§24.538ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ καὶ τῷ θῆκε θεὸς κακόν, ὅττί οἱ οὔ τι §24.539παίδων ἐν μεγάροισι γονὴ γένετο κρειόντων, §24.540ἀλλʼ ἕνα παῖδα τέκεν παναώριον· οὐδέ νυ τόν γε §24.541γηράσκοντα κομίζω, ἐπεὶ μάλα τηλόθι πάτρης §24.542ἧμαι ἐνὶ Τροίῃ, σέ τε κήδων ἠδὲ σὰ τέκνα.
But upon him too did the god bring evil, in that no offspring of ruling sons was born to him in his halls, but he begot one only son, doomed to an untimely death; nor do I indeed tend him as he grows old, since far, far from my country I sit here in Troy, grieving you and your children.
§24.543καὶ σὲ γέρον τὸ πρὶν μὲν ἀκούομεν ὄλβιον εἶναι· §24.544ὅσσον Λέσβος ἄνω Μάκαρος ἕδος ἐντὸς ἐέργει §24.545καὶ Φρυγίη καθύπερθε καὶ Ἑλλήσποντος ἀπείρων, §24.546τῶν σε γέρον πλούτῳ τε καὶ υἱάσι φασὶ κεκάσθαι.
And of you, old man, we hear that aforetime you were happy; as much as Lesbos, Macar's seat, shuts in from above, and Phrygia in the upland, and the limitless Hellespont, over all these, old man, they say you excelled in wealth and in sons.
§24.547αὐτὰρ ἐπεί τοι πῆμα τόδʼ ἤγαγον Οὐρανίωνες §24.548αἰεί τοι περὶ ἄστυ μάχαι τʼ ἀνδροκτασίαι τε.
But since the heavenly gods brought this bane upon you, ever around your city are battles and slayings of men.
§24.549ἄνσχεο, μὴ δʼ ἀλίαστον ὀδύρεο σὸν κατὰ θυμόν· §24.550οὐ γάρ τι πρήξεις ἀκαχήμενος υἷος ἑῆος, §24.551οὐδέ μιν ἀνστήσεις, πρὶν καὶ κακὸν ἄλλο πάθῃσθα.
Endure, and do not grieve endlessly in your heart; for you will gain nothing by grieving for your noble son, nor will you raise him up, before you suffer yet another evil.
§24.552τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα γέρων Πρίαμος θεοειδής· §24.553μή πω μʼ ἐς θρόνον ἵζε διοτρεφὲς ὄφρά κεν Ἕκτωρ §24.554κεῖται ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἀκηδής, ἀλλὰ τάχιστα §24.555λῦσον ἵνʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδω· σὺ δὲ δέξαι ἄποινα §24.556πολλά, τά τοι φέρομεν· σὺ δὲ τῶνδʼ ἀπόναιο, καὶ ἔλθοις §24.557σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν, ἐπεί με πρῶτον ἔασας §24.558αὐτόν τε ζώειν καὶ ὁρᾶν φάος ἠελίοιο. §24.559τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς· §24.560μηκέτι νῦν μʼ ἐρέθιζε γέρον· νοέω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς §24.561Ἕκτορά τοι λῦσαι, Διόθεν δέ μοι ἄγγελος ἦλθε §24.562μήτηρ, ἥ μʼ ἔτεκεν, θυγάτηρ ἁλίοιο γέροντος.
Then godlike Priam the old man answered him: "Seat me not yet upon a seat, O fostered of Zeus, while Hector lies uncared for in the huts, but with all speed free him, that I may look upon him with my eyes; and do you accept the ransom, the great ransom we bring you; and may you have joy thereof, and reach your own native land, since you have first suffered me to live myself and look upon the light of the sun." Then with a dark scowl swift-footed Achilles spoke to him: "Provoke me no more now, old man; of myself I am minded to free Hector to you, and to me from Zeus came a messenger, the mother who bore me, daughter of the old man of the sea.
§24.563καὶ δέ σε γιγνώσκω Πρίαμε φρεσίν, οὐδέ με λήθεις, §24.564ὅττι θεῶν τίς σʼ ἦγε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
And I know you, Priam, in my heart, nor does it escape me, that some god led you to the swift ships of the Achaeans.
§24.565οὐ γάρ κε τλαίη βροτὸς ἐλθέμεν, οὐδὲ μάλʼ ἡβῶν, §24.566ἐς στρατόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν φυλάκους λάθοι, οὐδέ κʼ ὀχῆα §24.567ῥεῖα μετοχλίσσειε θυράων ἡμετεράων.
For no mortal would dare to come, not even in his prime, into the camp; for he could not escape the watch, nor easily push back the bolt of our doors.
§24.568τὼ νῦν μή μοι μᾶλλον ἐν ἄλγεσι θυμὸν ὀρίνῃς, §24.569μή σε γέρον οὐδʼ αὐτὸν ἐνὶ κλισίῃσιν ἐάσω §24.570καὶ ἱκέτην περ ἐόντα, Διὸς δʼ ἀλίτωμαι ἐφετμάς. §24.571ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἔδεισεν δʼ ὃ γέρων καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθῳ.
Therefore stir my heart no more in my sorrows, lest, old man, I spare not even you within the huts, supplicant though you are, and so transgress the commands of Zeus." So he spoke, and the old man feared and obeyed his word.
§24.572Πηλεΐδης δʼ οἴκοιο λέων ὣς ἆλτο θύραζε §24.573οὐκ οἶος, ἅμα τῷ γε δύω θεράποντες ἕποντο §24.574ἥρως Αὐτομέδων ἠδʼ Ἄλκιμος, οὕς ῥα μάλιστα §24.575τῖʼ Ἀχιλεὺς ἑτάρων μετὰ Πάτροκλόν γε θανόντα, §24.576οἳ τόθʼ ὑπὸ ζυγόφιν λύον ἵππους ἡμιόνους τε, §24.577ἐς δʼ ἄγαγον κήρυκα καλήτορα τοῖο γέροντος, §24.578κὰδ δʼ ἐπὶ δίφρου εἷσαν· ἐϋξέστου δʼ ἀπʼ ἀπήνης §24.579ᾕρεον Ἑκτορέης κεφαλῆς ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα.
And the son of Peleus sprang like a lion from the door of the house, not alone, but with him two attendants followed, the hero Automedon and Alcimus, whom Achilles honored most of his companions after dead Patroclus; they then loosed from the yoke the horses and the mules, and led within the loud-voiced herald of the old man, and seated him on a chair; and from the well-polished wagon they took the countless ransom for Hector's head.
§24.580κὰδ δʼ ἔλιπον δύο φάρεʼ ἐΰννητόν τε χιτῶνα, §24.581ὄφρα νέκυν πυκάσας δοίη οἶκον δὲ φέρεσθαι.
But they left two cloaks and a well-spun tunic, that he might wrap the dead and give him to be carried home.
§24.582δμῳὰς δʼ ἐκκαλέσας λοῦσαι κέλετʼ ἀμφί τʼ ἀλεῖψαι §24.583νόσφιν ἀειράσας, ὡς μὴ Πρίαμος ἴδοι υἱόν, §24.584μὴ ὃ μὲν ἀχνυμένῃ κραδίῃ χόλον οὐκ ἐρύσαιτο §24.585παῖδα ἰδών, Ἀχιλῆϊ δʼ ὀρινθείη φίλον ἦτορ, §24.586καί ἑ κατακτείνειε, Διὸς δʼ ἀλίτηται ἐφετμάς.
And Achilles called forth the handmaids and bade them wash and anoint him, carrying him apart, so that Priam might not see his son, lest in his grieving heart he should not check his wrath at seeing his child, and Achilles' own heart be stirred to anger, and he slay him, and transgress the commands of Zeus.
§24.587τὸν δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν δμῳαὶ λοῦσαν καὶ χρῖσαν ἐλαίῳ, §24.588ἀμφὶ δέ μιν φᾶρος καλὸν βάλον ἠδὲ χιτῶνα, §24.589αὐτὸς τόν γʼ Ἀχιλεὺς λεχέων ἐπέθηκεν ἀείρας, §24.590σὺν δʼ ἕταροι ἤειραν ἐϋξέστην ἐπʼ ἀπήνην.
So when the handmaids had washed him and anointed him with oil, and had cast about him a fair cloak and a tunic, then Achilles himself lifted him and laid him upon a bier, and his companions with him lifted it onto the well-polished wagon.
§24.591ᾤμωξέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα, φίλον δʼ ὀνόμηνεν ἑταῖρον· §24.592μή μοι Πάτροκλε σκυδμαινέμεν, αἴ κε πύθηαι §24.593εἰν Ἄϊδός περ ἐὼν ὅτι Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔλυσα §24.594πατρὶ φίλῳ, ἐπεὶ οὔ μοι ἀεικέα δῶκεν ἄποινα.
Then he uttered a groan, and called upon his dear companion by name: "Be not angry with me, Patroclus, if you hear, even though you are in the house of Hades, that I have freed noble Hector to his dear father, since he has given me ransom not unseemly.
§24.595σοὶ δʼ αὖ ἐγὼ καὶ τῶνδʼ ἀποδάσσομαι ὅσσʼ ἐπέοικεν. §24.596ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἐς κλισίην πάλιν ἤϊε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς, §24.597ἕζετο δʼ ἐν κλισμῷ πολυδαιδάλῳ ἔνθεν ἀνέστη §24.598τοίχου τοῦ ἑτέρου, ποτὶ δὲ Πρίαμον φάτο μῦθον· §24.599υἱὸς μὲν δή τοι λέλυται γέρον ὡς ἐκέλευες, §24.600κεῖται δʼ ἐν λεχέεσσʼ· ἅμα δʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφιν §24.601ὄψεαι αὐτὸς ἄγων· νῦν δὲ μνησώμεθα δόρπου.
And to you of this also I will give such portion as is meet." So spoke noble Achilles, and went back into the hut, and sat down on the richly-wrought seat from which he had risen, by the opposite wall, and spoke to Priam: "Your son is freed to you, old man, as you did bid, and lies upon a bier; and with the showing of the dawn you shall look upon him yourself as you bear him away; but now let us think of supper."