§24.338τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν, πρὶν Πηλεΐωνα δʼ ἱκέσθαι. §24.339ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης. §24.340αὐτίκʼ ἔπειθʼ ὑπὸ ποσσὶν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδιλα §24.341ἀμβρόσια χρύσεια, τά μιν φέρον ἠμὲν ἐφʼ ὑγρὴν §24.342ἠδʼ ἐπʼ ἀπείρονα γαῖαν ἅμα πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο· §24.343εἵλετο δὲ ῥάβδον, τῇ τʼ ἀνδρῶν ὄμματα θέλγει §24.344ὧν ἐθέλει, τοὺς δʼ αὖτε καὶ ὑπνώοντας ἐγείρει· §24.345τὴν μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχων πέτετο κρατὺς ἀργεϊφόντης. §24.346αἶψα δʼ ἄρα Τροίην τε καὶ Ἑλλήσποντον ἵκανε, §24.347βῆ δʼ ἰέναι κούρῳ αἰσυμνητῆρι ἐοικὼς §24.348πρῶτον ὑπηνήτῃ, τοῦ περ χαριεστάτη ἥβη. §24.349οἳ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν μέγα σῆμα παρὲξ Ἴλοιο ἔλασσαν, §24.350στῆσαν ἄρʼ ἡμιόνους τε καὶ ἵππους ὄφρα πίοιεν §24.351ἐν ποταμῷ· δὴ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἤλυθε γαῖαν. §24.352τὸν δʼ ἐξ ἀγχιμόλοιο ἰδὼν ἐφράσσατο κῆρυξ §24.353Ἑρμείαν, ποτὶ δὲ Πρίαμον φάτο φώνησέν τε· §24.354φράζεο Δαρδανίδη· φραδέος νόου ἔργα τέτυκται. §24.355ἄνδρʼ ὁρόω, τάχα δʼ ἄμμε διαρραίσεσθαι ὀΐω. §24.356ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ φεύγωμεν ἐφʼ ἵππων, ἤ μιν ἔπειτα §24.357γούνων ἁψάμενοι λιτανεύσομεν αἴ κʼ ἐλεήσῃ. §24.358ὣς φάτο, σὺν δὲ γέροντι νόος χύτο, δείδιε δʼ αἰνῶς, §24.359ὀρθαὶ δὲ τρίχες ἔσταν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσι, §24.360στῆ δὲ ταφών·
of the other Danaans, before you come to the son of Peleus. So he spoke, and the messenger, the slayer of Argus, did not disobey. Straightway then he bound beneath his feet his beautiful sandals, immortal and golden, which bore him both over the wet sea and over the limitless land, swift as the blasts of the wind. And he took his wand, wherewith he lulls to sleep the eyes of whomsoever he will, and others again that are asleep he awakens. Holding this in his hands, the strong slayer of Argus flew. And swiftly he came to Troy and the Hellespont, and went on his way in the likeness of a young man of royal birth, whose beard is newly growing, in whom youth is most graceful. But when they had driven past the great tomb of Ilus, they halted the mules and horses to drink in the river; for already dusk was coming over the earth. And the herald, looking out, saw Hermes close at hand, and he spoke to Priam, and addressed him: "Take thought, descendant of Dardanus; here is work for a prudent mind. I see a man, and I think he will straightway tear us to pieces. Come, let us flee on the horses, or else touch his knees and entreat him, if he might have pity." So he spoke, and the old man's mind was confounded, and he feared exceedingly, and the hair stood upright on his pliant limbs, and he stood amazed.
αὐτὸς δʼ ἐριούνιος ἐγγύθεν ἐλθὼν §24.361χεῖρα γέροντος ἑλὼν ἐξείρετο καὶ προσέειπε· §24.362πῇ πάτερ ὧδʼ ἵππους τε καὶ ἡμιόνους ἰθύνεις §24.363νύκτα διʼ ἀμβροσίην, ὅτε θʼ εὕδουσι βροτοὶ ἄλλοι; §24.364οὐδὲ σύ γʼ ἔδεισας μένεα πνείοντας Ἀχαιούς, §24.365οἵ τοι δυσμενέες καὶ ἀνάρσιοι ἐγγὺς ἔασι; §24.366τῶν εἴ τίς σε ἴδοιτο θοὴν διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν §24.367τοσσάδʼ ὀνείατʼ ἄγοντα, τίς ἂν δή τοι νόος εἴη; §24.368οὔτʼ αὐτὸς νέος ἐσσί, γέρων δέ τοι οὗτος ὀπηδεῖ, §24.369ἄνδρʼ ἀπαμύνασθαι, ὅτε τις πρότερος χαλεπήνῃ. §24.370ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐδέν σε ῥέξω κακά, καὶ δέ κεν ἄλλον §24.371σεῦ ἀπαλεξήσαιμι· φίλῳ δέ σε πατρὶ ἐΐσκω. §24.372τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα γέρων Πρίαμος θεοειδής· §24.373οὕτω πῃ τάδε γʼ ἐστὶ φίλον τέκος ὡς ἀγορεύεις. §24.374ἀλλʼ ἔτι τις καὶ ἐμεῖο θεῶν ὑπερέσχεθε χεῖρα, §24.375ὅς μοι τοιόνδʼ ἧκεν ὁδοιπόρον ἀντιβολῆσαι §24.376αἴσιον, οἷος δὴ σὺ δέμας καὶ εἶδος ἀγητός, §24.377πέπνυσαί τε νόῳ, μακάρων δʼ ἔξεσσι τοκήων. §24.378τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης· §24.379ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα γέρον κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες. §24.380ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον, §24.381ἠέ πῃ ἐκπέμπεις κειμήλια πολλὰ καὶ ἐσθλὰ §24.382ἄνδρας ἐς ἀλλοδαποὺς ἵνα περ τάδε τοι σόα μίμνῃ, §24.383ἦ ἤδη πάντες καταλείπετε Ἴλιον ἱρὴν §24.384δειδιότες· τοῖος γὰρ ἀνὴρ ὤριστος ὄλωλε §24.385σὸς πάϊς· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι μάχης ἐπιδεύετʼ Ἀχαιῶν. §24.386τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα γέρων Πρίαμος θεοειδής· §24.387τίς δὲ σύ ἐσσι φέριστε τέων δʼ ἔξεσσι τοκήων; §24.388ὥς μοι καλὰ τὸν οἶτον ἀπότμου παιδὸς ἔνισπες. §24.389τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης· §24.390πειρᾷ ἐμεῖο γεραιὲ καὶ εἴρεαι Ἕκτορα δῖον. §24.391τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ μάλα πολλὰ μάχῃ ἔνι κυδιανείρῃ §24.392ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὄπωπα, καὶ εὖτʼ ἐπὶ νηυσὶν ἐλάσσας §24.393Ἀργείους κτείνεσκε δαΐζων ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ· §24.394ἡμεῖς δʼ ἑσταότες θαυμάζομεν· οὐ γὰρ Ἀχιλλεὺς §24.395εἴα μάρνασθαι κεχολωμένος Ἀτρεΐωνι. §24.396τοῦ γὰρ ἐγὼ θεράπων, μία δʼ ἤγαγε νηῦς εὐεργής· §24.397Μυρμιδόνων δʼ ἔξειμι, πατὴρ δέ μοί ἐστι Πολύκτωρ. §24.398ἀφνειὸς μὲν ὅ γʼ ἐστί, γέρων δὲ δὴ ὡς σύ περ ὧδε, §24.399ἓξ δέ οἱ υἷες ἔασιν, ἐγὼ δέ οἱ ἕβδομός εἰμι· §24.400τῶν μέτα παλλόμενος κλήρῳ λάχον ἐνθάδʼ ἕπεσθαι. §24.401νῦν δʼ ἦλθον πεδίον δʼ ἀπὸ νηῶν· ἠῶθεν γὰρ §24.402θήσονται περὶ ἄστυ μάχην ἑλίκωπες Ἀχαιοί. §24.403ἀσχαλόωσι γὰρ οἵδε καθήμενοι, οὐδὲ δύνανται
But the helper himself came near, and took the old man's hand, and questioned him, saying: "Whither, father, do you thus guide horses and mules through the immortal night, when other mortals are asleep? Have you no fear of the fury-breathing Achaeans, who are hostile and ruthless to you, and are near at hand? If one of them should see you through the swift black night carrying so many treasures, what would your purpose be then? You are not young yourself, and he who accompanies you is an old man, to ward off a man, when one is the first to do you violence. But I will do you no harm, and indeed I would defend you against another; for I liken you to my own dear father." And to him then made answer the godlike old man Priam: "Even so, dear child, are all these things as you say. Yet some god has still held his hand over me, who has sent such a wayfarer to meet me, a bringer of good luck, even as you are wondrous in form and beauty, and wise of heart, and you are of blessed parentage." And to him again spoke the messenger, the slayer of Argus: "Yes, indeed, old man, all this you have spoken according to right. But come, tell me this and declare it truly: whether you are sending many noble treasures to men of some foreign land, so that they may remain safe for you, or whether by now you are all leaving sacred Ilium in fear, since so noble a man has perished, your own son; for he was in no wise lacking in battle against the Achaeans." And to him then made answer the godlike old man Priam: "Who are you, noble youth, and of what parents are you born, that you speak so well of the fate of my hapless son?" And to him again spoke the messenger, the slayer of Argus: "You are testing me, old man, and asking me of noble Hector. Him have I very often seen with my own eyes in battle where men win glory, and when he drove the Argives to the ships and slew them, shearing them with the sharp bronze; and we stood and wondered, for Achilles did not let us fight, being angered against the son of Atreus. For I am his squire, and the same well-built ship brought us here. I am one of the Myrmidons, and my father is Polyctor. Rich is he, and an old man even as you are; and he has six sons, and I am his seventh. Among these I shook lots, and it fell to me to follow hither. And now I have come to the plain from the ships; for at dawn the quick-glancing Achaeans will set the battle in array around the city. For they are chafing at sitting idle, nor can the chiefs of the Achaeans hold back their eagerness for war..."