§22.65ἑλκομένας τε νυοὺς ὀλοῇς ὑπὸ χερσὶν Ἀχαιῶν.
and my daughters-in-law dragged away by the destructive hands of the Achaeans.
§22.66αὐτὸν δʼ ἂν πύματόν με κύνες πρώτῃσι θύρῃσιν §22.67ὠμησταὶ ἐρύουσιν, ἐπεί κέ τις ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ §22.68τύψας ἠὲ βαλὼν ῥεθέων ἐκ θυμὸν ἕληται, §22.69οὓς τρέφον ἐν μεγάροισι τραπεζῆας θυραωρούς, §22.70οἵ κʼ ἐμὸν αἷμα πιόντες ἀλύσσοντες περὶ θυμῷ §22.71κείσοντʼ ἐν προθύροισι.
And myself last of all at the street door will dogs devour raw, when some one with the sharp bronze has smitten or cast at me and taken the life from my limbs, those dogs that I reared in my halls to watch my gates and eat from my table, which, having drunk my blood, with maddened minds will lie in the porch.
νέῳ δέ τε πάντʼ ἐπέοικεν §22.72ἄρηϊ κταμένῳ δεδαϊγμένῳ ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ §22.73κεῖσθαι· πάντα δὲ καλὰ θανόντι περ ὅττι φανήῃ·
For a young man it is altogether seemly to lie slain in battle, torn by the sharp bronze; though he be dead, all things that are revealed are fair.
§22.74ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πολιόν τε κάρη πολιόν τε γένειον §22.75αἰδῶ τʼ αἰσχύνωσι κύνες κταμένοιο γέροντος, §22.76τοῦτο δὴ οἴκτιστον πέλεται δειλοῖσι βροτοῖσιν. §22.77ἦ ῥʼ ὃ γέρων, πολιὰς δʼ ἄρʼ ἀνὰ τρίχας ἕλκετο χερσὶ §22.78τίλλων ἐκ κεφαλῆς· οὐδʼ Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἔπειθε.
But when the white head and the white beard and the nakedness of a slain old man are defiled by dogs, this is indeed the most piteous thing that comes to wretched mortals." The old man spoke, and with his hands tore his grey hair plucking it from his head; but he did not persuade the heart of Hector.
§22.79μήτηρ δʼ αὖθʼ ἑτέρωθεν ὀδύρετο δάκρυ χέουσα §22.80κόλπον ἀνιεμένη, ἑτέρηφι δὲ μαζὸν ἀνέσχε· §22.81καί μιν δάκρυ χέουσʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §22.82Ἕκτορ τέκνον ἐμὸν τάδε τʼ αἴδεο καί μʼ ἐλέησον §22.83αὐτήν, εἴ ποτέ τοι λαθικηδέα μαζὸν ἐπέσχον· §22.84τῶν μνῆσαι φίλε τέκνον ἄμυνε δὲ δήϊον ἄνδρα §22.85τείχεος ἐντὸς ἐών, μὴ δὲ πρόμος ἵστασο τούτῳ §22.86σχέτλιος·
And his mother on her part wailed, shedding tears, loosening her robe, while with the other hand she held out her breast; and shedding tears she spoke to him winged words: "Hector, my child, respect this and have pity on me myself, if ever I gave you the breast to lull your cares; remember these things, dear child, and ward off the foe from within the wall; do not stand to face him as champion, headstrong man!
εἴ περ γάρ σε κατακτάνῃ, οὔ σʼ ἔτʼ ἔγωγε §22.87κλαύσομαι ἐν λεχέεσσι φίλον θάλος, ὃν τέκον αὐτή, §22.88οὐδʼ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος· ἄνευθε δέ σε μέγα νῶϊν §22.89Ἀργείων παρὰ νηυσὶ κύνες ταχέες κατέδονται. §22.90ὣς τώ γε κλαίοντε προσαυδήτην φίλον υἱὸν §22.91πολλὰ λισσομένω· οὐδʼ Ἕκτορι θυμὸν ἔπειθον, §22.92ἀλλʼ ὅ γε μίμνʼ Ἀχιλῆα πελώριον ἆσσον ἰόντα.
For if he kills you, never will I weep for you on a bier, my sweet blossom, whom I myself bore, nor will your richly-dowered wife; but far away from both of us by the ships of the Argives will swift dogs devour you." Thus they with wailing spoke to their dear son, entreating him instantly; but they could not persuade the heart of Hector, but he waited for giant Achilles as he drew near.
§22.93ὡς δὲ δράκων ἐπὶ χειῇ ὀρέστερος ἄνδρα μένῃσι §22.94βεβρωκὼς κακὰ φάρμακʼ, ἔδυ δέ τέ μιν χόλος αἰνός, §22.95σμερδαλέον δὲ δέδορκεν ἑλισσόμενος περὶ χειῇ· §22.96ὣς Ἕκτωρ ἄσβεστον ἔχων μένος οὐχ ὑπεχώρει §22.97πύργῳ ἔπι προὔχοντι φαεινὴν ἀσπίδʼ ἐρείσας·
And as a serpent of the mountain awaits a man at his lair, having fed on evil herbs, and dread wrath has entered into him, and terribly he glares as he coils about his hole; even so Hector with unquenchable courage would not retreat, leaning his bright shield against a jutting tower.
§22.98ὀχθήσας δʼ ἄρα εἶπε πρὸς ὃν μεγαλήτορα θυμόν·
Then, deeply moved, he spoke to his own great-hearted soul: "Ah, woe is me!
§22.99ὤ μοι ἐγών, εἰ μέν κε πύλας καὶ τείχεα δύω, §22.100Πουλυδάμας μοι πρῶτος ἐλεγχείην ἀναθήσει, §22.101ὅς μʼ ἐκέλευε Τρωσὶ ποτὶ πτόλιν ἡγήσασθαι §22.102νύχθʼ ὕπο τήνδʼ ὀλοὴν ὅτε τʼ ὤρετο δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.
If I pass within the gates and the wall, Polydamas will be the first to heap reproach on me, who bade me lead the Trojans to the city on that fatal night when noble Achilles arose.
§22.103ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐ πιθόμην· ἦ τʼ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν.
But I did not listen; yet surely it would have been far better.
§22.104νῦν δʼ ἐπεὶ ὤλεσα λαὸν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ἐμῇσιν, §22.105αἰδέομαι Τρῶας καὶ Τρῳάδας ἑλκεσιπέπλους, §22.106μή ποτέ τις εἴπῃσι κακώτερος ἄλλος ἐμεῖο· §22.107Ἕκτωρ ἧφι βίηφι πιθήσας ὤλεσε λαόν. §22.108ὣς ἐρέουσιν· ἐμοὶ δὲ τότʼ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη §22.109ἄντην ἢ Ἀχιλῆα κατακτείναντα νέεσθαι, §22.110ἠέ κεν αὐτῷ ὀλέσθαι ἐϋκλειῶς πρὸ πόληος.
But now, since I have ruined the people by my own folly, I am ashamed before the Trojan men and Trojan women with trailing robes, lest some other, a worse man than I, should say: 'Hector, trusting in his own might, has ruined the people.' So will they say; but for me then it would be far better to face Achilles and slay him, and so return home, or itself to die gloriously at his hands in front of the city.
§22.111εἰ δέ κεν ἀσπίδα μὲν καταθείομαι ὀμφαλόεσσαν §22.112καὶ κόρυθα βριαρήν, δόρυ δὲ πρὸς τεῖχος ἐρείσας §22.113αὐτὸς ἰὼν Ἀχιλῆος ἀμύμονος ἀντίος ἔλθω §22.114καί οἱ ὑπόσχωμαι Ἑλένην καὶ κτήμαθʼ ἅμʼ αὐτῇ, §22.115πάντα μάλʼ ὅσσά τʼ Ἀλέξανδρος κοίλῃς ἐνὶ νηυσὶν §22.116ἠγάγετο Τροίηνδʼ, ἥ τʼ ἔπλετο νείκεος ἀρχή, §22.117δωσέμεν Ἀτρεΐδῃσιν ἄγειν, ἅμα δʼ ἀμφὶς Ἀχαιοῖς §22.118ἄλλʼ ἀποδάσσεσθαι ὅσα τε πτόλις ἥδε κέκευθε· §22.119Τρωσὶν δʼ αὖ μετόπισθε γερούσιον ὅρκον ἕλωμαι §22.120μή τι κατακρύψειν, ἀλλʼ ἄνδιχα πάντα δάσασθαι §22.121κτῆσιν ὅσην πτολίεθρον ἐπήρατον ἐντὸς ἐέργει·
But what if I lay down my bossed shield and heavy helmet, and leaning my spear against the wall, go forth myself to meet noble Achilles face to face, and promise him that Helen, and with her all the treasure even all that Alexander brought in his hollow ships to Troy, which was the beginning of the strife, we will give to the sons of Atreus to take away, and furthermore that with the Achaeans we will share equally all else that this city contains; and if I then take an oath from the Trojans in council to hide nothing, but to divide all in two portions, even all the wealth that this lovely city holds within it?
§22.122ἀλλὰ τί ἤ μοι ταῦτα φίλος διελέξατο θυμός;
But why does my heart debate these things with me?
§22.123μή μιν ἐγὼ μὲν ἵκωμαι ἰών, ὃ δέ μʼ οὐκ ἐλεήσει §22.124οὐδέ τί μʼ αἰδέσεται, κτενέει δέ με γυμνὸν ἐόντα §22.125αὔτως ὥς τε γυναῖκα, ἐπεί κʼ ἀπὸ τεύχεα δύω.
Let me not go to him and find that he will have no pity on me, nor respect me at all, but will slay me unarmed as if I were a woman, once I have put off my armor.