§6.337νῦν δέ με παρειποῦσʼ ἄλοχος μαλακοῖς ἐπέεσσιν §6.338ὅρμησʼ ἐς πόλεμον· δοκέει δέ μοι ὧδε καὶ αὐτῷ §6.339λώϊον ἔσσεσθαι· νίκη δʼ ἐπαμείβεται ἄνδρας.
But now my wife, persuading me with gentle words, has urged me to the war; and to myself also it seems that it will be better; for victory shifts from man to man.
§6.340ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ἐπίμεινον, Ἀρήϊα τεύχεα δύω· §6.341ἢ ἴθʼ, ἐγὼ δὲ μέτειμι· κιχήσεσθαι δέ σʼ ὀΐω. §6.342ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ οὔ τι προσέφη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ· §6.343τὸν δʼ Ἑλένη μύθοισι προσηύδα μειλιχίοισι· §6.344δᾶερ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς κακομηχάνου ὀκρυοέσσης, §6.345ὥς μʼ ὄφελʼ ἤματι τῷ ὅτε με πρῶτον τέκε μήτηρ §6.346οἴχεσθαι προφέρουσα κακὴ ἀνέμοιο θύελλα §6.347εἰς ὄρος ἢ εἰς κῦμα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης, §6.348ἔνθά με κῦμʼ ἀπόερσε πάρος τάδε ἔργα γενέσθαι.
But come now, wait a while, let me put on my warlike armor; or go on, and I will follow; and I think I shall overtake you.” So he spoke, and Hector of the flashing helm answered him not a word; but Helen spoke to him with gentle words: “Brother-of-a-dog like me, deviser of evil, sister of dread, would that on the day when first my mother bore me a evil storm-wind had caught me up and carried me away to some mountain or to the wave of the loud-resounding sea, where the wave would have swept me away before these deeds came to pass.
§6.349αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τάδε γʼ ὧδε θεοὶ κακὰ τεκμήραντο, §6.350ἀνδρὸς ἔπειτʼ ὤφελλον ἀμείνονος εἶναι ἄκοιτις, §6.351ὃς ᾔδη νέμεσίν τε καὶ αἴσχεα πόλλʼ ἀνθρώπων.
But since the gods have thus ordained these evils, then I ought to have been the wife of a better man, who felt the anger of men and their many reproaches.
§6.352τούτῳ δʼ οὔτʼ ἂρ νῦν φρένες ἔμπεδοι οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ὀπίσσω §6.353ἔσσονται· τὼ καί μιν ἐπαυρήσεσθαι ὀΐω.
But in this man there is no steadfast heart now, nor ever will there be in the future; wherefore I think he will also reap the fruit thereof.
§6.354ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν εἴσελθε καὶ ἕζεο τῷδʼ ἐπὶ δίφρῳ §6.355δᾶερ, ἐπεί σε μάλιστα πόνος φρένας ἀμφιβέβηκεν §6.356εἵνεκʼ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκʼ ἄτης, §6.357οἷσιν ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε κακὸν μόρον, ὡς καὶ ὀπίσσω §6.358ἀνθρώποισι πελώμεθʼ ἀοίδιμοι ἐσσομένοισι. §6.359τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα μέγας κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ §6.360μή με κάθιζʼ Ἑλένη φιλέουσά περ·
But come now, enter and sit upon this seat, brother, since trouble has encompassed your heart most of all because of me, dog that I am, and the folly of Alexander, upon whom Zeus has laid an evil doom, so that even in days to come we may be a song for men that are yet to be.” To her then great Hector of the flashing helm made answer: “Bid me not sit, Helen, though you love me; you will not persuade me.
οὐδέ με πείσεις· §6.361ἤδη γάρ μοι θυμὸς ἐπέσσυται ὄφρʼ ἐπαμύνω §6.362Τρώεσσʼ, οἳ μέγʼ ἐμεῖο ποθὴν ἀπεόντος ἔχουσιν.
For already my heart is eager to bring aid to the Trojans, who have great longing for me in my absence.
§6.363ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ ὄρνυθι τοῦτον, ἐπειγέσθω δὲ καὶ αὐτός, §6.364ὥς κεν ἔμʼ ἔντοσθεν πόλιος καταμάρψῃ ἐόντα.
But do you rouse this man, and let him also make haste, that he may overtake me while I am yet within the city.
For I too will go to my house, that I may see my home-folk, and my dear wife, and my infant son.
§6.367οὐ γὰρ οἶδʼ εἰ ἔτι σφιν ὑπότροπος ἵξομαι αὖτις, §6.368ἦ ἤδη μʼ ὑπὸ χερσὶ θεοὶ δαμόωσιν Ἀχαιῶν. §6.369ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ·
For I know not if I shall ever again return to them, or if even now the gods will lay me low beneath the hands of the Achaeans.” So saying, Hector of the flashing helm departed.
§6.370αἶψα δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἵκανε δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας, §6.371οὐδʼ εὗρʼ Ἀνδρομάχην λευκώλενον ἐν μεγάροισιν, §6.372ἀλλʼ ἥ γε ξὺν παιδὶ καὶ ἀμφιπόλῳ ἐϋπέπλῳ §6.373πύργῳ ἐφεστήκει γοόωσά τε μυρομένη τε.
And quickly he came to his well-ordered house, but found not white-armed Andromache in the halls; but she with her child and a fair-robed handmaiden stood on the wall-tower, weeping and wailing.
§6.374Ἕκτωρ δʼ ὡς οὐκ ἔνδον ἀμύμονα τέτμεν ἄκοιτιν §6.375ἔστη ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰών, μετὰ δὲ δμῳῇσιν ἔειπεν· §6.376εἰ δʼ ἄγε μοι δμῳαὶ νημερτέα μυθήσασθε· §6.377πῇ ἔβη Ἀνδρομάχη λευκώλενος ἐκ μεγάροιο;
And Hector, when he found not his noble wife within, went and stood upon the threshold, and spoke among the handmaidens: “Come, handmaidens, tell me truly: whither went white-armed Andromache from the hall?
§6.378ἠέ πῃ ἐς γαλόων ἢ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων §6.379ἢ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι §6.380Τρῳαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται; §6.381τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ ὀτρηρὴ ταμίη πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν· §6.382Ἕκτορ ἐπεὶ μάλʼ ἄνωγας ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι, §6.383οὔτέ πῃ ἐς γαλόων οὔτʼ εἰνατέρων ἐϋπέπλων §6.384οὔτʼ ἐς Ἀθηναίης ἐξοίχεται, ἔνθά περ ἄλλαι §6.385Τρῳαὶ ἐϋπλόκαμοι δεινὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκονται, §6.386ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πύργον ἔβη μέγαν Ἰλίου, οὕνεκʼ ἄκουσε §6.387τείρεσθαι Τρῶας, μέγα δὲ κράτος εἶναι Ἀχαιῶν.
Is she gone to the house of her husband's sisters, or to her fair-robed brothers' wives, or is she gone to the temple of Athena, where the other fair-tressed Trojan women are appeasing the dread goddess?” To him then the busy housekeeper spoke, saying: “Hector, since you straitly bid us tell the truth, she is not gone to any of her husband's sisters, nor to her fair-robed brothers' wives, nor yet to the temple of Athena, where the other fair-tressed Trojan women are appeasing the dread goddess; but she went to the great tower of Ilios, because she heard that the Trojans were being hard pressed, and that the power of the Achaeans was great.
§6.388ἣ μὲν δὴ πρὸς τεῖχος ἐπειγομένη ἀφικάνει §6.389μαινομένῃ ἐϊκυῖα· φέρει δʼ ἅμα παῖδα τιθήνη. §6.390ἦ ῥα γυνὴ ταμίη, ὃ δʼ ἀπέσσυτο δώματος Ἕκτωρ §6.391τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν αὖτις ἐϋκτιμένας κατʼ ἀγυιάς.
She indeed is making haste to the wall like one beside herself; and with her the nurse carries the child.” So spoke the housekeeper, and Hector hasted from the house back by the same way through the well-built streets.
§6.392εὖτε πύλας ἵκανε διερχόμενος μέγα ἄστυ §6.393Σκαιάς, τῇ ἄρʼ ἔμελλε διεξίμεναι πεδίον δέ, §6.394ἔνθʼ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος ἐναντίη ἦλθε θέουσα §6.395Ἀνδρομάχη θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἠετίωνος §6.396Ἠετίων ὃς ἔναιεν ὑπὸ Πλάκῳ ὑληέσσῃ §6.397Θήβῃ Ὑποπλακίῃ Κιλίκεσσʼ ἄνδρεσσιν ἀνάσσων·
When he came to the gates as he passed through the great city, the Scaean gates, by which he was minded to go out to the plain, there came running to meet him his bounteous wife, Andromache, daughter of great-hearted Eëtion; Eëtion who dwelt beneath wooded Placus, in Thebe under Placus, ruling over the men of Cilicia.
§6.398τοῦ περ δὴ θυγάτηρ ἔχεθʼ Ἕκτορι χαλκοκορυστῇ.
His daughter it was who was held by Hector of the bronze helm.
§6.399ἥ οἱ ἔπειτʼ ἤντησʼ, ἅμα δʼ ἀμφίπολος κίεν αὐτῇ §6.400παῖδʼ ἐπὶ κόλπῳ ἔχουσʼ ἀταλάφρονα νήπιον αὔτως §6.401Ἑκτορίδην ἀγαπητὸν ἀλίγκιον ἀστέρι καλῷ, §6.402τόν ῥʼ Ἕκτωρ καλέεσκε Σκαμάνδριον, αὐτὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι
She then met him, and with her went the handmaiden, bearing on her bosom the tender boy, a mere babe, Hector's loved son, like to a beautiful star, whom Hector called Scamandrius, but the others