Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 3

Page 5

"It is not a subject for indignation, that Trojans and well-greaved Greeks endure hardships for a long time on account of such a woman. In countenance she is wondrous like unto the immortal goddess, but even so, although being such, let her return in the ships, nor be left a destruction to us and to our children hereafter."

Thus they spoke. But Priam called Helen,--"Coming hither before us, dear daughter, sit by me, that thou mayest see thy former husband, thy kindred, and thy friends--(thou art not at all in fault towards me; the gods, in truth, are in fault towards me, who have sent against me the lamentable war of the Greeks)--that thou mayest name for me this mighty man, who is this gallant and tall Grecian hero. Certainly there are others taller in height; but so graceful a man have I never yet beheld with my eyes, nor so venerable; for he is like unto a kingly man."

But him Helen, one of the divine women, answered in [these] words: "Revered art thou and feared by me, dear father-in-law; would that an evil death had pleased me, when I followed thy son hither, having left my marriage-bed, my brothers, my darling[154] daughter, and the congenial company of my equals. But these things were not done: therefore I pine away with weeping. But this will I tell thee, which thou seekest of me and inquirest. This is wide-ruling Agamemnon, son of Atreus, in both characters,[155] a good king and a brave warrior. He was the brother-in-law, moreover, of shameless me, if ever indeed he was." [156]

[Footnote 154: See Buttm. Lexil. s. v. and Arnold.]

[Footnote 155: Observe the force of the neuter.]

[Footnote 156: "_Si unquam fuit, quod nunc non est ampleus_. i.e. si recte dici potest fuisse, quod ita sui factum est dissimile, ut fuisse unquam vix credas."—Herm. on Vig. p. 946, quoted by Anthon.]

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