- Source
- Homer. Homeri Opera, Volumes 1-2. Monro, D. B. (David Binning), editor; Allen, Thomas W. (Thomas William), editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908-1920.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.398-3.461
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
Helen attempts to resist Aphrodite's urging but is cowed by the goddess's anger and returns to Paris's chamber, where she bitterly reproaches him. Meanwhile, Menelaus searches in vain for Paris, and Agamemnon declares Menelaus's victory, demanding the return of Helen and her treasures.
θάμβησέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·
Then she was amazed, and she spoke, and called her by name:
δαιμονίη, τί με ταῦτα λιλαίεαι ἠπεροπεύειν;
“Dread one, why do you desire to deceive me thus?
ἦ πῄ με προτέρω πολίων εὖ ναιομενάων
Will you lead me even further somewhere to one of the well-peopled cities
ἄξεις, ἢ Φρυγίης ἢ Μῃονίης ἐρατεινῆς,
of Phrygia or lovely Maeonia,
εἴ τίς τοι καὶ κεῖθι φίλος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων·
if there too some one of mortal men is dear to you?
οὕνεκα δὴ νῦν δῖον Ἀλέξανδρον Μενέλαος
Is it because Menelaus has now defeated noble Alexander
νικήσας ἐθέλει στυγερὴν ἐμὲ οἴκαδʼ ἄγεσθαι,
and wishes to lead hateful me back home,
τοὔνεκα δὴ νῦν δεῦρο δολοφρονέουσα παρέστης;
is it for this that you have now come hither with guile in your heart?
ἧσο παρʼ αὐτὸν ἰοῦσα, θεῶν δʼ ἀπόεικε κελεύθου,
Go and sit by his side, and turn away from the path of the gods,
μηδʼ ἔτι σοῖσι πόδεσσιν ὑποστρέψειας Ὄλυμπον,
nor ever again return to Olympus on your feet,
ἀλλʼ αἰεὶ περὶ κεῖνον ὀΐζυε καί ἑ φύλασσε,
but ever grieve for him and guard him,
εἰς ὅ κέ σʼ ἢ ἄλοχον ποιήσεται ἢ ὅ γε δούλην.
until he makes you either his wife or his slave.
κεῖσε δʼ ἐγὼν οὐκ εἶμι· νεμεσσητὸν δέ κεν εἴη·
But there I will not go—for it would be shameful—
κείνου πορσανέουσα λέχος·1 Τρῳαὶ δέ μʼ ὀπίσσω
to serve his bed; all the Trojan women hereafter
πᾶσαι μωμήσονται· ἔχω δʼ ἄχεʼ ἄκριτα θυμῷ.
will blame me; and I have boundless griefs in my heart.”
τὴν δὲ χολωσαμένη προσεφώνεε δῖʼ Ἀφροδίτη·
Then angered, noble Aphrodite spoke to her:
μή μʼ ἔρεθε σχετλίη, μὴ χωσαμένη σε μεθείω,2
“Provoke me not, hard woman, lest in my anger I desert you,
τὼς δέ σʼ ἀπεχθήρω ὡς νῦν ἔκπαγλʼ ἐφίλησα,
and hate you even as now I have loved you exceedingly,
μέσσῳ δʼ ἀμφοτέρων μητίσομαι ἔχθεα λυγρὰ
and lest I devise grievous hatreds in the midst of both sides,
Τρώων καὶ Δαναῶν, σὺ δέ κεν κακὸν οἶτον ὄληαι.
both Trojans and Danaans, and you perish by an evil doom.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἔδεισεν δʼ Ἑλένη Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα,
So she spoke, and Helen, daughter of Zeus, was afraid,
βῆ δὲ κατασχομένη ἑανῷ ἀργῆτι φαεινῷ
and she went, wrapping herself in her bright shining robe,
σιγῇ, πάσας δὲ Τρῳὰς λάθεν· ἦρχε δὲ δαίμων.
in silence, and she escaped the notice of all the Trojan women; and the goddess led the way.
αἳ δʼ ὅτʼ Ἀλεξάνδροιο δόμον περικαλλέʼ ἵκοντο,
And when they reached the very beautiful house of Alexander,
ἀμφίπολοι μὲν ἔπειτα θοῶς ἐπὶ ἔργα τράποντο,
the handmaidens then quickly turned to their tasks,
ἣ δʼ εἰς ὑψόροφον θάλαμον κίε δῖα γυναικῶν.
but she, noble among women, went to her high-roofed chamber.
τῇ δʼ ἄρα δίφρον ἑλοῦσα φιλομειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη
And for her, laughter-loving Aphrodite took a chair,
ἀντίʼ Ἀλεξάνδροιο θεὰ κατέθηκε φέρουσα·
and carrying it, the goddess set it down opposite Alexander;
ἔνθα κάθιζʼ Ἑλένη κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο
there sat Helen, daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus,
ὄσσε πάλιν κλίνασα, πόσιν δʼ ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ·
turning her eyes away, and she reproached her husband with words:
ἤλυθες ἐκ πολέμου· ὡς ὤφελες αὐτόθʼ ὀλέσθαι3
“You have come back from the war; would that you had perished there,
ἀνδρὶ δαμεὶς κρατερῷ, ὃς ἐμὸς πρότερος πόσις ἦεν.
vanquished by that strong man who was my former husband!
ἦ μὲν δὴ πρίν γʼ εὔχεʼ ἀρηϊφίλου Μενελάου
Verily you used to boast before that you were better than warlike Menelaus
σῇ τε βίῃ καὶ χερσὶ καὶ ἔγχεϊ φέρτερος εἶναι·
in your strength and hands and spear;
ἀλλʼ ἴθι νῦν προκάλεσσαι ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον
but go now, challenge warlike Menelaus
ἐξαῦτις μαχέσασθαι ἐναντίον· ἀλλά σʼ ἔγωγε
again to fight face to face; yet I indeed
παύεσθαι κέλομαι, μηδὲ ξανθῷ Μενελάῳ
bid you to cease, and not against fair-haired Menelaus
ἀντίβιον πόλεμον πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι
to wage war and fight in battle
ἀφραδέως, μή πως τάχʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δουρὶ δαμήῃς.
heedlessly, lest perchance you be quickly vanquished by his spear.”
τὴν δὲ Πάρις μύθοισιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε·
And Paris, answering her with words, spoke:
μή με γύναι χαλεποῖσιν ὀνείδεσι θυμὸν ἔνιπτε·
“Do not, lady, reproach my heart with harsh taunts;
νῦν μὲν γὰρ Μενέλαος ἐνίκησεν σὺν Ἀθήνῃ,
for now indeed Menelaus has won with Athene’s aid,
κεῖνον δʼ αὖτις ἐγώ· πάρα γὰρ θεοί εἰσι καὶ ἡμῖν.
but another time I shall defeat him; for we too have gods with us.
ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ φιλότητι τραπείομεν4 εὐνηθέντε·
But come, let us take our pleasure in love, lying together;
οὐ γάρ πώ ποτέ μʼ ὧδέ γʼ ἔρως φρένας ἀμφεκάλυψεν,
for never yet has desire so shrouded my mind,
οὐδʼ ὅτε σε πρῶτον Λακεδαίμονος ἐξ ἐρατεινῆς
not even when first from lovely Lacedaemon
ἔπλεον ἁρπάξας ἐν ποντοπόροισι νέεσσι,
I sailed away, having snatched you in seafaring ships,
νήσῳ δʼ ἐν Κραναῇ ἐμίγην φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ,
and on the island of Cranae lay with you in love and bed,
ὥς σεο νῦν ἔραμαι καί με γλυκὺς ἵμερος αἱρεῖ.
as now I love you and sweet desire seizes me.”
ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἄρχε λέχος δὲ κιών· ἅμα δʼ εἵπετʼ ἄκοιτις.
He spoke, and led the way, going to the bed; and his wife followed with him.
τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐν τρητοῖσι κατεύνασθεν λεχέεσσιν,
So they lay down on the inlaid bed,
Ἀτρεΐδης δʼ ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἐφοίτα θηρὶ ἐοικὼς
but the son of Atreus ranged through the throng like a wild beast,
εἴ που ἐσαθρήσειεν Ἀλέξανδρον θεοειδέα.
if anywhere he might catch sight of godlike Alexander.
ἀλλʼ οὔ τις δύνατο Τρώων κλειτῶν τʼ ἐπικούρων
But no one of the Trojans and their famous allies
δεῖξαι Ἀλέξανδρον τότʼ ἀρηϊφίλῳ Μενελάῳ·
was able then to show Alexander to warlike Menelaus;
οὐ μὲν γὰρ φιλότητί γʼ ἐκεύθανον εἴ τις ἴδοιτο·
for not out of friendship would they have hidden him, if anyone had seen him;
ἶσον γάρ σφιν πᾶσιν ἀπήχθετο κηρὶ μελαίνῃ.
for he was hated by them all equal to black death.
τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·
And to them spoke Agamemnon, lord of men:
κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ Δάρδανοι ἠδʼ ἐπίκουροι·
“Hear me, Trojans and Dardanians and allies;
νίκη μὲν δὴ φαίνετʼ ἀρηϊφίλου Μενελάου,
the victory indeed appears to belong to warlike Menelaus,
ὑμεῖς δʼ Ἀργείην Ἑλένην καὶ κτήμαθʼ ἅμʼ αὐτῇ
but do you surrender Argive Helen and her possessions with her,
ἔκδοτε, καὶ τιμὴν ἀποτινέμεν ἥν τινʼ ἔοικεν,
and pay such recompense as is fitting,
ἥ τε καὶ ἐσσομένοισι μετʼ ἀνθρώποισι πέληται.
which shall remain even among men yet to be.”
ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀτρεΐδης, ἐπὶ δʼ ᾔνεον ἄλλοι Ἀχαιοί.
So spoke the son of Atreus, and the other Achaeans assented.
- 3.411κείνου πορσανέουσα λέχος
The future participle πορσανέουσα (from πορσύνω, 'to prepare') expresses purpose, meaning 'to prepare his bed.' A verb of motion is implied from the preceding οὐκ εἶμι ('I will not go').
- 3.414μή μʼ ἔρεθε σχετλίη, μή χωσαμένη σε μεθείω
The first μή with the present imperative ἔρεθε expresses a prohibition ('do not provoke me'), while the second μή with the aorist subjunctive μεθείω (from μεθίημι, 'to let go') expresses apprehension or warning ('lest in anger I desert you').
- 3.428ὡς ὤφελες αὐτόθʼ ὀλέσθαι
The aorist ὤφελες (from ὀφείλω, 'to owe') combined with the aorist infinitive ὀλέσθαι (from ὄλλυμαι, 'to perish') expresses an unattainable wish regarding the past ('would that you had perished there').
- 3.441τραπείομεν
The first-person plural aorist passive subjunctive (from τρέπω, 'to turn', in passive 'to enjoy'), with Epic shortening of the vowel (for τραπέωμεν), expressing exhortation ('let us enjoy').