Alexandria, also called Paris, challenges Menelaus—Helen and
      Priam view the Achaeans from the wall—The covenant—Paris and
      Menelaus fight, and Paris is worsted—Venus carries him off to
      save him—Scene between him and Helen.

      When the companies were thus arrayed, each under its own captain,
      the Trojans advanced as a flight of wild-fowl or cranes that
      scream overhead when rain and winter drive them over the flowing
      waters of Oceanus to bring death and destruction on the Pygmies,
      and they wrangle in the air as they fly; but the Achaeans marched
      silently, in high heart, and minded to stand by one another.

      As when the south wind spreads a curtain of mist upon the
      mountain tops, bad for shepherds but better than night for
      thieves, and a man can see no further than he can throw a stone,
      even so rose the dust from under their feet as they made all
      speed over the plain.

      When they were close up with one another, Alexandrus came forward
      as champion on the Trojan side. On his shoulders he bore the skin
      of a panther, his bow, and his sword, and he brandished two
      spears shod with bronze as a challenge to the bravest of the
      Achaeans to meet him in single fight. Menelaus saw him thus
      stride out before the ranks, and was glad as a hungry lion that
      lights on the carcase of some goat or horned stag, and devours it
      there and then, though dogs and youths set upon him. Even thus
      was Menelaus glad when his eyes caught sight of Alexandrus, for
      he deemed that now he should be revenged. He sprang, therefore,
      from his chariot, clad in his suit of armour.

      Alexandrus quailed as he saw Menelaus come forward, and shrank in
      fear of his life under cover of his men. As one who starts back
      affrighted, trembling and pale, when he comes suddenly upon a
      serpent in some mountain glade, even so did Alexandrus plunge
      into the throng of Trojan warriors, terror-stricken at the sight
      of the son of Atreus.

      Then Hector upbraided him. “Paris,” said he, “evil-hearted Paris,
      fair to see, but woman-mad, and false of tongue, would that you
      had never been born, or that you had died unwed. Better so, than
      live to be disgraced and looked askance at. Will not the Achaeans
      mock at us and say that we have sent one to champion us who is
      fair to see but who has neither wit nor courage? Did you not,
      such as you are, get your following together and sail beyond the
      seas? Did you not from your a far country carry off a lovely
      woman wedded among a people of warriors—to bring sorrow upon your
      father, your city, and your whole country, but joy to your
      enemies, and hang-dog shamefacedness to yourself? And now can you
      not dare face Menelaus and learn what manner of man he is whose
      wife you have stolen? Where indeed would be your lyre and your
      love-tricks, your comely locks and your fair favour, when you
      were lying in the dust before him? The Trojans are a weak-kneed
      people, or ere this you would have had a shirt of stones for the
      wrongs you have done them.”

      And Alexandrus answered, “Hector, your rebuke is just. You are
      hard as the axe which a shipwright wields at his work, and
      cleaves the timber to his liking. As the axe in his hand, so keen
      is the edge of your scorn. Still, taunt me not with the gifts
      that golden Venus has given me; they are precious; let not a man
      disdain them, for the gods give them where they are minded, and
      none can have them for the asking. If you would have me do battle
      with Menelaus, bid the Trojans and Achaeans take their seats,
      while he and I fight in their midst for Helen and all her wealth.
      Let him who shall be victorious and prove to be the better man
      take the woman and all she has, to bear them to his home, but let
      the rest swear to a solemn covenant of peace whereby you Trojans
      shall stay here in Troy, while the others go home to Argos and
      the land of the Achaeans.”

      When Hector heard this he was glad, and went about among the
      Trojan ranks holding his spear by the middle to keep them back,
      and they all sat down at his bidding: but the Achaeans still
      aimed at him with stones and arrows, till Agamemnon shouted to
      them saying, “Hold, Argives, shoot not, sons of the Achaeans;
      Hector desires to speak.”

      They ceased taking aim and were still, whereon Hector spoke.
      “Hear from my mouth,” said he, “Trojans and Achaeans, the saying
      of Alexandrus, through whom this quarrel has come about. He bids
      the Trojans and Achaeans lay their armour upon the ground, while
      he and Menelaus fight in the midst of you for Helen and all her
      wealth. Let him who shall be victorious and prove to be the
      better man take the woman and all she has, to bear them to his
      own home, but let the rest swear to a solemn covenant of peace.”

      Thus he spoke, and they all held their peace, till Menelaus of
      the loud battle-cry addressed them. “And now,” he said, “hear me
      too, for it is I who am the most aggrieved. I deem that the
      parting of Achaeans and Trojans is at hand, as well it may be,
      seeing how much have suffered for my quarrel with Alexandrus and
      the wrong he did me. Let him who shall die, die, and let the
      others fight no more. Bring, then, two lambs, a white ram and a
      black ewe, for Earth and Sun, and we will bring a third for Jove.
      Moreover, you shall bid Priam come, that he may swear to the
      covenant himself; for his sons are high-handed and ill to trust,
      and the oaths of Jove must not be transgressed or taken in vain.
      Young men’s minds are light as air, but when an old man comes he
      looks before and after, deeming that which shall be fairest upon
      both sides.”

      The Trojans and Achaeans were glad when they heard this, for they
      thought that they should now have rest. They backed their
      chariots toward the ranks, got out of them, and put off their
      armour, laying it down upon the ground; and the hosts were near
      to one another with a little space between them. Hector sent two
      messengers to the city to bring the lambs and to bid Priam come,
      while Agamemnon told Talthybius to fetch the other lamb from the
      ships, and he did as Agamemnon had said.

      Meanwhile Iris went to Helen in the form of her sister-in-law,
      wife of the son of Antenor, for Helicaon, son of Antenor, had
      married Laodice, the fairest of Priam’s daughters. She found her
      in her own room, working at a great web of purple linen, on which
      she was embroidering the battles between Trojans and Achaeans,
      that Mars had made them fight for her sake. Iris then came close
      up to her and said, “Come hither, child, and see the strange
      doings of the Trojans and Achaeans. Till now they have been
      warring upon the plain, mad with lust of battle, but now they
      have left off fighting, and are leaning upon their shields,
      sitting still with their spears planted beside them. Alexandrus
      and Menelaus are going to fight about yourself, and you are to be
      the wife of him who is the victor.”

      Thus spoke the goddess, and Helen’s heart yearned after her
      former husband, her city, and her parents. She threw a white
      mantle over her head, and hurried from her room, weeping as she
      went, not alone, but attended by two of her handmaids, Aethrae,
      daughter of Pittheus, and Clymene. And straightway they were at
      the Scaean gates.

      The two sages, Ucalegon and Antenor, elders of the people, were
      seated by the Scaean gates, with Priam, Panthous, Thymoetes,
      Lampus, Clytius, and Hiketaon of the race of Mars. These were too
      old to fight, but they were fluent orators, and sat on the tower
      like cicales that chirrup delicately from the boughs of some high
      tree in a wood. When they saw Helen coming towards the tower,
      they said softly to one another, “Small wonder that Trojans and
      Achaeans should endure so much and so long, for the sake of a
      woman so marvellously and divinely lovely. Still, fair though she
      be, let them take her and go, or she will breed sorrow for us and
      for our children after us.”

      But Priam bade her draw nigh. “My child,” said he, “take your
      seat in front of me that you may see your former husband, your
      kinsmen and your friends. I lay no blame upon you, it is the
      gods, not you who are to blame. It is they that have brought
      about this terrible war with the Achaeans. Tell me, then, who is
      yonder huge hero so great and goodly? I have seen men taller by a
      head, but none so comely and so royal. Surely he must be a king.”

      “Sir,” answered Helen, “father of my husband, dear and reverend
      in my eyes, would that I had chosen death rather than to have
      come here with your son, far from my bridal chamber, my friends,
      my darling daughter, and all the companions of my girlhood. But
      it was not to be, and my lot is one of tears and sorrow. As for
      your question, the hero of whom you ask is Agamemnon, son of
      Atreus, a good king and a brave soldier, brother-in-law as surely
      as that he lives, to my abhorred and miserable self.”

      The old man marvelled at him and said, “Happy son of Atreus,
      child of good fortune. I see that the Achaeans are subject to you
      in great multitudes. When I was in Phrygia I saw much horsemen,
      the people of Otreus and of Mygdon, who were camping upon the
      banks of the river Sangarius; I was their ally, and with them
      when the Amazons, peers of men, came up against them, but even
      they were not so many as the Achaeans.”

      The old man next looked upon Ulysses; “Tell me,” he said, “who is
      that other, shorter by a head than Agamemnon, but broader across
      the chest and shoulders? His armour is laid upon the ground, and
      he stalks in front of the ranks as it were some great woolly ram
      ordering his ewes.”

      And Helen answered, “He is Ulysses, a man of great craft, son of
      Laertes. He was born in rugged Ithaca, and excels in all manner
      of stratagems and subtle cunning.”

      On this Antenor said, “Madam, you have spoken truly. Ulysses once
      came here as envoy about yourself, and Menelaus with him. I
      received them in my own house, and therefore know both of them by
      sight and conversation. When they stood up in presence of the
      assembled Trojans, Menelaus was the broader shouldered, but when
      both were seated Ulysses had the more royal presence. After a
      time they delivered their message, and the speech of Menelaus ran
      trippingly on the tongue; he did not say much, for he was a man
      of few words, but he spoke very clearly and to the point, though
      he was the younger man of the two; Ulysses, on the other hand,
      when he rose to speak, was at first silent and kept his eyes
      fixed upon the ground. There was no play nor graceful movement of
      his sceptre; he kept it straight and stiff like a man unpractised
      in oratory—one might have taken him for a mere churl or
      simpleton; but when he raised his voice, and the words came
      driving from his deep chest like winter snow before the wind,
      then there was none to touch him, and no man thought further of
      what he looked like.”

      Priam then caught sight of Ajax and asked, “Who is that great and
      goodly warrior whose head and broad shoulders tower above the
      rest of the Argives?”

      “That,” answered Helen, “is huge Ajax, bulwark of the Achaeans,
      and on the other side of him, among the Cretans, stands Idomeneus
      looking like a god, and with the captains of the Cretans round
      him. Often did Menelaus receive him as a guest in our house when
      he came visiting us from Crete. I see, moreover, many other
      Achaeans whose names I could tell you, but there are two whom I
      can nowhere find, Castor, breaker of horses, and Pollux the
      mighty boxer; they are children of my mother, and own brothers to
      myself. Either they have not left Lacedaemon, or else, though
      they have brought their ships, they will not show themselves in
      battle for the shame and disgrace that I have brought upon them.”

      She knew not that both these heroes were already lying under the
      earth in their own land of Lacedaemon.

      Meanwhile the heralds were bringing the holy oath-offerings
      through the city—two lambs and a goatskin of wine, the gift of
      earth; and Idaeus brought the mixing-bowl and the cups of gold.
      He went up to Priam and said, “Son of Laomedon, the princes of
      the Trojans and Achaeans bid you come down on to the plain and
      swear to a solemn covenant. Alexandrus and Menelaus are to fight
      for Helen in single combat, that she and all her wealth may go
      with him who is the victor. We are to swear to a solemn covenant
      of peace whereby we others shall dwell here in Troy, while the
      Achaeans return to Argos and the land of the Achaeans.”

      The old man trembled as he heard, but bade his followers yoke the
      horses, and they made all haste to do so. He mounted the chariot,
      gathered the reins in his hand, and Antenor took his seat beside
      him; they then drove through the Scaean gates on to the plain.
      When they reached the ranks of the Trojans and Achaeans they left
      the chariot, and with measured pace advanced into the space
      between the hosts.

      Agamemnon and Ulysses both rose to meet them. The attendants
      brought on the oath-offerings and mixed the wine in the
      mixing-bowls; they poured water over the hands of the chieftains,
      and the son of Atreus drew the dagger that hung by his sword, and
      cut wool from the lambs’ heads; this the men-servants gave about
      among the Trojan and Achaean princes, and the son of Atreus
      lifted up his hands in prayer. “Father Jove,” he cried, “that
      rulest in Ida, most glorious in power, and thou oh Sun, that
      seest and givest ear to all things, Earth and Rivers, and ye who
      in the realms below chastise the soul of him that has broken his
      oath, witness these rites and guard them, that they be not vain.
      If Alexandrus kills Menelaus, let him keep Helen and all her
      wealth, while we sail home with our ships; but if Menelaus kills
      Alexandrus, let the Trojans give back Helen and all that she has;
      let them moreover pay such fine to the Achaeans as shall be
      agreed upon, in testimony among those that shall be born
      hereafter. And if Priam and his sons refuse such fine when
      Alexandrus has fallen, then will I stay here and fight on till I
      have got satisfaction.”

      As he spoke he drew his knife across the throats of the victims,
      and laid them down gasping and dying upon the ground, for the
      knife had reft them of their strength. Then they poured wine from
      the mixing-bowl into the cups, and prayed to the everlasting
      gods, saying, Trojans and Achaeans among one another, “Jove, most
      great and glorious, and ye other everlasting gods, grant that the
      brains of them who shall first sin against their oaths—of them
      and their children—may be shed upon the ground even as this wine,
      and let their wives become the slaves of strangers.”

      Thus they prayed, but not as yet would Jove grant them their
      prayer. Then Priam, descendant of Dardanus, spoke, saying, “Hear
      me, Trojans and Achaeans, I will now go back to the wind-beaten
      city of Ilius: I dare not with my own eyes witness this fight
      between my son and Menelaus, for Jove and the other immortals
      alone know which shall fall.”

      On this he laid the two lambs on his chariot and took his seat.
      He gathered the reins in his hand, and Antenor sat beside him;
      the two then went back to Ilius. Hector and Ulysses measured the
      ground, and cast lots from a helmet of bronze to see which should
      take aim first. Meanwhile the two hosts lifted up their hands and
      prayed saying, “Father Jove, that rulest from Ida, most glorious
      in power, grant that he who first brought about this war between
      us may die, and enter the house of Hades, while we others remain
      at peace and abide by our oaths.”

      Great Hector now turned his head aside while he shook the helmet,
      and the lot of Paris flew out first. The others took their
      several stations, each by his horses and the place where his arms
      were lying, while Alexandrus, husband of lovely Helen, put on his
      goodly armour. First he greaved his legs with greaves of good
      make and fitted with ancle-clasps of silver; after this he donned
      the cuirass of his brother Lycaon, and fitted it to his own body;
      he hung his silver-studded sword of bronze about his shoulders,
      and then his mighty shield. On his comely head he set his helmet,
      well wrought, with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly
      above it, and he grasped a redoubtable spear that suited his
      hands. In like fashion Menelaus also put on his armour.

      When they had thus armed, each amid his own people, they strode
      fierce of aspect into the open space, and both Trojans and
      Achaeans were struck with awe as they beheld them. They stood
      near one another on the measured ground, brandishing their
      spears, and each furious against the other. Alexandrus aimed
      first, and struck the round shield of the son of Atreus, but the
      spear did not pierce it, for the shield turned its point.
      Menelaus next took aim, praying to Father Jove as he did so.
      “King Jove,” he said, “grant me revenge on Alexandrus who has
      wronged me; subdue him under my hand that in ages yet to come a
      man may shrink from doing ill deeds in the house of his host.”

      He poised his spear as he spoke, and hurled it at the shield of
      Alexandrus. Through shield and cuirass it went, and tore the
      shirt by his flank, but Alexandrus swerved aside, and thus saved
      his life. Then the son of Atreus drew his sword, and drove at the
      projecting part of his helmet, but the sword fell shivered in
      three or four pieces from his hand, and he cried, looking towards
      Heaven, “Father Jove, of all gods thou art the most despiteful; I
      made sure of my revenge, but the sword has broken in my hand, my
      spear has been hurled in vain, and I have not killed him.”

      With this he flew at Alexandrus, caught him by the horse-hair
      plume of his helmet, and began dragging him towards the Achaeans.
      The strap of the helmet that went under his chin was choking him,
      and Menelaus would have dragged him off to his own great glory
      had not Jove’s daughter Venus been quick to mark and to break the
      strap of ox-hide, so that the empty helmet came away in his hand.
      This he flung to his comrades among the Achaeans, and was again
      springing upon Alexandrus to run him through with a spear, but
      Venus snatched him up in a moment (as a god can do), hid him
      under a cloud of darkness, and conveyed him to his own
      bedchamber.

      Then she went to call Helen, and found her on a high tower with
      the Trojan women crowding round her. She took the form of an old
      woman who used to dress wool for her when she was still in
      Lacedaemon, and of whom she was very fond. Thus disguised she
      plucked her by perfumed robe and said, “Come hither; Alexandrus
      says you are to go to the house; he is on his bed in his own
      room, radiant with beauty and dressed in gorgeous apparel. No one
      would think he had just come from fighting, but rather that he
      was going to a dance, or had done dancing and was sitting down.”

      With these words she moved the heart of Helen to anger. When she
      marked the beautiful neck of the goddess, her lovely bosom, and
      sparkling eyes, she marvelled at her and said, “Goddess, why do
      you thus beguile me? Are you going to send me afield still
      further to some man whom you have taken up in Phrygia or fair
      Meonia? Menelaus has just vanquished Alexandrus, and is to take
      my hateful self back with him. You are come here to betray me. Go
      sit with Alexandrus yourself; henceforth be goddess no longer;
      never let your feet carry you back to Olympus; worry about him
      and look after him till he make you his wife, or, for the matter
      of that, his slave—but me? I shall not go; I can garnish his bed
      no longer; I should be a by-word among all the women of Troy.
      Besides, I have trouble on my mind.”

      Venus was very angry, and said, “Bold hussy, do not provoke me;
      if you do, I shall leave you to your fate and hate you as much as
      I have loved you. I will stir up fierce hatred between Trojans
      and Achaeans, and you shall come to a bad end.”

      At this Helen was frightened. She wrapped her mantle about her
      and went in silence, following the goddess and unnoticed by the
      Trojan women.

      When they came to the house of Alexandrus the maid-servants set
      about their work, but Helen went into her own room, and the
      laughter-loving goddess took a seat and set it for her facing
      Alexandrus. On this Helen, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, sat
      down, and with eyes askance began to upbraid her husband.

      “So you are come from the fight,” said she; “would that you had
      fallen rather by the hand of that brave man who was my husband.
      You used to brag that you were a better man with hands and spear
      than Menelaus. Go, then, and challenge him again—but I should
      advise you not to do so, for if you are foolish enough to meet
      him in single combat, you will soon fall by his spear.”

      And Paris answered, “Wife, do not vex me with your reproaches.
      This time, with the help of Minerva, Menelaus has vanquished me;
      another time I may myself be victor, for I too have gods that
      will stand by me. Come, let us lie down together and make
      friends. Never yet was I so passionately enamoured of you as at
      this moment—not even when I first carried you off from Lacedaemon
      and sailed away with you—not even when I had converse with you
      upon the couch of love in the island of Cranae was I so
      enthralled by desire of you as now.” On this he led her towards
      the bed, and his wife went with him.

      Thus they laid themselves on the bed together; but the son of
      Atreus strode among the throng, looking everywhere for
      Alexandrus, and no man, neither of the Trojans nor of the allies,
      could find him. If they had seen him they were in no mind to hide
      him, for they all of them hated him as they did death itself.
      Then Agamemnon, king of men, spoke, saying, “Hear me, Trojans,
      Dardanians, and allies. The victory has been with Menelaus;
      therefore give back Helen with all her wealth, and pay such fine
      as shall be agreed upon, in testimony among them that shall be
      born hereafter.”

      Thus spoke the son of Atreus, and the Achaeans shouted in
      applause.


1  αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κόσμηθεν ἅμʼ ἡγεμόνεσσιν ἕκαστοι,
2  Τρῶες μὲν κλαγγῇ τʼ ἐνοπῇ τʼ ἴσαν ὄρνιθες ὣς
3  ἠΰτε περ κλαγγὴ γεράνων πέλει οὐρανόθι πρό·
4  αἵ τʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν χειμῶνα φύγον καὶ ἀθέσφατον ὄμβρον
5  κλαγγῇ ταί γε πέτονται ἐπʼ ὠκεανοῖο ῥοάων
6  ἀνδράσι Πυγμαίοισι φόνον καὶ κῆρα φέρουσαι·
7  ἠέριαι δʼ ἄρα ταί γε κακὴν ἔριδα προφέρονται.
8  οἳ δʼ ἄρʼ ἴσαν σιγῇ μένεα πνείοντες Ἀχαιοὶ
9  ἐν θυμῷ μεμαῶτες ἀλεξέμεν ἀλλήλοισιν.
10  εὖτʼ ὄρεος κορυφῇσι Νότος κατέχευεν ὀμίχλην
11  ποιμέσιν οὔ τι φίλην, κλέπτῃ δέ τε νυκτὸς ἀμείνω,
12  τόσσόν τίς τʼ ἐπιλεύσσει ὅσον τʼ ἐπὶ λᾶαν ἵησιν·
13  ὣς ἄρα τῶν ὑπὸ ποσσὶ κονίσαλος ὄρνυτʼ ἀελλὴς
14  ἐρχομένων· μάλα δʼ ὦκα διέπρησσον πεδίοιο.
15  οἳ δʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἰόντες,
16  Τρωσὶν μὲν προμάχιζεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς
17  παρδαλέην ὤμοισιν ἔχων καὶ καμπύλα τόξα
18  καὶ ξίφος· αὐτὰρ δοῦρε δύω κεκορυθμένα χαλκῷ
19  πάλλων Ἀργείων προκαλίζετο πάντας ἀρίστους
20  ἀντίβιον μαχέσασθαι ἐν αἰνῇ δηϊοτῆτι.
21  τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος
22  ἐρχόμενον προπάροιθεν ὁμίλου μακρὰ βιβάντα,
23  ὥς τε λέων ἐχάρη μεγάλῳ ἐπὶ σώματι κύρσας
24  εὑρὼν ἢ ἔλαφον κεραὸν ἢ ἄγριον αἶγα
25  πεινάων· μάλα γάρ τε κατεσθίει, εἴ περ ἂν αὐτὸν
26  σεύωνται ταχέες τε κύνες θαλεροί τʼ αἰζηοί·
27  ὣς ἐχάρη Μενέλαος Ἀλέξανδρον θεοειδέα
28  ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδών· φάτο γὰρ τίσεσθαι ἀλείτην·
29  αὐτίκα δʼ ἐξ ὀχέων σὺν τεύχεσιν ἆλτο χαμᾶζε.
30  τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδὴς
31  ἐν προμάχοισι φανέντα, κατεπλήγη φίλον ἦτορ,
32  ἂψ δʼ ἑτάρων εἰς ἔθνος ἐχάζετο κῆρʼ ἀλεείνων.
33  ὡς δʼ ὅτε τίς τε δράκοντα ἰδὼν παλίνορσος ἀπέστη
34  οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς, ὑπό τε τρόμος ἔλλαβε γυῖα,
35  ἂψ δʼ ἀνεχώρησεν, ὦχρός τέ μιν εἷλε παρειάς,
36  ὣς αὖτις καθʼ ὅμιλον ἔδυ Τρώων ἀγερώχων
37  δείσας Ἀτρέος υἱὸν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής.
38  τὸν δʼ Ἕκτωρ νείκεσσεν ἰδὼν αἰσχροῖς ἐπέεσσιν·
39  Δύσπαρι εἶδος ἄριστε γυναιμανὲς ἠπεροπευτὰ
40  αἴθʼ ὄφελες ἄγονός τʼ ἔμεναι ἄγαμός τʼ ἀπολέσθαι·
41  καί κε τὸ βουλοίμην, καί κεν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν
42  ἢ οὕτω λώβην τʼ ἔμεναι καὶ ὑπόψιον ἄλλων.
43  ἦ που καγχαλόωσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ
44  φάντες ἀριστῆα πρόμον ἔμμεναι, οὕνεκα καλὸν
45  εἶδος ἔπʼ, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστι βίη φρεσὶν οὐδέ τις ἀλκή.
46  ἦ τοιόσδε ἐὼν ἐν ποντοπόροισι νέεσσι
47  πόντον ἐπιπλώσας, ἑτάρους ἐρίηρας ἀγείρας,
48  μιχθεὶς ἀλλοδαποῖσι γυναῖκʼ εὐειδέʼ ἀνῆγες
49  ἐξ ἀπίης γαίης νυὸν ἀνδρῶν αἰχμητάων
50  πατρί τε σῷ μέγα πῆμα πόληΐ τε παντί τε δήμῳ,
51  δυσμενέσιν μὲν χάρμα, κατηφείην δὲ σοὶ αὐτῷ;
52  οὐκ ἂν δὴ μείνειας ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον;
53  γνοίης χʼ οἵου φωτὸς ἔχεις θαλερὴν παράκοιτιν·
54  οὐκ ἄν τοι χραίσμῃ κίθαρις τά τε δῶρʼ Ἀφροδίτης
55  ἥ τε κόμη τό τε εἶδος ὅτʼ ἐν κονίῃσι μιγείης.
56  ἀλλὰ μάλα Τρῶες δειδήμονες· ἦ τέ κεν ἤδη
57  λάϊνον ἕσσο χιτῶνα κακῶν ἕνεχʼ ὅσσα ἔοργας.
58  τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής·
59  Ἕκτορ ἐπεί με κατʼ αἶσαν ἐνείκεσας οὐδʼ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν·
60  αἰεί τοι κραδίη πέλεκυς ὥς ἐστιν ἀτειρὴς
61  ὅς τʼ εἶσιν διὰ δουρὸς ὑπʼ ἀνέρος ὅς ῥά τε τέχνῃ
62  νήϊον ἐκτάμνῃσιν, ὀφέλλει δʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐρωήν·
63  ὣς σοὶ ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἀτάρβητος νόος ἐστί·
64  μή μοι δῶρʼ ἐρατὰ πρόφερε χρυσέης Ἀφροδίτης·
65  οὔ τοι ἀπόβλητʼ ἐστὶ θεῶν ἐρικυδέα δῶρα
66  ὅσσά κεν αὐτοὶ δῶσιν, ἑκὼν δʼ οὐκ ἄν τις ἕλοιτο·
67  νῦν αὖτʼ εἴ μʼ ἐθέλεις πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι,
68  ἄλλους μὲν κάθισον Τρῶας καὶ πάντας Ἀχαιούς,
69  αὐτὰρ ἔμʼ ἐν μέσσῳ καὶ ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον
70  συμβάλετʼ ἀμφʼ Ἑλένῃ καὶ κτήμασι πᾶσι μάχεσθαι·
71  ὁππότερος δέ κε νικήσῃ κρείσσων τε γένηται,
72  κτήμαθʼ ἑλὼν εὖ πάντα γυναῖκά τε οἴκαδʼ ἀγέσθω·
73  οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι φιλότητα καὶ ὅρκια πιστὰ ταμόντες
74  ναίοιτε Τροίην ἐριβώλακα, τοὶ δὲ νεέσθων
75  Ἄργος ἐς ἱππόβοτον καὶ Ἀχαιΐδα καλλιγύναικα.
76  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἕκτωρ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐχάρη μέγα μῦθον ἀκούσας,
77  καί ῥʼ ἐς μέσσον ἰὼν Τρώων ἀνέεργε φάλαγγας
78  μέσσου δουρὸς ἑλών· τοὶ δʼ ἱδρύνθησαν ἅπαντες.
79  τῷ δʼ ἐπετοξάζοντο κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ
80  ἰοῖσίν τε τιτυσκόμενοι λάεσσί τʼ ἔβαλλον·
81  αὐτὰρ ὃ μακρὸν ἄϋσεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·
82  ἴσχεσθʼ Ἀργεῖοι, μὴ βάλλετε κοῦροι Ἀχαιῶν·
83  στεῦται γάρ τι ἔπος ἐρέειν κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.
84  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἔσχοντο μάχης ἄνεῴ τʼ ἐγένοντο
85  ἐσσυμένως· Ἕκτωρ δὲ μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔειπε·
86  κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
87  μῦθον Ἀλεξάνδροιο, τοῦ εἵνεκα νεῖκος ὄρωρεν.
88  ἄλλους μὲν κέλεται Τρῶας καὶ πάντας Ἀχαιοὺς
89  τεύχεα κάλʼ ἀποθέσθαι ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ,
90  αὐτὸν δʼ ἐν μέσσῳ καὶ ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον
91  οἴους ἀμφʼ Ἑλένῃ καὶ κτήμασι πᾶσι μάχεσθαι.
92  ὁππότερος δέ κε νικήσῃ κρείσσων τε γένηται
93  κτήμαθʼ ἑλὼν εὖ πάντα γυναῖκά τε οἴκαδʼ ἀγέσθω·
94  οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι φιλότητα καὶ ὅρκια πιστὰ τάμωμεν.
95  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ·
96  τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος·
97  κέκλυτε νῦν καὶ ἐμεῖο· μάλιστα γὰρ ἄλγος ἱκάνει
98  θυμὸν ἐμόν, φρονέω δὲ διακρινθήμεναι ἤδη
99  Ἀργείους καὶ Τρῶας, ἐπεὶ κακὰ πολλὰ πέπασθε
100  εἵνεκʼ ἐμῆς ἔριδος καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκʼ ἀρχῆς·
101  ἡμέων δʼ ὁπποτέρῳ θάνατος καὶ μοῖρα τέτυκται
102  τεθναίη· ἄλλοι δὲ διακρινθεῖτε τάχιστα.
103  οἴσετε ἄρνʼ, ἕτερον λευκόν, ἑτέρην δὲ μέλαιναν,
104  Γῇ τε καὶ Ἠελίῳ· Διὶ δʼ ἡμεῖς οἴσομεν ἄλλον·
105  ἄξετε δὲ Πριάμοιο βίην, ὄφρʼ ὅρκια τάμνῃ
106  αὐτός, ἐπεί οἱ παῖδες ὑπερφίαλοι καὶ ἄπιστοι,
107  μή τις ὑπερβασίῃ Διὸς ὅρκια δηλήσηται.
108  αἰεὶ δʼ ὁπλοτέρων ἀνδρῶν φρένες ἠερέθονται·
109  οἷς δʼ ὁ γέρων μετέῃσιν ἅμα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω
110  λεύσσει, ὅπως ὄχʼ ἄριστα μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισι γένηται.
111  ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἐχάρησαν Ἀχαιοί τε Τρῶές τε
112  ἐλπόμενοι παύσασθαι ὀϊζυροῦ πολέμοιο.
113  καί ῥʼ ἵππους μὲν ἔρυξαν ἐπὶ στίχας, ἐκ δʼ ἔβαν αὐτοί,
114  τεύχεά τʼ ἐξεδύοντο· τὰ μὲν κατέθεντʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ
115  πλησίον ἀλλήλων, ὀλίγη δʼ ἦν ἀμφὶς ἄρουρα·
116  Ἕκτωρ δὲ προτὶ ἄστυ δύω κήρυκας ἔπεμπε
117  καρπαλίμως ἄρνάς τε φέρειν Πρίαμόν τε καλέσσαι·
118  αὐτὰρ ὃ Ταλθύβιον προΐει κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
119  νῆας ἔπι γλαφυρὰς ἰέναι, ἠδʼ ἄρνʼ ἐκέλευεν
120  οἰσέμεναι· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ οὐκ ἀπίθησʼ Ἀγαμέμνονι δίῳ.
121  Ἶρις δʼ αὖθʼ Ἑλένῃ λευκωλένῳ ἄγγελος ἦλθεν
122  εἰδομένη γαλόῳ Ἀντηνορίδαο δάμαρτι,
123  τὴν Ἀντηνορίδης εἶχε κρείων Ἑλικάων
124  Λαοδίκην Πριάμοιο θυγατρῶν εἶδος ἀρίστην.
125  τὴν δʼ εὗρʼ ἐν μεγάρῳ· ἣ δὲ μέγαν ἱστὸν ὕφαινε
126  δίπλακα πορφυρέην, πολέας δʼ ἐνέπασσεν ἀέθλους
127  Τρώων θʼ ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων,
128  οὕς ἑθεν εἵνεκʼ ἔπασχον ὑπʼ Ἄρηος παλαμάων·
129  ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱσταμένη προσέφη πόδας ὠκέα Ἶρις·
130  δεῦρʼ ἴθι νύμφα φίλη, ἵνα θέσκελα ἔργα ἴδηαι
131  Τρώων θʼ ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων,
132  οἳ πρὶν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι φέρον πολύδακρυν Ἄρηα
133  ἐν πεδίῳ ὀλοοῖο λιλαιόμενοι πολέμοιο·
134  οἳ δὴ νῦν ἕαται σιγῇ, πόλεμος δὲ πέπαυται,
135  ἀσπίσι κεκλιμένοι, παρὰ δʼ ἔγχεα μακρὰ πέπηγεν.
136  αὐτὰρ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος
137  μακρῇς ἐγχείῃσι μαχήσονται περὶ σεῖο·
138  τῷ δέ κε νικήσαντι φίλη κεκλήσῃ ἄκοιτις.
139  ὣς εἰποῦσα θεὰ γλυκὺν ἵμερον ἔμβαλε θυμῷ
140  ἀνδρός τε προτέρου καὶ ἄστεος ἠδὲ τοκήων·
141  αὐτίκα δʼ ἀργεννῇσι καλυψαμένη ὀθόνῃσιν
142  ὁρμᾶτʼ ἐκ θαλάμοιο τέρεν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα
143  οὐκ οἴη, ἅμα τῇ γε καὶ ἀμφίπολοι δύʼ ἕποντο,
144  Αἴθρη Πιτθῆος θυγάτηρ, Κλυμένη τε βοῶπις·
145  αἶψα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἵκανον ὅθι Σκαιαὶ πύλαι ἦσαν.
146  οἳ δʼ ἀμφὶ Πρίαμον καὶ Πάνθοον ἠδὲ Θυμοίτην
147  Λάμπόν τε Κλυτίον θʼ Ἱκετάονά τʼ ὄζον Ἄρηος
148  Οὐκαλέγων τε καὶ Ἀντήνωρ πεπνυμένω ἄμφω
149  ἥατο δημογέροντες ἐπὶ Σκαιῇσι πύλῃσι,
150  γήραϊ δὴ πολέμοιο πεπαυμένοι, ἀλλʼ ἀγορηταὶ
151  ἐσθλοί, τεττίγεσσιν ἐοικότες οἵ τε καθʼ ὕλην
152  δενδρέῳ ἐφεζόμενοι ὄπα λειριόεσσαν ἱεῖσι·
153  τοῖοι ἄρα Τρώων ἡγήτορες ἧντʼ ἐπὶ πύργῳ.
154  οἳ δʼ ὡς οὖν εἴδονθʼ Ἑλένην ἐπὶ πύργον ἰοῦσαν,
155  ἦκα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευον·
156  οὐ νέμεσις Τρῶας καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιοὺς
157  τοιῇδʼ ἀμφὶ γυναικὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἄλγεα πάσχειν·
158  αἰνῶς ἀθανάτῃσι θεῇς εἰς ὦπα ἔοικεν·
159  ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς τοίη περ ἐοῦσʼ ἐν νηυσὶ νεέσθω,
160  μηδʼ ἡμῖν τεκέεσσί τʼ ὀπίσσω πῆμα λίποιτο.
161  ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν, Πρίαμος δʼ Ἑλένην ἐκαλέσσατο φωνῇ·
162  δεῦρο πάροιθʼ ἐλθοῦσα φίλον τέκος ἵζευ ἐμεῖο,
163  ὄφρα ἴδῃ πρότερόν τε πόσιν πηούς τε φίλους τε·
164  οὔ τί μοι αἰτίη ἐσσί, θεοί νύ μοι αἴτιοί εἰσιν
165  οἵ μοι ἐφώρμησαν πόλεμον πολύδακρυν Ἀχαιῶν·
166  ὥς μοι καὶ τόνδʼ ἄνδρα πελώριον ἐξονομήνῃς
167  ὅς τις ὅδʼ ἐστὶν Ἀχαιὸς ἀνὴρ ἠΰς τε μέγας τε.
168  ἤτοι μὲν κεφαλῇ καὶ μείζονες ἄλλοι ἔασι,
169  καλὸν δʼ οὕτω ἐγὼν οὔ πω ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν,
170  οὐδʼ οὕτω γεραρόν· βασιλῆϊ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ ἔοικε.
171  τὸν δʼ Ἑλένη μύθοισιν ἀμείβετο δῖα γυναικῶν·
172  αἰδοῖός τέ μοί ἐσσι φίλε ἑκυρὲ δεινός τε·
173  ὡς ὄφελεν θάνατός μοι ἁδεῖν κακὸς ὁππότε δεῦρο
174  υἱέϊ σῷ ἑπόμην θάλαμον γνωτούς τε λιποῦσα
175  παῖδά τε τηλυγέτην καὶ ὁμηλικίην ἐρατεινήν.
176  ἀλλὰ τά γʼ οὐκ ἐγένοντο· τὸ καὶ κλαίουσα τέτηκα.
177  τοῦτο δέ τοι ἐρέω ὅ μʼ ἀνείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς·
178  οὗτός γʼ Ἀτρεΐδης εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων,
179  ἀμφότερον βασιλεύς τʼ ἀγαθὸς κρατερός τʼ αἰχμητής·
180  δαὴρ αὖτʼ ἐμὸς ἔσκε κυνώπιδος, εἴ ποτʼ ἔην γε.
181  ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ ὁ γέρων ἠγάσσατο φώνησέν τε·
182  ὦ μάκαρ Ἀτρεΐδη μοιρηγενὲς ὀλβιόδαιμον,
183  ἦ ῥά νύ τοι πολλοὶ δεδμήατο κοῦροι Ἀχαιῶν.
184  ἤδη καὶ Φρυγίην εἰσήλυθον ἀμπελόεσσαν,
185  ἔνθα ἴδον πλείστους Φρύγας ἀνέρας αἰολοπώλους
186  λαοὺς Ὀτρῆος καὶ Μυγδόνος ἀντιθέοιο,
187  οἵ ῥα τότʼ ἐστρατόωντο παρʼ ὄχθας Σαγγαρίοιο·
188  καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπίκουρος ἐὼν μετὰ τοῖσιν ἐλέχθην
189  ἤματι τῷ ὅτε τʼ ἦλθον Ἀμαζόνες ἀντιάνειραι·
190  ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ οἳ τόσοι ἦσαν ὅσοι ἑλίκωπες Ἀχαιοί.
191  δεύτερον αὖτʼ Ὀδυσῆα ἰδὼν ἐρέεινʼ ὁ γεραιός·
192  εἴπʼ ἄγε μοι καὶ τόνδε φίλον τέκος ὅς τις ὅδʼ ἐστί·
193  μείων μὲν κεφαλῇ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο,
194  εὐρύτερος δʼ ὤμοισιν ἰδὲ στέρνοισιν ἰδέσθαι.
195  τεύχεα μέν οἱ κεῖται ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ,
196  αὐτὸς δὲ κτίλος ὣς ἐπιπωλεῖται στίχας ἀνδρῶν·
197  ἀρνειῷ μιν ἔγωγε ἐΐσκω πηγεσιμάλλῳ,
198  ὅς τʼ οἰῶν μέγα πῶϋ διέρχεται ἀργεννάων.
199  τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειθʼ Ἑλένη Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα·
200  οὗτος δʼ αὖ Λαερτιάδης πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς,
201  ὃς τράφη ἐν δήμῳ Ἰθάκης κραναῆς περ ἐούσης
202  εἰδὼς παντοίους τε δόλους καὶ μήδεα πυκνά.
203  τὴν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀντήνωρ πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·
204  ὦ γύναι ἦ μάλα τοῦτο ἔπος νημερτὲς ἔειπες·
205  ἤδη γὰρ καὶ δεῦρό ποτʼ ἤλυθε δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς
206  σεῦ ἕνεκʼ ἀγγελίης σὺν ἀρηϊφίλῳ Μενελάῳ·
207  τοὺς δʼ ἐγὼ ἐξείνισσα καὶ ἐν μεγάροισι φίλησα,
208  ἀμφοτέρων δὲ φυὴν ἐδάην καὶ μήδεα πυκνά.
209  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Τρώεσσιν ἐν ἀγρομένοισιν ἔμιχθεν
210  στάντων μὲν Μενέλαος ὑπείρεχεν εὐρέας ὤμους,
211  ἄμφω δʼ ἑζομένω γεραρώτερος ἦεν Ὀδυσσεύς·
212  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ μύθους καὶ μήδεα πᾶσιν ὕφαινον
213  ἤτοι μὲν Μενέλαος ἐπιτροχάδην ἀγόρευε,
214  παῦρα μὲν ἀλλὰ μάλα λιγέως, ἐπεὶ οὐ πολύμυθος
215  οὐδʼ ἀφαμαρτοεπής· ἦ καὶ γένει ὕστερος ἦεν.
216  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πολύμητις ἀναΐξειεν Ὀδυσσεὺς
217  στάσκεν, ὑπαὶ δὲ ἴδεσκε κατὰ χθονὸς ὄμματα πήξας,
218  σκῆπτρον δʼ οὔτʼ ὀπίσω οὔτε προπρηνὲς ἐνώμα,
219  ἀλλʼ ἀστεμφὲς ἔχεσκεν ἀΐδρεϊ φωτὶ ἐοικώς·
220  φαίης κε ζάκοτόν τέ τινʼ ἔμμεναι ἄφρονά τʼ αὔτως.
221  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ὄπα τε μεγάλην ἐκ στήθεος εἵη
222  καὶ ἔπεα νιφάδεσσιν ἐοικότα χειμερίῃσιν,
223  οὐκ ἂν ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆΐ γʼ ἐρίσσειε βροτὸς ἄλλος·
224  οὐ τότε γʼ ὧδʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἀγασσάμεθʼ εἶδος ἰδόντες.
225  τὸ τρίτον αὖτʼ Αἴαντα ἰδὼν ἐρέεινʼ ὃ γεραιός·
226  τίς τὰρ ὅδʼ ἄλλος Ἀχαιὸς ἀνὴρ ἠΰς τε μέγας τε
227  ἔξοχος Ἀργείων κεφαλήν τε καὶ εὐρέας ὤμους;
228  τὸν δʼ Ἑλένη τανύπεπλος ἀμείβετο δῖα γυναικῶν·
229  οὗτος δʼ Αἴας ἐστὶ πελώριος ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν·
230  Ἰδομενεὺς δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐνὶ Κρήτεσσι θεὸς ὣς
231  ἕστηκʼ, ἀμφὶ δέ μιν Κρητῶν ἀγοὶ ἠγερέθονται.
232  πολλάκι μιν ξείνισσεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος
233  οἴκῳ ἐν ἡμετέρῳ ὁπότε Κρήτηθεν ἵκοιτο.
234  νῦν δʼ ἄλλους μὲν πάντας ὁρῶ ἑλίκωπας Ἀχαιούς,
235  οὕς κεν ἐῢ γνοίην καί τʼ οὔνομα μυθησαίμην·
236  δοιὼ δʼ οὐ δύναμαι ἰδέειν κοσμήτορε λαῶν
237  Κάστορά θʼ ἱππόδαμον καὶ πὺξ ἀγαθὸν Πολυδεύκεα
238  αὐτοκασιγνήτω, τώ μοι μία γείνατο μήτηρ.
239  ἢ οὐχ ἑσπέσθην Λακεδαίμονος ἐξ ἐρατεινῆς,
240  ἢ δεύρω μὲν ἕποντο νέεσσʼ ἔνι ποντοπόροισι,
241  νῦν αὖτʼ οὐκ ἐθέλουσι μάχην καταδύμεναι ἀνδρῶν
242  αἴσχεα δειδιότες καὶ ὀνείδεα πόλλʼ ἅ μοί ἐστιν.
243  ὣς φάτο, τοὺς δʼ ἤδη κάτεχεν φυσίζοος αἶα
244  ἐν Λακεδαίμονι αὖθι φίλῃ ἐν πατρίδι γαίῃ.
245  κήρυκες δʼ ἀνὰ ἄστυ θεῶν φέρον ὅρκια πιστὰ
246  ἄρνε δύω καὶ οἶνον ἐΰφρονα καρπὸν ἀρούρης
247  ἀσκῷ ἐν αἰγείῳ· φέρε δὲ κρητῆρα φαεινὸν
248  κῆρυξ Ἰδαῖος ἠδὲ χρύσεια κύπελλα·
249  ὄτρυνεν δὲ γέροντα παριστάμενος ἐπέεσσιν·
250  ὄρσεο Λαομεδοντιάδη, καλέουσιν ἄριστοι
251  Τρώων θʼ ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
252  ἐς πεδίον καταβῆναι ἵνʼ ὅρκια πιστὰ τάμητε·
253  αὐτὰρ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος
254  μακρῇς ἐγχείῃσι μαχήσοντʼ ἀμφὶ γυναικί·
255  τῷ δέ κε νικήσαντι γυνὴ καὶ κτήμαθʼ ἕποιτο·
256  οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι φιλότητα καὶ ὅρκια πιστὰ ταμόντες
257  ναίοιμεν Τροίην ἐριβώλακα, τοὶ δὲ νέονται
258  Ἄργος ἐς ἱππόβοτον καὶ Ἀχαιΐδα καλλιγύναικα.
259  ὣς φάτο ῥίγησεν δʼ ὃ γέρων, ἐκέλευσε δʼ ἑταίρους
260  ἵππους ζευγνύμεναι· τοὶ δʼ ὀτραλέως ἐπίθοντο.
261  ἂν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔβη Πρίαμος, κατὰ δʼ ἡνία τεῖνεν ὀπίσσω·
262  πὰρ δέ οἱ Ἀντήνωρ περικαλλέα βήσετο δίφρον·
263  τὼ δὲ διὰ Σκαιῶν πεδίον δʼ ἔχον ὠκέας ἵππους.
264  ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵκοντο μετὰ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιούς,
265  ἐξ ἵππων ἀποβάντες ἐπὶ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν
266  ἐς μέσσον Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν ἐστιχόωντο.
267  ὄρνυτο δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτα ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων,
268  ἂν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς πολύμητις· ἀτὰρ κήρυκες ἀγαυοὶ
269  ὅρκια πιστὰ θεῶν σύναγον, κρητῆρι δὲ οἶνον
270  μίσγον, ἀτὰρ βασιλεῦσιν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχευαν.
271  Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος χείρεσσι μάχαιραν,
272  ἥ οἱ πὰρ ξίφεος μέγα κουλεόν αἰὲν ἄωρτο,
273  ἀρνῶν ἐκ κεφαλέων τάμνε τρίχας· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
274  κήρυκες Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν νεῖμαν ἀρίστοις.
275  τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀτρεΐδης μεγάλʼ εὔχετο χεῖρας ἀνασχών·
276  Ζεῦ πάτερ Ἴδηθεν μεδέων κύδιστε μέγιστε,
277  Ἠέλιός θʼ, ὃς πάντʼ ἐφορᾷς καὶ πάντʼ ἐπακούεις,
278  καὶ ποταμοὶ καὶ γαῖα, καὶ οἳ ὑπένερθε καμόντας
279  ἀνθρώπους τίνυσθον ὅτις κʼ ἐπίορκον ὀμόσσῃ,
280  ὑμεῖς μάρτυροι ἔστε, φυλάσσετε δʼ ὅρκια πιστά·
281  εἰ μέν κεν Μενέλαον Ἀλέξανδρος καταπέφνῃ
282  αὐτὸς ἔπειθʼ Ἑλένην ἐχέτω καὶ κτήματα πάντα,
283  ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν νήεσσι νεώμεθα ποντοπόροισιν·
284  εἰ δέ κʼ Ἀλέξανδρον κτείνῃ ξανθὸς Μενέλαος,
285  Τρῶας ἔπειθʼ Ἑλένην καὶ κτήματα πάντʼ ἀποδοῦναι,
286  τιμὴν δʼ Ἀργείοις ἀποτινέμεν ἥν τινʼ ἔοικεν,
287  ἥ τε καὶ ἐσσομένοισι μετʼ ἀνθρώποισι πέληται.
288  εἰ δʼ ἂν ἐμοὶ τιμὴν Πρίαμος Πριάμοιό τε παῖδες
289  τίνειν οὐκ ἐθέλωσιν Ἀλεξάνδροιο πεσόντος,
290  αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ ἔπειτα μαχήσομαι εἵνεκα ποινῆς
291  αὖθι μένων, ἧός κε τέλος πολέμοιο κιχείω.
292  ἦ, καὶ ἀπὸ στομάχους ἀρνῶν τάμε νηλέϊ χαλκῷ·
293  καὶ τοὺς μὲν κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὸς ἀσπαίροντας
294  θυμοῦ δευομένους· ἀπὸ γὰρ μένος εἵλετο χαλκός.
295  οἶνον δʼ ἐκ κρητῆρος ἀφυσσόμενοι δεπάεσσιν
296  ἔκχεον, ἠδʼ εὔχοντο θεοῖς αἰειγενέτῃσιν.
297  ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν Ἀχαιῶν τε Τρώων τε·
298  Ζεῦ κύδιστε μέγιστε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι
299  ὁππότεροι πρότεροι ὑπὲρ ὅρκια πημήνειαν
300  ὧδέ σφʼ ἐγκέφαλος χαμάδις ῥέοι ὡς ὅδε οἶνος
301  αὐτῶν καὶ τεκέων, ἄλοχοι δʼ ἄλλοισι δαμεῖεν.
302  ὣς ἔφαν, οὐδʼ ἄρα πώ σφιν ἐπεκραίαινε Κρονίων.
303  τοῖσι δὲ Δαρδανίδης Πρίαμος μετὰ μῦθον ἔειπε·
304  κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοί·
305  ἤτοι ἐγὼν εἶμι προτὶ Ἴλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν
306  ἄψ, ἐπεὶ οὔ πω τλήσομʼ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρᾶσθαι
307  μαρνάμενον φίλον υἱὸν ἀρηϊφίλῳ Μενελάῳ·
308  Ζεὺς μέν που τό γε οἶδε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι
309  ὁπποτέρῳ θανάτοιο τέλος πεπρωμένον ἐστίν.
310  ἦ ῥα καὶ ἐς δίφρον ἄρνας θέτο ἰσόθεος φώς,
311  ἂν δʼ ἄρʼ ἔβαινʼ αὐτός, κατὰ δʼ ἡνία τεῖνεν ὀπίσσω·
312  πὰρ δέ οἱ Ἀντήνωρ περικαλλέα βήσετο δίφρον.
313  τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἄψορροι προτὶ Ἴλιον ἀπονέοντο·
314  Ἕκτωρ δὲ Πριάμοιο πάϊς καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς
315  χῶρον μὲν πρῶτον διεμέτρεον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
316  κλήρους ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλον ἑλόντες,
317  ὁππότερος δὴ πρόσθεν ἀφείη χάλκεον ἔγχος.
318  λαοὶ δʼ ἠρήσαντο, θεοῖσι δὲ χεῖρας ἀνέσχον,
319  ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν Ἀχαιῶν τε Τρώων τε·
320  Ζεῦ πάτερ Ἴδηθεν μεδέων κύδιστε μέγιστε
321  ὁππότερος τάδε ἔργα μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔθηκε,
322  τὸν δὸς ἀποφθίμενον δῦναι δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω,
323  ἡμῖν δʼ αὖ φιλότητα καὶ ὅρκια πιστὰ γενέσθαι.
324  ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν, πάλλεν δὲ μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ
325  ἂψ ὁρόων· Πάριος δὲ θοῶς ἐκ κλῆρος ὄρουσεν.
326  οἳ μὲν ἔπειθʼ ἵζοντο κατὰ στίχας, ἧχι ἑκάστῳ
327  ἵπποι ἀερσίποδες καὶ ποικίλα τεύχεʼ ἔκειτο·
328  αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἀμφʼ ὤμοισιν ἐδύσετο τεύχεα καλὰ
329  δῖος Ἀλέξανδρος Ἑλένης πόσις ἠϋκόμοιο.
330  κνημῖδας μὲν πρῶτα περὶ κνήμῃσιν ἔθηκε
331  καλάς, ἀργυρέοισιν ἐπισφυρίοις ἀραρυίας·
332  δεύτερον αὖ θώρηκα περὶ στήθεσσιν ἔδυνεν
333  οἷο κασιγνήτοιο Λυκάονος· ἥρμοσε δʼ αὐτῷ.
334  ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ὤμοισιν βάλετο ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον
335  χάλκεον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα σάκος μέγα τε στιβαρόν τε·
336  κρατὶ δʼ ἐπʼ ἰφθίμῳ κυνέην εὔτυκτον ἔθηκεν
337  ἵππουριν· δεινὸν δὲ λόφος καθύπερθεν ἔνευεν·
338  εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος, ὅ οἱ παλάμηφιν ἀρήρει.
339  ὣς δʼ αὔτως Μενέλαος ἀρήϊος ἔντεʼ ἔδυνεν.
340  οἳ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν ἑκάτερθεν ὁμίλου θωρήχθησαν,
341  ἐς μέσσον Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν ἐστιχόωντο
342  δεινὸν δερκόμενοι· θάμβος δʼ ἔχεν εἰσορόωντας
343  Τρῶάς θʼ ἱπποδάμους καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.
344  καί ῥʼ ἐγγὺς στήτην διαμετρητῷ ἐνὶ χώρῳ
345  σείοντʼ ἐγχείας ἀλλήλοισιν κοτέοντε.
346  πρόσθε δʼ Ἀλέξανδρος προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος,
347  καὶ βάλεν Ἀτρεΐδαο κατʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσε ἴσην,
348  οὐδʼ ἔρρηξεν χαλκός, ἀνεγνάμφθη δέ οἱ αἰχμὴ
349  ἀσπίδʼ ἐνὶ κρατερῇ· ὃ δὲ δεύτερον ὄρνυτο χαλκῷ
350  Ἀτρεΐδης Μενέλαος ἐπευξάμενος Διὶ πατρί·
351  Ζεῦ ἄνα δὸς τίσασθαι ὅ με πρότερος κάκʼ ἔοργε
352  δῖον Ἀλέξανδρον, καὶ ἐμῇς ὑπὸ χερσὶ δάμασσον,
353  ὄφρα τις ἐρρίγῃσι καὶ ὀψιγόνων ἀνθρώπων
354  ξεινοδόκον κακὰ ῥέξαι, ὅ κεν φιλότητα παράσχῃ.
355  ἦ ῥα καὶ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος,
356  καὶ βάλε Πριαμίδαο κατʼ ἀσπίδα πάντοσε ἴσην·
357  διὰ μὲν ἀσπίδος ἦλθε φαεινῆς ὄβριμον ἔγχος,
358  καὶ διὰ θώρηκος πολυδαιδάλου ἠρήρειστο·
359  ἀντικρὺ δὲ παραὶ λαπάρην διάμησε χιτῶνα
360  ἔγχος· ὃ δʼ ἐκλίνθη καὶ ἀλεύατο κῆρα μέλαιναν.
361  Ἀτρεΐδης δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον
362  πλῆξεν ἀνασχόμενος κόρυθος φάλον· ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῷ
363  τριχθά τε καὶ τετραχθὰ διατρυφὲν ἔκπεσε χειρός.
364  Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ᾤμωξεν ἰδὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν·
365  Ζεῦ πάτερ οὔ τις σεῖο θεῶν ὀλοώτερος ἄλλος·
366  ἦ τʼ ἐφάμην τίσασθαι Ἀλέξανδρον κακότητος·
367  νῦν δέ μοι ἐν χείρεσσιν ἄγη ξίφος, ἐκ δέ μοι ἔγχος
368  ἠΐχθη παλάμηφιν ἐτώσιον, οὐδʼ ἔβαλόν μιν.
369  ἦ καὶ ἐπαΐξας κόρυθος λάβεν ἱπποδασείης,
370  ἕλκε δʼ ἐπιστρέψας μετʼ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς·
371  ἄγχε δέ μιν πολύκεστος ἱμὰς ἁπαλὴν ὑπὸ δειρήν,
372  ὅς οἱ ὑπʼ ἀνθερεῶνος ὀχεὺς τέτατο τρυφαλείης.
373  καί νύ κεν εἴρυσσέν τε καὶ ἄσπετον ἤρατο κῦδος,
374  εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ὀξὺ νόησε Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη,
375  ἥ οἱ ῥῆξεν ἱμάντα βοὸς ἶφι κταμένοιο·
376  κεινὴ δὲ τρυφάλεια ἅμʼ ἕσπετο χειρὶ παχείῃ.
377  τὴν μὲν ἔπειθʼ ἥρως μετʼ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιοὺς
378  ῥῖψʼ ἐπιδινήσας, κόμισαν δʼ ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι·
379  αὐτὰρ ὃ ἂψ ἐπόρουσε κατακτάμεναι μενεαίνων
380  ἔγχεϊ χαλκείῳ· τὸν δʼ ἐξήρπαξʼ Ἀφροδίτη
381  ῥεῖα μάλʼ ὥς τε θεός, ἐκάλυψε δʼ ἄρʼ ἠέρι πολλῇ,
382  κὰδ δʼ εἷσʼ ἐν θαλάμῳ εὐώδεϊ κηώεντι.
383  αὐτὴ δʼ αὖ Ἑλένην καλέουσʼ ἴε· τὴν δὲ κίχανε
384  πύργῳ ἐφʼ ὑψηλῷ, περὶ δὲ Τρῳαὶ ἅλις ἦσαν·
385  χειρὶ δὲ νεκταρέου ἑανοῦ ἐτίναξε λαβοῦσα,
386  γρηῒ δέ μιν ἐϊκυῖα παλαιγενέϊ προσέειπεν
387  εἰροκόμῳ, ἥ οἱ Λακεδαίμονι ναιετοώσῃ
388  ἤσκειν εἴρια καλά, μάλιστα δέ μιν φιλέεσκε·
389  τῇ μιν ἐεισαμένη προσεφώνεε δῖʼ Ἀφροδίτη·
390  δεῦρʼ ἴθʼ· Ἀλέξανδρός σε καλεῖ οἶκον δὲ νέεσθαι.
391  κεῖνος ὅ γʼ ἐν θαλάμῳ καὶ δινωτοῖσι λέχεσσι
392  κάλλεΐ τε στίλβων καὶ εἵμασιν· οὐδέ κε φαίης
393  ἀνδρὶ μαχεσσάμενον τόν γʼ ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλὰ χορὸν δὲ
394  ἔρχεσθʼ, ἠὲ χοροῖο νέον λήγοντα καθίζειν.
395  ὣς φάτο, τῇ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὄρινε·
396  καί ῥʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε θεᾶς περικαλλέα δειρὴν
397  στήθεά θʼ ἱμερόεντα καὶ ὄμματα μαρμαίροντα,
398  θάμβησέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·
399  δαιμονίη, τί με ταῦτα λιλαίεαι ἠπεροπεύειν;
400  ἦ πῄ με προτέρω πολίων εὖ ναιομενάων
401  ἄξεις, ἢ Φρυγίης ἢ Μῃονίης ἐρατεινῆς,
402  εἴ τίς τοι καὶ κεῖθι φίλος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων·
403  οὕνεκα δὴ νῦν δῖον Ἀλέξανδρον Μενέλαος
404  νικήσας ἐθέλει στυγερὴν ἐμὲ οἴκαδʼ ἄγεσθαι,
405  τοὔνεκα δὴ νῦν δεῦρο δολοφρονέουσα παρέστης;
406  ἧσο παρʼ αὐτὸν ἰοῦσα, θεῶν δʼ ἀπόεικε κελεύθου,
407  μηδʼ ἔτι σοῖσι πόδεσσιν ὑποστρέψειας Ὄλυμπον,
408  ἀλλʼ αἰεὶ περὶ κεῖνον ὀΐζυε καί ἑ φύλασσε,
409  εἰς ὅ κέ σʼ ἢ ἄλοχον ποιήσεται ἢ ὅ γε δούλην.
410  κεῖσε δʼ ἐγὼν οὐκ εἶμι· νεμεσσητὸν δέ κεν εἴη·
411  κείνου πορσανέουσα λέχος· Τρῳαὶ δέ μʼ ὀπίσσω
412  πᾶσαι μωμήσονται· ἔχω δʼ ἄχεʼ ἄκριτα θυμῷ.
413  τὴν δὲ χολωσαμένη προσεφώνεε δῖʼ Ἀφροδίτη·
414  μή μʼ ἔρεθε σχετλίη, μὴ χωσαμένη σε μεθείω,
415  τὼς δέ σʼ ἀπεχθήρω ὡς νῦν ἔκπαγλʼ ἐφίλησα,
416  μέσσῳ δʼ ἀμφοτέρων μητίσομαι ἔχθεα λυγρὰ
417  Τρώων καὶ Δαναῶν, σὺ δέ κεν κακὸν οἶτον ὄληαι.
418  ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἔδεισεν δʼ Ἑλένη Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα,
419  βῆ δὲ κατασχομένη ἑανῷ ἀργῆτι φαεινῷ
420  σιγῇ, πάσας δὲ Τρῳὰς λάθεν· ἦρχε δὲ δαίμων.
421  αἳ δʼ ὅτʼ Ἀλεξάνδροιο δόμον περικαλλέʼ ἵκοντο,
422  ἀμφίπολοι μὲν ἔπειτα θοῶς ἐπὶ ἔργα τράποντο,
423  ἣ δʼ εἰς ὑψόροφον θάλαμον κίε δῖα γυναικῶν.
424  τῇ δʼ ἄρα δίφρον ἑλοῦσα φιλομειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη
425  ἀντίʼ Ἀλεξάνδροιο θεὰ κατέθηκε φέρουσα·
426  ἔνθα κάθιζʼ Ἑλένη κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο
427  ὄσσε πάλιν κλίνασα, πόσιν δʼ ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ·
428  ἤλυθες ἐκ πολέμου· ὡς ὤφελες αὐτόθʼ ὀλέσθαι
429  ἀνδρὶ δαμεὶς κρατερῷ, ὃς ἐμὸς πρότερος πόσις ἦεν.
430  ἦ μὲν δὴ πρίν γʼ εὔχεʼ ἀρηϊφίλου Μενελάου
431  σῇ τε βίῃ καὶ χερσὶ καὶ ἔγχεϊ φέρτερος εἶναι·
432  ἀλλʼ ἴθι νῦν προκάλεσσαι ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον
433  ἐξαῦτις μαχέσασθαι ἐναντίον· ἀλλά σʼ ἔγωγε
434  παύεσθαι κέλομαι, μηδὲ ξανθῷ Μενελάῳ
435  ἀντίβιον πόλεμον πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι
436  ἀφραδέως, μή πως τάχʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δουρὶ δαμήῃς.
437  τὴν δὲ Πάρις μύθοισιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε·
438  μή με γύναι χαλεποῖσιν ὀνείδεσι θυμὸν ἔνιπτε·
439  νῦν μὲν γὰρ Μενέλαος ἐνίκησεν σὺν Ἀθήνῃ,
440  κεῖνον δʼ αὖτις ἐγώ· πάρα γὰρ θεοί εἰσι καὶ ἡμῖν.
441  ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ φιλότητι τραπείομεν εὐνηθέντε·
442  οὐ γάρ πώ ποτέ μʼ ὧδέ γʼ ἔρως φρένας ἀμφεκάλυψεν,
443  οὐδʼ ὅτε σε πρῶτον Λακεδαίμονος ἐξ ἐρατεινῆς
444  ἔπλεον ἁρπάξας ἐν ποντοπόροισι νέεσσι,
445  νήσῳ δʼ ἐν Κραναῇ ἐμίγην φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ,
446  ὥς σεο νῦν ἔραμαι καί με γλυκὺς ἵμερος αἱρεῖ.
447  ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἄρχε λέχος δὲ κιών· ἅμα δʼ εἵπετʼ ἄκοιτις.
448  τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐν τρητοῖσι κατεύνασθεν λεχέεσσιν,
449  Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἐφοίτα θηρὶ ἐοικὼς
450  εἴ που ἐσαθρήσειεν Ἀλέξανδρον θεοειδέα.
451  ἀλλʼ οὔ τις δύνατο Τρώων κλειτῶν τʼ ἐπικούρων
452  δεῖξαι Ἀλέξανδρον τότʼ ἀρηϊφίλῳ Μενελάῳ·
453  οὐ μὲν γὰρ φιλότητί γʼ ἐκεύθανον εἴ τις ἴδοιτο·
454  ἶσον γάρ σφιν πᾶσιν ἀπήχθετο κηρὶ μελαίνῃ.
455  τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·
456  κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ Δάρδανοι ἠδʼ ἐπίκουροι·
457  νίκη μὲν δὴ φαίνετʼ ἀρηϊφίλου Μενελάου,
458  ὑμεῖς δʼ Ἀργείην Ἑλένην καὶ κτήμαθʼ ἅμʼ αὐτῇ
459  ἔκδοτε, καὶ τιμὴν ἀποτινέμεν ἥν τινʼ ἔοικεν,
460  ἥ τε καὶ ἐσσομένοισι μετʼ ἀνθρώποισι πέληται.
461  ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀτρεΐδης, ἐπὶ δʼ ᾔνεον ἄλλοι Ἀχαιοί.


A quarrel in Olympus—Minerva goes down and persuades Fandarus to
      violate the oaths by wounding Menelaus with an arrow—Agamemnon
      makes a speech and sends for Machaon—He then goes about among his
      captains and upbraids Ulysses and Sthenelus, who each of them
      retort fiercely—Diomed checks Sthenelus, and the two hosts then
      engage, with great slaughter on either side.

      Now the gods were sitting with Jove in council upon the golden
      floor while Hebe went round pouring out nectar for them to drink,
      and as they pledged one another in their cups of gold they looked
      down upon the town of Troy. The son of Saturn then began to tease
      Juno, talking at her so as to provoke her. “Menelaus,” said he,
      “has two good friends among the goddesses, Juno of Argos, and
      Minerva of Alalcomene, but they only sit still and look on, while
      Venus keeps ever by Alexandrus’ side to defend him in any danger;
      indeed she has just rescued him when he made sure that it was all
      over with him—for the victory really did lie with Menelaus. We
      must consider what we shall do about all this; shall we set them
      fighting anew or make peace between them? If you will agree to
      this last Menelaus can take back Helen and the city of Priam may
      remain still inhabited.”

      Minerva and Juno muttered their discontent as they sat side by
      side hatching mischief for the Trojans. Minerva scowled at her
      father, for she was in a furious passion with him, and said
      nothing, but Juno could not contain herself. “Dread son of
      Saturn,” said she, “what, pray, is the meaning of all this? Is my
      trouble, then, to go for nothing, and the sweat that I have
      sweated, to say nothing of my horses, while getting the people
      together against Priam and his children? Do as you will, but we
      other gods shall not all of us approve your counsel.”

      Jove was angry and answered, “My dear, what harm have Priam and
      his sons done you that you are so hotly bent on sacking the city
      of Ilius? Will nothing do for you but you must go within their walls
      and eat Priam raw, with his sons and all the other Trojans to
      boot? Have it your own way then; for I would not have this matter
      become a bone of contention between us. I say further, and lay my
      saying to your heart, if ever I want to sack a city belonging to
      friends of yours, you must not try to stop me; you will have to
      let me do it, for I am giving in to you sorely against my will.
      Of all inhabited cities under the sun and stars of heaven, there
      was none that I so much respected as Ilius with Priam and his
      whole people. Equitable feasts were never wanting about my altar,
      nor the savour of burning fat, which is honour due to ourselves.”

      “My own three favourite cities,” answered Juno, “are Argos,
      Sparta, and Mycenae. Sack them whenever you may be displeased
      with them. I shall not defend them and I shall not care. Even if
      I did, and tried to stay you, I should take nothing by it, for
      you are much stronger than I am, but I will not have my own work
      wasted. I too am a god and of the same race with yourself. I am
      Saturn’s eldest daughter, and am honourable not on this ground
      only, but also because I am your wife, and you are king over the
      gods. Let it be a case, then, of give-and-take between us, and
      the rest of the gods will follow our lead. Tell Minerva to go and
      take part in the fight at once, and let her contrive that the
      Trojans shall be the first to break their oaths and set upon the
      Achaeans.”

      The sire of gods and men heeded her words, and said to Minerva,
      “Go at once into the Trojan and Achaean hosts, and contrive that
      the Trojans shall be the first to break their oaths and set upon
      the Achaeans.”

      This was what Minerva was already eager to do, so down she darted
      from the topmost summits of Olympus. She shot through the sky as
      some brilliant meteor which the son of scheming Saturn has sent
      as a sign to mariners or to some great army, and a fiery train of
      light follows in its wake. The Trojans and Achaeans were struck
      with awe as they beheld, and one would turn to his neighbour,
      saying, “Either we shall again have war and din of combat, or
      Jove the lord of battle will now make peace between us.”

      Thus did they converse. Then Minerva took the form of Laodocus,
      son of Antenor, and went through the ranks of the Trojans to find
      Pandarus, the redoubtable son of Lycaon. She found him standing
      among the stalwart heroes who had followed him from the banks of
      the Aesopus, so she went close up to him and said, “Brave son of
      Lycaon, will you do as I tell you? If you dare send an arrow at
      Menelaus you will win honour and thanks from all the Trojans, and
      especially from prince Alexandrus—he would be the first to
      requite you very handsomely if he could see Menelaus mount his
      funeral pyre, slain by an arrow from your hand. Take your home
      aim then, and pray to Lycian Apollo, the famous archer; vow that
      when you get home to your strong city of Zelea you will offer a
      hecatomb of firstling lambs in his honour.”

      His fool’s heart was persuaded, and he took his bow from its
      case. This bow was made from the horns of a wild ibex which he
      had killed as it was bounding from a rock; he had stalked it, and
      it had fallen as the arrow struck it to the heart. Its horns were
      sixteen palms long, and a worker in horn had made them into a
      bow, smoothing them well down, and giving them tips of gold. When
      Pandarus had strung his bow he laid it carefully on the ground,
      and his brave followers held their shields before him lest the
      Achaeans should set upon him before he had shot Menelaus. Then he
      opened the lid of his quiver and took out a winged arrow that had
      not yet been shot, fraught with the pangs of death. He laid the
      arrow on the string and prayed to Lycian Apollo, the famous
      archer, vowing that when he got home to his strong city of Zelea
      he would offer a hecatomb of firstling lambs in his honour. He
      laid the notch of the arrow on the ox-hide bowstring, and drew
      both notch and string to his breast till the arrow-head was near
      the bow; then when the bow was arched into a half-circle he let
      fly, and the bow twanged, and the string sang as the arrow flew
      gladly on over the heads of the throng.

      But the blessed gods did not forget thee, O Menelaus, and Jove’s
      daughter, driver of the spoil, was the first to stand before thee
      and ward off the piercing arrow. She turned it from his skin as a
      mother whisks a fly from off her child when it is sleeping
      sweetly; she guided it to the part where the golden buckles of
      the belt that passed over his double cuirass were fastened, so
      the arrow struck the belt that went tightly round him. It went
      right through this and through the cuirass of cunning
      workmanship; it also pierced the belt beneath it, which he wore
      next his skin to keep out darts or arrows; it was this that
      served him in the best stead, nevertheless the arrow went through
      it and grazed the top of the skin, so that blood began flowing
      from the wound.

      As when some woman of Meonia or Caria strains purple dye on to a
      piece of ivory that is to be the cheek-piece of a horse, and is
      to be laid up in a treasure house—many a knight is fain to bear
      it, but the king keeps it as an ornament of which both horse and
      driver may be proud—even so, O Menelaus, were your shapely thighs
      and your legs down to your fair ancles stained with blood.

      When King Agamemnon saw the blood flowing from the wound he was
      afraid, and so was brave Menelaus himself till he saw that the
      barbs of the arrow and the thread that bound the arrow-head to
      the shaft were still outside the wound. Then he took heart, but
      Agamemnon heaved a deep sigh as he held Menelaus’s hand in his
      own, and his comrades made moan in concert. “Dear brother,” he
      cried, “I have been the death of you in pledging this covenant
      and letting you come forward as our champion. The Trojans have
      trampled on their oaths and have wounded you; nevertheless the
      oath, the blood of lambs, the drink-offerings and the right hands
      of fellowship in which we have put our trust shall not be vain.
      If he that rules Olympus fulfil it not here and now, he will yet
      fulfil it hereafter, and they shall pay dearly with their lives
      and with their wives and children. The day will surely come when
      mighty Ilius shall be laid low, with Priam and Priam’s people,
      when the son of Saturn from his high throne shall overshadow them
      with his awful aegis in punishment of their present treachery.
      This shall surely be; but how, Menelaus, shall I mourn you, if it
      be your lot now to die? I should return to Argos as a by-word,
      for the Achaeans will at once go home. We shall leave Priam and
      the Trojans the glory of still keeping Helen, and the earth will
      rot your bones as you lie here at Troy with your purpose not
      fulfilled. Then shall some braggart Trojan leap upon your tomb
      and say, ‘Ever thus may Agamemnon wreak his vengeance; he brought
      his army in vain; he is gone home to his own land with empty
      ships, and has left Menelaus behind him.’ Thus will one of them
      say, and may the earth then swallow me.”

      But Menelaus reassured him and said, “Take heart, and do not
      alarm the people; the arrow has not struck me in a mortal part,
      for my outer belt of burnished metal first stayed it, and under
      this my cuirass and the belt of mail which the bronze-smiths made
      me.”

      And Agamemnon answered, “I trust, dear Menelaus, that it may be
      even so, but the surgeon shall examine your wound and lay herbs
      upon it to relieve your pain.”

      He then said to Talthybius, “Talthybius, tell Machaon, son to the
      great physician, Aesculapius, to come and see Menelaus
      immediately. Some Trojan or Lycian archer has wounded him with an
      arrow to our dismay, and to his own great glory.”

      Talthybius did as he was told, and went about the host trying to
      find Machaon. Presently he found standing amid the brave warriors
      who had followed him from Tricca; thereon he went up to him and
      said, “Son of Aesculapius, King Agamemnon says you are to come
      and see Menelaus immediately. Some Trojan or Lycian archer has
      wounded him with an arrow to our dismay and to his own great
      glory.”

      Thus did he speak, and Machaon was moved to go. They passed
      through the spreading host of the Achaeans and went on till they
      came to the place where Menelaus had been wounded and was lying
      with the chieftains gathered in a circle round him. Machaon
      passed into the middle of the ring and at once drew the arrow
      from the belt, bending its barbs back through the force with
      which he pulled it out. He undid the burnished belt, and beneath
      this the cuirass and the belt of mail which the bronze-smiths had
      made; then, when he had seen the wound, he wiped away the blood
      and applied some soothing drugs which Chiron had given to
      Aesculapius out of the good will he bore him.

      While they were thus busy about Menelaus, the Trojans came
      forward against them, for they had put on their armour, and now
      renewed the fight.

      You would not have then found Agamemnon asleep nor cowardly and
      unwilling to fight, but eager rather for the fray. He left his
      chariot rich with bronze and his panting steeds in charge of
      Eurymedon, son of Ptolemaeus the son of Peiraeus, and bade him
      hold them in readiness against the time his limbs should weary of
      going about and giving orders to so many, for he went among the
      ranks on foot. When he saw men hasting to the front he stood by
      them and cheered them on. “Argives,” said he, “slacken not one
      whit in your onset; father Jove will be no helper of liars; the
      Trojans have been the first to break their oaths and to attack
      us; therefore they shall be devoured of vultures; we shall take
      their city and carry off their wives and children in our ships.”

      But he angrily rebuked those whom he saw shirking and disinclined
      to fight. “Argives,” he cried, “cowardly miserable creatures,
      have you no shame to stand here like frightened fawns who, when
      they can no longer scud over the plain, huddle together, but show
      no fight? You are as dazed and spiritless as deer. Would you wait
      till the Trojans reach the sterns of our ships as they lie on the
      shore, to see whether the son of Saturn will hold his hand over
      you to protect you?”

      Thus did he go about giving his orders among the ranks. Passing
      through the crowd, he came presently on the Cretans, arming round
      Idomeneus, who was at their head, fierce as a wild boar, while
      Meriones was bringing up the battalions that were in the rear.
      Agamemnon was glad when he saw him, and spoke him fairly.
      “Idomeneus,” said he, “I treat you with greater distinction than
      I do any others of the Achaeans, whether in war or in other
      things, or at table. When the princes are mixing my choicest
      wines in the mixing-bowls, they have each of them a fixed
      allowance, but your cup is kept always full like my own, that you
      may drink whenever you are minded. Go, therefore, into battle,
      and show yourself the man you have been always proud to be.”

      Idomeneus answered, “I will be a trusty comrade, as I promised
      you from the first I would be. Urge on the other Achaeans, that
      we may join battle at once, for the Trojans have trampled upon
      their covenants. Death and destruction shall be theirs, seeing
      they have been the first to break their oaths and to attack us.”

      The son of Atreus went on, glad at heart, till he came upon the
      two Ajaxes arming themselves amid a host of foot soldiers. As
      when a goat-herd from some high post watches a storm drive over
      the deep before the west wind—black as pitch is the offing and a
      mighty whirlwind draws towards him, so that he is afraid and
      drives his flock into a cave—even thus did the ranks of stalwart
      youths move in a dark mass to battle under the Ajaxes, horrid
      with shield and spear. Glad was King Agamemnon when he saw them.
      “No need,” he cried, “to give orders to such leaders of the
      Argives as you are, for of your own selves you spur your men on
      to fight with might and main. Would, by father Jove, Minerva, and
      Apollo that all were so minded as you are, for the city of Priam
      would then soon fall beneath our hands, and we should sack it.”

      With this he left them and went onward to Nestor, the facile
      speaker of the Pylians, who was marshalling his men and urging
      them on, in company with Pelagon, Alastor, Chromius, Haemon, and
      Bias shepherd of his people. He placed his knights with their
      chariots and horses in the front rank, while the foot soldiers,
      brave men and many, whom he could trust, were in the rear. The
      cowards he drove into the middle, that they might fight whether
      they would or no. He gave his orders to the knights first,
      bidding them hold their horses well in hand, so as to avoid
      confusion. “Let no man,” he said, “relying on his strength or
      horsemanship, get before the others and engage singly with the
      Trojans, nor yet let him lag behind or you will weaken your
      attack; but let each when he meets an enemy’s chariot throw his
      spear from his own; this be much the best; this is how the men of
      old took towns and strongholds; in this wise were they minded.”

      Thus did the old man charge them, for he had been in many a
      fight, and King Agamemnon was glad. “I wish,” he said to him,
      “that your limbs were as supple and your strength as sure as your
      judgment is; but age, the common enemy of mankind, has laid his
      hand upon you; would that it had fallen upon some other, and that
      you were still young.”

      And Nestor, knight of Gerene, answered, “Son of Atreus, I too
      would gladly be the man I was when I slew mighty Ereuthalion; but
      the gods will not give us everything at one and the same time. I
      was then young, and now I am old; still I can go with my knights
      and give them that counsel which old men have a right to give.
      The wielding of the spear I leave to those who are younger and
      stronger than myself.”

      Agamemnon went his way rejoicing, and presently found Menestheus,
      son of Peteos, tarrying in his place, and with him were the
      Athenians loud of tongue in battle. Near him also tarried cunning
      Ulysses, with his sturdy Cephallenians round him; they had not
      yet heard the battle-cry, for the ranks of Trojans and Achaeans
      had only just begun to move, so they were standing still, waiting
      for some other columns of the Achaeans to attack the Trojans and
      begin the fighting. When he saw this Agamemnon rebuked them and
      said, “Son of Peteos, and you other, steeped in cunning, heart of
      guile, why stand you here cowering and waiting on others? You two
      should be of all men foremost when there is hard fighting to be
      done, for you are ever foremost to accept my invitation when we
      councillors of the Achaeans are holding feast. You are glad
      enough then to take your fill of roast meats and to drink wine as
      long as you please, whereas now you would not care though you saw
      ten columns of Achaeans engage the enemy in front of you.”

      Ulysses glared at him and answered, “Son of Atreus, what are you
      talking about? How can you say that we are slack? When the
      Achaeans are in full fight with the Trojans, you shall see, if
      you care to do so, that the father of Telemachus will join battle
      with the foremost of them. You are talking idly.”

      When Agamemnon saw that Ulysses was angry, he smiled pleasantly
      at him and withdrew his words. “Ulysses,” said he, “noble son of
      Laertes, excellent in all good counsel, I have neither fault to
      find nor orders to give you, for I know your heart is right, and
      that you and I are of a mind. Enough; I will make you amends for
      what I have said, and if any ill has now been spoken may the gods
      bring it to nothing.”

      He then left them and went on to others. Presently he saw the son
      of Tydeus, noble Diomed, standing by his chariot and horses, with
      Sthenelus the son of Capaneus beside him; whereon he began to
      upbraid him. “Son of Tydeus,” he said, “why stand you cowering
      here upon the brink of battle? Tydeus did not shrink thus, but
      was ever ahead of his men when leading them on against the
      foe—so, at least, say they that saw him in battle, for I never
      set eyes upon him myself. They say that there was no man like
      him. He came once to Mycenae, not as an enemy but as a guest, in
      company with Polynices to recruit his forces, for they were
      levying war against the strong city of Thebes, and prayed our
      people for a body of picked men to help them. The men of Mycenae
      were willing to let them have one, but Jove dissuaded them by
      showing them unfavourable omens. Tydeus, therefore, and Polynices
      went their way. When they had got as far the deep-meadowed and
      rush-grown banks of the Aesopus, the Achaeans sent Tydeus as
      their envoy, and he found the Cadmeans gathered in great numbers
      to a banquet in the house of Eteocles. Stranger though he was, he
      knew no fear on finding himself single-handed among so many, but
      challenged them to contests of all kinds, and in each one of them
      was at once victorious, so mightily did Minerva help him. The
      Cadmeans were incensed at his success, and set a force of fifty
      youths with two captains—the godlike hero Maeon, son of Haemon,
      and Polyphontes, son of Autophonus—at their head, to lie in wait
      for him on his return journey; but Tydeus slew every man of them,
      save only Maeon, whom he let go in obedience to heaven’s omens.
      Such was Tydeus of Aetolia. His son can talk more glibly, but he
      cannot fight as his father did.”

      Diomed made no answer, for he was shamed by the rebuke of
      Agamemnon; but the son of Capaneus took up his words and said,
      “Son of Atreus, tell no lies, for you can speak truth if you
      will. We boast ourselves as even better men than our fathers; we
      took seven-gated Thebes, though the wall was stronger and our men
      were fewer in number, for we trusted in the omens of the gods and
      in the help of Jove, whereas they perished through their own
      sheer folly; hold not, then, our fathers in like honour with us.”

      Diomed looked sternly at him and said, “Hold your peace, my
      friend, as I bid you. It is not amiss that Agamemnon should urge
      the Achaeans forward, for the glory will be his if we take the
      city, and his the shame if we are vanquished. Therefore let us
      acquit ourselves with valour.”

      As he spoke he sprang from his chariot, and his armour rang so
      fiercely about his body that even a brave man might well have
      been scared to hear it.

      As when some mighty wave that thunders on the beach when the west
      wind has lashed it into fury—it has reared its head afar and now
      comes crashing down on the shore; it bows its arching crest high
      over the jagged rocks and spews its salt foam in all
      directions—even so did the serried phalanxes of the Danaans march
      steadfastly to battle. The chiefs gave orders each to his own
      people, but the men said never a word; no man would think it, for
      huge as the host was, it seemed as though there was not a tongue
      among them, so silent were they in their obedience; and as they
      marched the armour about their bodies glistened in the sun. But
      the clamour of the Trojan ranks was as that of many thousand ewes
      that stand waiting to be milked in the yards of some rich
      flock-master, and bleat incessantly in answer to the bleating of
      their lambs; for they had not one speech nor language, but their
      tongues were diverse, and they came from many different places.
      These were inspired of Mars, but the others by Minerva—and with
      them came Panic, Rout, and Strife whose fury never tires, sister
      and friend of murderous Mars, who, from being at first but low in
      stature, grows till she uprears her head to heaven, though her
      feet are still on earth. She it was that went about among them
      and flung down discord to the waxing of sorrow with even hand
      between them.

      When they were got together in one place shield clashed with
      shield and spear with spear in the rage of battle. The bossed
      shields beat one upon another, and there was a tramp as of a
      great multitude—death-cry and shout of triumph of slain and
      slayers, and the earth ran red with blood. As torrents swollen
      with rain course madly down their deep channels till the angry
      floods meet in some gorge, and the shepherd on the hillside hears
      their roaring from afar—even such was the toil and uproar of the
      hosts as they joined in battle.

      First Antilochus slew an armed warrior of the Trojans, Echepolus,
      son of Thalysius, fighting in the foremost ranks. He struck at
      the projecting part of his helmet and drove the spear into his
      brow; the point of bronze pierced the bone, and darkness veiled
      his eyes; headlong as a tower he fell amid the press of the
      fight, and as he dropped King Elephenor, son of Chalcodon and
      captain of the proud Abantes began dragging him out of reach of
      the darts that were falling around him, in haste to strip him of
      his armour. But his purpose was not for long; Agenor saw him
      haling the body away, and smote him in the side with his
      bronze-shod spear—for as he stooped his side was left unprotected
      by his shield—and thus he perished. Then the fight between
      Trojans and Achaeans grew furious over his body, and they flew
      upon each other like wolves, man and man crushing one upon the
      other.

      Forthwith Ajax, son of Telamon, slew the fair youth Simoeisius,
      son of Anthemion, whom his mother bore by the banks of the
      Simois, as she was coming down from Mt. Ida, where she had been
      with her parents to see their flocks. Therefore he was named
      Simoeisius, but he did not live to pay his parents for his
      rearing, for he was cut off untimely by the spear of mighty Ajax,
      who struck him in the breast by the right nipple as he was coming
      on among the foremost fighters; the spear went right through his
      shoulder, and he fell as a poplar that has grown straight and
      tall in a meadow by some mere, and its top is thick with
      branches. Then the wheelwright lays his axe to its roots that he
      may fashion a felloe for the wheel of some goodly chariot, and it
      lies seasoning by the waterside. In such wise did Ajax fell to
      earth Simoeisius, son of Anthemion. Thereon Antiphus of the
      gleaming corslet, son of Priam, hurled a spear at Ajax from amid
      the crowd and missed him, but he hit Leucus, the brave comrade of
      Ulysses, in the groin, as he was dragging the body of Simoeisius
      over to the other side; so he fell upon the body and loosed his
      hold upon it. Ulysses was furious when he saw Leucus slain, and
      strode in full armour through the front ranks till he was quite
      close; then he glared round about him and took aim, and the
      Trojans fell back as he did so. His dart was not sped in vain,
      for it struck Democoon, the bastard son of Priam, who had come to
      him from Abydos, where he had charge of his father’s mares.
      Ulysses, infuriated by the death of his comrade, hit him with his
      spear on one temple, and the bronze point came through on the
      other side of his forehead. Thereon darkness veiled his eyes, and
      his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the
      ground. Hector, and they that were in front, then gave round
      while the Argives raised a shout and drew off the dead, pressing
      further forward as they did so. But Apollo looked down from
      Pergamus and called aloud to the Trojans, for he was displeased.
      “Trojans,” he cried, “rush on the foe, and do not let yourselves
      be thus beaten by the Argives. Their skins are not stone nor iron
      that when you hit them you do them no harm. Moreover, Achilles, the
      son of lovely Thetis, is not fighting, but is nursing his anger
      at the ships.”

      Thus spoke the mighty god, crying to them from the city, while
      Jove’s redoubtable daughter, the Trito-born, went about among the
      host of the Achaeans, and urged them forward whenever she beheld
      them slackening.

      Then fate fell upon Diores, son of Amarynceus, for he was struck
      by a jagged stone near the ancle of his right leg. He that hurled
      it was Peirous, son of Imbrasus, captain of the Thracians, who
      had come from Aenus; the bones and both the tendons were crushed
      by the pitiless stone. He fell to the ground on his back, and in
      his death-throes stretched out his hands towards his comrades.
      But Peirous, who had wounded him, sprang on him and thrust a
      spear into his belly, so that his bowels came gushing out upon
      the ground, and darkness veiled his eyes. As he was leaving the
      body, Thoas of Aetolia struck him in the chest near the nipple,
      and the point fixed itself in his lungs. Thoas came close up to
      him, pulled the spear out of his chest, and then drawing his
      sword, smote him in the middle of the belly so that he died; but
      he did not strip him of his armour, for his Thracian comrades,
      men who wear their hair in a tuft at the top of their heads,
      stood round the body and kept him off with their long spears for
      all his great stature and valour; so he was driven back. Thus the
      two corpses lay stretched on earth near to one another, the one
      captain of the Thracians and the other of the Epeans; and many
      another fell round them.

      And now no man would have made light of the fighting if he could
      have gone about among it scatheless and unwounded, with Minerva
      leading him by the hand, and protecting him from the storm of
      spears and arrows. For many Trojans and Achaeans on that day lay
      stretched side by side face downwards upon the earth.