§8Πάρις
αὗται δὲ πᾶσαί τε ὁμοίως καλαὶ καὶ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἄν τις ἀπὸ τῆς ἑτέρας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτέραν μεταγάγοι τὴν ὄψιν ἀποσπάσας· οὐ γὰρ ἐθέλει ἀφίστασθαι ῥᾳδίως, ἀλλʼ ἔνθα ἂν ἀπερείσῃ τὸ πρῶτον, τούτου ἔχεται καὶ τὸ παρὸν ἐπαινεῖ· κἂν ἐπʼ ἄλλο μεταβῇ, κἀκεῖνο καλὸν ὁρᾷ καὶ παραμένει, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πλησίον παραλαμβάνεται.
Paris: And these are all equally beautiful, and I do not know how one could tear away his sight and transfer it from one to the other; for it does not wish to depart easily, but wherever it first rests, it clings to this and praises what is present; and even if it moves to another, it sees that one too as beautiful and stays, and is taken over by the neighboring charms.
καὶ ὅλως περικέχυταί μοι τὸ κάλλος αὐτῶν καὶ ὅλον περιείληφέ με καὶ ἄχθομαι, ὅτι μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ ὁ Ἄργος ὅλῳ βλέπειν δύναμαι τῷ σώματι.
And in general, their beauty has poured all around me, and has completely enveloped me, and I am vexed that I myself am not able, like Argus, to see with my whole body.
δοκῶ δʼ ἄν μοι καλῶς δικάσαι πάσαις ἀποδοὺς τὸ μῆλον.
And I think I would judge well if I gave the apple to all of them.
καὶ γὰρ αὖ καὶ τόδε, ταύτην μὲν εἶναι συμβέβηκεν τοῦ Διὸς ἀδελφὴν καὶ γυναῖκα, ταύτας δὲ θυγατέρας· πῶς οὖν οὐ χαλεπὴ καὶ οὕτως ἡ κρίσις;
For moreover, there is also this: it happens that this one is the sister and wife of Zeus, and these are daughters; how then is the judgment not difficult even on this account?
Ἑρμῆς
οὐκ οἶδα· πλὴν οὐχ οἷόν τε ἀναδῦναι πρὸς τοῦ Διὸς κεκελευσμένον.
Hermes: I do not know; except that it is not possible to decline what has been commanded by Zeus.
§9Πάρις
ἓν τοῦτο, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, πεῖσον αὐτάς, μὴ χαλεπῶς ἔχειν μοι τὰς δύο τὰς νενικημένας, ἀλλὰ μόνων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν διαμαρτίαν.
Paris: Persuade them of this one thing, Hermes: that the two who are defeated should not be angry with me, but consider the error to belong to my eyes alone.
Ἑρμῆς
οὕτω φασὶ ποιήσειν· ὥρα δέ σοι ἤδη περαίνειν τὴν κρίσιν.
Hermes: They say they will do so; and it is time for you now to finish the judgment.
Πάρις
πειρασόμεθα· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ πάθοι τις;
Paris: We shall try; for what else can one do?
ἐκεῖνο δὲ πρότερον εἰδέναι βούλομαι, πότερʼ ἐξαρκέσει σκοπεῖν αὐτὰς ὡς ἔχουσιν, ἢ καὶ ἀποδῦσαι δεήσει πρὸς τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῆς ἐξετάσεως;
But I wish to know this first: whether it will be sufficient to examine them as they are, or will it be necessary also for them to undress for the precision of the investigation?
Ἑρμῆς
τοῦτο μὲν σὸν ἂν εἴη τοῦ δικαστοῦ, καὶ πρόσταττε ὅπη καὶ θέλεις.
Hermes: This would be your affair as the judge, so command just as you wish.
Πάρις
ὅπη καὶ θέλω;
Paris: Just as I wish?
γυμνὰς ἰδεῖν βούλομαι.
I wish to see them naked.
Ἑρμῆς
ἀπόδυτε, ὦ αὗται· σὺ δʼ ἐπισκόπει· ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεστράφην.
Hermes: Undress, ladies; and you, examine them; but I have turned away.
§10Ἀφροδίτη
καλῶς, ὦ Πάρι· καὶ πρώτη γε ἀποδύσομαι, ὅπως μάθῃς ὅτι μὴ μόνας ἔχω τὰς ὠλένας λευκὰς μηδὲ τῷ βοῶπις εἶναι μέγα φρονῶ, ἐπʼ ἴσης δέ εἰμι πᾶσα καὶ ὁμοίως καλή.
Aphrodite: Very well, Paris; and I will be the first to undress, so that you may learn that I do not only have white arms nor do I pride myself on being ox-eyed, but I am equally and uniformly beautiful all over.
Ἀθήνα
μὴ πρότερον ἀποδύσῃς αὐτήν, ὦ Πάρι, πρὶν ἂν τὸν κεστὸν ἀπόθηται — φαρμακὶς γάρ ἐστιν — μή σε καταγοητεύσῃ διʼ αὐτοῦ.
Athena: Do not let her undress, Paris, before she puts off her girdle—for she is a sorceress—lest she bewitch you through it.
καίτοι γε ἐχρῆν μηδὲ οὕτω κεκαλλωπισμένην παρεῖναι μηδὲ τοσαῦτα ἐντετριμμένην χρώματα καθάπερ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἑταίραν τινά, ἀλλὰ γυμνὸν τὸ κάλλος ἐπιδεικνύειν.
And yet indeed she ought not to have been present so adorned, nor wearing so many cosmetics like a real courtesan, but should show her beauty bare.
Πάρις
Εὖ λέγουσι τὸ περὶ τοῦ κεστοῦ, καὶ ἀπόθου.
Paris: What you say about the girdle is right; put it off.
Ἀφροδίτη
τί οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ σύ, ὦ Ἀθηνᾶ, τὴν κόρυν ἀφελοῦσα ψιλὴν τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπιδεικνύεις, ἀλλʼ ἐπισείεις τὸν λόφον καὶ τὸν δικαστὴν φοβεῖς;
Aphrodite: Why then, Athena, do you not also take off your helmet and show your head bare, instead of shaking your crest and terrifying the judge?
ἢ δέδιας μή σοι ἐλέγχηται τὸ γλαυκὸν τῶν ὀμμάτων ἄνευ τοῦ φοβεροῦ βλεπόμενον;
Or do you fear lest your gray eyes be proven plain when seen without their terrifying aspect?
Ἀθήνα
ἰδού σοι ἡ κόρυς αὕτη ἀφῄρηται.
Athena: Behold, here is the helmet taken off for you.
Ἀφροδίτη
ἰδοὺ καί σοι ὁ κεστός.
Aphrodite: Behold, and here is the girdle for you.
Ἥρα
ἀλλὰ ἀποδυσώμεθα.
Hera: Well, let us undress.
§11Πάρις
ὦ Ζεῦ τεράστιε τῆς θέας, τοῦ κάλλους, τῆς ἡδονῆς.
Paris: O wondrous Zeus! What a sight, what beauty, what pleasure!
οἵα μὲν ἡ παρθένος, ὡς δὲ βασιλικὸν αὕτη καὶ σεμνὸν ἀπολάμπει καὶ ἀληθῶς ἄξιον τοῦ Διός, ἥδε δὲ ὁρᾷ ἡδύ τι καὶ γλαφυρόν, καὶ προσαγωγὸν ἐμειδίασεν — ἀλλʼ ἤδη μὲν ἅλις ἔχω τῆς εὐδαιμονίας· εἰ δοκεῖ δέ, καὶ ἰδίᾳ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἐπιδεῖν βούλομαι, ὡς νῦν γε ἀμφίβολός εἰμι καὶ οὐκ οἶδα πρὸς ὅ τι ἀποβλέψω, πάντῃ τὰς ὄψεις περισπώμενος.
How grand is the maiden (Athena), how queenly and majestic this one (Hera) shines forth, and truly worthy of Zeus, and this one (Aphrodite) looks with something sweet and elegant, and smiled alluringly—but I already have enough of this happiness; if it seems good, I wish to look at each one privately as well, since for now indeed I am doubtful and do not know what I should look at, my eyes being dragged in every direction.
Ἀφροδίτη
οὕτω ποιῶμεν.
Aphrodite: Let us do so.
Πάρις
ἄπιτε οὖν αἱ δύο· σὺ δέ, ὦ Ἥρα, περίμενε.
Paris: Go away then, you two; and you, Hera, remain.
Ἥρα
περιμενῶ, κἀπειδάν με ἀκριβῶς ἴδῃς, ὥρα σοι καὶ τἄλλα ἤδη σκοπεῖν εἰ καλά σοι, τὰ δῶρα τῆς ψήφου τῆς ἐμῆς.
Hera: I will remain, and when you have examined me accurately, it will be time for you to consider other things as well, to see if they are beautiful to you—namely, the gifts of my vote.
ἢν γάρ με, ὦ Πάρι, δικάσῃς εἶναι καλήν, ἁπάσης ἔσῃ τῆς Ἀσίας δεσπότης.
For if, Paris, you judge me to be beautiful, you shall be the master of all Asia.
Πάρις
οὐκ ἐπὶ δώροις μὲν τὰ ἡμέτερα.
Paris: Our decision is not for bribes.
πλὴν ἄπιθι· πεπράξεται γὰρ ἅπερ ἂν δοκῇ.
However, depart; for whatever seems best shall be done.
§12Πάρις
σὺ δὲ πρόσιθι ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ.
Paris: And you, Athena, approach.
Ἀθήνα
παρέστηκά σοι, καὶ ἤν με, ὦ Πάρι, δικάσῃς καλήν, οὔποτε ἥττων ἄπει ἐκ μάχης, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ κρατῶν· πολεμιστὴν γάρ σε καὶ νικηφόρον ἀπεργάσομαι.
Athena: I stand beside you, and if you judge me beautiful, Paris, you will never depart defeated from battle, but always conquering; for I will make you a warrior and bringer of victory.
Πάρις
οὐδέν, ὦ Ἀθηνᾶ, δεῖ μοι πολέμου καὶ μάχης· εἰρήνη γάρ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, τὰ νῦν ἐπέχει τὴν Φρυγίαν τε καὶ Λυδίαν καὶ ἀπολέμητος ἡμῖν ἡ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀρχή.
Paris: I have no need of war and battle, Athena; for peace, as you see, currently possesses Phrygia and Lydia, and my father's kingdom is untouched by war.
θάρρει δέ· οὐ μειονεκτήσεις γάρ, κἂν μὴ ἐπὶ δώροις δικάζωμεν.
But be of good courage; for you will not be at a disadvantage, even if we do not judge for gifts.
ἀλλʼ ἔνδυθι ἤδη καὶ ἐπίθου τὴν κόρυν· ἱκανῶς γὰρ εἶδον.
But dress yourself now and put on your helmet; for I have seen enough.
τὴν Ἀφροδίτην παρεῖναι καιρός.
It is time for Aphrodite to be present.