Homer, Iliad Book 1

Homer ('Ομηρος)

c. 7th-8th c. BCE (2,700 to 2,800 years ago)

Trans RMBullard

Bk 1 ln 322---
“χειροσ ‘ελοντου αγεμεν Βρισηιδα καλλιπαρηιον-
(Let us lead fair-cheeked Briseis, taking her in hand;)

ει δε κε μη δωιησιν, εγω δε κεν αυτοσ ‘ελωμαι ελθων συν πλεονεσσι-
(but if indeed he does not give in, then I myself, coming with many, will take her;)

το ‘οι και ‘ριγιον εσται:
(and this will be awful for him;)

‘ωσ ειπων προιει, κρατερον δε επι μυθον ετελλεν-
(Speaking so, he sends them out, and he accomplished his mighty word;)

τω δε αεκοντε βατην παρα θιν ‘αλοσ ατρυγετοιο, δε Μυρμιδονων δε επι τε κλισιασ και νηασ ‘ικεσθην-
(And the two unwilling men walked to the shore of the barren sea, and they came to the tents and the ships of the Myrmidons;)

τον δε ‘ευρον παρα τε κλισιηι και νηι μελαινηι ‘ημενον-
(And they found him sitting beside both the tent and the black ship;)

ουδε αρα τω γε ιδων γηθησεν Αχιλλευσ-
(Achilles, seeing the two men, was not pleased.)

τω μεν ταρβησαντε και αιδομενω βασιληα στητην, ουδε τι μιν προσεφωνεον ουδε ερεοντο-
(And the two kings were terrified and stood ashamed, neither looking or speaking to him;)

αυταρ ‘ο εγνω ‘ηισιν ενι φρεσι φωνησεν τε-
(And yet he knew how they felt in their hearts;)

"χαιρετε, κηρυκεσ, Διοσ αγγελοι ηδε και ανδρων-
("Greetings, heralds, messengers here of Zeus and men;)

ασσον ιτε-ου τι μοι υμμεσ επαιτιοι, αλλα Αγαμεμνων, ‘ο σφωι προιει Βρισηιδοσ ‘εινεκα κουρησ-
(Come nearer! You two are not at all blameworthy to me, but Agamemnon, the man who sends you two here for the young girl Briseis.)

αλλα αγε, διογενεσ Πατροκλεισ, εξαγε κουρην και σφωιν δοσ αγειν-
(But come on, Zeus-born Patroklos, lead out the girl and give her to these two men to lead away;)

τω δε αυτω μαρτυροι εστων προσ τε θεων μακαρων προσ τε θνητων ανθρωπων τω προσ του βασιληοσ απηνεοσ, ει ποτε δη αυτε χρειω εμειο γενηται αεικεα λοιγον αμυναι τοισ αλλοισ-
(And let them be two witnesses to the blessed gods and mortal men and to the harsh king, if ever indeed again if I am needed to protect shameful ruin from the others;)

η γαρ ‘ο γε ολοιηισι φρεσι θυει, ουδε τι οιδε νοησαι ‘αμα προσσω και οπισσω, οππωσ ‘οι παρα νηυσι σοοι μαχεοιατο Αχαιοι-
(For really does he rush on in his careless heart, and he won't know how to see ahead or look behind, when the Achaians should fight next to their own ships.)

‘ωσ φατο, Πατροκλοσ δε φιλωι επεπειθεθε ‘εταιρωι, εκ δε αγαγε κλισιησ Βρισηιδα καλλιπαρηιον, δωκε δε αγειν. Τω δε αυτισ ιτην παρα νηασ Αχαιων, ‘η δε αεκουσα ‘αμα τοισι γυνη κιεν.
(So he spoke, and Patroklos was persuaded by his brotherly comrade to lead the fair-cheeked Briseis from the tent, and he give her to them lead away. And the two men went back to the ships of the Achaians, and at the same time the unwilling girl goes to them;

αυταρ Αχιλλευσ δακρυσασ ‘εταρων αφαρ ‘εζετο νοσφι λιασθεισ θινα επι ‘αλοσ πολιησ, ‘οροων επι οινοπα ποντον-
(At the same time, Achilles, bawling, sat apart from his companions, lying down on the shores of the gray sea, looking out to the wine-colored water;)

πολλα δε μητρι φιληι ηρησατο χειρασ οπεγνυσ-
(But stretching his hands to his sweet mother, he asked:)

--μητερ, επει με ετεκεσ γε μινυνθαδιον περ εοντα, τιμην περ μοι οφελλεν Ολυμπιοσ εγγυαλιξαι Ζευσ ‘υψιβρεμετησ-
(Mother, when you bore me, who is fated to be short-fated, the high-thundering Olympian Zeus increased honor for me to put my hands upon;)

νυν δε ουδε με τυτθον ετισεν-
(But now he has paid me a small one;)

η γαρ με Ατρειδησ ευρυ κρειων Αγαμεμνων ητιμησεν-
(For Agamemnon, the very powerful son of Atreus, has dishonored me;)

‘ελων γαρ εχει γερασ, αυτοσ απουρασ-
(For he, thieving, takes my war prize, that man robs it")

‘ωσ φατο δακρυ χεων, του δε εκλυε ποτνια μητηρ ‘ημενη εν βενθεσσιν ‘αλοσ παρα πατρι γεροντι-
(So he spoke, pouring forth tears, and his royal mother heard him, sitting in the depths of the sea beside her elderly father;)

καρπαλιμωσ δε ανεδυ πολιησ ‘αλοσ ηυτε ομιχλη, και ‘ρα παροιθ’ αυτοιο καθεζετο δακρυ χεοντοσ, χειρι τε μιν κατερεζεν, εποσ τε εφατο εκ τε ονομαζεν-(But swiftly, she came to the top of the gray sea like a mist, and she arrived and sat down as he poured forth tears, and she soothed him with her hand, and she called him by name and then spoke a word:)

“τεκνον, τι κλαιεισ--τι δε σε φρενασ ‘ικετο πενθοσ--εξαυδα, μη κευθε νοωι, ‘ινα ειδομεν αμφω.”
(“Son, why are you weeping-what sorrow has come to your heart-reveal, do not hide what is in your mind, but we shall both know.”)

Την δε βαρυ στεναχων προσεφη ποδασ ωκυσ Αχιλλευσ-
(And swift-footed Achilles spoke to her, groaning heavily:)

“οισθα--τι η τοι ταυτα ιδυιηι παντα αγορευω?
(You know; why I do announce all these things to you, already knowing?)

ωιχομεθα εσ Θηβην, ‘ιερην πολιν Ηετιωνοσ, την δε διεπραθομεν τε και ηγομεν ενθαδε παντα-
(Into Thebe we went, the sacred city of Eetion, and we both sacked it and led everything away from there;)

και τα μεν ευ δασσαντο μετα σφισιν ‘υιεσ Αχαιων, εκ δε ‘ελον Ατρειδηι Χρυσηιδα καλλιπαρηιον-
(And we, the sons of the Achaians, divided everything up well among ourselves, and they seized Chryseis for the son of Atreus;)

Χρυσησ δε αυθε ‘ιερευσ ‘εκατηβολου Απολλωνοσ ηλθε θοασ επι νηασ Αχαιων χαλκοχιτωνων λυσομενοσ τε θυγατρα φερων τε απερεισια αποινα, στεμματα εχων εν χερσιν ‘εκηβολου Απολλωνοσ χρυσεωι ανα σκηπτρωι και λισσετο παντασ Αχαιοθσ, Ατρειδα δε μαλιστα δυω, κασμυτορε λαων-
(But then Chyrses, the sacred priest of far-shooting Apollo, came to the swift ships of the blass-clad Achaians, both ransoming his daughter and bearing gleaming gifts, holding in his hands the garlands above the golden scepter of the far-shooting Apollo, and he begged all the Achaians, but especially the two sons of Atreus, the stewards of the people;)

ενθ’ αλλοι μεν παντεσ επευφημησαν Αχαιοι αιδεισθαι τα ‘ιερηα και αγλαα δεχθαι αποινα-
(All the other Achaians shouted assent to respect the sacred things and take the gleaming ransom;)

αλλα ουκ Ατρειδηι Αγαμεμνονι ‘ηνδανε θυμωι, αλλα κακωσ αφιει, κρατερον δε επι μυθον ετελλεν.
(But this did not please Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, in his heart, but it fared badly for him, and he made a strong reproach;)

Χωομενοσ δε ‘ο γερων παλιν ωιχετο—τοιο δε Απολλων ευξαμενου ηκουσεν, επει μαλα ‘οι φιλοσ ηεν, ‘ηκε δε επι Αργειοισι κακον Βελοσ-
(But the old man went back, raging; and Apollo heard the man praying to him, since he was particularly dear to him, and he cast deadly arrows upon the Argives;)

‘οι δε νυν λαοι θνησκον επασσυτεροι, τα δε επωιχετο κηλα θεοιο παντηι ανα στρατον ευρυν Αχαιων-
(And the people were dying one by one, and from everywhere the arrows of the god fell upon the wide army of the Achaians;)

αμμι δε μαντισ ευ ειδωσ αγορυε θεοπροπιασ ‘εκατοιο-
(But a priest, knowing well the prophecies of the far-shooter, spoke to us;)

αυτικα εγω πρωτοσ κελομην θεον ‘ιλασκεσθαι-
(I first immediately urged that the god be appeased;)

Ατρειωνα δε επειτα χολοσ λαβεν, αιψα δε αναστασ ηπειλησεν μυθον, ‘ο δη τετελεσμενοσ εστιν-
(But then rage seized the son of Atreus, and, immediately standing up, he unloaded his speech, one that has indeed been accomplished;)

την μεν γαρ συν νηι θοηι ‘ελικωπεσ Αχαιοι εσ Χρυσην πεμπουσιν, αγουσι δε δωρα ανακτι-
(While the quick-glancing Achaians send the girl in a swift ship to Chryse, they will lead gifts to the ruler;)

την δε νεον κλισιηνθεν εβαν κηρυκεσ αγοντεσ κουρην Βρισηοσ, την μοι δοσαν ‘υιεσ Αχαιων-
(Then heralds came to the tent over there, leading away the girl Briseis, whom the sons of the Achaians gave to me;)

αλλα συ, ει δυνασαι γε, περισχεο παιδοσ ‘εοιο-
(But you, at least if you can, support your son;)

Ελθουσ Ουλυμπονδε Δια λισαι, ει ποτε δη τι η επει ωνησασ κραδιην Διοσ ηε και εργωι-
(Going to Olympus, so as to beg Zeus, if ever indeed since now did you benefit Zeus’ heart with some word or deed;)

πολλακι γαρ σεο πατροσ ενι μεγαροισιν ακουσα ευχομενοσ, ‘οτε εφησθα κελαινεφει Κρονιωνι οιη εν αθανατοισιν αιεκεα λοιγον αμυναι, ‘οπποτε μιν ξυωδησαι Ολυμπιοι ηθελον αλλοι, ‘Ηρη τε ηδε Ποσειδαων και Παλλασ Αθηνη-
(For many times, while praying in the chambers of your father, I heard you announcing that only you pushed aside gruesome destruction from the stormy son of Kronos at the hands of the immortals;)

Αλλα συ τον ηε ελθουσα, θεα, ‘υπελυσαο δεσμων, ωχ’ ‘εκατογχειρον καλεσασα εσ μακρον Ολυμπον, ‘ον Βριαδεων καλεουσι θεοι, ανδρεσ δε τε παντεσ Αιγαιων-
(However, you, goddess, going away, loosened him from his chains, having called the hundred-armed monster into great Olympus, the one the gods call Briareus, but whom all men call Aegaeon;)

‘ο γαρ αυτε βιηι ‘ου πατροσ αμεινων-
(For he was far stronger in force than his father;)

‘οσ ‘ρα παρα Κρονιωνι καθεζετο κυδει γαιων-
(And he set down besides the son of Kronos, rejoicing in glory;)

τον και ‘υπεδεισαν μακαρεσ θεοι ουδε τε εδησαν-
(And the blessed gods cowered before him and no longer bound him;)

των νυν μιν μνησασα παρεζο και λαβε γουνων, αι κεν πωσ εθεληισιν επι Τρωεσσιν αρηξαι, τουσ δε κατα πρυμνασ τε και αμφω ‘αλα ελσαι Αχαιουσ κτεινομενουσ, ‘ινα παντεσ επαυρωνται βασιληοσ, γνωι δε και Ατρειδησ ευρυ κρειων Αγαμεμνων ‘ην ατην, ‘ο τε αριστον Αχαιων ουδεν ετισεν”—
(So, recalling these things, kneel beside him and clasp his knees, if in anyway he could give help to the Trojans and to push the dying Achaians back against both the keels and the sea, in order that they all might partake from their king, and also that Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, learn well that it was madness, for which he dishonored the best of the Achaians")

τον δε ημειβετο επειτα Θετισ κατα δακρυ χεουσα-
(And Thetis then answered him, pouring down tears;)

“ω μοι, τεκνον εμον, τι νυν σε ετρεφον αινα τεκουσα-
("Ah me, my son, why have I raised you now to endure a bitter fate?)

αιθ’οφελεσ παρα νηυσιν αδακρυτοσ και απημων ησθαι, επει νυν τοι αισα μινυνθα περ, ου τι μαλα δην-
(If only you could stay beside the ships, without tears and troubles, since now your fate is short-lived, indeed it is not a long-lasting thing;)

νυν δε ‘αμα τε ωκυμοροσ και οιζυροσ περι παντων ‘επλεο-
(But now indeed you endure, short-lived and wretched above all others;)

τω σε κακηι αισηι τεκον εν μεγαροισιν-
(So I reared you for wicked agony in my house-chambers;)

τουτο δε τοι ερεουσα εποσ Διι τερπικεραυνωι ειμ’ αυτη προσ Ολυμπον αγαννιφον, αι κε πιθηται-
(But recounting this word to Zeus, the one delights in thunder, I will go to snow-capped Olympus, by which things he might be persuaded;)

αλλα συ μεν νυν νηυσι παρημενοσ ωκυποροισιν μηνιε Αχαιοισιν, πολεμου δε αποπαυεο παμπαν-
(But meanwhile you, sitting beside the swift-keeled ships, stay angry at the Achaians, and cease completely from the war;)

Ζευσ γαρ εσ Ωκεανον μετα αμυμονασ Αιθιοπηασ χθιζοσ εβη κατα δαιτα, θεοι δε ‘αμα παντεσ ‘εποντο-
(For Zeus went to Ocean to the blameless Ethiopians for yesterday’s feast, and indeed all the gods followed;)

δωδεκατηι δε τοι αυτισ ελευσεται Ουλυμπονδε, και τοτε επειτα τοι ειμι Διοσ ποτι χαλκοβατεσ δω, και μιν γουνασομαι, και μιν πεισεσθαι οιω”—
(And on the twelfth day, he will return from there to Olympus, and then at that time, I will leave from here to the bronze houses of Zeus, and I will clasp down on his knees, and I think that I shall persuade him;)

‘ωσ αρα φωνησασ’ απεβησετο, τον δε λιπ’αυτου χωομενον κατα θυμον ευζωνοιο γυναικοσ, την ‘ρα βιηι αεκοντοσ απηυρων-
(Therefore, she having spoken, went away, and she left him raging in his heart for his tight-bosomed woman, she whom they were taking by force against his will;)

Αυταρ Οδυσσευσ εσ Χρυσην ‘ικανεν αγων ‘ιερην ‘εκατομβην-
(At the same time, Odysseus, leading a sacred hecatomb, was advancing for Chryse;)

‘οι δε ‘οτε δη λιμενοσ πολυβενθεοσ εντοσ ‘ικοντο, ‘ιστια δε ‘ιστοδοκηι πελασαν προτονοισιν ‘υφεντεσ καρπαλιμωσ, την δε εισ ‘ορμον προερεσσαν ερετμοισ-
(And when indeed they reached the hollowed-out harbor, and they quickly gathered up the sail on the ship-mast, slackening the forestays, and they rolled the ship onto the prop by ropes;)

εκ δε ευνασ εβαλον, κατα δε πρυμνησι εδησαν-
(And they threw out the beds and fettered down the tethers;)

εκ δε και αυτοι βαινον επι 'ρηγμινι θαλασσησ, εκ δε 'εκατομβην βησαν 'εκηβολωι Απολλωνι-
(And from there, these men came upon the shore of the sea, and there, they brought a hecatomb to Apollo the far-shooter;)

εκ δε Χρυσηισ νηοσ βη ποντοποροιο.
(And then Chryseis came from a sea-going ship.)

την μεν επειτα επι Βωμον αγων πολυμητισ Οδυσσευσ πατρι φιλωι εν χερσι τιθει, και μιν προσεειπεν-
(Then the one with many plans, Odysseus, leading her to the altar, placed her in the hands of her dear father, and he spoke to him:)

"ω Χρυση, προ με επεμψεν αναξ ανδρων Αγαμεμνων παιδα τε τε σοι αγεμεν Φοιβωι θ' 'ιερην 'εκατομβην 'ρεξαι 'υπερ Δαναων, οφρα 'ιλασομεσθα ανακτα, 'οσ νυν Αργειοισι πολυστονα κηδε εφηκεν."
(¨O Chryses, King Agamemnon sent for me to lead your daughter to you, as well as to make a sacred hecatomb for Phoebus on behalf of the Danaans, in order that we appease the one who just now launched ruinsome agony upon the Argives;)

'ωσ ειπων εν χερσι τιθει, 'ο δε δεξατο χαιρων παιδα φιλην-
(As he was speaking, he placed her in his hands, and that man, rejoicing, embraced his beloved child;)

οι δε ωκα θεωι 'ιερην 'εκατομβην 'εξειησ εστησαν ευδμητον περι βωμον, χερνιψαντο δε επειτα και ουλοχυτασ ανελοντο-
(And quickly the men, one after another, set out the sacred hecatomb along the well-built altar, and then they washed their hands and scooped up the barley;)

τοισιν δε Χρυσησ μεγαλα ευχετο χειρασ ανασχων-
(And Chryses, throwing up his hands, prayed great things for them;)

"κλυθι μευ, αργυροτοξ, 'οσ Χρυσην αμφιβεβηκασ Κιλλαν τε ζαθεην Τενεδοιο τε ιφι ανασσεισ-
("Hear me, silver-bowed one, you who, so frequenting Chryse, rule by force over sacred Killa of Tenedos;)

ημεν δη ποτε εμευ παροσ εκλυεσ ευξαμενοιο, τιμησασ μεν εμε, μεγα δε ιψαο λαον Αχαιων-
(If ever you listened when I have prayed, when you did me honor, and you destroyed a great host of Achaians;)

ηδε ετι και νυν μοι τοδε επικρηηνον εελδωρ-
(Then here and now as then accomplish a wish for me;)

ηδη νυν Δαναοισιν αεικεα λοιγον αμυνον"-
(Here now fend away shameful plague from the Danaans.")

ωσ εφατο ευχομενοσ, του δε εκλυε Φοιβοσ Απολλων.
(So he spoke, praying, and Phoebus Apollo heard him;)

αυταρ επει 'ρ ευξαντο και ουλοχυτασ προβαλοντο, αυερυσαν μεν πρωτα και εσφαξαν και εδειραν, μηρους τε εξεταμον κατα τε κνισηι εκαλυψαν διπτυχα ποιησαντες, επι αυτων δε ωμοθετησαν-
(Then, at the same time, they prayed and cast down the barley, while first they led the victims' heads back and slaughter and skinned them, and they cut out the flesh from their thighs, folding layer over layer, and upon them they laid cutlets;)

καιε δε επι σχιζηις 'ο γερων, επι δε αιθοπα οινον λειβε-
(And the old man burned them on skewers, and he poured on sparkling wine;)

νεοι δε παρα αυτον εχον πεμπωβολα χερσιν-
(And the young men beside were holding five-pronged forks in their hands;)

αυταρ επει κατα μηρα καη και σπλαγχνα πασαντο, μιστυλλον τε αρα τα αλλα και αμφω οβελοισιν επειραν, ωπτησαν τε περιφραδεως, ερυσαντο τε παντα-
(At the same time, they burned down the thighs and tasted the innards, and they sliced up the other things and then fixed them with spits and then cooked them carefully, and then drew them all out;)

Αυταρ επει παυσαντο πονου τετυκοντο τε δαιτα, δαινυντο, ουδε τι θυμος εδευετο δαιτος εισης-
(As soon as they ceased from their task and they made a feast, they dined, and no heart was denied its fair share;)

αυταρ επει ποσιος και εδητυος εξ ερον ‘εντο, κουροι μεν κρητηρας επεστεψαντο ποτοιο, νωμησαν δε αρα πασιν επαρξαμενοι δεπαεσσιν, ‘οι δε πανημεριοι μολπηι θεον ‘ιλασκοντο, καλον αιεδοντες παιηονα, κουροι Αχαιων, μελποντες ‘εκαεργον; ‘ο δε φρενα τερπετο ακουων-
(As soon as they were satisfied with food and drink and set it aside, the young men filled cups with wine, and those overseeing them dealt it out into all the goblets, while all day long, they propitiated the god with song, singing beautiful Paeans, the young men of the Achaians, chanting to the far-worker; and the Listener was delighted;)

ημος δε ηελιος κατεδυ και επι κνεφας ηλθεν, δη τοτε κοιμησαντο παρα πρυμνησια νηος-
(And when the sun sank down and dusk came forth, then they begin to fall deeply asleep next to the sterns of the ship;)

ημος δε ηριγενεια φανη ‘ροδοδακτυλος Ηως, και τοτε επειτα αωαγοντο μετα στρατον ευρυν Αχαιων-
(And when early rosy-fingered Dawn began to appear, then they led themselves up to the wide camp of the Achaians;)

τοισιν δε ικμενον ουρον ‘ιει ‘εκαεργος Απολλων-
(And Apollo the far-worker set down a favorable breeze for them;)

‘οι δε ‘ιστον στησαντο ανα τα ‘ιστια λευκα πετασσαν-
(And they, setting up the mast, spread up the bright sails;)

εν δε ανεμος πρησεν μεσον ‘ιστιον, αμφι δε κυμα στρειρηι πορφυρεον μεγαλα ιαχε νηος ιουσης-
(And the wind filled up the middle of the sail, and on both sides the great dark swell crashed against the keel, as the ship went forth;)

‘η δε εθεεν κατα κυμα διαπρησσουσα κελευθον-
(And the ship, moving over the passed-over swell, continued its course;)

αυταρ επει ‘ρ ‘ικοντο κατα στρατον ευρυν Αχαιων, νηα μεν ‘οι γε μελαιναν επι ηπειροιο ερυσσαν ‘υψου επι ψαμαθοις, ‘υπο δε ‘εραατα μακρα τανυσσαν, αυτοι δε εσκιδναντο κατα κλισιας τε νεας τε-
(As soon as they arrived upon the wide camp of the Achaians, they dragged the black ship up upon the land and the sand, and they let down long supports, and they dispersed down into both their tents and their ships;)

αυταρ ‘ο μηνιε νηυσι παρημενος ωκυποροισιν διογενης Πηληος ‘υιος, ποδας ωκυς Αχιλλευς-
(At the same time, the god-born son of the Achilles, sitting next to the quick-sailing ships, was waiting, quick-footed Achilles;)

ουτε ποτε εις αγορην πωλεσκετο κυδιανειραν ουτε ποτε εις πολεμον, αλλα φθινυθεσκε φιλον κηρ αυθι μενων, ποθεεσκε δε αυτην τε πτολεμον τε-
(He did not start toward the meeting-place nor ever into battle, but he consumed his whole heart again in his furies, though he yearned for both the former and battle;)

αλλα ‘οτε δη ‘ρ εκ τοιο δυωδεκατη γενετο ηως, και τοτε δη προς Ολυμπον ισαν θεοι αιεν εοντες παντες ‘αμα, Ζευς δε ηρχε-
(But when indeed the twelfth dawn had arisen from this, and finally all the ever-being gods arrived in Olympus, then Zeus came;)

Θετις δε ου ληθετο εφετμεων παιδος ‘εου, αλλα ‘η γε ανεδυσετο κυμα θαλασσης, ηεριη δε ανεβη μεγαν ουρανον Ουλυμπον τε-
(And Thetis did not forget her son's plea, and she traveled up the swell of the sea, and she flew all the way up to the great sky and Olympus;)

‘ευρεν δε ευρυοπα Κρονιδην ατερ ‘ημενον αλλων ακροτατηι κορυφηι πολυδειραδος Ουλυμποιο-
(And wide-faced son of Kronos sat apart without the others upon the highest top of the many-ridged Olympus;)

και ‘ρα παροιθ’ αυτοιο καθεζετο και λαβε γουνων σκαιηι, δεξιτερηι δε αρα ‘υπο ανθερεωνος ‘ελουσα λισσομενη προσεειπε Δια Κρονιωνα ανακτα-
(And she sat down beside him and took his knees with her left hand, and holding down his chin with her right hand, begging, she spoke to the lord Zeus, son of Kronos;)

“Ζευ πατερ, ει ποτε δη σε μετα αθανατοισιν ονησα η επει η εργωι, τοδε μοι κρηηνον εελδωρ-
(Father Zeus, if ever really did I, above the immortal beings, help you either by word or deed, then accomplish a wish for my sake;)

τιμησον μοι ‘υιον, ‘ος ωκιμορωτατος αλλων επλετο-
(Honor my son for my sake, who is most short-fated of all;)

αταρ μιν νυν γε αναξ ανδρων Αγαμεμνων ητιμασεν-
(Just now the lord of men Agamemnon truly dishonored him;)

‘ελων γαρ εχει γερας, αυτος απουρας αλλα συ περ μιν τισον, Ολυμπιε μητιετα Ζευ-
(For he holds his war prize stolen, but you yourself at least do him honor, Zeus, counselor of Olympus;)

τοφρα δε επι Τρωεσσιν τιθει κρατος, οφρα αν Αχαιοι ‘υιον εμον τισωσιν οφελλωσιν τε ‘ε τιμηι”-
(So therefore put strength into the Trojans, so that the Achaians might pay my son honor and elevate him in glory;)
‘ως φατο- την δε ου τι προσεφη νεφεληγερετα Ζευς, αλλα ακεων δη ‘ηστο.
(So he spoke, and thunder-rejoicing Zeus did not say anything, but he remained silent for a long time;)

Θετις δε ‘ως ‘ηψατο γουνων, ‘ως εχετο εμπεφυυια, και ειρετο δευτερον αυτις-
(And as Thetis sought his knees, having kneeled, she grabbed them and seized them both again;)

‘νημερες μεν δη μοι ‘υποσχεο και κατανευσον, η αποειπε, επει ου τοι επι δεοσ, οφρα ευ ειδω, ‘οσσον εγω μετα πασιν ατιμοτατη θεος ειμι.’
(‘Really, swear to me and nod your head, or refuse, so that I might clearly know afterward, that among the blameless gods, I am the most dishonored god among all’)

την δε μεγα οχθησας προσεφη νεφεληγερετα Ζευς-
(And Zeus the cloud-gatherer, greatly troubled, spoke to her:)

‘η δη λοιγια εργα, ‘ο τε με εχθοδοπησαι εφησεις ‘Ηρηι, ‘οτε αν με ερεθησιν ονειδειοις επεεσιν.
(Really a shameful task, which you would put me in bad graces with Hera, since she chides me with her reproachful words;)

‘η δε και αυτως με αιεν εν αθανατοισι θεοισιν νεικει, και τε με φησι μαχηι Τρωεσσιν αρηγειν.
(And, in this way, she always nags me, among the immortal gods, and accuses me of helping the Trojans in battle;)

αλλα συ μεν νυν αυτις αποστιχε, μη τι νοησηι ‘Ηρη-
(But again, go back now, lest Hera suspect something;)

εμοι δε κε ταυτα μελησεται, οφρα τελεσσω-
(Though she might take guard of me on this matter, still I will accomplish it;)

ει δε αγε τοι κεφαληι κατανευσομαι, οφρα πεποιθηις-
(But, look, if I nod assent to you with my head, so you should have confidence in me;)

τουτο γαρ εξ εμεθεν γε μετα αθανατοισι μεγιστον τεκμωρ-
(For this sign from me really is the greatest among the gods;)

ου εμον παλιναγρετον ουδε απατηλον ουδε ατελευτητον ‘οτι κεν κεφαληι κατανευσω.’
(Neither is my promise recalled nor untrustworthy nor impossible, since I nod assent with my head’)

η και κυανεηισιν επι οφρυσι νευσε Κρονιων-
(And the son of Kronos winked assent with his stormy brows;)

αμβροσιαι δε αρα χαιται επερρωσαντο ανακτος κρατος απο αθανατοιο, μεγαν δε ελελιξεν Ολυμπον-
(And the heavenly locks of the powerful lord stirred repeatedly from the immortal head, and he shake great Olympus;)

τω γε ‘ως βουλευσαντε διετμαγεν-
(Then finally the two, finishing their plan, separated;)

‘η μεν επειτα εισ ‘αλα ‘αλτο βαθειαν απο αιγληεντος Ολυμπου, Ζευς δε ‘εον προς δωμα.
(While then she dove into the deep sea from gleaming Olympus, and Zeus went into his house;)

θεοι δε ‘αμα παντες ανεσταν εξ ‘εδεων, σφου πατρος εναντιον-
(And then all the gods stood up from their seats, facing their father;)

ουδε τις ετλη μειναι επερχομενον, αλλα αντιοι εσταν ‘απαντες-
(Not one dared to meet him coming, instead they all stand across him;)

‘ως ‘ο μεν ενθα καθεζετο επι θρονου-
(So he then sat down on his throne;)

ουδε μιν ‘Ηρη ηγνοιησεν ιδους ‘οτι ‘οι συμφρασσατο βουλας αργυροπεζα θετις, θυγατηρ ‘αλιοιο γεροντος.
(Hera did not understand why she saw silver-sandaled Thetis, the daughter of the old man of the sea, of conspiring counsel from him;)

αυτικα κερτομιοισι Δια Κρονιωνα προσηυδα-
(Once again, the daughter of Kronos addressed Zeus with stinging words:)

‘τις δε αυ τοι, δολομητα, θεων συμφρασσατο βουλας-
(And who now of the gods, trickster you, makes plans with you?)

αιει τοι φιλον εστιν εμευ απονοσφιν εοντα κρυπταδια, φρονεοντα δικαζεμεν-
(You love to have secrets, going apart from me, so that I might not understand what you are thinking;)

ουδε τι πω μοι προφρων τετληκας ειπειν επος, ‘οτι νοησηισ.’
(Never do you try to share a single mention of your thoughts to me, whatever you know’)

την δε ημειβετο επειτα πατηρ ανδρων τε θεων τε-
(And then the father of both men and gods replied to her:)

“ ‘Ηρη, μη δη παντας εμους επιελπεο μυθους ειδησειν-
(Hera, you should really stop hoping to know all of my intentions;)

χαλεποι τοι εσοντ’ αλοχωι περ εουσηι-
(There would be painful to you, since you are my wife;)

αλλα ‘ον μεν κε επιεικες ακουεμεν, ου τις επειτα ουτε θεων προτερος τον γε εισεται ουτε ανθρωπον-
(But whenever I find something suitable to share, then reallythere is no one of the gods or men before you;)

‘ον δε κε εγων απανευθε θεων εθελωμι νοησαι, μη τι συ ταυτα ‘εκαστα διειρεο μηδε μεταλλα.’)
(And whatever I might wish to be think, having sat apart from the gods, do not question each and every thought of mine’)

τον δε ημειβετο επειτα, βοωπις ποτνια ‘Ηρη-
(And then the ox-eyed queen Hera replied to him:)

‘αινοτατε Κρονιδη, ποιον τον μυθον εειπες-
(Most shameless son of Kronos, what a speech you have spoken;)

και λιην σε παρος γε ουτε ειρομαι ουτε μεταλλω, αλλα μαλα ευκηλος τα φραζεαι, ‘ασσ’ εθεληισθα-
(And long before this should I have accosted or questioned you, but too carelessly do you reveal yourself, whatever you have intended;)

νυν δε αινως δειδοικα κατα φρενα, μη σε παρειπηι αργυροπεζα Θετις, θυγατηρ ‘αλιοιο γεροντος-
(And now shamefully, according to my fearful heart, I fear that silver-sandaled Thetis, the daughter of the old man of the sea, has sat beside you;)

ηεριηι γαρ σοι γε παρεζετο και λαβε γουνων-
(For really, she came to you, sat down beside you, and clasped you knees;)

τηι σε οιω κατανευσαι ετητυμον, ‘ως Αχιληα τιμησεις, ‘ολεοεις δε πολεας επι νηυσιν Αχαιων.’
(Truly, I think that you have nodded assent, that you would honor Achilles, and you would destroy a great many Achaians upon their ships’)







Image: Achilles sacrificing to Zeus with his patented "Kroniodes Krater"-5th c. Ambrosian Iliad manuscript [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AmbrosianIliadPict47Achilles.jpg]

The Ancient Night Raid: Vergil, Aeneid Book 9/Homer, Iliad Book 10

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Image: Nisus and Euryalus (1827) by Jean-Baptist Roman, Louvre Museum
Book 19, Aeneid, Vergil.
29-18 BCE (over 2,000 years ago)
Trans. RMBullard Latin (Augustan Age)

Impetus Nocturnus Nisi Euryalique
Nisus erat portae custos, acerrimus armis, Hyrtacides, comitem Aeneae quem miserat Ida venatrix iaculo celerem levibusque sagittis, et iuxta comes Euryalus, quo pulchrior alter non fuit Aeneadum Troiana neque induit arma, ora puer prima signans intonsa inventa.
(Nisus was one of the guards at the gate, a most fierce man in battle, a friend whom Aeneas’ mother had sent from Ida, who was quick with his spear and swift arrows, and beside was his friend Euryalus, whom no other of Aeneas’ band was more handsome nor wore his arms more beautifully, and the boy was showing the first signs of an unshaved beard;)

his amor unus erat pariterque in bella ruebant; tum quoque communi portam statione tenebant.
(A single passion belonged to them, and they would rush into battle together; at that time, they were guarding the gate at the same post;)

Nisus ait: “dine hunc ardorem mentibus addunt, Euryale, an sua cuique deus fit dira cupido?
(Nisus then said: “Are the gods increasing this passion in my thoughts, Euryalus, or does divine desire make happen for each man his own destruction?)

Aut pugnam aut aliquid iamdudum invadere magnum mens agitat mihi, nec placida contenta quiete est.
(Right now, my mind goads me to rush into battle or something important, and there is no peaceful restraint for me in peace;)

Cernis quae Rutulos habeat fiducia rerum: lumina rara micant, somno vinoque soluti procubuere, silent late loca.
(You see the arrangement of affairs that holds the Rutulians: their torches are thinning, and they are lying down, relaxed from sleepiness and wine; their camp grows silent throughout;)

percipe porro quid dubitem et quae nunc animo sententia surgat.
(So offer some doubtful comment, and let this thought surge in my mind;)

Aenean acciri omnes, populusque patresque, exposcunt, mittique viros qui certa reportent.
(Everyone, the people and the leading fathers, demand for Aeneas to be summoned, and truly let them suggest men to be sent;)

si tibi quae posco promittunt (nam mihi facti fama sat est), tumulo videor reperire sub illo posse viam ad muros et moenia Pallantea.’
(If they allow the things that I demand (for a rumor is enough to be made for me), I feel that I can find a way under that mound to the walls and the Palatine city”)

obstipuit magno laudum percussus amore Euryalus, simul his ardentem adfatur amicum:
(Euryalus, greatly stricken by tremendous love, agreed, and at the same time, he address his friends with this words:)

‘Mene igitur socium summis adiungere rebus, Nise, fugis? Solum te in tanta pericula mittam?
(So, do you refuse to join me as an ally to these most wonderful affairs? Shall I send you by yourself into such great dangers?)

Non ita me genitor, bellis adsuetus Opheltes, Argolicum terrorem inter Troiaeque labores sublatum erudit, nec tecum talia gessi magnanimum Aenean et fata extrema secutus:
(So my father Opheltes, a man accustomed to warfare, never raised me, laying among the terror of the Greeks and the deeds of Troy, and he did not follow great-minded Aeneas to endure such fates with you:)

est hic, est animus lucis contemptor et istum qui vita bene credat emi, quo tendis, honorem.’
(Here he is; his mind is a despiser of the light, and one that strongly believes this honor exist in my life, to go where you go.’)

Nisus ad haec: ‘equidem de te nil tale verebar, nec fas;
(Nisus said to these things: “I really will not forbid this thing from you, but it is not righteous thing;)

Non ita me referat tibi magnus ovantem Iuppiter aut quicumque oculis haec aspicit aequis.
(So, let great Jupiter not recall me praying for you or anyone who witnesses these things with just eyes;)

sed si quis (quae multa vides discrimine tali) si quis in adversum rapiat casusve deusve, te superesse velim, tua vita dignior aetas.
(But if anyone, and may you see these things with such discretion, if some event or god should snatch us into the enemy, I would wish that you survive; young age is a worthier thing in your own life;)

sit qui me raptum pugna pretiove redemptum mandet humo, solita aut si qua id Fortuna vetabit, absenti ferat inferias decoretque sepulcro.
(Let it be me who is snatched in battle, and bought back with a ransom, may someone put in me in the earth, or if somehow Fortune alone should forbid this, let someone bring funeral gifts and honor me, missing from the grave;)

neu matri miserae tanti sim causa doloris, quae te sola, puer, multis e matribus ausa persequitur, magni nec moenia curat Acestae.’
(And let me not be the cause of grief to your wretched mother, who alone, young boy, followed you, a daring women from the many mothers, and she does not care for the walls of great Acestas’)

ille autem: ‘causas nequiquam nectis inanes nec mea iam mutata loco sententia cedit. Acceleremus’, ait, vigiles simul excitat.
(But the other one says: ‘Not at all do you speak pointless reasons, and my thought now does not go changed from its original position; let’s go!’ he says, and soon he wakes the nightwatch;)

illi succedunt servantque vices;
(These men go forth and pack their quarters;)

statione relicta ipse comes Niso graditur regemque requirunt.
(Leaving his post, Nisus’ friend follows and seek the king;)

Cetera per terras omnis animalia somno laxabant curas et corda oblita laborum:
(Throughout all the lands, the other animals were relaxing their cares and their hearts, forgetful of their labors:)

ductores Teucrum primi, delecta iuventus, consilium summis regni de rebus habebant, quid facerent quisve Aeneae iam nuntius esset.
(First the leaders of the Trojans and chosen young men held a council on the kingdom’s most important matters, on what they should do and who should now be the messenger to Aeneas;)

stant longis adnixi hastis et scuta tenentes castrorum et campi medio.
(They stand in the middle of the camps and field, leaning forward on their long spears and holding their shields;)

tum Nisus et una Euryalus confestim alacres admittier orant: rem magnam pretiumque morae fore.
(Then together Nisus and Euryalus immediately begged for messengers to be sent out: since there was a serious matter and price for delay;)
Primus Iulus accepit trepidos ac Nisum dicere iussit.
(First Iulus met the eager men and ordered Nisus to speak;)

Tum sic Hyrtacides: ‘Audite o mentibus aequis Aeneadae, neve haec nostris spectentur ab annis quae ferimus.
(So then the son of Hyrtaces said: “Listen here to the just minds of Aeneas’ band, so that the things that we perform be witnessed in our years;)

Rutuli somno vinoque soluti conticuere.
(The Rutulians have grown quiet, since they have been loosened by sleepiness and wine;)

locum insidiis conspeximus ipsi, qui patet in bivio portae quae proxima ponto.
(We ourselves have spotted the area full of enemies, which lies open in those areas closest to the double-mouthed sea;)

interrupti ignes aterque ad sidera fumus erigitur.
(Their fires have been extinguished, and their black smoke waifs up to the stars;)

si fortuna permittitis uti quaesitum Aenean et moenia Pallantea, mox hic cum spoliis ingenti caede peracta adfore cernetis.
(Just as if you accomplish Aeneas’ calling and the Palatine city by fortune, soon you will witness conquests with spoils that will accompany huge slaughter;)

nec nos via fallit euntis: vidimus obscuris primam sub vallibus urbem venatu adsiduo et totum cognovimus amnem.’
(The way of access does not escape us: first, we have seen the city under the shady valleys, with its frequent coming-and-goings, and we have studied the river’s entirety’)

hic annis gravis atque animi maturus Aletes:
(Then Aletes, with his long age and mature in his mind:)

‘di patrii, quorum semper sub numine Troia est, non tamen omnino Teucros delere paratis, cum talis animos iuvenem et tam certa tulistis pectora.’
(Paternal gods, under whose divine power Troy forever exists, you are not yet preparing to destroy the Trojans down the very last one, since you have borne such wonderful spirits of young men and such stout hearts;)

sic memorans umeros dextrasque tenebat amborum et vultum lacrimis atque ora rigabat.
(Reminding them in this way, he held the shoulders and right hands of both men, and he began to wet his face and mouth with tears;)

‘quae vobis, quae digna, viri, pro laudibus istis praemia posse rear solui?
(What honors, what, shall I deem to be worthy for you for these praises?)

pulcherrima primum di moresque dabunt vestri:
(First your gods and your traditions will give the most beautiful ones;)
tum cetera reddet actutum pius Aeneas atque integer aevi Ascanius meriti tanti non immemor umquam.’
(Then dutiful Aeneas will return the rest, and Ascanius, full of merit at such a young age, one never forgetful of anything’)

‘immo ego vos, cui sola salus genitore reducto,’ excipit Ascanius ‘per magnos, Nise, penatis Assaracique larem et canae penetralia Vestae obtestor, quaecumque mihi fortuna fidesque est, in vestris pono gremiis.
(‘Nisus, I swear to you, to whom only health belongs (since your father was felled), upon the great Penates and Assaricus’ Lares and the sacred things of shining Vesta, each and every fortune and confidence there is, I set in your lap;)

Revocate parentem, reddite conspectum; nihil illo triste recepto.
(Call your parent back, return a look to her: not in this sad gathering;)

bina dabo argento perfecta atque aspera signis pocula, devicta genitor quae cepit Arisba, et tripodas geminos, auri duo magna talenta, cratera antiquum quem dat Sidonia Dido.
(I’ll give you two goblets, crafted from silver and sharp in its designs, which my father seized from conquered Arisba, and twin tripods, two great talents of gold, and an ancient bowl which Sidonian Dido gives;)

Si vero capere Italiam sceptrisque potiri contigerit victori et praedae dicere sortem, vidisti, quo Turnus equo, quibus ibat in armis aureus;
(If he should really prevail as victor to seize Italy, to come to the scepter’s power, and to declare assortment of war prize, you have seen on which horse Turnus will go, in which arms he is a golden one;)

ipsum illum, clipeum cristasque rubentis excipiam sorti, iam nunc tua praemia, Nise.
(that man himself, if by chance I rip away his shield and his reddened crests, then there those war prizes will be yours, Nisus;)

praeterea bis sex genitor lectissima matrum corpora captivosque dabit suaque omnibus arma, insuper his campi quod rex habet ipse Latinus.
(Above all, his father will donate twelve most delightful bodies of matrons and captives and their weapons, as much treasure King Latinus himself possesses;)

te vero, mea quem spatiis proprioribus aetas insequitur, venerande puer, iam pectore toto accipio et comitem casus complector in omnis.
(Indeed, praiseworthy boy, my age follows yours by a very brief space of time, yet I accept you with all my heart and embrace you as a comrade in all situations;)

nulla meis sine te quaeretur gloria rebus:
(No glory will seek you with my involvement in the affairs:)

seu pacem seu bella geram, tibi maxima rerum verborum fides.’
(I shall bear either peace or war, my confidence in your plans and your words is the greatest’)

contra quem talia fatur Euryalus: ‘me nulla dies tam fortibus ausis dissimilem arguerit;
(Eurylus says the following things in response to him: ‘Not one day would find me disagreeing to such brave daring;)

tantum fortuna secunda haud adversa cadat.
(May a kind fortune not turn so unfavorable;)

sed te super omnia dona unum oro: genetrix Priami de gente vetusta est mihi, quam miseram tenuit non Ilia tellus mecum excedentem, non moenia regis Acestae.
(But above all gifts, I beg one single thing from you: my mother is an elderly woman from the Priam’s clan, a wretched woman whom Trojan soil did not keep, nor the walls of King Acestas, since she left out with me;)

hanc ego nunc ignaram huius quodcumque pericli inque salutatam linquo (nox et tua testis dextera), quod nequeam lacrimas perferre parentis.
(Now I’m leave her ignorant of any inkling of this danger and without a farewell, and night and your right hand as a witness, because I cannot bear at all the tears of my mother;)

at tu, oro, solare inopem et succurre relictae.
(But you, I beg you, console and help the misfortune of a surviving mother;)

hanc sine me spem ferre tui, audentior ibo in casus omnis.’
(Fulfill this hope when I am gone from you, and I will go a braver men into all dangers.’)

Percussa mente dedere Dardanidae lacrimas, ante omnis pulcher Iulus, atque animum patriae strinxit pietatis imago.
(With their mind completely stricken, the Trojans poured forth tears, above all handsome Iulus, and an image of his father’s dutifulness struck the mind;)

tum sic effatur: ‘sponde digna tuis ingentibus omnia coeptis.
(So then he says: ‘Have confidence in all things worthy of your mission;)

namque erit ista mihi genetrix nomenque Creusae solum defuerit, nec partum gratia talem parva manet.
(For I once had a mother, and only her name, Creusa, survives, but this small remainder does not remain in little value;)

casus factum quicumque sequentur, per caput hoc iuro, per quod pater ante solebat:
(Whatever things should befall the mission, I swear on my head, on which my father used to swear before:)

quae tibi polliceor reduci rebusque secundi, haec eadem matrique tuae generique manebunt.’
(I promise that these things will be bestowed to you, and with even more rewards; these same rewards will remain for you mother and your father-in-law’)

sic ait inlacrimans; umero simul exuit ensem auratum, mira quem fecerat arte Lycaon Cnosius atque habilem vagina aptarat eburna.
(So he speaks, weeping; at the same time, he draws down his gilded sword from his shoulder, which Lycaon of Knossos had made with wondrous skill and had joined the light sword with an ivory sheath;)

dat Niso Mnestheus pellem horrentisque leonis exuvias, galeam fidus permutat Aletes.
(Mnestheus gives Nisus a pelt skin and the claws of a bristly lion; trusty Aletes exchanges his helmet with him;)

quos omnis euntis primorum manus ad portas, iuvenumque senumque, prosequitur votis.
(He follows all the bands of noblemen and youths and old men, walking to the gates in their prayers;)

nec non et pulcher Iulus, ante annos animumque gerens curamque virilem, multa patri mandata dabat portanda;
(And even handsome Iulus, bearing a manly spirit and worry before his years, began to give various orders to be informed to his father;)

sed aurae omnia discerpunt et nubibus inrita donant.
(But breezes scatter everything about and give signs of bad omen in the clouds.)

Egressi superant fossas noctisque per umbram castra inimica petunt, multis tamen ante futuri exitio.
(Moving out, they pass over the defensive ditches and seek the enemy’s camps among the shadows, still before the upcoming slaughter of many men;)

passim somno vinoque per herbam corpora fusa vident, arrectos litore currus, inter lora rotasque viros, simul arma iacere, vina simul.
(Gradually, they see bodies strewn across the grass from sleepiness and wine, and chariots steered from the shore, and men lying between the reins and wheels, on one side with their weapon, on the other side with a goblet of wine;)

prior Hyrtacides sic ore locutus: ‘Euryalus, audendum dextra: nunc ipsa vocat res. Hac iter est.
Soon, the son of Hyrtaces speaks, whispering with his mouth: ‘Euryalus, your right hand is needed for a daring task: the mission now reveals itself. There’s an entry over here;)

Tu, ne qua manus se attollere nobis a tergo possit, custodi et consule longe; haec ego vasta dabo et lato te limite ducam.’
You, lest somehow their band be able to reach us from the rear, take guard and warn me from afar; I will lay waste to these things here and will afterward lead you along the wide frontline;)

Sic memorat vocemque premit, simul ense superbum Rhamnetem adgreditur, qui forte tapetibus altis exstructus toto proflabat pectore somnum, rex idem et regi Turno gratissimus augur, sed non augurio potuit depellere pestem.
(So he reminds him and ceases to speak, and then he attacks proud Rhamnes with his sword, a man who by chance, strewn out on high pillows, was snoring out a great slumber from his entire chest [both a king and a very favored augur of King Turnus], but he was not able to beat out that destruction with his augury;)

tris iuxta famulos temere inter tela iacentis armigerumque Remi premit aurigamque sub ipsis nactus equis ferroque secat pendentia collo.
(He stabbed three of his servants lying next to spears, and Remus’ arm-bearer, and the charioteer, lying under his own horses, and he lopped off their hanging necks with his blade;)

tum caput ipsi aufert domino truncumque relinquit sanguine singultatem; atro tepefacta cruore terra torique madent.
(Then he carried away the head from the king’s body and left his trunk headless in a pool of blood; the earth, warmed by the black guts, and the soil begin to soak;)

nec non Lamyrumque Lamumque et iuvenum Serranum, illa qui plurimum nocte luserat, insignis facie, multoque iacebat membra deo victus—felix si protinus illum aequasset nocti ludum in lucemque tulisset:
(And then Lamyrus and Lamus and young Serranus, a man who had partied a great deal on that night, not very notable in his appearance, and he slackened his arms and legs, completely conquered by a god—a lucky one, if only he had continued his partying the whole night and continued it into the dawn:)
impastus ceu plena leo per ovilia turbans (suadet enim vesana fames) manditque trahitque molle pecus mutumque metu, fremit ore cruento.
(He was insatiable, like a lion whiriling through full sheep-flocks, for hunger drives insanity, and he throws and drags a soft sheep, silent with fear, and he roars with his bloody mouth;)

nec minor Euryali caedes;
(And Euryalus’ murders were no less;)

incensus et ipse perfurit ac multam in medio sine nomine plebem, Fadumque Herbesumque subit Rhoetumque Abarimque ignaros;
(Inflamed, even he rages around the middle of the common warrior, not distinguished in title, and he fells Herbesus and Rhoetus and unsuspecting Abaris;)

Rhoetum vigilantem et cuncta videntem, sed magnum metuens se post cratera tegebat.
(Even though Rhoetus was awake and witnessing everything, yet he, so greatly fearful, covered himself with a sheet;)

pectore in adverso totum cui comminus ensem condidit adsurgenti et multa morte recepit.
(His spotter pushed his whole sword through his chest, and beginning to rise up, he received many blows to his death;)

purpuream vomit ille animam et cum sanguine mixta vina refert moriens, hic furo fervidus instat.
(He vomited his bloody-red life out and dying, he burps up wined mixed with blood; the other men stands over him, blazing;)

iamque ad Messapi socios tendebat;
(And now he began to head toward Messapus’ allies;)

ibi ignem deficere extremum et religatos rite videbat carpere gramen equos, breviter cum talia Nisus (sensit enim nimia caede atque cupidine ferri) ‘absistamus’ ait, ‘nam lux inimica propinquat.
(There he saw the very last torch burning and the harnessed horses plucking the grass in usual habit, when Nisus says the following, for he felt there to be too much slaughter and lust for the sword, ‘Lets stop, for the enemy torch draws near;)

Poenarum exhaustum satis est, via facta per hostis.’
(The exaction of our punishments is enough, now for the way to be made past the enemies’)

multa virum solido argento perfecta relinquunt armaque craterasque simul pulchrosque tapetas.
(They leave the men’s many possessions, crafted from silver, and their weapons and bowls and beautiful rugs;)

Euryalus phaleras Rhamnetis et aurea bullis cingula, Tiburti Remulo ditissimus olim quae mittit dona, hospitio cum iungeret absens, Caedicus;
(Euryalus takes Rhamnes’ arrows and warbelt, gilded with its studs, which once upon a time, a very wealthy man Caedicus sent to Remulus of the Tiburti as a gift, one not present though he joined himself into hospitality;)

ille suo moriens dat habere nepoti; post mortem bello Rutuli pugnaque potiti:
(Dying, he gives it to his cousin to have; after his death, the it was gained in war, in a battle against Rutulus;)

haec rapit atque umeris nequiquam fortibus aptat.
(He seizes it and up till then, holds it fastened upon his mighty shoulders;)

tum galeam Messapi habilem cristisque decoram induit. Excedunt castris et tuta capessunt.
(Then he put on Messapus’ helmet, light and renowned with its plumes. They fly out of the camp and search for a way to safety;)

Interea praemissi equites ex urbe Latina, cetera dum legio campis instructa moratur, ibant et Turno regi responsa ferebant, ter centum, scutati omnes, Volcente magistro.
(Meanwhile, horsemen sent from the Latin city, while the other legion drawn up waits in its camps, began to approach and bring replies to King Turnus from the Volscan general, 300 men, all shielded;)

iamque propinquabant castris murosque subibant cum procul hos laevo flectentis limite cernunt, et galea Euryalem sublustri noctis in umbra prodidit immemorem radiisque adversa refulsit.
(And they were already beginning to near the camps and enter the walls, when from afar they spot them bending around the frontline, and in the shades of the moonlit light, the helmet betrays careless Euryalus and shines gleams outwards;)

haud temere est visum. Conclamat ab agmine Volcens:
(But this sight is nothing to fear. Volcens shouts aloud from his battle line:)

‘state, viri. Quae causa viae? Quive estis in armis? Quove tenetis iter?’
(‘Halt, men. What’s the reason for your journey? Why are in arms? To where do you steer your path?’)

nihil illi tendere contra, sed celerare fugam in silvas et fidere nocti.
(They give nothing back in response, and they take off their escape into the woods and put trust in the nightshade;)

obiciunt equites sese ad divortia nota hinc atque hinc, omnemque aditum custode coronant.
(The horsemen throw themselves in directions known to them here and there, and they crown every path of escape with a guard;)

silva fuit late dumis atque ilice nigra horrida, quam densi complerant undique sentes; rara per occultos lucebat semita callis.
(The forest lies wide with thorny bushes and shivers with black ivy, which thick brush fills up completely on all sides; a thin light began to shine in their eyes from the hill paths;)

Euryalum tenebrae ramorum onerosaque praeda impediunt, fallitque timor regione viarum.
(The branches’ shadows and the burdensome plunder slow Euryalus down, and fear deceives in his choice of paths;)
Nisus abit; iamque imprudens evaserat hostis atque locos qui post Albae de nomine dicti Albani (tum rex stabula alta Latinus habebat), ut stetit et frustra absentem respexit amicum:
(Nisus fell out of the sight; for he had already thoughtlessly evaded the enemies and places, which were named the Albae, after the spoken Albanus (at that time King Latinus used to own his high stables), so that he stood and looked backed for his absent friend in vain:

‘Euryale infelix, qua te regione reliqui? Quave sequar?’
(‘Unlucky Euryalus, where have I left you? Where ever shall I go?’)

rursus perplexum iter omne revolvens fallacis silvae simul et vestigia retro observata legit dumisque silentibus errat.
(Restepping the entire twisting path, he traces the wanderings of the woods as well as his spotted footprints, and he wanders through the rustling bushes;)

audit equos, audit strepitus et signa sequentum; nec longum in medio tempus, cum clamor ad auris pervenit ac videt Euryalum, quem iam manus omnis fraude loci et noctis, subito tumultu, oppressum rapit et conantem plurima frustra.
(He heard horses; he heard shouts and signs of man pursuing; and it was not a long time in the midst, when a shout comes to his ears and sees Euryalus, whom the whole band already seized him, deceived by his position and the dark of night, suddenly in a whirling clamor, held down and struggling much in vain;)

quid faciat? Qua vi iuvenem, quibus audeat armis eripere? An sese medios moriturus in enses inferat et pulchram properet per vulnera mortem?
(What will he do? By what force might he dare to snatch away the young man, with what arms? Or would he, about to die, throw himself into the middle of their swords and would he speed up an honorable death from wounds?)
Ocius adducto torquet hastile lacerto suspiciens altam Lunam et sic voce precatur:
(So fiercely does he wind his spear, while he draws his arm back, look up to the high Moon, and speaking so with his voice:)

‘Tu, dea, tu praesens nostro succurre labori, astrorum decus et nemorum Latonia custos.
You goddess, you looking down, give luck to my task, you being the Leto-born honor of the stars and forests;)

Si qua tuis umquam pro me pater Hyrtacus aris dona tulit, si qua ipse meis venatibus auxi suspendive tholo aut sacra ad fastigia fixi, hunc sine me turbare globum et rege tela per auras.’
(If ever my father Hyrtacus brought gifts to your altar for my sake, if ever there have been sacred offerings either stacked or hanging from the rotunda or fixed to your pediment, turn this sphere without me and guide my spears through the air’)

dixerat et toto conixus corpore ferrum conicit.
(He had spoken, and he threw his blade, pushing forth with his whole body;)

hasta volans noctis diverberat umbras et venit aversi in tergum Sulmonis ibique frangitur, ac fisso transit praecordia ligno.
(The flying spear vibrates through the night shadows and reaches across into the back of Sulmo and shatters there, and it pierced his innards with fixed wood;)

volvitur ille vomens calidum de pectore flumen frigidus et longis singultibus ilia pulsat.
(And he, spitting a warm stream from his chest, sprung over, chill, and his midriff throbbed with long pants;)

diversi circumspiciunt. Hoc acrior idem ecce aliud summa telum librabat ab aure.
(The others look around. Look again, another spear, even fiercer, balances from the air above;)

dum trepidant, it hasta Tago per tempus utrumque stridens traiectoque haesit tepefacta cerebro.
(While it shakes, the spear travels clear through Tagus’ temple, heated, and screaming on both sides, it clings through his pierced skull;)

saevit atrox Volcens nec teli conspicit usquam auctorem nec quo se ardens immittere possit.
(Savage Volcens goes crazy, yet he does not see any driver of the spear nor can he, burning, reached him anyway;)

‘tu tamen interea calido mihi sanguine poenas persolves amborum’ inquit; simul ense recluso ibat in Euryalum.
‘But you meanwhile will pay the penalty from me for the blood of two men’ he says; then, he advances upon Euryalus with his unsheathed sword;)

Tum vero exterritus, amens, conclamat Nisus nec se celare tenebris amplius aut tantum potuit perferre dolorem:
(Then completely terrified indeed out of his mind, Nisus shouts aloud and he can no longer hide himself in shadows nor bear such great heartache further:)

‘me, me, adsum qui feci, in me convertite ferrum, o Rutuli! Mea fraus omnis, nihil iste nec ausus nec potuit;
(O Rutulians, me, it was I who did it, turn your blade upon me! The raiding was all mine, and he neither dared anything nor could have;)

caelum hoc et conscia sidera testor; tantum infelicem nimium dilexit amicum.’
(I swear on this sky and the stars witnessing; he favored his unlucky friend way too much’)

talia dicta dabat, sed viribus ensis adactus transadigit costas et candida pectora rumpit.
(He offered these words, but, the sword, unleashed by the men, stabbed through his ribs and broke shattered his shining chest;)

volvitur Euryalus leto, pulchrosque per artus it cruor inque umeros cervix conlapsa recumbit:
(Euryalus turned over from death, and his guts flowed down his beautiful limbs, and his neck, falling down on his shoulders, slackens again:)

purpureus veluti cum flos succisus aratro languescit moriens, lassove papavera collo demisere caput pluvia cum forte gravantur.
(Just as when a purple flower, cut down by the plough, he sloops, dying, or as when the poppies sloop down their head on its weary neck when they grow heavy from an unexpected rain;)

at Nisus ruit in medios solumque per omnis Volcentem petit, in solo Volcente moratur.
(But Nisus rushed into the middle and sought Volcens from all of them, so that he might get to Volcens alone;)

quem circum glomerati hostes hinc comminus atque hinc proturbant.
(Looming here and there, the enemy attack around him;)

instat non setius ac rotat ensem fulmineum, donec Rutuli clamantis in ore condidit adverso et moriens animam abstulit hosti.
(As never before, he stands tall and whirls his flashing sword around, until he stabs into the face of a screaming Rutulian across, dying and he snatches away his life of his enemy, at the same time dying;)

tum super exanimum sese proiecit amicum confossus, placidaque ibi demum morte quievit.
(Then he casts himself down, burying over his lifeless friend, and finally he grew quiet in peace and quiet;)

Fortunati ambo! Si quid mea carmina possunt, nulla dies umquam memori vos eximet aevo, dum domus Aeneae Capitoli immobile saxum accolet imperiumque pater Romanus.
(A fortunate pair! If my songs can do anything, let no day in age extinguish you two from memory, while Aeneas’ family and a Roman patron occupy the immovable rock of the Capitoline and his power;)

Victores praeda Rutuli spoliisque potiti Volcentem exanimum flentes in castra ferebant.
(The victorious Rutulians carry into their camps their plunder and the lifeless Volcens, weeping for their general;)

nec minor in castris luctus Rhamnete reperto exsangui et primis una tot caede peremptis, Serranoque Numaque.
(And there was no less mourning when Rhamnes was found murdered, together with the first victims of slaughter, Serranus and Numa;)

ingens concursus ad ipsa corpora seminecisque viros, tepidaque recentem caede locum et pleno spumantis sanguine rivos.
There was huge rush to their bodies and the half-dead men and the place fresh from warm slaughter and the banks gushing full of blood;)

Agnoscunt spolia inter se galeamque nitentem Messapi et multo phaleras sudore receptas.
They take sight of the spoils among them and Messapus’ gleaming helmet and many breatplates soaked in the sweat;)
Et iam prima novo spargebat lumine terras Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile.
(And now Dawn, leaving Titan’s saffron bed, was beginning to sprinkle the lands with new light;)

Iam sole infuso, iam rebus luce retectis Turnus in arma viros armis circumdatus ipse suscitat:
(Since the sun had already poured forth, when the night raid had been discovered, Turnus, himself plated around with armor, stirs his men into arms:)

aeratasque acies in proelia cogunt, quisque suos, variisque acuunt rumoribus iras.
(They drive their bronze chariots and battle lines into the fight; each man sharpens his own angers from the growing rumors;)

quin ipsa arrectis (visu miserabile) in hastis praefigunt capita et multo clamore sequuntur Euryali et Nisi.
(In the end, they fix the heads of Euryalus and Nisus on spears, a sad sight to see, and follow in a great deal of noise;)

Aeneadae duri murorum in parte sinistra opposuere aciem (nam dextera cingitur amni), ingentisque tenent fossas et turribus altis stant maesti;
(Aeneas’ band stood against the battle line on the left side of the walls (for the camp was hemmed by the river to the right), and they hold the battle ditches and stand mournfully on their tall towers);

simul ora virum praefixa movebant nota nimis miseris atroque fluentia tabo.
(At the moment, the pierced-through faces of the men began to move, recognizable from their very sad features and dripping with dark gunk;)

Interea pavidam volitans pennata per urbem nuntia Fama ruit matrisque adlabitur auris Euryali.
(Meanwhile, Rumor the messenger, flying around the city winged, rushed and landed upon the ears of Euryalus’ mother;)

At subitus miserae calor ossa reliquit, excussi manibus radii revolutaque pensa.
(And suddenly heat left her miserable bones, while the rays were pushed out from her hands, and slooped, she turned over and over again;)

evolat infelix et femineo ulutatu scissa comam muros amens atque agmina cursu prima petit, non illa virum, non illa pericli telorumque memor, caelum dehinc questibus implet:
(The luckless woman flies out and, mindlessly tearing her hair with a woman’s howling, she seeks the walls and the first lines of battle in her rush, not mindful of the men, not mindful of the dangers or the spears; from there she fills the sky with her laments:)

‘hunc ego te, Euryale, aspicio? Tune ille senectae sera meae requies, potuisti linquere solam, crudelis?
‘Is it you I see, Euryalus? Is that really you who look out, and could yourself really leave me alone, a woman late so late in my age, cruel boy?)

nec te sub tanta pericula missum adfari extremum miserae data copia matri?
(And to announce yourself sent to such great dangers, far away from the supplies given to your wretch mother?)

heu, terra ignota canibus data praeda Latinis alitibusque iaces!
(Oh, you lie now in an unknown land, booty given to Latin dogs and birds of prey!)

nec te tua funere mater produxi pressive oculos aut vulnera lavi, veste tegens tibi quam noctes festina diesque urgebam, et tela curas solabar anilis.
(And I, your own mother, have not produced a funeral for you nor closed your eyes nor washed your wounds, covering you in your garment which I used to weave hurriedly for days and nights, and I grew used to the cares of the old woman in the end;)

quo sequar? Aut quae nunc artus avulsaque membra et funus lacerum tellus habet? Hoc mihi de te, nate, refers? Hoc sum terraque marique secuta?
(Where shall I go? And what piece of earth holds your arms and legs and the grave of your remains? Do you answer this thing for me from your head, son? Have I followed this head over land and sea?)

Figite me, si qua est pietas, in me omnia tela conicite, o Rutuli, me primam absumite ferro;
(Pierce me, if anywhere there is a dutifulness, throw all your spears unto me, o Rutulians, take me first with your blade;)

aut tu, magne pater divuum, miserere, tuoque invisum hoc detrude caput sub Tartara telo, quando aliter nequeo crudelem abrumpere vitam.’
(But you, great sire of the gods, pity me, and lop away this unsightly head to Tartarus below with your famous spear, while I otherwise cannot snatch away my cruel life.’)


hoc fletu concussi animi, maestusque per omnis
it gemitus, torpent infractae ad proelia uires.
[With this weeping of his shattered mind, he went forth through all his mournful groans, and his unbroken strength stiffened for battle.]


________________________________________________________________________________________________Book 10, Iliad, Homer
c. 730 BCE (over 2,700 years ago)
Trans RMBullard
Greek (Archaic/Ionic)

Ἄλλοι μὲν παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν εὗδον παννύχιοι μαλακῶι δεδμημένοι ὕπνωι·ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ Ἀτρεΐδην Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιμένα λαῶν ὕπνος ἔχε γλυκερὸς πολλὰ φρεσὶν ὁρμαίνοντα.
(Meanwhile, besides the ships, the other noble men of the all the Achaeans were sleeping, tied to soft sleep; but sweet slumber did not seize Agamemnon, general of the armies, who was mulling over many things in his heart;)

ὡς δ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἂν ἀστράπτηι πόσις Ἥρης ἠϋκόμοιο τεύχων ἢ πολὺν ὄμβρον ἀθέσφατον ἠὲ χάλαζανἢ νιφετόν, ὅτε πέρ τε χιὼν ἐπάλυνεν ἀρούρας, ἠέ ποθι πτολέμοιο μέγα στόμα πευκεδανοῖο,ὣς πυκίν᾽ ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀνεστενάχιζ᾽ Ἀγαμέμνων νειόθεν ἐκ κραδίης, τρομέοντο δέ οἱ φρένες ἐντός.
(And such as when fair-haired Hera’s master blasts his lightning, building up a great shower or continual hail or a blizzard, when he covers that fields, or whenever he stirs the thunderous clash of rending battle, so did Agamemnon become disturbed with his turbulent heart in his chest, and his wits were lacking from him;)

ἤτοι ὅτ᾽ ἐς πεδίον τὸ Τρωϊκὸν ἀθρήσειε, θαύμαζεν πυρὰ πολλὰ τὰ καίετο Ἰλιόθι πρὸ αὐλῶν συρίγγων τ᾽ ἐνοπὴν ὅμαδόν τ᾽ ἀνθρώπων.
(And when he glanced at the Trojan camp upon the plain, he was amazed by how many fires burned in front of Troy and their flute, while their pipes whistled, and the murmuring of men;)

αὐτὰρ ὅτ᾽ ἐς νῆάς τε ἴδοι καὶ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν, πολλὰς ἐκ κεφαλῆς προθελύμνους ἕλκετο χαίτας ὑψόθ᾽ ἐόντι Διί, μέγα δ᾽ ἔστενε κυδάλιμον κῆρ.
(Then when he looked upon the ships and the armies of the Achaeans, he would tear great clumps of hear from his head, staring up to Zeus above, then his heart began to taken on a great sorrow;)

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.)