§13Ἀφροδίτη
αὕτη σοι ἐγὼ πλησίον, καὶ σκόπει καθʼ ἓν ἀκριβῶς μηδὲν παρατρέχων, ἀλλʼ ἐνδιατρίβων ἑκάστῳ τῶν μερῶν.
Aphrodite Here I am close to you; examine accurately piece by piece, passing over nothing, but lingering on each of the parts.
εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις, ὦ καλέ, καὶ τάδε μου ἄκουσον.
And if you wish, my handsome one, listen to this of mine as well.
ἐγὼ γὰρ πάλαι ὁρῶσά σε νέον ὄντα καὶ καλὸν ὁποῖον οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τινα ἕτερον ἡ Φρυγία τρέφει, μακαρίζω μὲν τοῦ κάλλους, αἰτιῶμαι δὲ τὸ μὴ ἀπολιπόντα τοὺς σκοπέλους καὶ ταυτασὶ τὰς πέτρας κατʼ ἄστυ ζῆν, ἀλλὰ διαφθείρειν τὸ κάλλος ἐν ἐρημίᾳ.
For I, having long seen that you are young and beautiful such as I do not know if Phrygia rears any other, congratulate you on your beauty, but blame the fact that you do not leave these cliffs and rocks to live in the city, but waste your beauty in the wilderness.
τί μὲν γὰρ ἂν σὺ ἀπολαύσειας τῶν ὀρῶν;
For what enjoyment could you get from the mountains?
τί δʼ ἂν ἀπόναιντο τοῦ σοῦ κάλλους αἱ βόες;
And what benefit could the cattle derive from your beauty?
ἔπρεπεν δὲ ἤδη σοι καὶ γεγαμηκέναι, μὴ μέντοι ἀγροῖκόν τινα καὶ χωρῖτιν, οἷαι κατὰ τὴν Ἴδην αἱ γυναῖκες, ἀλλά τινα ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἢ Ἀργόθεν ἢ ἐκ Κορίνθου ἢ Λάκαιναν οἵαπερ ἡ Ἑλένη ἐστίν, νέα τε καὶ καλὴ καὶ κατʼ οὐδὲν ἐλάττων ἐμοῦ, καὶ τὸ δὴ μέγιστον, ἐρωτική.
It would be fitting for you by now also to have married, not indeed some rustic and country girl, such as the women around Ida, but someone from Greece, either from Argos or from Corinth, or a Spartan woman such as Helen is, young and beautiful and in no way inferior to me, and, what is greatest of all, passionate.
ἐκείνη γὰρ εἰ καὶ μόνον θεάσαιτό σε, εὖ οἶδα ἐγὼ ὡς ἅπαντα ἀπολιποῦσα καὶ παρασχοῦσα ἑαυτὴν ἔκδοτον ἕψεται καὶ συνοικήσει.
For she, if she should only catch sight of you, I know well that she will leave everything and, giving herself up, follow you and live with you.
πάντως δὲ καὶ σὺ ἀκήκοάς τι περὶ αὐτῆς.
And surely you too have heard something about her.
Πάρις
οὐδέν, ὦ Ἀφροδίτη· νῦν δὲ ἡδέως ἂν ἀκούσαιμί σου τὰ πάντα διηγουμένης.
Paris Nothing, Aphrodite; but now I would gladly hear you narrate everything.
§14Ἀφροδίτη
αὕτη θυγάτηρ μέν ἐστι Λήδας ἐκείνης τῆς καλῆς ἐφʼ ἣν ὁ Ζεὺς κατέπτη κύκνος γενόμενος.
Aphrodite She is the daughter of that beautiful Leda, to whom Zeus flew down, having become a swan.
Πάρις
ποία δὲ τὴν ὄψιν ἐστί;
Paris And what is she like in appearance?
Ἀφροδίτη
λευκὴ μέν, οἵαν εἰκὸς ἐκ κύκνου γεγενημένην, ἁπαλὴ δέ, ὡς ἐν ᾠῷ τραφεῖσα, γυμνὰς τὰ πολλὰ καὶ παλαιστική, καὶ οὕτω δή τι περισπούδαστος ὥστε καὶ πόλεμον ἀμφʼ αὐτῇ γενέσθαι, τοῦ Θησέως ἄωρον ἔτι ἁρπάσαντος.
Aphrodite Fair-skinned, as is natural for one born from a swan, and tender, as if reared in an egg, mostly naked and athletic, and indeed so highly sought after that even a war arose over her, when Theseus snatched her away while she was still immature.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἐπειδήπερ εἰς ἀκμὴν κατέστη, πάντες οἱ ἄριστοι τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἐπὶ τὴν μνηστείαν ἀπήντησαν, προεκρίθη δὲ Μενέλεως τοῦ Πελοπιδῶν γένους.
Nevertheless, when she reached her prime, all the best of the Achaeans met for her hand, and Menelaus of the race of the Pelopidae was preferred.
εἰ δὴ θέλοις, ἐγώ σοι καταπράξομαι τὸν γάμον.
If indeed you wish, I will manage this marriage for you.
Πάρις
πῶς φής;
Paris How do you mean?
τὸν τῆς γεγαμημένης;
That of a married woman?
Ἀφροδίτη
νέος εἶ σὺ καὶ ἀγροῖκος, ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα ὡς χρὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα δρᾶν.
Aphrodite You are young and rustic, but I know how one must manage such things.
Πάρις
πῶς;
Paris How?
ἐθέλω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς εἰδέναι.
For I wish to know myself.
§15Ἀφροδίτη
σὺ μὲν ἀποδημήσεις ὡς ἐπὶ θέαν τῆς Ἑλλάδος, κἀπειδὰν ἀφίκῃ εἰς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα, ὄψεταί σε ἡ Ἑλένη.
Aphrodite You will travel abroad as if for sightseeing in Greece, and when you arrive in Lacedaemon, Helen will see you.
τοὐντεῦθεν δὲ ἐμὸν ἂν εἴη τὸ ἔργον, ὅπως ἐρασθήσεταί σου καὶ ἀκολουθήσει.
From then on, it would be my task to see that she falls in love with you and follows you.
Πάρις
τοῦτο αὐτὸ καὶ ἄπιστον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ, τὸ ἀπολιποῦσαν τὸν ἄνδρα ἐθελῆσαι βαρβάρῳ καὶ ξένῳ συνεκπλεῦσαι.
Paris This very thing seems incredible to me, that she would wish to leave her husband and sail away with a barbarian and a stranger.
Ἀφροδίτη
θάρρει τούτου γε ἕνεκα.
Aphrodite Be of good courage on this account.
παῖδε γάρ μοι ἐστὸν δύο καλώ, Ἵμερος καὶ Ἔρως, τούτω σοι παραδώσω ἡγεμόνε τῆς ὁδοῦ γενησομένω·
For I have two beautiful children, Himeros and Eros; these I will hand over to you to become leaders of your journey.
καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἔρως ὅλος παρελθὼν εἰς αὐτὴν ἀναγκάσει τὴν γυναῖκα ἐρᾶν, ὁ δʼ Ἵμερος αὐτῷ σοι περιχυθεὶς τοῦθʼ ὅπερ ἐστίν, ἱμερτόν τε θήσει καὶ ἐράσμιον.
And Eros, entering completely into her, will force the woman to love, while Himeros, pouring all around you, will make you what he is, desirable and lovely.
καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ συμπαροῦσα δεήσομαι καὶ τῶν Χαρίτων ἀκολουθεῖν· καὶ οὕτως ἅπαντες αὐτὴν ἀναπείσομεν.
And I myself, being present with you, will ask the Graces also to follow; and thus we shall all persuade her.
Πάρις
ὅπως μὲν ταῦτα χωρήσει, ἄδηλον, ὦ Ἀφροδίτη· πλὴν ἐρῶ γε ἤδη τῆς Ἑλένης καὶ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως καὶ ὁρᾶν αὐτὴν οἴομαι καὶ πλέω εὐθὺ τῆς Ἑλλάδος καὶ τῇ Σπάρτῃ ἐπιδημῶ καὶ ἐπάνειμι ἔχων τὴν γυναῖκα — καὶ ἄχθομαι ὅτι μὴ ταῦτα ἤδη πάντα ποιῶ.
Paris How these things will turn out is unclear, Aphrodite; yet indeed I am already in love with Helen, and I do not know how, but I seem to see her, and I am sailing straight for Greece, staying in Sparta, and returning with the woman—and I am vexed that I am not already doing all these things now.
§16Ἀφροδίτη
μὴ πρότερον ἐρασθῇς, ὦ Πάρι, πρὶν ἐμὲ τὴν προμνήστριαν καὶ νυμφαγωγὸν ἀμείψασθαι τῇ κρίσει· πρέποι γὰρ ἂν κἀμὲ νικηφόρον ὑμῖν συμπαρεῖναι καὶ ἑορτάζειν ἅμα καὶ τοὺς γάμους καὶ τὰ ἐπινίκια.
Aphrodite Do not fall in love beforehand, Paris, until you reward me, the matchmaker and bridal escort, with your judgment; for it would be fitting also for me to be present with you as a victor and to celebrate both the marriage and the victory at the same time.
πάντα γὰρ ἔνεστί σοι — τὸν ἔρωτα, τὸ κάλλος, τὸν γάμον — τουτουὶ τοῦ μήλου πρίασθαι.
For it is within your power to purchase all things—love, beauty, marriage—for this apple.
Πάρις
δέδοικα μή μου ἀμελήσῃς μετὰ τὴν κρίσιν.
Paris I fear lest you neglect me after the judgment.
Ἀφροδίτη
βούλει οὖν ἐπομόσομαι;
Aphrodite Do you wish then that I swear an oath?
Πάρις
μηδαμῶς, ἀλλʼ ὑπόσχου πάλιν.
Paris By no means, but promise again.
Ἀφροδίτη
ὑπισχνοῦμαι δή σοι τὴν Ἑλένην παραδώσειν γυναῖκα, καὶ ἀκολουθήσειν γέ σοι αὐτὴν καὶ ἀφίξεσθαι παρʼ ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Ἴλιον· καὶ αὐτὴ παρέσομαι καὶ συμπράξω τὰ πάντα.
Aphrodite Indeed, I promise you to deliver Helen as a wife, and that she will follow you and arrive at Ilium to you; and I myself will be present and assist in everything.
Πάρις
καὶ τὸν Ἔρωτα καὶ τὸν Ἵμερον καὶ τὰς Χάριτας ἄξεις;
Paris And will you bring Eros and Himeros and the Graces?
Ἀφροδίτη
θάρρει, καὶ τὸν Πόθον καὶ τὸν Ὑμέναιον ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις παραλήψομαι.
Aphrodite Be of good courage, and I will take along Pothos and Hymenaios in addition to these.
Πάρις
οὐκοῦν ἐπὶ τούτοις δίδωμι τὸ μῆλον· ἐπὶ τούτοις λάμβανε.
Paris Therefore, on these conditions I give the apple; on these, take it.