§24.404ἴσχειν ἐσσυμένους πολέμου βασιλῆες Ἀχαιῶν. §24.405τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα γέρων Πρίαμος θεοειδής· §24.406εἰ μὲν δὴ θεράπων Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος §24.407εἴς, ἄγε δή μοι πᾶσαν ἀληθείην κατάλεξον, §24.408ἢ ἔτι πὰρ νήεσσιν ἐμὸς πάϊς, ἦέ μιν ἤδη §24.409ᾗσι κυσὶν μελεϊστὶ ταμὼν προύθηκεν Ἀχιλλεύς. §24.410τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης· §24.411ὦ γέρον οὔ πω τόν γε κύνες φάγον οὐδʼ οἰωνοί, §24.412ἀλλʼ ἔτι κεῖνος κεῖται Ἀχιλλῆος παρὰ νηῒ §24.413αὔτως ἐν κλισίῃσι· δυωδεκάτη δέ οἱ ἠὼς §24.414κειμένῳ, οὐδέ τί οἱ χρὼς σήπεται, οὐδέ μιν εὐλαὶ §24.415ἔσθουσʼ, αἵ ῥά τε φῶτας ἀρηϊφάτους κατέδουσιν.
to hold back the Achaeans, eager for war, from battle." To him then made answer the godlike old man Priam: "If indeed you are a squire of Achilles, Peleus' son, come, tell me all the truth, whether my son is still by the ships, or whether by now Achilles has cut him limb from limb and thrown him to his dogs." To him again spoke the messenger, the slayer of Argus: "Old man, not yet have the dogs eaten him, nor the birds, but still he lies beside the ship of Achilles, just as he was, among the shelters; and this is the twelfth morning for him lying there, yet his flesh does not decay at all, nor do the worms eat him, which devour men slain in battle.
§24.416ἦ μέν μιν περὶ σῆμα ἑοῦ ἑτάροιο φίλοιο §24.417ἕλκει ἀκηδέστως ἠὼς ὅτε δῖα φανήῃ, §24.418οὐδέ μιν αἰσχύνει·
Truly, around the tomb of his dear comrade he drags him ruthlessly whenever divine dawn appears, yet he does not defile him.
θηοῖό κεν αὐτὸς ἐπελθὼν §24.419οἷον ἐερσήεις κεῖται, περὶ δʼ αἷμα νένιπται, §24.420οὐδέ ποθι μιαρός· σὺν δʼ ἕλκεα πάντα μέμυκεν §24.421ὅσσʼ ἐτύπη· πολέες γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ χαλκὸν ἔλασσαν.
You would wonder yourself, if you came and saw how fresh he lies, and the blood is washed away from him, nor is he defiled anywhere; and all his wounds have closed, however many he received; for many drove the bronze into him.
§24.422ὥς τοι κήδονται μάκαρες θεοὶ υἷος ἑῆος §24.423καὶ νέκυός περ ἐόντος, ἐπεί σφι φίλος περὶ κῆρι. §24.424ὣς φάτο, γήθησεν δʼ ὃ γέρων, καὶ ἀμείβετο μύθῳ· §24.425ὦ τέκος, ἦ ῥʼ ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐναίσιμα δῶρα διδοῦναι §24.426ἀθανάτοις, ἐπεὶ οὔ ποτʼ ἐμὸς πάϊς, εἴ ποτʼ ἔην γε, §24.427λήθετʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι θεῶν οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσι· §24.428τώ οἱ ἀπεμνήσαντο καὶ ἐν θανάτοιό περ αἴσῃ.
Thus do the blessed gods care for your son, even though he is a corpse, for he was dear to their hearts." So he spoke, and the old man rejoiced, and answered him, saying: "My child, surely it is good to give due gifts to the immortals, since my son, if indeed he ever existed, never forgot in our halls the gods who hold Olympus; therefore they have remembered him even in the doom of death.
§24.429ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ τόδε δέξαι ἐμεῦ πάρα καλὸν ἄλεισον, §24.430αὐτόν τε ῥῦσαι, πέμψον δέ με σύν γε θεοῖσιν, §24.431ὄφρά κεν ἐς κλισίην Πηληϊάδεω ἀφίκωμαι. §24.432τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης· §24.433πειρᾷ ἐμεῖο γεραιὲ νεωτέρου, οὐδέ με πείσεις, §24.434ὅς με κέλῃ σέο δῶρα παρὲξ Ἀχιλῆα δέχεσθαι.
But come, accept from me this beautiful goblet, and protect me myself, and guide me with the help of the gods, until I come to the shelter of the son of Peleus." To him again spoke the messenger, the slayer of Argus: "You are testing me, old man, who am younger than you, but you will not persuade me, you who bid me accept your gifts behind Achilles' back.
§24.435τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ δείδοικα καὶ αἰδέομαι περὶ κῆρι §24.436συλεύειν, μή μοί τι κακὸν μετόπισθε γένηται.
Him I fear and respect in my heart to rob, lest some evil happen to me hereafter.
§24.437σοὶ δʼ ἂν ἐγὼ πομπὸς καί κε κλυτὸν Ἄργος ἱκοίμην, §24.438ἐνδυκέως ἐν νηῒ θοῇ ἢ πεζὸς ὁμαρτέων· §24.439οὐκ ἄν τίς τοι πομπὸν ὀνοσσάμενος μαχέσαιτο. §24.440ἦ καὶ ἀναΐξας ἐριούνιος ἅρμα καὶ ἵππους §24.441καρπαλίμως μάστιγα καὶ ἡνία λάζετο χερσίν, §24.442ἐν δʼ ἔπνευσʼ ἵπποισι καὶ ἡμιόνοις μένος ἠΰ.
But as your guide I would go even to famous Argos, attentively accompanying you in a swift ship or on foot; no one would fight you through finding fault with your guide." He spoke, and leaping upon the chariot and horses, the helper swiftly took whip and reins in his hands, and breathed noble strength into the horses and mules.
§24.443ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ πύργους τε νεῶν καὶ τάφρον ἵκοντο, §24.444οἳ δὲ νέον περὶ δόρπα φυλακτῆρες πονέοντο, §24.445τοῖσι δʼ ἐφʼ ὕπνον ἔχευε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης §24.446πᾶσιν, ἄφαρ δʼ ὤϊξε πύλας καὶ ἀπῶσεν ὀχῆας, §24.447ἐς δʼ ἄγαγε Πρίαμόν τε καὶ ἀγλαὰ δῶρʼ ἐπʼ ἀπήνης.
But when they came to the towers of the ships and the trench, where the sentinels were just busying themselves about their supper, upon these the messenger, the slayer of Argus, shed sleep, upon them all; and straightway he opened the gates and thrust back the bolts, and brought in Priam and the glorious gifts upon the wagon.
§24.448ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ κλισίην Πηληϊάδεω ἀφίκοντο §24.449ὑψηλήν, τὴν Μυρμιδόνες ποίησαν ἄνακτι §24.450δοῦρʼ ἐλάτης κέρσαντες· ἀτὰρ καθύπερθεν ἔρεψαν §24.451λαχνήεντʼ ὄροφον λειμωνόθεν ἀμήσαντες· §24.452ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ μεγάλην αὐλὴν ποίησαν ἄνακτι §24.453σταυροῖσιν πυκινοῖσι· θύρην δʼ ἔχε μοῦνος ἐπιβλὴς §24.454εἰλάτινος, τὸν τρεῖς μὲν ἐπιρρήσσεσκον Ἀχαιοί, §24.455τρεῖς δʼ ἀναοίγεσκον μεγάλην κληῗδα θυράων §24.456τῶν ἄλλων· Ἀχιλεὺς δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπιρρήσσεσκε καὶ οἶος· §24.457δή ῥα τόθʼ Ἑρμείας ἐριούνιος ᾦξε γέροντι, §24.458ἐς δʼ ἄγαγε κλυτὰ δῶρα ποδώκεϊ Πηλεΐωνι, §24.459ἐξ ἵππων δʼ ἀπέβαινεν ἐπὶ χθόνα φώνησέν τε· §24.460ὦ γέρον ἤτοι ἐγὼ θεὸς ἄμβροτος εἰλήλουθα §24.461Ἑρμείας· σοὶ γάρ με πατὴρ ἅμα πομπὸν ὄπασσεν.
But when they came to the shelter of Peleus' son, lofty, which the Myrmidons had made for their king, hewing beams of fir; and they had roofed it over with a shaggy roof, mowing it from the meadows; and around it they made a great courtyard for their king with thick-set stakes; and the door was held by a single bar of fir, which three Achaeans were wont to drive home, and three were wont to open its great bolt— of the other men, but Achilles was wont to drive it home even alone; then indeed the helper Hermes opened it for the old man, and brought in the glorious gifts for the swift-footed son of Peleus, and from the chariot he stepped down to the earth and spoke, saying: "Old man, I am indeed an immortal god who has come, Hermes; for my father sent me to accompany you.
§24.462ἀλλʼ ἤτοι μὲν ἐγὼ πάλιν εἴσομαι, οὐδʼ Ἀχιλῆος §24.463ὀφθαλμοὺς εἴσειμι· νεμεσσητὸν δέ κεν εἴη §24.464ἀθάνατον θεὸν ὧδε βροτοὺς ἀγαπαζέμεν ἄντην· §24.465τύνη δʼ εἰσελθὼν λαβὲ γούνατα Πηλεΐωνος, §24.466καί μιν ὑπὲρ πατρὸς καὶ μητέρος ἠϋκόμοιο §24.467λίσσεο καὶ τέκεος, ἵνα οἱ σὺν θυμὸν ὀρίνῃς. §24.468ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη πρὸς μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον §24.469Ἑρμείας· Πρίαμος δʼ ἐξ ἵππων ἆλτο χαμᾶζε, §24.470Ἰδαῖον δὲ κατʼ αὖθι λίπεν· ὃ δὲ μίμνεν ἐρύκων §24.471ἵππους ἡμιόνους τε· γέρων δʼ ἰθὺς κίεν οἴκου,
But indeed I will go back, and will not go into the presence of Achilles' eyes; for it would be a cause of anger for an immortal god to show such open favor to mortals; but go in yourself, and clasp the knees of Peleus' son, and entreat him by his father and his fair-haired mother and his child, so that you may stir his soul." So speaking, he departed to high Olympus, Hermes; and Priam leaped from the chariot to the ground, and left Idaeus there; and he remained keeping watch over the horses and mules; but the old man went straight to the dwelling,