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Three Millennia of Greek Literature
 

Homer Bilingual Anthology : THE UNDERWORLD - 15

From Homer's Iliad, * Rhapsody 11. 1-332, 385-640, * Translated by S. Butler, * Greek Fonts 


ELPENOR EDITIONS IN PRINT
'Say not a word,' he answered, 'in death's favour; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man's house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead. But give me news about my son; is he gone to the wars and will he be a great soldier, or is this not so? Tell me also if you have heard anything about my father Peleus--does he still rule among the Myrmidons, or do they show him no respect throughout Hellas and Phthia now that he is old and his limbs fail him? Could I but stand by his side, in the light of day, with the same strength that I had when I killed the bravest of our foes upon the plain of Troy--could I but be as I then was and go even for a short time to my father's house, any one who tried to do him violence or supersede him would soon rue it.'
 ὣς ἐφάμην͵ ὁ δέ μ΄ αὐτίκ΄ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε· μὴ δή μοι θάνατόν γε παραύδα͵ φαίδιμ΄ Ὀδυσσεῦ. βουλοίμην κ΄ ἐπάρουρος ἐὼν θητευέμεν ἄλλῳ͵ ἀνδρὶ παρ΄ ἀκλήρῳ͵ ᾧ μὴ βίοτος πολὺς εἴη͵ ἢ πᾶσιν νεκύεσσι καταφθιμένοισιν ἀνάσσειν. ἀλλ΄ ἄγε μοι τοῦ παιδὸς ἀγαυοῦ μῦθον ἐνίσπες͵ ἢ ἕπετ΄ ἐς πόλεμον πρόμος ἔμμεναι ἦε καὶ οὐκί. εἰπὲ δέ μοι Πηλῆος ἀμύμονος εἴ τι πέπυσσαι͵ ἢ ἔτ΄ ἔχει τιμὴν πολέσιν μετὰ Μυρμιδόνεσσιν͵ ἦ μιν ἀτιμάζουσιν ἀν΄ Ἑλλάδα τε Φθίην τε͵ οὕνεκά μιν κατὰ γῆρας ἔχει χεῖράς τε πόδας τε. εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπαρωγὸς ὑπ΄ αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο͵ τοῖος ἐὼν οἷός ποτ΄ ἐνὶ Τροίῃ εὐρείῃ πέφνον λαὸν ἄριστον͵ ἀμύνων Ἀργείοισιν͵  εἰ τοιόσδ΄ ἔλθοιμι μίνυνθά περ ἐς πατέρος δῶ͵ τῶ κέ τεῳ στύξαιμι μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους͵ οἳ κεῖνον βιόωνται ἐέργουσίν τ΄ ἀπὸ τιμῆς.
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