“Listen now to me also; since beyond all others this sorrow
comes closest to my heart, and I think the Argives and Trojans
can go free of each other at last. You have suffered much evil
100 for the sake of this my quarrel since Alexandros began it.
As for that one of us two to whom death and doom are given,
let him die: the rest of you be made friends with each other.
Bring two lambs: let one be white and the other black for
Earth and the Sun God, and for Zeus we will bring yet another.
105 Bring, that he may seal the pledges, the strength of Priam:
Priam himself, for his sons are outrageous, not to be trusted;
lest some man overstep Zeus’ oaths, and make them be nothing.
Always it is, that the hearts in the younger men are frivolous,
but when an elder man is among them, he looks behind him
110 and in front, so that all comes out far better for both sides.”
So he spoke, and the Trojans and Achaians were joyful,
hoping now to be rid of all the sorrow of warfare.
They pulled their chariots into line, and themselves dismounted
and stripped off their armor which was laid on the ground beside them,
115 close together, so there was little ground left between them.
Hektor sent away to the citadel two heralds
lightly to bring down the lambs, and to summon Priam;
and powerful Agamemnon in turn sent Talthybios
to go down to the hollow ships, with orders to bring two
120 lambs: he did not disobey the order of great Agamemnon.
Now to Helen of the white arms came a messenger, Iris,
in the likeness of her sister-in-law, the wife of Antenor’s
son, whom strong Helikaon wed, the son of Antenor,
Laodikē, loveliest looking of all the daughters of Priam.
125 She came on Helen in the chamber; she was weaving a great web,
a red folding robe, and working into it the numerous struggles
of Trojans, breakers of horses, and bronze-armored Achaians,
struggles that they endured for her sake at the hands of the war god.
Iris of the swift feet stood beside her and spoke to her:
130 “Come with me, dear girl, to behold the marvelous things done
by Trojans, breakers of horses, and bronze-armored Achaians,
who just now carried sorrowful war against each other,
in the plain, and all their desire was for deadly fighting;
now they are all seated in silence, the fighting has ended;
135 they lean on their shields, the tall spears stuck in the ground beside them.
But Menelaos the warlike and Alexandros will fight
with long spears against each other for your possession.
You shall be called beloved wife of the man who wins you.”
Speaking so the goddess left in her heart sweet longing
140 after her husband of time before, and her city and parents.
And at once, wrapping herself about in shimmering garments,
she went forth from the chamber, letting fall a light tear;
not by herself, since two handmaidens went to attend her,
Aithre, Pittheus’ daughter, and Klymenē of the ox eyes.
145 Rapidly they came to the place where the Skaian gates stood.
Now those who sat with Priam: Panthoös and Thymoites,
Lampos and Klytios, Hiketaon, scion of Ares,
with Antenor and Oukalegon, both men of good counsel:
these were seated by the Skaian gates, elders of the people.
150 Now through old age these fought no longer, yet were they excellent
speakers still, and clear, as cicadas who through the forest
settle on trees, to issue their delicate voice of singing.
Such were they who sat on the tower, chief men of the Trojans.
And these, as they saw Helen along the tower approaching,
155 murmuring softly to each other uttered their winged words:
“Surely there is no blame on Trojans and strong-greaved Achaians
if for long time they suffer hardship for a woman like this one.
Terrible is the likeness of her face to immortal goddesses.
Still, though she be such, let her go away in the ships, lest
160 she be left behind, a grief to us and our children.”
So they spoke: but Priam aloud called out to Helen:
“Come over where I am, dear child, and sit down beside me,
to look at your husband of time past, your friends and your people.
I am not blaming you: to me the gods are blameworthy
165 who drove upon me this sorrowful war against the Achaians.
So you could tell me the name of this man who is so tremendous;
who is this Achaian man of power and stature?
Though in truth there are others taller by a head than he is,
yet these eyes have never yet looked on a man so splendid
170 nor so lordly as this: such a man might well be royal.”
Helen, the shining among women, answered and spoke to him:
“Always to me, beloved father, you are feared and respected;
and I wish bitter death had been what I wanted, when I came hither
following your son, forsaking my chamber, my kinsmen,
175 my grown child, and the loveliness of girls my own age.
It did not happen that way: and now I am worn with weeping.
This now I will tell you in answer to the question you asked me.
That man is Atreus’ son Agamemnon, widely powerful,
at the same time a good king and a strong spearfighter,
180 once my kinsman, slut that I am. Did this ever happen?”
This she said, and the old man spoke again, wondering at him:
“O son of Atreus, blessed, child of fortune and favor,
many are these beneath your sway, these sons of the Achaians.
Once before this time I visited Phrygia of the vineyards.
185 There I looked on the Phrygian men with their swarming horses,
so many of them, the people of Otreus and godlike Mygdon,
whose camp was spread at that time along the banks of Sangarios:
and I myself, a helper in war, was marshaled among them
on that day when the Amazon women came, men’s equals.
190 Yet even they were not so many as these glancing-eyed Achaians.”
Next again the old man asked her, seeing Odysseus:
“Tell me of this one also, dear child; what man can he be,
shorter in truth by a head than Atreus’ son Agamemnon,
but broader, it would seem, in the chest and across the shoulders.
195 Now as his armor lies piled on the prospering earth, still he
ranges, like some ram, through the marshaled ranks of the fighters.
Truly, to some deep-fleeced ram would I liken him
who makes his way through the great mass of the shining sheep-flocks.”
Helen, the daughter descended of Zeus, spoke then in answer:
200 “This one is Laërtes’ son, resourceful Odysseus,
who grew up in the country, rough though it be, of Ithaka,
to know every manner of shiftiness and crafty counsels.”
In his turn Antenor of the good counsel answered her:
“Surely this word you have spoken, my lady, can be no falsehood.
205 Once in the days before now brilliant Odysseus came here
with warlike Menelaos, and their embassy was for your sake.
To both of these I gave in my halls kind entertainment
and I learned the natural way of both, and their close counsels.
Now when these were set before the Trojans assembled
210 and stood up
, Menelaos was bigger by his broad shoulders
but Odysseus was the more lordly when both were seated.
Now before all when both of them spun their speech and their counsels,
Menelaos indeed spoke rapidly, in few words
but exceedingly lucid, since he was no long speaker
215 nor one who wasted his words though he was only a young man.
But when that other drove to his feet, resourceful Odysseus,
he would just stand and stare down, eyes fixed on the ground beneath him,
nor would he gesture with the staff backward and forward, but hold it
clutched hard in front of him, like any man who knows nothing.
220 Yes, you would call him a sullen man, and a fool likewise.
But when he let the great voice go from his chest, and the words came
drifting down like the winter snows, then no other mortal
man beside could stand up against Odysseus. Then we
wondered less beholding Odysseus’ outward appearance.”
225 Third in order, looking at Aias, the old man asked her:
“Who then is this other Achaian of power and stature
towering above the Argives by head and broad shoulders?”
Helen with the light robes and shining among women answered him:
“That one is gigantic Aias, wall of the Achaians,
230 and beyond him there is Idomeneus like a god standing
among the Kretans, and the lords of Krete are gathered about him.
Many a time warlike Menelaos would entertain him
in our own house when he came over from Krete. And I see them
all now, all the rest of the glancing-eyed Achaians,
235 all whom I would know well by sight, whose names I could tell you,
yet nowhere can I see those two, the marshals of the people,
Kastor, breaker of horses, and the strong boxer, Polydeukes,
my own brothers, born with me of a single mother.
Perhaps these came not with the rest from Lakedaimon the lovely,
240 or else they did come here in their sea-wandering ships, yet
now they are reluctant to go with the men into battle
dreading the words of shame and all the reproach that is on me.”
So she spoke, but the teeming earth lay already upon them
away in Lakedaimon, the beloved land of their fathers.
245 Now through the town the heralds brought the symbols of oaths pledged,
two young rams, and cheerful wine, the yield of the tilled land
in a goatskin wine sack, while another carried the shining
mixing bowl (the herald Idaios) and the golden wine cups.
Standing beside the aged man he spoke words to arouse him:
250 “Son of Laomedon, rise up: you are called by the chief men
of Trojans, breakers of horses, and bronze-armored Achaians
to come down into the plain that you may seal the oaths pledged.
For warlike Menelaos and Alexandros are to fight
with long spears against each other for the sake of the woman.
255 Let the woman go to the winner, and all the possessions.
Let the rest of them, cutting their oaths of faith and friendship,
dwell, we in Troy where the soil is rich, while those others return home
to horse-pasturing Argos and Achaia the land of fair women.”
So he spoke, and the old man shuddered, but called his companions
260 to yoke the horses to the car, and they promptly obeyed him.
And Priam mounted into the car and gathered the reins back
as Antenor beside him stepped into the fair-wrought chariot.
Through the Skaian gates to the plain they steered the swift horses.
Now when these had come among the Trojans and Achaians,
265 they stepped down on the prospering earth from their car with horses
and made their way striding among the Achaians and Trojans.
On the other side rose up the lord of men, Agamemnon,
and the resourceful Odysseus rose up. Meanwhile the proud heralds
led up the victims for the gods’ oaths, and in a great wine-bowl
270 mixed the wine, and poured water over the hands of the princes.
Atreus’ son laid hands upon his work-knife, and drew it
from where it hung ever beside the mighty sheath of his war sword
and cut off hairs from the heads of the lambs; and the heralds thereafter
passed these about to all the princes of the Trojans and Achaians.
275 Atreus’ son uplifting his hands then prayed in a great voice:
“Father Zeus, watching over us from Ida, most high, most honored,
and Helios, you who see all things, who listen to all things,
earth, and rivers, and you who under the earth take vengeance
on dead men, whoever among them has sworn to falsehood,
280 you shall be witnesses, to guard the oaths of fidelity.
If it should be that Alexandros slays Menelaos,
let him keep Helen for himself, and all her possessions,
and we in our seafaring ships shall take our way homeward.
But if the fair-haired Menelaos kills Alexandros,
285 then let the Trojans give back Helen and all her possessions,
and pay also a price to the Argives which will be fitting,
which among people yet to come shall be as a standard.
Then if Priam and the sons of Priam are yet unwilling
after Alexandros has fallen to pay me the penalty,
290 I myself shall fight hereafter for the sake of the ransom,
here remaining, until I have won to the end of my quarrel.”
So he spoke, and with pitiless bronze he cut the lambs’ throats,
letting them fall gasping again to the ground, the life breath
going away, since the strength of the bronze had taken it from them.
295 Drawing the wine from the mixing bowls in the cups, they poured it
forth, and made their prayer to the gods who live everlasting.
And thus would murmur any man, Achaian or Trojan:
“Zeus, exalted and mightiest, and you other immortals,
let those, whichever side they may be, who do wrong to the oaths sworn
300 first, let their brains be spilled on the ground as this wine is spilled now,
theirs and their sons’, and let their wives be the spoil of others.”
They spoke, but none of this would the son of Kronos accomplish.
Now among them spoke Priam descended of Dardanos also:
“Listen to me, you Trojans and you strong-greaved Achaians.
305 Now I am going away to windy Ilion, homeward,
since I cannot look with these eyes on the sight of my dear son
fighting against warlike Menelaos in single combat.
Zeus knows—maybe he knows—and the rest of the gods immortal
for which of the two death is appointed to end this matter.”
310 He spoke, a godlike man, and laid the lambs in the chariot,
and mounted into it himself, and pulled the reins backward.
Antenor beside him stepped up into the fair-wrought chariot.
These two took their way backward and made for Ilion.
Hektor now, the son of Priam, and brilliant Odysseus
315 measured out the distance first, and thereafter picked up
two lots, and put them in a brazen helmet, and shook them,
to see which one of the two should be first to cast with his bronze spear,
and the people on each side held up their hands to the gods, and prayed
to them. Thus would murmur any man, Achaian or Trojan:
320 “Father Zeus, watching over us from Ida, most high, most honored,
whichever man has made what has happened happen to both sides,
grant that he be killed and go down to the house of Hades.
Let the friendship and the sworn faith be true for the rest of us.”
So they spoke, and tall Hektor of the shining helm shook
325 the lots, looking backward, and at once Paris’ lot was outshaken.
All the rest sat down in their ranks on the ground, at the place where
the glittering armor of each was piled by his light-footed horses,
while one of them put about his shoulders his splendid armor,
brilliant Alexandros, the lord of lovely-haired Helen.
330 First he placed along his legs the fair greaves linked with
silver fastenings to hold the greaves at the ankles.
Afterward he girt on about his chest the corselet
of Lykaon his brother since this fitted him also.
Across his shoulders he slung the sword with the nails of silver,
335 a bronze sword, and above it the great shield, huge and heavy.
Over his powerful head he set the well-fashioned helmet
with the horse-hair crest, and the plumes nodded terribly above it.
He took up a strong-shafted spear that fitted his hand’s grip.
In the same way warlike Menelaos put on his armor.
340 Now when these two were armed on either side of the battle,
they strode into the space between the Achaians and Trojans,
looking terror at each other; and amazement seized the beholders,
Trojans, breakers of horses, and strong-greaved Achaians.
They took their stand in the measured space not far from each other
345 raging each at the other man and shaking their spearshafts.
First of the two Alexandros let go his spear far-shadowing
and struck the shield of Atreus’ son on its perfect circle
nor did the bronze point break its way through, but the spearhead bent back
in the strong shield. And after him Atreus’ son, Menelaos,
350 was ready to let go the bronze spear, with a prayer to Zeus father:
“Zeus, lord, grant me to punish the man who first did me injury,
brilliant Alexandros, and beat him down under my hands’ strength
that any one of the men to come may shudder to think of
doing evil to a kindly host, who has given him friendship.”
355 So he spoke, and balanced the spear far-shadowed, and threw it
and struck the shield of Priam’s son on its perfect circle.
All the way through the glittering shield went the heavy spearhead
and smashed its way through the intricately worked corselet;
The Iliad of Homer Page 16
