§1246πῶς δαί;
"How so?
λέλειμμαι τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησιν νόμων. §1247ἐς πόντον ὅσα χρὴ νέκυσιν ἐξορμίζομεν. §1248τί σοι παράσχω δῆτα τῷ τεθνηκότι; §1249ὅδʼ οἶδʼ, ἐγὼ δʼ ἄπειρος, εὐτυχοῦσα πρίν. §1250ὦ ξένε, λόγων μὲν κληδόνʼ ἤνεγκας φίλην. §1251οὔκουν ἐμαυτῷ γʼ οὐδὲ τῷ τεθνηκότι. §1252πῶς τοὺς θανόντας θάπτετʼ ἐν πόντῳ νεκρούς; §1253ὡς ἂν παρούσης οὐσίας ἕκαστος ᾖ. §1254πλούτου λέγʼ οὕνεχʼ ὅ τι θέλεις ταύτης χάριν. §1255προσφάζεται μὲν αἷμα πρῶτα νερτέροις. §1256τίνος;
I am left behind by (ignorant of) the customs among the Greeks." "We dispatch to the sea whatever is necessary for the dead." "What then shall I provide for you for the dead man?" "This man knows; I am inexperienced, having been fortunate before." "O stranger, you have brought a welcome report of words." "Not indeed to myself, nor to the dead man." "How do you bury the dead who have perished at sea?" "According as each one's present substance may be." "Speak of whatever you wish as far as wealth is concerned, for her sake." "First, sacrificial blood is offered to those below." "Of what?
σύ μοι σήμαινε, πείσομαι δʼ ἐγώ. §1257αὐτὸς σὺ γίγνωσκʼ· ἀρκέσει γὰρ ἃν διδῷς. §1258ἐν βαρβάροις μὲν ἵππον ἢ ταῦρον νόμος. §1259διδούς γε μὲν δὴ δυσγενὲς μηδὲν δίδου. §1260οὐ τῶνδʼ ἐν ἀγέλαις ὀλβίαις σπανίζομεν. §1261καὶ στρωτὰ φέρεται λέκτρα σώματος κενά. §1262ἔσται· τί δʼ ἄλλο προσφέρειν νομίζεται; §1263χαλκήλαθʼ ὅπλα· καὶ γὰρ ἦν φίλος δορί. §1264ἄξια τάδʼ ἔσται Πελοπιδῶν ἃ δώσομεν. §1265καὶ τἄλλʼ ὅσα χθὼν καλὰ φέρει βλαστήματα. §1266πῶς οὖν;
Signify to me, and I shall obey." "Decide yourself; for whatever you give will suffice." "Among barbarians, it is the custom to give a horse or a bull." "In giving, indeed, give nothing of low birth." "We do not lack these in our wealthy herds." "And a spread bed is carried, empty of a body." "It shall be so; what else is customary to bring?" "Bronze-beaten weapons; for he was indeed a friend to the spear." "These things we shall give will be worthy of the descendants of Pelops." "And all other beautiful growths that the earth brings forth." "How then?
ἐς οἶδμα τίνι τρόπῳ καθίετε; §1267ναῦν δεῖ παρεῖναι κἀρετμῶν ἐπιστάτας. §1268πόσον δʼ ἀπείργει μῆκος ἐκ γαίας δόρυ; §1269ὥστʼ ἐξορᾶσθαι ῥόθια χερσόθεν μόλις.
In what manner do you lower them into the swell?" "There must be a ship and masters of oars present." "And how great a distance does the ship keep from the land?" "So that the waves can scarcely be seen from the shore." "Why so?
§1270τί δή; τόδʼ Ἑλλὰς νόμιμον ἐκ τίνος σέβει; §1271ὡς μὴ πάλιν γῇ λύματʼ ἐκβάλῃ κλύδων. §1272Φοίνισσα κώπη ταχύπορος γενήσεται. §1273καλῶς ἂν εἴη Μενέλεῴ τε πρὸς χάριν. §1274οὔκουν σὺ χωρὶς τῆσδε δρῶν ἀρκεῖς τάδε; §1275μητρὸς τόδʼ ἔργον ἢ γυναικὸς ἢ τέκνων. §1276ταύτης ὁ μόχθος, ὡς λέγεις, θάπτειν πόσιν. §1277ἐν εὐσεβεῖ γοῦν νόμιμα μὴ κλέπτειν νεκρῶν. §1278ἴτω· πρὸς ἡμῶν ἄλοχον εὐσεβῆ τρέφειν. §1279ἐλθὼν δʼ ἐς οἴκους ἐξελοῦ κόσμον νεκρῷ· §1280καὶ σὲ οὐ κεναῖσι χερσὶ γῆς ἀποστελῶ, §1281δράσαντα τῇδε πρὸς χάριν· φήμας δʼ ἐμοὶ §1282ἐσθλὰς ἐνεγκὼν ἀντὶ τῆς ἀχλαινίας §1283ἐσθῆτα λήψῃ σῖτά θʼ, ὥστε σʼ ἐς πάτραν §1284ἐλθεῖν, ἐπεὶ νῦν γʼ ἀθλίως ἔχονθʼ ὁρῶ. §1285σὺ δʼ, ὦ τάλαινα, μὴ ʼπὶ τοῖς ἀνηνύτοις §1286τρύχουσα σαυτήν — Μενέλεως δʼ ἔχει πότμον, §1287κοὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ζῆν ὁ κατθανὼν πόσις. §1288σὸν ἔργον, ὦ νεᾶνι· τὸν παρόντα μὲν §1289στέργειν πόσιν χρή, τὸν δὲ μηκέτʼ ὄντʼ ἐᾶν· §1290ἄριστα γάρ σοι ταῦτα πρὸς τὸ τυγχάνον. §1291ἢν δʼ Ἑλλάδʼ ἔλθω καὶ τύχω σωτηρίας, §1293παύσω ψόγου σε τοῦ πρίν, ἢν γυνὴ γένῃ §1292οἵαν γενέσθαι χρή σε σῷ ξυνευνέτῃ. §1294ἔσται τάδʼ· οὐδὲ μέμψεται πόσις ποτὲ §1295ἡμῖν· σὺ δʼ αὐτὸς ἐγγὺς ὢν εἴσῃ τάδε. §1296ἀλλʼ, ὦ τάλας, εἴσελθε καὶ λουτρῶν τύχε §1297ἐσθῆτά τʼ ἐξάλλαξον.
For what reason does Greece revere this custom?" "So that the wave may not cast the pollutions back onto the land." "A swift-running Phoenician oar (ship) shall be ready." "This would be well, and to the favor of Menelaus." "Can you not indeed do these things and suffice without her?" "This is the task of a mother or a wife or children." "It is her toil, as you say, to bury her husband." "It is in piety, at any rate, not to rob the dead of their customs." "Let it go; it is for our benefit to nourish a pious wife. Go into the house and take out the adornment for the dead; and I will not send you away from this land with empty hands, having done this to her favor; and having brought to me good tidings, in place of your cloakless state you shall receive clothing and food, so that you may go to your fatherland, since now indeed I see you in a wretched state." "And you, wretched woman, do not wear yourself out over things that cannot be accomplished—for Menelaus has his fate, and the dead husband could not live again. Your task, young woman: you must cherish your present husband, and let go of the one who is no more; for these things are best for you in the circumstances." "If indeed I come to Greece and obtain safety, I shall put an end to your former blame, if you become a wife such as you ought to be to your husband." "These things shall be; nor indeed will my husband ever blame us; and you yourself, being near, will know this. But, wretched man, enter and obtain a bath and change your clothing.
οὐκ ἐς ἀμβολὰς §1298εὐεργετήσω σʼ· εὐμενέστερον γὰρ ἂν §1299τῷ φιλτάτῳ μοι Μενέλεῳ τὰ πρόσφορα §1300δρῴης ἄν, ἡμῶν τυγχάνων οἵων σε χρή. §1301Ὀρεία ποτὲ δρομάδι κώ- §1302λῳ μάτηρ θεῶν ἐσύθη ἀνʼ §1303ὑλάεντα νάπη §1304ποτάμιόν τε χεῦμʼ ὑδάτων §1305βαρύβρομόν τε κῦμʼ ἅλιον §1306πόθῳ τᾶς ἀποιχομένας §1307ἀρρήτου κούρας. §1308κρόταλα δὲ βρόμια διαπρύσιον §1309ἱέντα κέλαδον ἀνεβόα, §1310θηρῶν ὅτε ζυγίους §1311ζευξάσᾳ θεᾷ σατίνας §1312τὰν ἁρπασθεῖσαν κυκλίων §1313χορῶν ἔξω παρθενίων §1314μετὰ κούραν, ἀελλόποδες, §1315ἃ μὲν τόξοις Ἄρτεμις, ἃ δʼ §1316ἔγχει Γοργῶπις πάνοπλος, §1317συνείποντο.
Not to delay shall I benefit you; for more kindly would you perform the fitting services for my dearest Menelaus, if you receive from us such things as you ought." Once with mountain-running foot, the Mother of the Gods rushed through wooded glens, and the river flow of waters, and the heavy-roaring wave of the sea, in longing for the departed, unspeakable daughter. And the roaring castanets, sending forth a piercing sound, cried out, when, yoking beasts to her chariot, the Goddess went after the ravished maiden, away from the circular maidenly dances, storm-swift feet; on one side Artemis with her bow, on the other Gorgon-eyed, fully-armed Athena with her spear, followed.
Ζεὺς δʼ ἑδράνων §1318αὐγάζων ἐξ οὐρανίων §1318aἄλλαν μοῖραν ἔκραινε. §1319δρομαῖον δʼ ὅτε πολυπλάνη- §1320τον μάτηρ ἔπαυσε πόνον, §1321μαστεύουσα πόνους §1322θυγατρὸς ἁρπαγὰς δολίους, §1323χιονοθρέμμονάς γʼ ἐπέρασʼ §1324Ἰδαιᾶν Νυμφᾶν σκοπιάς· §1325ῥίπτει δʼ ἐν πένθει §1326πέτρινα κατὰ δρία πολυνιφέα· §1327βροτοῖσι δʼ ἄχλοα πεδία γᾶς §1328οὐ καρπίζουσʼ ἀρότοις §1329λαῶν φθείρει γενεάν· §1330ποίμναις δʼ οὐχ ἵει θαλερὰς §1331βοσκὰς εὐφύλλων ἑλίκων, §1332πόλεων δʼ ἀπέλειπε βίος· §1333οὐδʼ ἦσαν θεῶν θυσίαι, §1334βωμοῖς δʼ ἄφλεκτοι πέλανοι· §1335πηγὰς δʼ ἀμπαύει δροσερὰς §1336λευκῶν ἐκβάλλειν ὑδάτων
But Zeus, gazing from his heavenly seats, was fulfilling another destiny. And when her running, much-wandering toil the Mother stopped, searching with toil for her daughter's treacherous abduction, she crossed the snow-nurturing lookouts of the Idaean Nymphs; and she cast herself in grief down the snowy rocky thickets; and for mortals she made the grassy plains of the earth yield no harvest for plowing, destroying the race of men; and she did not send lush pasture of leafy tendrils for the flocks, and life was leaving the cities; nor were there sacrifices to the gods, and unburnt cakes on the altars; and she stayed the dewy springs from throwing up white waters.