be murdered;)

αὐτὰρ ὁ βῆ Λυκίην δὲ θεῶν ὑπ᾽ ἀμύμονι πομπῆι.
(Then the man went to Lycia, lead by the honorable escort of the gods;)

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ Λυκίην ἷξε Ξάνθόν τε ῥέοντα, προφρονέως μιν τῖεν ἄναξ Λυκίης εὐρείης· ἐννῆμαρ ξείνισσε καὶ ἐννέα βοῦς ἱέρευσεν.
(But finally he came to Lycia and the rushing Xanthus, the king of far-stretching Lycia welcomed him kindly; he even entertained him for nine days and sacrificed nine oxen;)

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ δεκάτη ἐφάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠὼς καὶ τότε μιν ἐρέεινε καὶ ἤιτεε σῆμα ἰδέσθαι ὅττί ῥά οἱ γαμβροῖο πάρα Προίτοιο φέροιτο.
(But finally, the tenth rosy-fingered dawn appeared, and on that day, he began to ask and demand to see the notes, the ones that he carried from his son-in-law Proetus;)

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σῆμα κακὸν παρεδέξατο γαμβροῦ, πρῶτον μέν ῥα Χίμαιραν ἀμαιμακέτην ἐκέλευσε πεφνέμεν·
(Then, when finally he took hand of the evil message of his son-in-law, then first he ordered him to kill the monstrous Chimaera;)

ἣ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔην θεῖον γένος οὐδ᾽ ἀνθρώπων, πρόσθε λέων, ὄπιθεν δὲ δράκων, μέσση δὲ χίμαιρα, δεινὸν ἀποπνείουσα πυρὸς μένος αἰθομένοιο, καὶ τὴν μὲν κατέπεφνε θεῶν τεράεσσι πιθήσας.
(And its race was not human, but divine, with the front of a lion, and the back of the dragon, and its middle was goat, breathing out a terrible blast of shining fire, and he did slay her, taking heed to the admonitions of the gods;)

δεύτερον αὖ Σολύμοισι μαχέσσατο κυδαλίμοισι·
(Afterward, he fought against the glorious Salymoi;)

καρτίστην δὴ τήν γε μάχην φάτο δύμεναι ἀνδρῶν. τὸ τρίτον αὖ κατέπεφνεν Ἀμαζόνας ἀντιανείρας.
(Indeed, he said that this was the toughest battle between men; thirdly he slew the man-fighting Amazons;)

τῶι δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἀνερχομένωι πυκινὸν δόλον ἄλλον ὕφαινε· κρίνας ἐκ Λυκίης εὐρείης φῶτας ἀρίστους εἷσε λόχον· τοὶ δ᾽ οὔ τι πάλιν οἶκον δὲ νέοντο·
(And when he returned home again, he crafted another scheme; he set the trap, choosing the best warriors from far-stretching Lycia; but not one of them returned home;)

πάντας γὰρ κατέπεφνεν ἀμύμων Βελλεροφόντης.
(For worthy Bellerophon slew all of them;)

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ γίγνωσκε θεοῦ γόνον ἠῢν ἐόντα αὐτοῦ μιν κατέρυκε, δίδου δ᾽ ὅ γε θυγατέρα ἥν, δῶκε δέ οἱ τιμῆς βασιληΐδος ἥμισυ πάσης·
(But finally when the ruler realized that he was born from the mighty seed of the gods and held him in his palace, then he gave his own daughter to him, and he gave him rights to half of his kingdom;)

καὶ μέν οἱ Λύκιοι τέμενος τάμον ἔξοχον ἄλλων καλὸν φυταλιῆς καὶ ἀρούρης, ὄφρα νέμοιτο.
(Even the Lycians apportioned a fine piece of their farmland and vineyard for him to handle;)

ἣ δ᾽ ἔτεκε τρία τέκνα δαΐφρονι Βελλεροφόντηι Ἴσανδρόν τε καὶ Ἱππόλοχον καὶ Λαοδάμειαν.
(And his wife bore three children, Isandrus, Hippolochus, and Laomedeia, to courageous Bellerophon;)

Λαοδαμείηι μὲν παρελέξατο μητίετα Ζεύς, ἣ δ᾽ ἔτεκ᾽ ἀντίθεον Σαρπηδόνα χαλκοκορυστήν.
(Wise-counseling Zeus lay in bed with Laomedeia, then she bore the god-rivaling Sarpedon with his bronze helmet;)

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ καὶ κεῖνος ἀπήχθετο πᾶσι θεοῖσιν, ἤτοι ὁ κὰπ πεδίον τὸ Ἀλήϊον οἶος ἀλᾶτο ὃν θυμὸν κατέδων, πάτον ἀνθρώπων ἀλεείνων·
(But because that other man angered all the gods, because of them, he wandered the Aleian plain, devouring his heart and avoiding the path of humankind;)

Ἴσανδρον δέ οἱ υἱὸν Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο μαρνάμενον Σολύμοισι κατέκτανε κυδαλίμοισι·
(Then Ares, ever-lusting of battle, slew down Isandrus in combat against the glorious Solymoi;)

τὴν δὲ χολωσαμένη χρυσήνιος Ἄρτεμις ἔκτα. Ἱππόλοχος δέ μ᾽ ἔτικτε, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ φημι γενέσθαι·
(Then golden-reined Artemis, raging, slew her; then Hippolochus reared me, and I claim to be from his lineage;)

πέμπε δέ μ᾽ ἐς Τροίην, καί μοι μάλα πόλλ᾽ ἐπέτελλεν αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν καὶ ὑπείροχον ἔμμεναι ἄλλων, μηδὲ γένος πατέρων αἰσχυνέμεν, οἳ μέγ᾽ ἄριστοι ἔν τ᾽ Ἐφύρηι ἐγένοντο καὶ ἐν Λυκίηι εὐρείηι.
(Then he sent me to Troy, and many times he ordered me to always be the best and to be the most high-spirited of all, and never to shame the lineage of my fathers, who were born the best in Ephyre and far-stretching Lycia;)

ταύτης τοι γενεῆς τε καὶ αἵματος εὔχομαι εἶναι.
(And I boast this to be my lineage and bloodline’)

ὣς φάτο, γήθησεν δὲ βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης·
(So he spoke, and loud-shouting Diomedes was thrilled;)

ἔγχος μὲν κατέπηξεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρηι, αὐτὰρ ὁ μειλιχίοισι προσηύδα ποιμένα λαῶν·
(He stuck his shadow-casting spear into the ground, then he addressed the king with friendly words:)

ἦ ῥά νύ μοι ξεῖνος πατρώϊός ἐσσι παλαιός· Οἰνεὺς γάρ ποτε δῖος ἀμύμονα Βελλεροφόντην ξείνισ᾽ ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἐείκοσιν ἤματ᾽ ἐρύξας·
('O come now, you are my old guest-friend of my father’s house! For godlike Oeneus once held worthy Bellerophon in his guest halls for twenty days;)

οἳ δὲ καὶ ἀλλήλοισι πόρον ξεινήϊα καλά·
(And they gave fine gifts of friendship between each other;)

Οἰνεὺς μὲν ζωστῆρα δίδου φοίνικι φαεινόν, Βελλεροφόντης δὲ χρύσεον δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον καί μιν ἐγὼ κατέλειπον ἰὼν ἐν δώμασ᾽ ἐμοῖσι.
(When Oeneus gave his war belt glistening with red dye, Bellerophon gave his golden double-handled goblet, and I, coming here from my own home, left it behind;)

Τυδέα δ᾽ οὐ μέμνημαι, ἐπεί μ᾽ ἔτι τυτθὸν ἐόντα κάλλιφ᾽, ὅτ᾽ ἐν Θήβηισιν ἀπώλετο λαὸς Ἀχαιῶν.
(But I don’t recall Tydeus, since I was still a young boy when he left, after which he died as a general of the Achaeans against the Thebans;)

τὼ νῦν σοὶ μὲν ἐγὼ ξεῖνος φίλος Ἄργεϊ μέσσωι εἰμί, σὺ δ᾽ ἐν Λυκίηι ὅτε κεν τῶν δῆμον ἵκωμαι. ἔγχεα δ᾽ ἀλλήλων ἀλεώμεθα καὶ δι᾽ ὁμίλου·
(But now, I will be your guest friend in the heart of Argos, and you in Lykia, if ever I might come to your homeland; but let us even avoid each in hand-to-hand combat;)

πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐμοὶ Τρῶες κλειτοί τ᾽ ἐπίκουροι κτείνειν ὅν κε θεός γε πόρηι καὶ ποσσὶ κιχείω, πολλοὶ δ᾽ αὖ σοὶ Ἀχαιοὶ ἐναιρέμεν ὅν κε δύνηαι.
(For there are many worthy Trojan comrades for me to slay, at least whoever runs up to me or whomever I run down with my feet, but there are many Achaeans to slay as well, whomever you can;)

τεύχεα δ᾽ ἀλλήλοις ἐπαμείψομεν, ὄφρα καὶ οἵδε γνῶσιν ὅτι ξεῖνοι πατρώϊοι εὐχόμεθ᾽ εἶναι.
(And let us exchange armor between us, so that whoever sees can know that we claim ourselves to be familiars and guest-friends’)

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσαντε καθ᾽ ἵππων ἀΐξαντε χεῖράς τ᾽ ἀλλήλων λαβέτην καὶ πιστώσαντο· ἔνθ᾽ αὖτε Γλαύκωι Κρονίδης φρένας ἐξέλετο Ζεύς, ὃς πρὸς Τυδεΐδην Διομήδεα τεύχε᾽ ἄμειβεχρύσεα χαλκείων, ἑκατόμβοι᾽ ἐννεαβοίων.
(So they leapt down from their horse-drawn chariots and clasped each other’s hand and made a pact; from there Zeus stole the wits from Glaucus somehow, as he gave to Diomedes, son of Tydeus, his golden armor for bronze, hundred-oxen worth for nine-oxen worth possessions;)

Ἕκτωρ δ᾽ ὡς Σκαιάς τε πύλας καὶ φηγὸν ἵκανεν, ἀμφ᾽ ἄρα μιν Τρώων ἄλοχοι θέον ἠδὲ θύγατρες εἰρόμεναι παῖδάς τε κασιγνήτους τε ἔτας τε καὶ πόσιας·
(Then as Hector was arriving at the Scaian Gates and the oak tree, wives and daughters of Trojan men on both sides now began to run up to him, asking about their sons and their brothers and their friends and their husbands;)

ὁ δ᾽ ἔπειτα θεοῖς εὔχεσθαι ἀνώγει πάσας ἑξείης· πολλῆισι δὲ κήδε᾽ ἐφῆπτο.
(And then he ordered all the women to pray to the gods dutifully; but bad news loomed for many of them;)

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ Πριάμοιο δόμον περικαλλέ᾽ ἵκανε ξεστῆις αἰθούσηισι τετυγμένον·
(But when he finally arrived at the wondrous house of Priam, built with its smooth corridors;)

αὐτὰρ ἐν αὐτῶι πεντήκοντ᾽ ἔνεσαν θάλαμοι ξεστοῖο λίθοιο πλησίον ἀλλήλων δεδμημένοι, ἔνθα δὲ παῖδες κοιμῶντο Πριάμοιο παρὰ μνηστῆις ἀλόχοισι, κουράων δ᾽ ἑτέρωθεν ἐναντίοι ἔνδοθεν αὐλῆς δώδεκ᾽ ἔσαν τέγεοι θάλαμοι ξεστοῖο λίθοιο πλησίον ἀλλήλων δεδμημένοι, ἔνθα δὲ γαμβροὶ κοιμῶντο Πριάμοιο παρ᾽ αἰδοίηις ἀλόχοισιν·
(Then, inside it, there were fifty chambers of smooth rock, built one beside the other, and there Priam’s sons slept beside their wedded wives, and facing against the inside of the court, there were twelve chambers of smooth rock, built one beside the other, and there the lords of Priam slept beside their modest bedfellows;)

ἔνθά οἱ ἠπιόδωρος ἐναντίη ἤλυθε μήτηρ Λαοδίκην ἐσάγουσα θυγατρῶν εἶδος ἀρίστην·
(There his generous mother, leading out Laodike, the most beautiful of her daughters, met him coming;)

ἔν τ᾽ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζε·
(And then she was pulled into his embrace, and she spoke a word to him and addressed him:)

τέκνον τίπτε λιπὼν πόλεμον θρασὺν εἰλήλουθας;
(‘My son, why have you left the brave battlefield?)

ἦ μάλα δὴ τείρουσι δυσώνυμοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν μαρνάμενοι περὶ ἄστυ· σὲ δ᾽ ἐνθάδε θυμὸς ἀνῆκεν ἐλθόντ᾽ ἐξ ἄκρης πόλιος Διὶ χεῖρας ἀνασχεῖν.
(Really now, the terrible sons of the Achaeans are not beginning to tire you, fighting nearby the city, and your heart drives you to come from the city’s citadel to rise your hands to Zeus;)

ἀλλὰ μέν᾽ ὄφρά κέ τοι μελιηδέα οἶνον ἐνείκω, ὡς σπείσηις Διὶ πατρὶ καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισι πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δὲ καὐτὸς ὀνήσεαι αἴ κε πίηισθα.
(But let me bring some sweet wine to you, so that you can first pour a libation to father Zeus and the other immortal gods, and then you yourself drink, so that you can be replenished;)

ἀνδρὶ δὲ κεκμηῶτι μένος μέγα οἶνος ἀέξει, ὡς τύνη κέκμηκας ἀμύνων σοῖσιν ἔτηισι.
(And wine can restore strength to a tired man, as you have tired from protecting your comrades;)

τὴν δ᾽ ἠμείβετ᾽ ἔπειτα μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
(And Hector, staring from his great helmet, answered her:)

μή μ᾽ ἀπογυιώσηις μένεος, ἀλκῆς τε λάθωμαι·
(‘Don’t sap my might with wine, lest I should weaken in strength;)

χερσὶ δ᾽ ἀνίπτοισιν Διὶ λείβειν αἴθοπα οἶνον ἅζομαι·
(And I shudder to pour sparkling wine offerings to Zeus with unclean hands;)

οὐδέ πηι ἔστι κελαινεφέϊ Κρονίωνι αἵματι καὶ λύθρωι πεπαλαγμένον εὐχετάασθαι.
(It is never right for a man showered in blood and guts to pray to the cloud-gathering son of Kronos;)

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν πρὸς νηὸν Ἀθηναίης ἀγελείης ἔρχεο σὺν θυέεσσιν ἀολλίσσασα γεραιάς·
(Instead, you yourself go to the temple of glorious Athena with some burnt offerings and bring the old women of the city;)

πέπλον δ᾽, 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 κ᾽ ἐλεήσηι ἄστύ τε καὶ Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα, αἴ κεν Τυδέος υἱὸν ἀπόσχηι Ἰλίου ἱρῆςἄγριον αἰχμητὴν κρατερὸν μήστωρα φόβοιο.
(And take a woven cloth, something greatly valuable here in the middle hall and dearest in this city, and place it upon the knees of fair-haired Athena, and lead up twelve unbroken oxen into the temple to sacrifice, if ever she could pity our city and the wives and young sons of the Trojans, if ever she could rein in the son of Tydeus from dear Troy, that savage spearman, a mighty deviser of horror;)

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν πρὸς νηὸν Ἀθηναίης ἀγελείης ἔρχευ, ἐγὼ δὲ Πάριν μετελεύσομαι ὄφρα καλέσσω αἴ κ᾽ ἐθέληισ᾽ εἰπόντος ἀκουέμεν·
(But meanwhile, you, go to the temple of victorious Athena, while I go to search for Paris, so that I might give him a command, if he might ever wish to listen to what I say;)

ὥς κέ οἱ αὖθι γαῖα χάνοι· μέγα γάρ μιν Ὀλύμπιος ἔτρεφε πῆμαΤρωσί τε καὶ Πριάμωι μεγαλήτορι τοῖό τε παισίν.
(If only the earth would suddenly open up under him; the Olympian lord really preserves him as a great sorrow to me and the Trojans and kind-hearted Priam and his children;)

εἰ κεῖνόν γε ἴδοιμι κατελθόντ᾽ Ἄϊδος εἴσω φαίην κε φρέν᾽ ἀτέρπου ὀϊζύος ἐκλελαθέσθαι.
(If I should ever see that man going down into Hades, I would declare myself to be relieved of a terrible agony’)

ὣς ἔφαθ᾽, ἣ δὲ μολοῦσα ποτὶ μέγαρ᾽ ἀμφιπόλοισι κέκλετο· ταὶ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἀόλλισσαν κατὰ ἄστυ γεραιάς.
(So he finished speaking, and his mother, walking into the great palace, called to her handmaidens; then these women gathered together the old matrons in the city;)

αὐτὴ δ᾽ ἐς θάλαμον κατεβήσετο κηώεντα, ἔνθ᾽ ἔσάν οἱ πέπλοι παμποίκιλα ἔργα γυναικῶν Σιδονίων, τὰς αὐτὸς Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς ἤγαγε Σιδονίηθεν ἐπιπλὼς εὐρέα πόντον, τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν Ἑλένην περ ἀνήγαγεν εὐπατέρειαν·
(Then she walked down into her fragrant chamber, where there belonged to her the well-knitted cloths of the Sidonian women, whom godlike Paris lead from Phoenicia, having sailed across the wide sea, on the same journey he had led back divinely-born Helen;)

τῶν ἕν᾽ ἀειραμένη Ἑκάβη φέρε δῶρον Ἀθήνηι, ὃς κάλλιστος ἔην ποικίλμασιν ἠδὲ μέγιστος, ἀστὴρ δ᾽ ὣς ἀπέλαμπεν· ἔκειτο δὲ νείατος ἄλλων. βῆ δ᾽ ἰέναι, πολλαὶ δὲ μετεσσεύοντο γεραιαί.
(Hecuba, seizing one of these cloths, the one that was the most beautiful and grandest in its designs and sparkled like a star, carried the gift to Athena; this one was lying below all the others; and she began to go forth, and many old matrons run about her;)

αἳ δ᾽ ὅτε νηὸν ἵκανον Ἀθήνης ἐν πόλει ἄκρηι, τῆισι θύρας ὤϊξε Θεανὼ καλλιπάρηιος Κισσηῒς ἄλοχος Ἀντήνορος ἱπποδάμοιο·
(Then, when they arrived at the temple of Athena on the acropolis, Theano, the fair-cheeked daughter of Kisseus and wife of horse-breaking Antenor, opened the doors to them;)

αἳ δ᾽ ὀλολυγῆι πᾶσαι Ἀθήνηι χεῖρας ἀνέσχον·
(Then all the women raised their hands to Athena with a shout;)

ἣ δ᾽ ἄρα πέπλον ἑλοῦσα Θεανὼ καλλιπάρηιος θῆκεν Ἀθηναίης ἐπὶ γούνασιν ἠϋκόμοιο, εὐχομένη δ᾽ ἠρᾶτο Διὸς κούρηι μεγάλοιο·
(And the fair-faced lady Theano, taking the robe in hand, placed it on the knees of fair-haired Athena, and praying, she spoke to the daughter of great Zeus:)

πότνι᾽ 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 κ᾽ ἐλεήσηις ἄστύ τε καὶ Τρώων ἀλόχους καὶ νήπια τέκνα.
(‘Powerful Athena, defender of our city, shining lady of the gods, shatter Diomedes’ spear completely and make him fall face first in front of the Skaian Gates, so that I might now sacrifice twelve bulls, unbroken by labor, if you could only pity our city and the husbands and young children of the Trojans’)

ὣς ἔφατ᾽ εὐχομένη, ἀνένευε δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.
(So praying, she finished speaking, but Pallas Athena turned her head away;)

ὣς αἳ μέν ῥ᾽ εὔχοντο Διὸς κούρηι μεγάλοιο,Ἕκτωρ δὲ πρὸς δώματ᾽ Ἀλεξάνδροιο βεβήκει καλά, τά ῥ᾽ αὐτὸς ἔτευξε σὺν ἀνδράσιν οἳ τότ᾽ ἄριστοι ἦσαν ἐνὶ Τροίηι ἐριβώλακι τέκτονες ἄνδρες,οἵ οἱ ἐποίησαν θάλαμον καὶ δῶμα καὶ αὐλὴνἐγγύθι τε Πριάμοιο καὶ Ἕκτορος ἐν πόλει ἄκρηι.
(So, while the women prayed to the daughter of great Zeus, Hector walked to Paris' wondrous palace, which he himself built with men, who at that time were the best workers in fertile Troy; they built Priam and Hector's chamber rooms and palace and a courtyard on the peak of the city;)

ἔνθ᾽ Ἕκτωρ εἰσῆλθε Διῒ φίλος, ἐν δ᾽ ἄρα χειρὶἔγχος ἔχ᾽ ἑνδεκάπηχυ· πάροιθε δὲ λάμπετο δουρὸς αἰχμὴ χαλκείη, περὶ δὲ χρύσεος θέε πόρκης.
(Hector, the beloved of Zeus, walked into that place, and he grabbed an 11-cubit-long spear in his hand;)

τὸν δ᾽ εὗρ᾽ ἐν θαλάμωι περικαλλέα τεύχε᾽ ἕπονταἀσπίδα καὶ θώρηκα, καὶ ἀγκύλα τόξ᾽ ἁφόωντα·(The bronze spear flashed at its point, and a golden ring ran around it;)

τὸν δ᾽ εὗρ᾽ ἐν θαλάμωι περικαλλέα τεύχε᾽ ἕπονταἀσπίδα καὶ θώρηκα, καὶ ἀγκύλα τόξ᾽ ἁφόωντα·(Then he found him in his chamber room, concentrating on his well-fashioned armor, his shield and breastplace, and polishing his curved bow;)

Ἀργείη δ᾽ Ἑλένη μετ᾽ ἄρα δμωιῆισι γυναιξὶνἧστο καὶ ἀμφιπόλοισι περικλυτὰ ἔργα κέλευε.
(And the Greek woman Helen was sitting among the maids and directing famously woven masterpieces to the servants;)

τὸν δ᾽ Ἕκτωρ νείκεσσεν ἰδὼν αἰσχροῖς ἐπέεσσι·
(And watching these things, Hector chided him with reproachful words;)

δαιμόνι᾽ οὐ μὲν καλὰ χόλον τόνδ᾽ ἔνθεο θυμῶι,λαοὶ μὲν φθινύθουσι περὶ πτόλιν αἰπύ τε τεῖχοςμαρνάμενοι-
('You fool, surely you will abandon a worthy grudge in your heart, when the army is thinning away around the city and fighting nearby the lofty wall;)

σέο δ᾽ εἵνεκ᾽ ἀϋτή τε πτόλεμός τεἄστυ τόδ᾽ ἀμφιδέδηε·
(Really, this war rages around the city because of you;)

σὺ δ᾽ ἂν μαχέσαιο καὶ ἄλλωι, ὅν τινά που μεθιέντα ἴδοις στυγεροῦ πολέμοιο.
(But you too might fight for another man, if ever you saw him shunning despicable battle;)

ἀλλ᾽ ἄνα μὴ τάχα ἄστυ πυρὸς δηΐοιο θέρηται.
(But come on, so that the city won't burst aflame with destructive fire;)

τὸν δ᾽ αὖτε προσέειπεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής·
(Then, godlike Paris spoke back to him:)

Ἕκτορ ἐπεί με κατ᾽ αἶσαν ἐνείκεσας οὐδ᾽ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν,τοὔνεκά τοι ἐρέω· σὺ δὲ σύνθεο καί μευ ἄκουσον·
('Hector, since you have not rebuked me unfairly, beneath what is proper, I'll say this to you; and understand and listen to me;)

οὔ τοι ἐγὼ Τρώων τόσσον χόλωι οὐδὲ νεμέσσιἥμην ἐν θαλάμωι, ἔθελον δ᾽ ἄχεϊ προτραπέσθαι.
(I was not sitting in my room out of some great scorn or enmity to the Trojans, but instead I was yearning to succumb to my grief;)

νῦν δέ με παρειποῦσ᾽ ἄλοχος μαλακοῖς ἐπέεσσινὅρμησ᾽ ἐς πόλεμον·
(And just now, my wife, speaking sweet words to me, urged me to go into battle;)

δοκέει δέ μοι ὧδε καὶ αὐτῶιλώϊον ἔσσεσθαι· νίκη δ᾽ ἐπαμείβεται ἄνδρας.
(And this seems to be more desirable for me anyway; for victory sways back and forth for me;)

ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε νῦν ἐπίμεινον, Ἀρήϊα τεύχεα δύω·ἢ ἴθ᾽, ἐγὼ δὲ μέτειμι· κιχήσεσθαι δέ σ᾽ ὀΐω.
(But come on then, wait around; I'll put on the armor of Ares; otherwise, go, still I'll follow behind; then, I think I can catch up to you')

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δ᾽ οὔ τι προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
(So, he finished speaking, and Hector, staring from his helmet, did not say anything to him;)

τὸν δ᾽ Ἑλένη μύθοισι προσηύδα μειλιχίοισι·
(And Helen addressed him with gracious words:)

δᾶερ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς κακομηχάνου ὀκρυοέσσης,ὥς μ᾽ ὄφελ᾽ ἤματι τῶι ὅτε με πρῶτον τέκε μήτηρ
οἴχεσθαι προφέρουσα κακὴ ἀνέμοιο θύελλα εἰς ὄρος ἢ εἰς κῦμα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης,
ἔνθά με κῦμ᾽ ἀπόερσε πάρος τάδε ἔργα γενέσθαι.
('My brother-in-law, since I am a misfortune-bringing and horrible bitch, so I wish that, on the day my mother first bore me, an unfortunate blast of wind, coming forth, crashed me upon the peak or into the water of the loud-roaring sea, where the swell would drown me before these things had happened;)

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τάδε γ᾽ ὧδε θεοὶ κακὰ τεκμήραντο,ἀνδρὸς ἔπειτ᾽ ὤφελλον ἀμείνονος εἶναι ἄκοιτις,
ὃς ἤιδη νέμεσίν τε καὶ αἴσχεα πόλλ᾽ ἀνθρώπων.
(Today, since the gods instead ensure evil things for me, I then was beginning to wish to be the wife of some better man, who would recognize the many evils of men as things to avoid;)

τούτωι δ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἂρ νῦν φρένες ἔμπεδοι οὔτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὀπίσσω ἔσσονται· τὼ καί μιν ἐπαυρήσεσθαι ὀΐω.
(But now, no longer is the passion of this man steadfast, nor do I think they will be again; I think that they will cause him trouble;)

ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε νῦν εἴσελθε καὶ ἕζεο τῶιδ᾽ ἐπὶ δίφρωιδᾶερ, ἐπεί σε μάλιστα πόνος φρένας ἀμφιβέβηκεεἵενεκ᾽ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκ᾽ ἄτης,οἷσιν ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε κακὸν μόρον, ὡς καὶ ὀπίσσω ἀνθρώποισι πελώμεθ᾽ ἀοίδιμοι ἐσσομένοισι.
(But come on now, come inside and sit down here on the bench, brother-in-law, since great hardship surrounds your heart, on account of myself, a bitch, and Paris' wild infatuation; for us, Zeus apportioned a wicked fate, as I think we will be the matters of song for future generations')

τὴν δ᾽ ἠμείβετ᾽ ἔπειτα μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ μή με κάθιζ᾽ Ἑλένη φιλέουσά περ· οὐδέ με πείσεις·
(Then, great Hector, glancing from his helmet, answered back to her: "Do not make me sit down, Helen, although you desire it: you will not persuade me;)

ἤδη γάρ μοι θυμὸς ἐπέσσυται ὄφρ᾽ ἐπαμύνω Τρώεσσ᾽, οἳ μέγ᾽ ἐμεῖο ποθὴν ἀπεόντος ἔχουσιν.
(For now my heart stirs me to drive harm from the Trojans, who long for me greatly in absence;)

ἀλλὰ σύ γ᾽ ὄρνυθι τοῦτον, ἐπειγέσθω δὲ καὶ αὐτός,ὥς κεν ἔμ᾽ ἔντοσθεν πόλιος καταμάρψηι ἐόντα.
(But at least rouse this man, and let himself also be persuaded, so that he can catch up to me, while I'm still in the city;)

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν οἶκον δὲ ἐλεύσομαι ὄφρα ἴδωμαι οἰκῆας ἄλοχόν τε φίλην καὶ νήπιον υἱόν.
(For I myself will then go home so that I can see my servants and my wife and my young son;)

οὐ γὰρ οἶδ᾽ εἰ ἔτι σφιν ὑπότροπος ἵξομαι αὖτις,ἦ ἤδη μ᾽ ὑπὸ χερσὶ θεοὶ δαμόωσιν Ἀχαιῶν.
(For I do not know if I shall ever come back to return to her, or if the gods shall set me in the hands of the Achaeans')

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
(Then, Hector, glancing from his helmet, finished speaking and walked away;)

αἶψα δ᾽ ἔπειθ᾽ ἵκανε δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας,οὐδ᾽ εὗρ᾽ Ἀνδρομάχην λευκώλενον ἐν μεγάροισιν,
ἀλλ᾽ ἥ γε ξὺν παιδὶ καὶ ἀμφιπόλωι ἐϋπέπλωι πύργωι ἐφεστήκει γοόωσά τε μυρομένη τε.
(And when he arrived finally at the well-fashioned houses, he did not find pale-armed Andromache in her chamber rooms, but she had left with the child, followed by a fair-robed servant and had stood upon the citadel, weeping and grieving;)

Ἕκτωρ δ᾽ ὡς οὐκ ἔνδον ἀμύμονα τέτμεν ἄκοιτιν ἔστη ἐπ᾽ οὐδὸν ἰών, μετὰ δὲ δμωιῆισιν ἔειπεν·
(Then, as Hector, seeing that no one was there, did not meet his blameless wife inside, then he spoke to house slaves:)

εἰ δ᾽ ἄγε μοι δμωιαὶ νημερτέα μυθήσασθε·
('Come on then, house servants, if you can explain the truth to me;)

πῆι ἔβη Ἀνδρομάχη λευκώλενος ἐκ μεγάροιο;
(To where did fair-armed Andromache leave from the halls of the palace?)

ἠέ πηι ἐς γαλόων ἢ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων ἢ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι Τρωιαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται;
(Is she somewhere among her sisters or wives of her brothers, or might she have left out to Athena's temple, where the other fair-haired Trojan women now appease the terrible goddess?')

τὸν δ᾽ αὖτ᾽ ὀτρηρὴ ταμίη πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·
(And a hard-working houseslave told him the story;)

Ἕκτορ ἐπεὶ μάλ᾽ ἄνωγας ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι,οὔτέ πηι ἐς γαλόων οὔτ᾽ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων
οὔτ᾽ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι Τρωιαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ πύργον ἔβη μέγαν Ἰλίου, οὕνεκ᾽ ἄκουσε τείρεσθαι Τρῶας, μέγα δὲ κράτος εἶναι Ἀχαιῶν.
('Hector, since you have ordered me to tell the truth, she is neither with at her sisters nor her brother's wives, and she did not go to the temple of Athena, where the other fair-haired Trojan women are appeasing the mighty goddess, but she went to the great citadel of Troy, because she heard that the Trojans were being routed and that the force of the Achaeans was overpowering;)

ἣ μὲν δὴ πρὸς τεῖχος ἐπειγομένη ἀφικάνει μαινομένηι ἐϊκυῖα· φέρει δ᾽ ἅμα παῖδα τιθήνη.
(So she went to the wall, rushing like a mad woman; and one of her nurses carries the child behind her')

ἦ ῥα γυνὴ ταμίη, ὁ δ᾽ ἀπέσσυτο δώματος Ἕκτωρ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν αὖτις ἐϋκτιμένας κατ᾽ ἀγυιάς.
(And so spoke the hard-working servant, and Hector left the house back along the road through the well-made streets;)

εὖτε πύλας ἵκανε διερχόμενος μέγα ἄστυ Σκαιάς, τῆι ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλε διεξίμεναι πεδίον δέ,
ἔνθ᾽ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος ἐναντίη ἦλθε θέουσα Ἀνδρομάχη θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἠετίωνος
Ἠετίων ὃς ἔναιεν ὑπὸ Πλάκωι ὑληέσσηι Θήβηι Ὑποπλακίηι Κιλίκεσσ᾽ ἄνδρεσσιν ἀνάσσων·
(He arrived at the Skaian Gates on the other side of the great city, where he planned to cross into the plain, where his gracious wife Andromache came rushing, the daughter of great-hearted Eetion, that Eetion who lived down in wooded Plakos, the part of Thebe in southern Plakos, and ruled over the men of Cilicia;)

τοῦ περ δὴ θυγάτηρ ἔχεθ᾽ Ἕκτορι χαλκοκορυστῆι.
(Indeed, this was his daughter married to the bronze-helmeted Hector;)

ἥ οἱ ἔπειτ᾽ ἤντησ᾽, ἅμα δ᾽ ἀμφίπολος κίεν αὐτῆι παῖδ᾽ ἐπὶ κόλπωι ἔχουσ᾽ ἀταλάφρονα νήπιον αὔτως Ἑκτορίδην ἀγαπητὸν ἀλίγκιον ἀστέρι καλῶι,τόν ῥ᾽ Ἕκτωρ καλέεσκε Σκαμάνδριον, αὐτὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀστυάνακτ᾽·
(Then she stood by him, and her maid ran behind her, holding the child in her bosom, the tender-minded baby, the dear son of Hector who seemed to shine like a star, whom Hector used to call Skamandrios, but the others Astyanax;)

οἶος γὰρ ἐρύετο Ἴλιον Ἕκτωρ. ἤτοι ὁ μὲν μείδησεν ἰδὼν ἐς παῖδα σιωπῆι·
(Since, only Hector safeguarded Troy; and he smiled in silence when he looked upon the child;)

Ἀνδρομάχη δέ οἱ ἄγχι παρίστατο δάκρυ χέουσα, ἔν τ᾽ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζε·
(But Andromache stood by him weeping tears, and she fell into his hand and spoke to him, calling him by name:)

δαιμόνιε φθίσει σε τὸ σὸν μένος, οὐδ᾽ ἐλεαίρεις παῖδά τε νηπίαχον καὶ ἔμ᾽ ἄμμορον, ἣ τάχα χήρη σεῦ ἔσομαι·
('O strange one, your strength flees you, nor do you pity your new son and myself, ill-fated, who will soon be your widow;)

τάχα γάρ σε κατακτανέουσιν Ἀχαιοὶ πάντες ἐφορμηθέντες·
(For soon all the Achaeans, huddling together, will send you crashing to the earth;)

ἐμοὶ δέ κε κέρδιον εἴη σεῦ ἀφαμαρτούσηι χθόνα δύμεναι·
(Then it would be at least be better for the earth to swallow me whole, after I have been deprived of you;)

οὐ γὰρ ἔτ᾽ ἄλλη ἔσται θαλπωρὴ ἐπεὶ ἂν σύ γε πότμον ἐπίσπηις
ἀλλ᾽ ἄχε᾽·
(For there will be no other consolation but woe for me, should you succumb to your destiny;)

οὐδέ μοι ἔστι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ.
(There is no father or mother for me;)

ἤτοι γὰρ πατέρ᾽ ἁμὸν ἀπέκτανε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς,ἐκ δὲ πόλιν πέρσεν Κιλίκων εὖ ναιετάουσαν
Θήβην ὑψίπυλον·
(For, divine Achilles killed my father before, and he sacked the well-built city of the Cilicians completely and lofty-towered Thebe;)

κατὰ δ᾽ ἔκτανεν Ἠετίωνα, οὐδέ μιν ἐξενάριξε, σεβάσσατο γὰρ τό γε θυμῶι,
ἀλλ᾽ ἄρα μιν κατέκηε σὺν ἔντεσι δαιδαλέοισιν ἠδ᾽ ἐπὶ σῆμ᾽ ἔχεεν·
(Then he cut down Eetion, but he did not leave him armorless, for he shunned this in his heart, but he instead burned him in his well-crafted armor and made a grave over his body;)

περὶ δὲ πτελέας ἐφύτευσαν νύμφαι ὀρεστιάδες κοῦραι Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.
(And the mountain-dwelling nymphs, maidens of Zeus the aegis-bearer, planted elms around the grave;)

οἳ δέ μοι ἑπτὰ κασίγνητοι ἔσαν ἐν μεγάροισιν οἳ μὲν πάντες ἰῶι κίον ἤματι Ἄϊδος εἴσω·
(And I used to have seven brothers in my chamber halls, who all then went down to the Underworld on a single day;)

πάντας γὰρ κατέπεφνε ποδάρκης δῖος Ἀχιλλεὺς βουσὶν ἐπ᾽ εἰλιπόδεσσι καὶ ἀργεννῆις ὀΐεσσι.
(For godlike Achilles, so swift on foot, felled them all while they were tending to their roaming cows and the snowy sheep;)

μητέρα δ᾽, ἣ βασίλευεν ὑπὸ Πλάκωι ὑληέσσηι, τὴν ἐπεὶ ἂρ δεῦρ᾽ ἤγαγ᾽ ἅμ᾽ ἄλλοισι κτεάτεσσιν, ἂψ ὅ γε τὴν ἀπέλυσε λαβὼν ἀπερείσι᾽ ἄποινα, πατρὸς δ᾽ ἐν μεγάροισι βάλ᾽ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα.
(And my mother, who used to rule over wooded Plakos, he led her back, along with her property, and he ransomed her, procuring handsome treasure, though arrow-launching Artemis slew her in her father's halls;)

Ἕκτορ ἀτὰρ σύ μοί ἐσσι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ ἠδὲ κασίγνητος, σὺ δέ μοι θαλερὸς παρακοίτης·
(Hector, now you are my father and my mother and my brother, and you are the husband who shares my house;)

ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε νῦν ἐλέαιρε καὶ αὐτοῦ μίμν᾽ ἐπὶ πύργωι, μὴ παῖδ᾽ ὀρφανικὸν θήηις χήρην τε γυναῖκα·
(But, come on now, take pity and stay here at the citadel; don't leave your child an orphan and your wife a widow;)

λαὸν δὲ στῆσον παρ᾽ ἐρινεόν, ἔνθα μάλιστα ἀμβατός ἐστι πόλις καὶ ἐπίδρομον ἔπλετο τεῖχος.
(Instead, draw the army up next to the fig tree, where the city is most hedged in and the wall surmountable;)

τρὶς γὰρ τῆι γ᾽ ἐλθόντες ἐπειρήσανθ᾽ οἱ ἄριστοι ἀμφ᾽ Αἴαντε δύω καὶ ἀγακλυτὸν Ἰδομενῆα
ἠδ᾽ ἀμφ᾽ Ἀτρεΐδας καὶ Τυδέος ἄλκιμον υἱόν·
(For, three times the best warriors came and tried to scale it, both the Ajaxes and glorious Idomeneus and the two sons of Atreus and the fierce son of Tydeus;)

ἤ πού τίς σφιν ἔνισπε θεοπροπίων ἐῢ εἰδώς, ἤ νυ καὶ αὐτῶν θυμὸς ἐποτρύνει καὶ ἀνώγει.
(Either one of them, knowing the prophecies well, instructed them, or even now does their heart stir them and command them to do this')

τὴν δ᾽ αὖτε προσέειπε μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
(But then mighty Hector, staring out from his helmet, spoke back to her:)

ἦ καὶ ἐμοὶ τάδε πάντα μέλει γύναι· ἀλλὰ μάλ᾽ αἰνῶς αἰδέομαι Τρῶας καὶ Τρωιάδας ἑλκεσιπέπλους, αἴ κε κακὸς ὣς νόσφιν ἀλυσκάζω πολέμοιο·
('All these things you say are true, my wife; but still, I would be greatly ashamed in the face of the Trojans and long-robed Trojan women, if I should part myself from the war like a coward;)

οὐδέ με θυμὸς ἄνωγεν, ἐπεὶ μάθον ἔμμεναι ἐσθλὸς αἰεὶ καὶ πρώτοισι μετὰ Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι
ἀρνύμενος πατρός τε μέγα κλέος ἠδ᾽ ἐμὸν αὐτοῦ.
(My heart does not force me, ever since I learned to always be strong and to fight first among the Trojan men, gaining great honor for my father and myself here;)

εὖ γὰρ ἐγὼ τόδε οἶδα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν·
(So, I know this well in my spirit and my heart;)

ἔσσεται ἦμαρ ὅτ᾽ ἄν ποτ᾽ ὀλώληι Ἴλιος ἱρὴ καὶ Πρίαμος καὶ λαὸς ἐϋμμελίω Πριάμοιο.
(There will be a day when sacred Troy shall perish, along with Priam of the ashen spear and his people;)

ἀλλ᾽ οὔ μοι Τρώων τόσσον μέλει ἄλγος ὀπίσσω, οὔτ᾽ αὐτῆς Ἑκάβης οὔτε Πριάμοιο ἄνακτος
οὔτε κασιγνήτων, οἵ κεν πολέες τε καὶ ἐσθλοὶ ἐν κονίηισι πέσοιεν ὑπ᾽ ἀνδράσι δυσμενέεσσιν, ὅσσον σεῦ, ὅτε κέν τις Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
δακρυόεσσαν ἄγηται ἐλεύθερον ἦμαρ ἀπούρας·
(But the suffering of the Trojans will not seem to be so great to me, nor of Hecuba herself or lord Priam or my brothers, many and strong men who would fall in the dust at the hands of ruthless men, as much as for you, when one of the bronze-clad Achaeans would lead you away crying, taking away your day of freedom;)

καί κεν ἐν Ἄργει ἐοῦσα πρὸς ἄλλης ἱστὸν ὑφαίνοις, καί κεν ὕδωρ φορέοις Μεσσηΐδος ἢ Ὑπερείης πόλλ᾽ ἀεκαζομένη, κρατερὴ δ᾽ ἐπικείσετ᾽ ἀνάγκη·
(And if you, having gone to Argos, should appear at the loom of a foreign mistress and carry water from the Messeis or Hypereia, though very much against your will, still strong bondage will burden you;)

καί ποτέ τις εἴπηισιν ἰδὼν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσαν·
(And perhaps someone, seeing you shed down your tears, might say:)

Ἕκτορος ἥδε γυνὴ ὃς ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι Τρώων ἱπποδάμων ὅτε Ἴλιον ἀμφεμάχοντο.
('Here is the wife of Hector, the man who excelled at fighting above all the horse-breaking Trojans, when he used to defend Troy;)

ὥς ποτέ τις ἐρέει· σοὶ δ᾽ αὖ νέον ἔσσεται ἄλγος χήτεϊ τοιοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρὸς ἀμύνειν δούλιον ἦμαρ.
(This is what he might say; but the suffering for you will be rekindled, in need of a man like me to fend off your day of bondage;)

ἀλλά με τεθνηῶτα χυτὴ κατὰ γαῖα καλύπτοι πρίν γέ τι σῆς τε βοῆς σοῦ θ᾽ ἑλκηθμοῖο πυθέσθαι.
(But let me have died, the earth buried over my hidden body, at least before I should ever hear you crying and shouting in forced captivity')

ὣς εἰπὼν οὗ παιδὸς ὀρέξατο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ·
(So, having spoken, radiant Hector reached out for his son;)

ἂψ δ᾽ ὁ πάϊς πρὸς κόλπον ἐϋζώνοιο τιθήνης ἐκλίνθη ἰάχων πατρὸς φίλου ὄψιν ἀτυχθεὶς
ταρβήσας χαλκόν τε ἰδὲ λόφον ἱππιοχαίτην,δεινὸν ἀπ᾽ ἀκροτάτης κόρυθος νεύοντα νοήσας.
(Then his son, leaning into the bosom of his well-girded, cried out, amazed at the face of his father, terrified by the bronze helmet and the horse-plume on the back of his neck, and he shied dreadfully from the mere sight of his helmet's top;)

ἐκ δ᾽ ἐγέλασσε πατήρ τε φίλος καὶ πότνια μήτηρ·
(Then, the father laughed out, then his mother;)

αὐτίκ᾽ ἀπὸ κρατὸς κόρυθ᾽ εἵλετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ, καὶ τὴν μὲν κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ παμφανόωσαν·
(At once, glorious and mighty Hector removed his helmet and set it down on the ground, shining completely;)

αὐτὰρ ὅ γ᾽ ὃν φίλον υἱὸν ἐπεὶ κύσε πῆλέ τε χερσὶν εἶπε δ᾽ ἐπευξάμενος Διί τ᾽ ἄλλοισίν τε θεοῖσι·
(Then he took his dear son in his hands and kissed him, praying to the Zeus and the other gods:)

Ζεῦ ἄλλοι τε θεοὶ δότε δὴ καὶ τόνδε γενέσθαι παῖδ᾽ ἐμὸν ὡς καὶ ἐγώ περ ἀριπρεπέα Τρώεσσιν, ὧδε βίην τ᾽ ἀγαθόν, καὶ Ἰλίου ἶφι ἀνάσσειν·
('Zeus and you other gods, please grant that my son become a man like me, excelling above the Trojans, that he can be a brave man, and rule Troy with strength;)

καί ποτέ τις εἴποι πατρός γ᾽ ὅδε πολλὸν ἀμείνων ἐκ πολέμου ἀνιόντα·
(And then let someone say that he was much better than his father when he makes his stand in battle;)

φέροι δ᾽ ἔναρα βροτόεντα κτείνας δήϊον ἄνδρα, χαρείη δὲ φρένα μήτηρ.
(And let him carry spoils back home, having killed his opponent, and then his mother delight in her heart;)

ὣς εἰπὼν ἀλόχοιο φίλης ἐν χερσὶν ἔθηκε παῖδ᾽ ἑόν·
(So finishing his speech, he put his child into the arms of his dear wife;)

ἣ δ᾽ ἄρα μιν κηώδεϊ δέξατο κόλπωι δακρυόεν γελάσασα·
(But she took hold him in her sweet bosom, smiling with tears;)

πόσις δ᾽ ἐλέησε νοήσας,χειρί τέ μιν κατέρεξεν ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζε·
(And the husband, taking notice, took pity, and he soothed her with his hand, began a speech and called her name:)

δαιμονίη μή μοί τι λίην ἀκαχίζεο θυμῶι·
('Strange woman, don't feel so much grief in your heart for me;)

οὐ γάρ τίς μ᾽ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν ἀνὴρ Ἄϊδι προϊάψει·
(Really, no man shall cast me down to the Underworld below;)

μοῖραν δ᾽ οὔ τινά φημι πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν, οὐ κακὸν οὐδὲ μὲν ἐσθλόν, ἐπὴν τὰ πρῶτα γένηται.
(And I don't think that any man exists who has escaped his death, no matter how cowardly or strong, when it first comes into being;)

ἀλλ᾽ εἰς οἶκον ἰοῦσα τὰ σ᾽ αὐτῆς ἔργα κόμιζε ἱστόν τ᾽ ἠλακάτην τε, καὶ ἀμφιπόλοισι κέλευε
ἔργον ἐποίχεσθαι·
(But once you have gone into the house, begin your own work at the loom and the distaff, and order the handmaidens to get to work;)

πόλεμος δ᾽ ἄνδρεσσι μελήσει πᾶσι, μάλιστα δ᾽ ἐμοί, τοὶ Ἰλίωι ἐγγεγάασιν.
(For, war befits all men, especially myself, those who make Troy their home')

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας κόρυθ᾽ εἵλετο φαίδιμος Ἕκτωρ ἵππουριν·
(So, finishing his speech, glorious Hector took up his horse-plumed helmet;)

ἄλοχος δὲ φίλη οἶκον δὲ βεβήκει ἐντροπαλιζομένη, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα.
(Then his dear wife went home, turning her step back and shedding down her soaking tears;)

αἶψα δ᾽ ἔπειθ᾽ ἵκανε δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας Ἕκτορος ἀνδροφόνοιο, κιχήσατο δ᾽ ἔνδοθι πολλὰς ἀμφιπόλους, τῆισιν δὲ γόον πάσηισιν ἐνῶρσεν.
(And when she finally reached the well-inhabited houses of Hector the Man-Slayer, then she found many handmaidens there, and she excited a lament in all of them;)

αἳ μὲν ἔτι ζωὸν γόον Ἕκτορα ὧι ἐνὶ οἴκωι·
(And they mourned Hector, even as he lived, there in that house;)

οὐ γάρ μιν ἔτ᾽ ἔφαντο ὑπότροπον ἐκ πολέμοιο ἵξεσθαι προφυγόντα μένος καὶ χεῖρας Ἀχαιῶν.
(For they did not believe that he would ever return from battle, to come back there, having fled the strength and hands of the Achaeans;)

οὐδὲ Πάρις δήθυνεν ἐν ὑψηλοῖσι δόμοισιν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅ γ᾽, ἐπεὶ κατέδυ κλυτὰ τεύχεα ποικίλα χαλκῶι,σεύατ᾽ ἔπειτ᾽ ἀνὰ ἄστυ ποσὶ κραιπνοῖσι πεποιθώς.
(And Paris did not delay in his lofty palace, but instead he, when he armed himself in his armor famously wrought in bronze, then rushed confidently through the city on his swift feet;)

ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε τις στατὸς ἵππος ἀκοστήσας ἐπὶ φάτνηι δεσμὸν ἀπορρήξας θείηι πεδίοιο κροαίνων
εἰωθὼς λούεσθαι ἐϋρρεῖος ποταμοῖο κυδιόων·
(And as when a stalled-up horse, nourished from the barley in his feed and having broken his rein, rushes through the plain, thundering joyously, in order to reach his usual bathing place of the swift stream;)

ὑψοῦ δὲ κάρη ἔχει, ἀμφὶ δὲ χαῖται ὤμοις ἀΐσσονται·
(And he holds his head high; his horsely plume streams over both his shoulders;)

ὁ δ᾽ ἀγλαΐηφι πεποιθὼς ῥίμφά ἑ γοῦνα φέρει μετά τ᾽ ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων·
(Then confidently, in his strength, his sinewy knees carry him to places and pastures of horses;)

ὣς υἱὸς Πριάμοιο Πάρις κατὰ Περγάμου ἄκρης τεύχεσι παμφαίνων ὥς τ᾽ ἠλέκτωρ ἐβεβήκει
καγχαλόων, ταχέες δὲ πόδες φέρον·
(In the same way, Priam's son Paris sped down from the citadel of Troy, laughing joyously, like the sun that travels along shining, and his fast feet carried him;)

αἶψα δ᾽ ἔπειτα Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔτετμεν ἀδελφεὸν εὖτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλε στρέψεσθ᾽ ἐκ χώρης ὅθι ἧι ὀάριζε γυναικί.
(Then he finally met his brother Hector, who seemed to stand pondering, from the place where he had conversed with his wife;)

τὸν πρότερος προσέειπεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής·
(Godlike Paris was the first to speak to him:)

ἠθεῖ᾽ ἦ μάλα δή σε καὶ ἐσσύμενον κατερύκω δηθύνων, οὐδ᾽ ἦλθον ἐναίσιμον ὡς ἐκέλευες;
(Really now, I fear that I hold you back, since I am tardy and was not coming as quickly as you ordered me')

τὸν δ᾽ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
(Then Hector, glaring from his helmet, answered him in return:)

δαιμόνι᾽ οὐκ ἄν τίς τοι ἀνὴρ ὃς ἐναίσιμος εἴη ἔργον ἀτιμήσειε μάχης, ἐπεὶ ἄλκιμός ἐσσι·
('Silly man, no man would rightfully dishonor your accomplishment in battle, as you are a mighty warrior;)

ἀλλὰ ἑκὼν μεθιεῖς τε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλεις·
(But you shun battle and don't wish to fight;)

τὸ δ᾽ ἐμὸν κῆρ ἄχνυται ἐν θυμῶι, ὅθ᾽ ὑπὲρ σέθεν αἴσχε᾽ ἀκούω πρὸς Τρώων, οἳ ἔχουσι πολὺν πόνον εἵνεκα σεῖο. ἀλλ᾽ ἴομεν·
(But it pains the heart in my breast, because I hear shameful things about you among the Trojans, the same men who suffer great pain because of you; but come on;)

τὰ δ᾽ ὄπισθεν ἀρεσσόμεθ᾽, αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς δώηι ἐπουρανίοισι θεοῖς αἰειγενέτηισικρητῆρα στήσασθαι ἐλεύθερον ἐν μεγάροισιν ἐκ Τροίης ἐλάσαντας ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.
(And let's set these matter straight, if ever Zeus would permit us to set up a krater of freedom for the everlasting and heavenly gods in our halls, after we have driven the strong-armored Achaeans from Troy.)