§22.151ἄνδρα παρετρέψασθε, γάμον δʼ ἐκλέπτετε δώροις.
You perverted the man, and stole the marriage with gifts.
§22.152ἦ μὰν πολλάκις ὔμμιν ἐνώπιον ἀμφοτέροισιν §22.153αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τάδʼ ἔειπα καὶ οὐ πολύμυθος ἐών περ· §22.154οὐχ οὕτω φίλοι ἄνδρες ἀριστήεσσιν ἔοικε §22.155μνηστεύειν ἀλόχους, αἷς νυμφίοι ἤδη ἑτοῖμοι.
Indeed, many times before both of you, I myself said these things, although I am not a man of many words: 'Friends, it is not fitting for excellent heroes to woo wives for whom bridegrooms are already prepared.
§22.156πολλή τοι Σπάρτη, πολλὴ δʼ ἱππήλατος Ἦλις, §22.157Ἀρκαδίη τʼ εὔμηλος Ἀχαιῶν τε πτολίεθρα, §22.158Μεσσήνη τε καὶ Ἄργος ἅπασά τε Σισυφὶς ἀκτή· §22.159ἔνθα κόραι τοκέεσσιν ὑπὸ σφετέροισι τρέφονται §22.160μυρίαι οὔτε φυῆς ἐπιδευέες οὔτε νόοιο.
Sparta is large, and large is horse-rearing Elis, and Arcadia rich in sheep, and the cities of the Achaians, Messene and Argos, and the whole coast of Sisyphus; where countless maidens are reared under their parents, lacking in neither beauty nor mind.
§22.161τάων εὐμαρὲς ὔμμιν ὀπυίειν ἅς κʼ ἐθέλητε· §22.162ὡς ἀγαθοῖς πολέες βούλοιντό κε πενθεροὶ εἶναι·
Of these, it is easy for you to marry whomsoever you wish; for many would wish to be fathers-in-law to good men.
And you are distinguished among all heroes, both your fathers and all your ancestral blood from of old.
§22.165ἀλλὰ φίλοι τοῦτον μὲν ἐάσατε πρὸς τέλος ἐλθεῖν §22.166ἄμμι γάμον· σφῷν δʼ ἄλλον ἐπιφραζώμεθα πάντες. §22.167ἴσκον τοιάδε πολλά, τὰ δʼ εἰς ὑγρὸν ᾤχετο κῦμα §22.168πνοιὴ ἔχουσʼ ἀνέμοιο, χάρις δʼ οὐχ ἕσπετο μύθοις.
But, friends, let this marriage of ours go to its end; and let us all devise another for you two.' I used to say many such things, but the breath of the wind carried them away into the wet wave, and no grace followed my words.
§22.169σφὼ γὰρ ἀκηλήτω καὶ ἀπηνέες.
For you two are unappeasable and harsh.
ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν §22.170πείθεσθʼ· ἄμφω δʼ ἄμμιν ἀνεψιὼ ἐκ πατρὸς ἐστόν.
But even now, yield; we both are cousins to you from the father's side.
§22.171εἰ δʼ ὑμῖν κραδίη πόλεμον ποθεῖ, αἵματι δὲ χρὴ §22.172νεῖκος ἀναρρήξαντας ὁμοίιον ἔγχεα λοῦσαι, §22.173Ἴδας μὲν καὶ ὅμαιμος ἐμός, κρατερὸς Πολυδεύκης, §22.174χεῖρας ἐρωήσουσιν ἀπεχθομένης ὑσμίνης, §22.175νῶι δʼ, ἐγὼ Κάστωρ τε, διακρινώμεθʼ ἄρηι §22.176ὁπλοτέρω γεγαῶτε.
But if your heart desires war, and we must break open an equal strife and bathe our spears in blood, let Idas and my brother, strong Polydeuces, keep their hands from hateful battle, and let us two, I and Castor, decide it by war, being the younger.
γονεῦσι δὲ μὴ πολὺ πένθος §22.177ἡμετέροισι λίπωμεν.
And let us not leave great grief to our parents.
ἅλις νέκυς ἐξ ἑνὸς οἴκου §22.178εἶς· ἀτὰρ ὥλλοι πάντες ἐυφρανέουσιν ἑταίρους §22.179νυμφίοι ἀντὶ νεκρῶν, ὑμεναιώσουσι δὲ κούρας
One dead from one house is enough; but all the others, as bridegrooms instead of dead men, will gladden their companions and marry these maidens.
§22.180τάσδʼ· ὀλίγῳ τοι ἔοικε κακῷ μέγα νεῖκος ἀναιρεῖν.
It is fitting to end a great strife with a small evil.
§22.181εἶπε, τὰ δʼ οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλε θεὸς μεταμώνια θήσειν.
He spoke, and the god was not going to make his words in vain.
§22.182τὼ μὲν γὰρ ποτὶ γαῖαν ἀπʼ ὤμων τεύχεʼ ἔθεντο, §22.183ὣ γενεῇ προφέρεσκον· ὁ δʼ ἐς μέσον ἤλυθε Λυγκεύς, §22.184σείων καρτερὸν ἔγχος ὑπʼ ἀσπίδος ἄντυγα πρώτην· §22.185ὣς δʼ αὔτως ἄκρας ἐτινάξατο δούρατος ἀκμὰς §22.186Κάστωρ· ἀμφοτέροις δὲ λόφων ἐπένευον ἔθειραι.
For those two laid down their weapons from their shoulders to the ground, who were senior in birth; but Lynceus went into the midst, shaking his strong spear under the outermost rim of his shield; in the same way Castor shook the sharp points of his spear; and the plumes of their crests nodded to both.
§22.187ἔγχεσι μὲν πρώτιστα τιτυσκόμενοι πόνον εἶχον §22.188ἀλλήλων, εἴ πού τι χροὸς γυμνωθὲν ἴδοιεν.
First with their spears they busied themselves, aiming at each other, if they might see any part of the flesh laid bare.
§22.189ἀλλʼ ἤτοι τὰ μὲν ἄκρα πάρος τινὰ δηλήσασθαι §22.190δοῦρʼ ἐάγη, σακέεσσιν ἐνὶ δεινοῖσι παγέντα.
But indeed, before they could harm anyone, the points of the spears broke, being fixed in the dread shields.
§22.191τὼ δʼ ἄορ ἐκ κολεοῖο ἐρυσσαμένω φόνον αὖτις §22.192τεῦχον ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι· μάχης δʼ οὐ γίνετʼ ἐρωή.
Then the two, drawing their swords from the scabbards, again wrought slaughter upon each other; and there was no respite from battle.
§22.193πολλὰ μὲν ἐς σάκος εὐρὺ καὶ ἱππόκομον τρυφάλειαν §22.194Κάστωρ, πολλὰ δʼ ἔνυξεν ἀκριβὴς ὄμμασι Λυγκεὺς §22.195τοῖο σάκος, φοίνικα δʼ ὅσον λόφον ἵκετʼ ἀκωκή.
Many times Castor struck at the broad shield and the horse-hair helmet, and many times Lynceus, sharp-eyed, pierced the other's shield, and his point reached as far as the crimson crest.
§22.196τοῦ μὲν ἄκρην ἐκόλουσεν ἐπὶ σκαιὸν γόνυ χεῖρα §22.197φάσγανον ὀξὺ φέροντος ὑπεξαναβὰς ποδὶ Κάστωρ §22.198σκαιῷ· ὁ δὲ πληγεὶς ξίφος ἔκβαλεν, αἶψα δὲ φεύγειν §22.199ὡρμήθη ποτὶ σῆμα πατρός, τόθι καρτερὸς Ἴδας §22.200κεκλιμένος θηεῖτο μάχην ἐμφύλιον ἀνδρῶν.
As Lynceus brought his sharp sword against his left knee, Castor, stepping back with his left foot, cut off the tip of his hand; and he, having been struck, dropped the sword and rushed to flee quickly to the tomb of his father, where strong Idas was leaning and watching the battle of his kinsmen.
§22.201ἀλλὰ μεταΐξας πλατὺ φάσγανον ὦσε διαπρὸ §22.202Τυνδαρίδης λαγόνος τε καὶ ὀμφαλοῦ· ἔγκατα δʼ εἴσω §22.203χαλκὸς ἄφαρ διέχευεν· ὁ δʼ ἐς στόμα κεῖτο νενευκὼς §22.204Λυγκεύς, κὰδ δʼ ἄρα οἱ βλεφάρων βαρὺς ἔδραμεν ὕπνος.
But rushing after him, the son of Tyndareus drove his broad sword right through his flank and navel; and the bronze straightway poured out his entrails within; and Lynceus lay leaning on his face, and heavy sleep ran down upon his eyelids.
Nor indeed did Laocoossa see the other son accomplish his dear marriage at his father's hearth.
§22.207ἦ γὰρ ὅγε στήλην Ἀφαρηίου ἐξανέχουσαν §22.208τύμβου ἀναρρήξας ταχέως Μεσσήνιος Ἴδας §22.209μέλλε κασιγνήτοιο βαλεῖν σφετέροιο φονῆα· §22.210ἀλλὰ Ζεὺς ἐπάμυνε, χερῶν δέ οἱ ἔκβαλε τυκτὴν §22.211μάρμαρον, αὐτὸν δὲ φλογέῳ συνέφλεξε κεραυνῷ.
For indeed, Messenian Idas, having torn up the standing stone from the tomb of Aphareus, was about to strike the slayer of his brother; but Zeus defended him, and knocked the worked marble from his hands, and consumed him with a flaming thunderbolt.
§22.212οὕτως Τυνδαρίδαις πολεμιζέμεν οὐκ ἐν ἐλαφρῷ.
Thus it is no light thing to war with the sons of Tyndareus.
§22.213αὐτοί τε κρατέοντε καὶ ἐκ κρατέοντος ἔφυσαν.
They are strong themselves, and they are sprung from a strong father.
Farewell, children of Leda, and may you ever send noble fame to our hymns.
φίλοι δέ τε πάντες ἀοιδοὶ §22.216Τυνδαρίδαις Ἑλένῃ τε καὶ ἄλλοις ἡρώεσσιν, §22.217Ἴλιον οἳ διέπερσαν ἀρήγοντες Μενελάῳ.
For all singers are friends to the sons of Tyndareus, and to Helen, and to the other heroes, who sacked Ilion in aid of Menelaus.
§22.218ὑμῖν κῦδος ἄνακτες ἐμήσατο Χῖος ἀοιδός, §22.219ὑμνήσας Πριάμοιο πόλιν καὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν §22.220Ἰλιάδας τε μάχας Ἀχιλῆά τε πύργον ἀυτῆς· §22.221ὑμῖν αὖ καὶ ἐγὼ λιγεῶν μειλίγματα Μουσέων, §22.222οἷʼ αὐταὶ παρέχουσι καὶ ὡς ἐμὸς οἶκος ὑπάρχει, §22.223τοῖα φέρω.
The Chian singer fashioned glory for you, O princes, by hymning the city of Priam, and the ships of the Achaians, and the Ilian battles, and Achilles, the tower of war; and I in turn bring to you the soothing gifts of the clear-voiced Muses, such as they provide and as my house possesses.
γεράων δὲ θεοῖς κάλλιστον ἀοιδαί.
Songs are the most beautiful reward for the gods.