Homer : The Underworld ( Odyssey - Rhapsody 11 )

Then I saw Chloris, whom Neleus married for her beauty, having given priceless presents for her. She was youngest daughter to Amphion son of Iasus and king of Minyan Orchomenus, and was Queen in Pylos. She bore Nestor, Chromius, and Periclymenus, and she also bore that marvellously lovely woman Pero, who was wooed by all the country round; but Neleus would only give her to him who should raid the cattle of Iphicles from the grazing grounds of Phylace, and this was a hard task. The only man who would undertake to raid them was a certain excellent seer, but the will of heaven was against him, for the rangers of the cattle caught him and put him in prison; nevertheless when a full year had passed and the same season came round again, Iphicles set him at liberty, after he had expounded all the oracles of heaven. Thus, then, was the will of Jove accomplished.

And I saw Leda the wife of Tyndarus, who bore him two famous sons, Castor breaker of horses, and Pollux the mighty boxer. Both these heroes are lying under the earth, though they are still alive, for by a special dispensation of Jove, they die and come to life again, each one of them every other day throughout all time, and they have the rank of gods.

καὶ Χλῶριν εἶδον περικαλλέα͵ τήν ποτε Νηλεὺς γῆμεν ἑὸν διὰ κάλλος͵ ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα͵ ὁπλοτάτην κούρην Ἀμφίονος Ἰασίδαο͵ ὅς ποτ΄ ἐν Ὀρχομενῷ Μινυηΐῳ ἶφι ἄνασσεν· ἡ δὲ Πύλου βασίλευε͵ τέκεν δέ οἱ ἀγλαὰ τέκνα͵ Νέστορά τε Χρομίον τε Περικλύμενόν τ΄ ἀγέρωχον. τοῖσι δ΄ ἐπ΄ ἰφθίμην Πηρὼ τέκε͵ θαῦμα βροτοῖσι͵ τὴν πάντες μνώοντο περικτίται· οὐδέ τι Νηλεὺς τῷ ἐδίδου͵ ὃς μὴ ἕλικας βόας εὐρυμετώπους ἐκ Φυλάκης ἐλάσειε βίης Ἰφικληείης ἀργαλέας. τὰς δ΄ οἶος ὑπέσχετο μάντις ἀμύμων ἐξελάαν· χαλεπὴ δὲ θεοῦ κατὰ μοῖρα πέδησε δεσμοί τ΄ ἀργαλέοι καὶ βουκόλοι ἀγροιῶται. ἀλλ΄ ὅτε δὴ μῆνές τε καὶ ἡμέραι ἐξετελεῦντο ἂψ περιτελλομένου ἔτεος καὶ ἐπήλυθον ὧραι͵ καὶ τότε δή μιν ἔλυσε βίη Ἰφικληείη θέσφατα πάντ΄ εἰπόντα· Διὸς δ΄ ἐτελείετο βουλή.

Kαὶ Λήδην εἶδον͵ τὴν Τυνδαρέου παράκοιτιν͵ ἥ ῥ΄ ὑπὸ Τυνδαρέῳ κρατερόφρονε γείνατο παῖδε͵ Κάστορά θ΄ ἱππόδαμον καὶ πὺξ ἀγαθὸν Πολυδεύκεα͵ τοὺς ἄμφω ζωοὺς κατέχει φυσίζοος αἶα· οἳ καὶ νέρθεν γῆς τιμὴν πρὸς Ζηνὸς ἔχοντες ἄλλοτε μὲν ζώουσ΄ ἑτερήμεροι͵ ἄλλοτε δ΄ αὖτε τεθνᾶσιν· τιμὴν δὲ λελόγχασιν ἶσα θεοῖσι.

Homer Bilingual Anthology : THE UNDERWORLD - 10

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