Paris's Duel Proposal and Iris's Message to Helen — Homer, Iliad Book 3 (lines 66–131), Greek & English

ὅσσά κεν αὐτοὶ δῶσιν, ἑκὼν δʼ οὐκ ἄν τις ἕλοιτο·

whatever they themselves may give, and of his own will no man could take them.

νῦν αὖτʼ εἴ μʼ ἐθέλεις πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι,

Now, if you will have me war and fight,

ἄλλους μὲν κάθισον Τρῶας καὶ πάντας Ἀχαιούς,

make the other Trojans and all the Achaeans sit down,

αὐτὰρ ἔμʼ ἐν μέσσῳ καὶ ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον

but set me in the midst and Menelaus, dear to Ares,

συμβάλετʼ¹ ἀμφʼ Ἑλένῃ καὶ κτήμασι πᾶσι μάχεσθαι·

to fight for Helen and all her possessions;

ὁππότερος δέ κε νικήσῃ κρείσσων τε γένηται,

and whichever of us shall win and prove the better,

κτήμαθʼ ἑλὼν εὖ πάντα γυναῖκά τε οἴκαδʼ ἀγέσθω·

let him take all the possessions and the woman, and lead them home.

οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι φιλότητα καὶ ὅρκια πιστὰ ταμόντες

But you others, having sworn friendship and solemn oaths,

ναίοιτε² Τροίην ἐριβώλακα, τοὶ δὲ νεέσθων

may you dwell in fertile Troy, and let them return

Ἄργος ἐς ἱππόβοτον καὶ Ἀχαιΐδα καλλιγύναικα.

to horse-pasturing Argos and Achaea, land of fair women.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, Ἕκτωρ δʼ αὖτʼ ἐχάρη μέγα μῦθον ἀκούσας,

So he spoke, and Hector was glad when he heard his words,

καί ῥʼ ἐς μέσσον ἰὼν Τρώων ἀνέεργε φάλαγγας

and went into the midst and held back the phalanxes of the Trojans,

μέσσου δουρὸς ἑλών· τοὶ δʼ ἱδρύνθησαν ἅπαντες.

grasping his spear by the middle; and they all sat down.

τῷ δʼ ἐπετοξάζοντο κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ

But against him the long-haired Achaeans began to aim their bows,

ἰοῖσίν τε τιτυσκόμενοι λάεσσί τʼ ἔβαλλον·

trying to hit him with arrows and casting stones.

αὐτὰρ ὃ μακρὸν ἄϋσεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων·

But Agamemnon, lord of men, cried aloud:

ἴσχεσθʼ Ἀργεῖοι, μὴ βάλλετε κοῦροι Ἀχαιῶν·

”Hold, Argives! Shoot not, youths of the Achaeans!

στεῦται γάρ τι ἔπος ἐρέειν κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.

For Hector of the flashing helm is making as if to speak.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἔσχοντο μάχης ἄνεῴ τʼ ἐγένοντο

So he spoke, and they held back from battle and became silent

ἐσσυμένως· Ἕκτωρ δὲ μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔειπε·

speedily. And Hector spoke between both hosts:

κέκλυτέ μευ Τρῶες καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ

”Hear from me, Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans,

μῦθον Ἀλεξάνδροιο, τοῦ εἵνεκα νεῖκος ὄρωρεν.

the words of Alexander, for whose sake the strife has arisen.

ἄλλους μὲν κέλεται Τρῶας καὶ πάντας Ἀχαιοὺς

He bids the other Trojans and all the Achaeans

τεύχεα κάλʼ ἀποθέσθαι ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ,

to lay aside their fair armor upon the bounteous earth,

αὐτὸν δʼ ἐν μέσσῳ καὶ ἀρηΐφιλον Μενέλαον

and himself in the midst and Menelaus, dear to Ares,

οἴους ἀμφʼ Ἑλένῃ καὶ κτήμασι πᾶσι μάχεσθαι.

alone to fight for Helen and all her possessions.

ὁππότερος δέ κε νικήσῃ κρείσσων τε γένηται

And whichever of us shall win and prove the better,

κτήμαθʼ ἑλὼν εὖ πάντα γυναῖκά τε οἴκαδʼ ἀγέσθω·

let him take all the possessions and the woman, and lead them home.

οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι φιλότητα καὶ ὅρκια πιστὰ τάμωμεν.

But let the rest of us swear friendship and solemn oaths.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ·

So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος·

And among them spoke Menelaus, good at the war-cry:

κέκλυτε νῦν καὶ ἐμεῖο· μάλιστα γὰρ ἄλγος ἱκάνει

”Hear now me also; for pain has come most of all upon

θυμὸν ἐμόν, φρονέω δὲ διακρινθήμεναι ἤδη

my heart, and I deem that Argives and Trojans should now be parted,

Ἀργείους καὶ Τρῶας, ἐπεὶ κακὰ πολλὰ πέπασθε

since you have suffered many evils

100

εἵνεκʼ ἐμῆς ἔριδος καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκʼ ἀρχῆς·

for my quarrel’s sake, and because of Alexander, who began it.

ἡμέων δʼ ὁπποτέρῳ θάνατος καὶ μοῖρα τέτυκται

And for whichever of us death and fate are ordained,

τεθναίη· ἄλλοι δὲ διακρινθεῖτε τάχιστα.

let him die; but do you others be parted right quickly.

οἴσετε ἄρνʼ, ἕτερον λευκόν, ἑτέρην δὲ μέλαιναν,

Bring lambs, one a white ram and the other a black ewe,

Γῇ τε καὶ Ἠελίῳ· Διὶ δʼ ἡμεῖς οἴσομεν ἄλλον·

for Earth and Sun; and for Zeus we will bring another.

105

ἄξετε δὲ Πριάμοιο βίην,³ ὄφρʼ ὅρκια τάμνῃ

And bring the majesty of Priam, that he may swear the oaths

αὐτός, ἐπεί οἱ παῖδες ὑπερφίαλοι καὶ ἄπιστοι,

himself, since his sons are arrogant and untrustworthy,

μή τις ὑπερβασίῃ Διὸς ὅρκια δηλήσηται.

lest anyone by transgression should violate the oaths of Zeus.

αἰεὶ δʼ ὁπλοτέρων ἀνδρῶν φρένες ἠερέθονται·

For always the minds of younger men are unstable;

οἷς δʼ ὁ γέρων μετέῃσιν⁴ ἅμα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω

but in what things an old man is among them, he looks both before and after,

110

λεύσσει, ὅπως ὄχʼ ἄριστα μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισι γένηται.

so that the issue may be far the best for both.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἐχάρησαν Ἀχαιοί τε Τρῶές τε

So he spoke, and both Achaeans and Trojans were glad,

ἐλπόμενοι παύσασθαι ὀϊζυροῦ πολέμοιο.

hoping to have rest from grievous war.

καί ῥʼ ἵππους μὲν ἔρυξαν ἐπὶ στίχας, ἐκ δʼ ἔβαν αὐτοί,

And they held back their horses in the ranks, and stepped out themselves,

τεύχεά τʼ ἐξεδύοντο· τὰ μὲν κατέθεντʼ ἐπὶ γαίῃ

and stripped off their armor. They laid these upon the ground

115

πλησίον ἀλλήλων, ὀλίγη δʼ ἦν ἀμφὶς ἄρουρα·

near to one another, and there was little space between them.

Ἕκτωρ δὲ προτὶ ἄστυ δύω κήρυκας ἔπεμπε

And Hector sent two heralds to the city

καρπαλίμως ἄρνάς τε φέρειν Πρίαμόν τε καλέσσαι·

speedily to bring the lambs and to call Priam.

αὐτὰρ ὃ Ταλθύβιον προΐει κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων

But lord Agamemnon sent Talthybius forth

νῆας ἔπι γλαφυρὰς ἰέναι, ἠδʼ ἄρνʼ ἐκέλευεν

to go to the hollow ships, and bade him bring

120

οἰσέμεναι· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ οὐκ ἀπίθησʼ Ἀγαμέμνονι δίῳ.

a lamb; and he did not disobey noble Agamemnon.

Ἶρις δʼ αὖθʼ Ἑλένῃ λευκωλένῳ ἄγγελος ἦλθεν

And Iris came as a messenger to white-armed Helen,

εἰδομένη γαλόῳ Ἀντηνορίδαο δάμαρτι,

likening herself to her sister-in-law, the wife of Antenor’s son,

τὴν Ἀντηνορίδης εἶχε κρείων Ἑλικάων

whom Antenor’s son, lord Helicaon, held as wife,

Λαοδίκην Πριάμοιο θυγατρῶν εἶδος ἀρίστην.

even Laodice, the fairest in form of the daughters of Priam.

125

τὴν δʼ εὗρʼ ἐν μεγάρῳ· ἣ δὲ μέγαν ἱστὸν ὕφαινε

She found her in the hall; and she was weaving a great web,

δίπλακα πορφυρέην, πολέας δʼ ἐνέπασσεν ἀέθλους

a purple mantle of double fold, and she broidered therein many struggles

Τρώων θʼ ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων,

of the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,

οὕς ἑθεν εἵνεκʼ ἔπασχον ὑπʼ Ἄρηος παλαμάων·

which they had suffered for her sake at the hands of Ares.

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱσταμένη προσέφη πόδας ὠκέα Ἶρις·

And standing near, swift-footed Iris spoke to her:

130

δεῦρʼ ἴθι νύμφα φίλη, ἵνα θέσκελα ἔργα ἴδηαι

”Come hither, dear bride, so that you may see the wondrous deeds

Τρώων θʼ ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων,

of the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,

Syntax notes4 items

3.70συμβάλετʼ
Elided form of συμβάλετε, a second-person plural aorist active imperative, addressed to the mediators (like Hector) or the leaders of both sides. It means "bring us together to fight" or "match us."
3.74ναίοιτε
While νεέσθων in the next line is a third-person plural imperative, ναίοιτε is a second-person plural optative. This grammatical asymmetry shows that the speaker (Paris) directly addresses his fellow Trojans (second person) but refers to the Achaeans in the third person.
3.105Πριάμοιο βίην
A classical periphrastic expression meaning "the majesty (or strength) of Priam," used as a respectful way to refer to King Priam himself. Syntactically, it is the accusative object of ἄξετε.
3.109οἷς δʼ ὁ γέρων μετέῃσιν
A general conditional relative clause with the dative relative pronoun οἷς and the subjunctive μετέῃσιν (without ἄν). It means "among whom an old man is present" or "wherever an elder is among them."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-23)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.66-3.131