§1311ἐξ ἧς ἔβλαστες, οὐχὶ Σισύφου πατρός, §1312ἀλλʼ ἐξ Ἀχιλλέως, ὃς μετὰ ζώντων ὅτʼ ἦν §1313ἤκουʼ ἄριστα, νῦν δὲ τῶν τεθνηκότων.
from which you were born, not from Sisyphus as father, but from Achilles, who, when he was among the living, was heard of as the best, and now is so among the dead.
I was pleased that you praised my father and myself; but what I desire to obtain from you, listen to.
ἀνθρώποισι τὰς μὲν ἐκ θεῶν §1317τύχας δοθείσας ἔστʼ ἀναγκαῖον φέρειν· §1318ὅσοι δʼ ἑκουσίοισιν ἔγκεινται βλάβαις, §1319ὥσπερ σύ, τούτοις οὔτε συγγνώμην ἔχειν §1320δίκαιόν ἐστιν οὔτʼ ἐποικτίρειν τινά.
For humans, the fortunes given by the gods must of necessity be borne; but as many as are beset by self-inflicted harms, as you are, to these it is neither just to have indulgence nor for anyone to show them pity.
§1321σὺ δʼ ἠγρίωσαι, κοὔτε σύμβουλον δέχει, §1322ἐάν τε νουθετῇ τις εὐνοίᾳ λέγων, §1323στυγεῖς, πολέμιον δυσμενῆ θʼ ἡγούμενος.
But you have grown wild, and accept no adviser, and even if someone advises you speaking in goodwill, you hate him, deeming him a hostile enemy.
Yet nevertheless I will speak; and I call Zeus of oaths to witness; and know these things and write them within your mind.
§1326σὺ γὰρ νοσεῖς τόδʼ ἄλγος ἐκ θείας τύχης, §1327Χρύσης πελασθεὶς φύλακος, ὃς τὸν ἀκαλυφῆ §1328σηκὸν φυλάσσει κρύφιος οἰκουρῶν ὄφις· §1329καὶ παῦλαν ἴσθι τῆσδε μή ποτʼ ἂν τυχεῖν §1330νόσου βαρείας, ἕως ἂν αὑτὸς ἥλιος §1331ταύτῃ μὲν αἴρῃ, τῇδε δʼ αὖ δύνῃ πάλιν, §1332πρὶν ἂν τὰ Τροίας πεδίʼ ἑκὼν αὐτὸς μόλῃς, §1333καὶ τοῖν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐντυχὼν Ἀσκληπίδαιν §1334νόσου μαλαχθῇς τῆσδε, καὶ τὰ πέργαμα §1335ξὺν τοῖσδε τόξοις ξύν τʼ ἐμοὶ πέρσας φανῇς.
For you suffer this pain from a divine fortune, having approached the guardian of Chryse, who guards the uncovered sanctuary, a hidden house-keeping serpent; and know that you will never obtain a release from this grievous sickness, as long as this same sun rises this way and on the other hand sinks again that way, before you yourself willingly come to the plains of Troy, and meeting with the two sons of Asclepius who are among us, you are relieved of this disease, and are seen to have sacked the citadel of Troy with these weapons and with me.
§1336ὡς δʼ οἶδα ταῦτα τῇδʼ ἔχοντʼ ἐγὼ φράσω.
And how I know that these things are so, I will tell.
§1337ἀνὴρ γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἐκ Τροίας ἁλούς, §1338Ἕλενος ἀριστόμαντις, ὃς λέγει σαφῶς §1339ὡς δεῖ γενέσθαι ταῦτα· καὶ πρὸς τοῖσδʼ ἔτι §1340ὡς ἔστʼ ἀνάγκη τοῦ παρεστῶτος θέρους §1341Τροίαν ἁλῶναι πᾶσαν· ἢ δίδωσʼ ἑκὼν §1342κτείνειν ἑαυτόν, ἢν τάδε ψευσθῇ λέγων.
For we have a man captured from Troy, Helenus, the best of prophets, who says clearly how these things must come to pass; and besides these things still, how there is a necessity in this present summer for all Troy to be captured; or else he willingly offers himself to be slain, if he should be speaking falsely in this.
§1343ταῦτʼ οὖν ἐπεὶ κάτοισθα, συγχώρει θέλων.
Since, then, you know these things, yield willingly.
§1344καλὴ γὰρ ἡ ʼπίκτησις, Ἑλλήνων ἕνα §1345κριθέντʼ ἄριστον τοῦτο μὲν παιωνίας §1346ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, εἶτα τὴν πολύστονον §1347Τροίαν ἑλόντα κλέος ὑπέρτατον λαβεῖν.
For beautiful is the acquisition, that you, having been judged the single best of the Greeks, should first come into healing hands, and then, having captured Troy of many groans, should obtain the highest glory.
O hateful life, why then do you keep me above, looking at the light, and did not let me go to Hades?
§1350οἴμοι, τί δράσω;
Alas, what shall I do?
πῶς ἀπιστήσω λόγοις §1351τοῖς τοῦδʼ, ὃς εὔνους ὢν ἐμοὶ παρῄνεσεν;
How can I distrust the words of this youth, who has advised me in goodwill?
§1352ἀλλʼ εἰκάθω δῆτʼ;
But shall I yield then?
εἶτα πῶς ὁ δύσμορος §1353εἰς φῶς τάδʼ ἔρξας εἶμι;
Then how, ill-fated as I am, shall I go into the light, having done this?
τῷ προσήγορος;
To whom shall I speak?
§1354πῶς, ὦ τὰ πάντʼ ἰδόντες ἀμφʼ ἐμοὶ κύκλοι, §1355ταῦτʼ ἐξανασχήσεσθε, τοῖσιν Ἀτρέως §1356ἐμὲ ξυνόντα παισίν, οἵ μʼ ἀπώλεσαν;
How, O eyes of mine that have seen all things about me, will you endure this, that I should be associated with the sons of Atreus, who destroyed me?
§1357πῶς τῷ πανώλει παιδὶ τῷ Λαερτίου;
How with the all-ruined son of Lartios?
§1358οὐ γάρ με τἄλγος τῶν παρελθόντων δάκνει, §1359ἀλλʼ οἷα χρὴ παθεῖν με πρὸς τούτων ἔτι §1360δοκῶ προλεύσσειν· οἷς γὰρ ἡ γνώμη κακῶν §1361μήτηρ γένηται, τἄλλα παιδεύει κακούς.
For it is not the pain of the past that bites me, but what things I must still suffer from them I seem to foresee; for those whose mind becomes mother of evils, it trains them to be evil in all other things.
§1362καὶ σοῦ δʼ ἔγωγε θαυμάσας ἔχω τόδε.
And indeed I have wondered at this in you.
§1363χρῆν γάρ σε μήτʼ αὐτόν ποτʼ ἐς Τροίαν μολεῖν §1364ἡμᾶς τʼ ἀπείργειν, οἵ γέ σου καθύβρισαν, §1365πατρὸς γέρας συλῶντες, εἶτα τοῖσδε σὺ §1366εἶ ξυμμαχήσων, κἄμʼ ἀναγκάζεις τόδε;
For you ought neither yourself ever to go to Troy and you should keep us back, since they insulted you, robbing you of your father's prize, and then you are going to fight as their ally, and do you force me to this?
§1367μὴ δῆτα, τέκνον· ἀλλʼ ἅ μοι ξυνώμοσας, §1368πέμψον πρὸς οἴκους· καὐτὸς ἐν Σκύρῳ μένων §1369ἔα κακῶς αὐτοὺς ἀπόλλυσθαι κακούς.
No, indeed, my child; but what you swore to me, send me home; and you yourself remaining in Scyros, let those evil ones perish in an evil way.
§1370χοὔτω διπλῆν μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ κτήσει χάριν, §1371διπλῆν δὲ πατρός, κοὐ κακοὺς ἐπωφελῶν §1372δόξεις ὁμοῖος τοῖς κακοῖς πεφυκέναι.
And thus you will obtain a double gratitude from me, and a double one from your father, and not, by helping evil men, will you seem to be like the evil ones in nature.
§1373λέγεις μὲν εἰκότʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως σε βούλομαι §1374θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τʼ ἐμοῖς λόγοις §1375φίλου μετʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδʼ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.
You speak what is reasonable, but yet I wish you, having trusted both the gods and my words, to sail away from this land with me, your friend.
What, to the plains of Troy, and to the most hateful son of Atreus, with this wretched foot of mine?
Rather to those who will make you and this ulcered foot cease from pain, and will save you from disease.
§1380ὦ δεινὸν αἶνον αἰνέσας, τί φής ποτε;
O you who have given dread advice, what indeed do you say?
§1381ἃ σοί τε κἀμοὶ λῷσθʼ ὁρῶ τελούμενα.
What I see as being accomplished as the best for both you and me.
§1382καὶ ταῦτα λέξας οὐ καταισχύνει θεούς;
And speaking these things, are you not ashamed before the gods?
§1383πῶς γάρ τις αἰσχύνοιτʼ ἂν ὠφελῶν φίλους·
For how should anyone be ashamed when helping friends?
§1384λέγεις δʼ Ἀτρείδαις ὄφελος ἢ ʼπʼ ἐμοὶ τόδε;
And do you say this benefit is for the Atridae or for me?
§1385σοί που, φίλος γʼ ὤν, χὠ λόγος τοιόσδε μου.
For you, surely, since I am your friend; and such is this speech of mine.