Homer. The Iliad Book III

IL 3. 139-164

[The Elders at Troy]

ὣς εἰποῦσα θεὰ γλυκὺν ἵμερον ἔμβαλε θυμῷ                                   139

ἀνδρός τε προτέρου καὶ ἄστεος ἠδὲ τοκήων:

αὐτίκα δ᾽ ἀργεννῇσι καλυψαμένη ὀθόνῃσιν

ὁρμᾶτ᾽ ἐκ θαλάμοιο τέρεν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα

οὐκ οἴη, ἅμα τῇ γε καὶ ἀμφίπολοι δύ᾽ ἕποντο,

Αἴθρη Πιτθῆος θυγάτηρ, Κλυμένη τε βοῶπις:                                   

αἶψα δ᾽ ἔπειθ᾽ ἵκανον ὅθι Σκαιαὶ πύλαι ἦσαν.                                  145

οἳ δ᾽ ἀμφὶ Πρίαμον καὶ Πάνθοον ἠδὲ Θυμοίτην

Λάμπόν τε Κλυτίον θ᾽ Ἱκετάονά τ᾽ ὄζον Ἄρηος

Οὐκαλέγων τε καὶ Ἀντήνωρ πεπνυμένω ἄμφω

ἥατο δημογέροντες ἐπὶ Σκαιῇσι πύλῃσι,                                              

γήραϊ δὴ πολέμοιο πεπαυμένοι, ἀλλ᾽ ἀγορηταὶ                                150

ἐσθλοί, τεττίγεσσιν ἐοικότες οἵ τε καθ᾽ ὕλην

δενδρέῳ ἐφεζόμενοι ὄπα λειριόεσσαν ἱεῖσι:

τοῖοι ἄρα Τρώων ἡγήτορες ἧντ᾽ ἐπὶ πύργῳ.

οἳ δ᾽ ὡς οὖν εἴδονθ᾽ Ἑλένην ἐπὶ πύργον ἰοῦσαν,                                 

ἦκα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔπεα πτερόεντ᾽ ἀγόρευον:                                   155

‘οὐ νέμεσις Τρῶας καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιοὺς

τοιῇδ᾽ ἀμφὶ γυναικὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἄλγεα πάσχειν:

αἰνῶς ἀθανάτῃσι θεῇς εἰς ὦπα ἔοικεν:

ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς τοίη περ ἐοῦσ᾽ ἐν νηυσὶ νεέσθω,                                      

μηδ᾽ ἡμῖν τεκέεσσί τ᾽ ὀπίσσω πῆμα λίποιτο.                                        160

’

ὣς ἄρ᾽ ἔφαν, Πρίαμος δ᾽ Ἑλένην ἐκαλέσσατο φωνῇ:

δεῦρο πάροιθ᾽ ἐλθοῦσα φίλον τέκος ἵζευ ἐμεῖο,

ὄφρα ἴδῃ πρότερόν τε πόσιν πηούς τε φίλους τε:

οὔ τί μοι αἰτίη ἐσσί, θεοί νύ μοι αἴτιοί εἰσιν                                           164

So spake the goddess and put into her heart sweet longing [140] for her former lord and city and parents; and straightway she veiled herself with shining linen, and went forth from her chamber, letting fall round tears, not alone, for with her followed two handmaids as well, Aethra, daughter of Pittheus, and ox-eyed Clymene; [145] and with speed they came to the place where were the Scaean gates. [146] And they that were about Priam and Panthous and Thymoetes and Lampus and Clytius and Hicetaon, scion of Ares, and Ucalegon and Antenor, men of prudence both, sat as elders of the people at the Scaean gates. [150] Because of old age had they now ceased from battle, but speakers they were full good, like unto cicalas that in a forest sit upon a tree and pour forth their lily-like voice; even in such wise sat the leaders of the Trojans upon the wall. Now when they saw Helen coming upon the wall, [155] softly they spake winged words one to another: “Small blame that Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans should for such a woman long time suffer woes; wondrously like is she to the immortal goddesses to look upon. But even so, for all that she is such an one, let her depart upon the ships, [160] neither be left here to be a bane to us and to our children after us.” So they said, but Priam spake, and called Helen to him: “Come hither, dear child, and sit before me, that thou mayest see thy former lord and thy kinsfolk and thy people—thou art nowise to blame in my eyes; it is the gods, methinks, that are to blame.

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Reference

Homer. The Iliad with an English translation by A. T. Murray. Cambridge Mass.: Harvard UP, 1924. perseus.tufts.edu, n.d. Go to site.