Book 24

Now the games were broken off, and the people scattered, each to their swift ships,hurrying to go; and they thought of supperand of sweet sleep, to take their delight; but Achilleswept, remembering his dear companion, nor did sleepthe all-subduer seize him, but he turned this way and that,longing for Patroclus, for his manhood and his noble strength,and all that he had endured with him and suffered, the griefsof men and the wars, and the painful waves he had crossed.Remembering these things, he let fall a heavy tear,now lying on his side, and now againon his back, and now face downward; and then standing uprighthe wandered distraught along the shore of the sea; nor did Dawnappearing escape him, over the sea and the beaches.But whenever he had yoked his swift horses under the chariot,he would bind Hector to be dragged behind the chariot,and having dragged him three times around the tomb of dead Menoetiades,he rested again in his hut, and left him therestretched face down in the dust; but from him Apollokept all unseemliness from his flesh, pitying the maneven in death; and all about him he covered him with the goldenaegis, so that the dragger might not tear his skin.So he in his fury kept dishonoring noble Hector;but the blessed gods pitied him as they looked on,and kept urging the keen-sighted Argeiphontes to steal him.There it pleased all the others, but never Heranor Poseidon nor the gray-eyed maiden;no, they held firm as at the first when holy Ilium was hateful to them,and Priam and his people, for the sake of Alexander's folly,who had reviled the goddesses when they came to his farmstead,and praised the one who gave him grievous lust.But when the twelfth dawn had come from that day,then Phoebus Apollo spoke among the deathless gods:"Cruel are you, gods, and deadly! Did Hector neverburn for you thigh-bones of oxen and of unblemished goats?Him now, though he is dead, you have not dared to save,for his wife to see, and his mother, and his child,and his father Priam and his people, who would quicklyburn him in the fire and give him the funeral rites.But you gods choose to help deadly Achilles,in whom there are no righteous thoughts, nor any purposepliant in his breast; and like a lion he knows wild ways,who, when he has yielded to his great strength and his proud heart,goes at the flocks of men that he may take his meal;so Achilles has destroyed pity, and shame is not in him,shame that greatly harms men and greatly helps them.A man may yet lose even one dearer to him,or a brother of the same womb, or even a son;yet having wept and lamented, he lets him go;for the Fates have set in men a heart that endures.But this man, when he has torn away noble Hector's dear life,binding him to his horses, drags him around his dear companion's tomb;and that is neither more beautiful for him nor better.Let us not be angry with him, noble though he is;for in his fury he dishonors the dumb earth."Then white-armed Hera spoke to him in anger:"This word of yours too would stand, O silver-bowed lord,if you will make the honor of Achilles and Hector the same.Hector is a mortal, and he sucked a woman's breast;but Achilles is the offspring of a goddess, whom I myselfnursed and reared and gave to a man as his wedded wife,to Peleus, who was dear to the hearts of the deathless gods.And you all came to the wedding, and you among themfeasted, holding your lyre, companion of evil, ever faithless."Then Zeus the cloud-gatherer answered her:"Hera, do not be utterly angry with the gods;for their honor will not be one and the same; but even Hectorwas dearest to the gods of the mortals who are in Ilium;for so he was to me, since he never missed the gifts I love.For my altar never lacked an equal feast,nor libation nor burnt fat; for that is the honor we have won.But indeed we will let the stealing be, for there is no wayto steal bold Hector secretly from Achilles; for truly his motheris ever beside him, both nights and days.But if one of the gods would call Thetis near to me,so that I may speak a close word to her, that Achillesmay receive gifts from Priam and release Hector."So he spoke, and storm-footed Iris rose to bear the message,and between Samos and craggy Imbrosshe plunged into the dark sea; the deep groaned aloud.She, like a lead weight, rushed down to the depth,the lead that, set on the horn of a grazing ox,goes among the ravenous fishes bringing death.She found Thetis in a hollow cave, and around her otherssat gathered, sea-goddesses; and she in their midstwept for the fate of her blameless son, who was destinedto perish in deep-soiled Troy, far from his homeland.Standing near her, swift-footed Iris spoke:"Rise, Thetis; Zeus calls you, who knows imperishable counsels."Then the goddess Thetis of the silver feet answered her:"Why has that great god summoned me? I am ashamedto mingle with the deathless ones, and I hold measureless griefs in my heart.I will go, and whatever he says shall not be an idle word."So speaking, the shining one among goddesses took a veil,dark blue, than which no garment was ever darker.She went on her way, and before her storm-footed swift Irisled; and around them the wave of the sea parted.Stepping up onto the shore, they were carried to the sky,and found the wide-thundering son of Cronos, and around him allthe other blessed gods sat gathered, forever living.And she sat down beside father Zeus, and Athena gave way,and Hera placed a beautiful golden cup in her handand cheered her with words; Thetis drank and passed it back.Then the father of men and gods began the words among them:"You have come to Olympus, goddess Thetis, though grieving,holding unbearable sorrow in your mind; I too know it.But even so I will tell you why I called you here.Nine days now a quarrel has arisen among the deathless onesabout Hector's body and Achilles the sacker of cities;the gods urge the keen-sighted Argeiphontes to steal him.But I hold out this honor to Achilles,guarding your reverence and friendship hereafter.Go swiftly to the camp and give the command to your son;tell him the gods are angry with him, and that I above allthe deathless ones am enraged, because with a maddened hearthe keeps Hector beside the curved ships and has not released him,and perhaps he may fear me and release Hector.But I will send Iris to great-hearted Priam,to go to the ships of the Achaeans to ransom his dear son,and to bring gifts to Achilles that may heal his heart."So he spoke, and the goddess Thetis of the silver feet did not disobey,but went darting down from the peaks of Olympus,and came to her son's hut; and there she found himgroaning thickly; and his dear companions around himhurried to busy themselves and to make ready the morning meal;and for them a great shaggy sheep was sacrificed in the hut.And his lady mother sat down very close to him,and stroked him with her hand, and spoke a word and called him by name:"My child, how long will you, grieving and sorrowing,eat your own heart out, remembering neither foodnor bed? It is good to lie with a woman in love;for you will not live long for me, but alreadydeath and strong fate stand near you.But hear me quickly, for I am a messenger from Zeus.He says the gods are angry with you, and that he above allthe deathless ones is enraged, because with a maddened heartyou keep Hector beside the curved ships and have not released him.Come then, release him, and accept the ransom for the dead man."Then swift-footed Achilles answered her:"So be it; let whoever brings the ransom and takes the body away —if the Olympian himself in earnest commands it."So the mother and the son, in the gathering of the ships,spoke many winged words to one another.And the son of Cronos urged Iris to holy Ilium:"Go now, swift Iris, leaving the seat of Olympus,bring word to great-hearted Priam within Iliumto ransom his dear son, going to the ships of the Achaeans,and to bring gifts to Achilles that may heal his heart;alone, and let no other man of Troy go with him.Let some herald, an elder, follow him, to guidethe mules and the well-wheeled wagon, and also to bringthe body back to the city, the one slain by noble Achilles.Let no thought of death or fear trouble his mind;for we will give him such an escort, Argeiphontes,who will lead him until he brings him near to Achilles.But when he has brought him inside Achilles' hut,he will not kill him himself, and he will keep all the others from it;for he is neither foolish nor blind nor a sinner,but very gently will he spare a suppliant man."So he spoke, and storm-footed Iris rose to bear the message.She came to Priam's house, and found outcry and wailing.His sons sat around their father within the courtyard,soaking their garments with tears, and the old man in their midstwas huddled, wrapped in his cloak; and about him muchdung lay on the head and neck of the old man,which he had scraped together as he rolled in it with his own hands.And his daughters and his sons' wives wailed throughout the house,remembering those who, many and brave,lay slain by Argive hands, their lives destroyed.The messenger of Zeus stood beside Priam and spoke to himin a small voice; and trembling seized his limbs:"Take heart, Priam, son of Dardanus, in your mind, and fear nothing;for I have not come here foreseeing evil for you,but thinking of good; I am a messenger from Zeus,who, though far from you, cares greatly for you and pities you.The Olympian bids you ransom noble Hector,and bring gifts to Achilles that may heal his heart;alone, and let no other man of Troy go with you.Let some herald, an elder, follow you, to guidethe mules and the well-wheeled wagon, and also to bringthe body back to the city, the one slain by noble Achilles.Let no thought of death or fear trouble your mind;for such an escort will follow with you, Argeiphontes,who will lead you until he brings you near to Achilles.But when he has brought you inside Achilles' hut,he will not kill you himself, and he will keep all the others from it;for he is neither foolish nor blind nor a sinner,but very gently will he spare a suppliant man."So speaking, swift-footed Iris departed.But he called his sons and ordered them to make readya well-wheeled mule wagon, and to bind a basket on it.He himself went down into his fragrant treasure chamber,of cedar, high-roofed, which held many treasures;and he called his wife Hecuba and spoke to her:"Unhappy woman, an Olympian messenger from Zeus has come to meto ransom my dear son, going to the ships of the Achaeans,and to bring gifts to Achilles that may heal his heart.Come, tell me this: what seems best to your mind?for terribly my own strength and heart urge meto go there to the ships, into the broad camp of the Achaeans."So he spoke, and the woman cried aloud and answered him:"Ah me, where have your wits gone, which beforewere renowned among men, strangers and those you rule?How can you wish to go alone to the ships of the Achaeans,into the eyes of the man who has slain so many of your bravesons? Your heart is surely made of iron.For if he catches you and looks on you with his eyes,that man, savage and faithless, he will not pity you,nor will he have any shame before you. Now let us weep apart,sitting in the hall; for to him, as somewhere at his birth, strong Fatespun with her thread the day I bore him,to glut the swift dogs far from his own parentsbeside a strong man — whose liver I would like to holdand eat, biting into it; then would it be a just returnfor my son, since he did not kill him as a coward,but standing before the Trojans and the deep-bosomed Trojan women,remembering neither fear nor flight."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered her:"Do not hold me back when I wish to go, and do not beyourself a bird of evil in the house; you will not persuade me.For if some other of the earth-dwellers had commanded me,either seers who read the offerings or priests,we would call it a lie and turn away the more;but now, since I myself heard the god and saw him face to face,I will go, and the word shall not be idle. And if it is my fateto die beside the ships of the bronze-clad Achaeans,I am willing; for let Achilles kill me at once,once I have taken my son in my arms, when I have had my fill of weeping."So he spoke, and opened the beautiful lids of the chests;from there he took out twelve very beautiful robes,and twelve single cloaks, and as many rugs,and as many white mantles, and over these as many tunics.And he brought ten talents of gold, all weighed out,and two shining tripods, and four cauldrons,and a very beautiful cup, which Thracian men had given himwhen he went on an embassy, a great treasure; and not even of thatdid the old man spare it in his house, but in his heart he greatly wishedto ransom his dear son. And he drove all the Trojansout of the portico, rebuking them with shameful words:"Get out, you wretches, you disgraces! Have you nowailing at home, that you come here to grieve me?Do you think it a small thing that Zeus the son of Cronos gave me sorrows,to lose the best of my sons? But you too shall know it;for you will be easier for the Achaeans to slaughter,now that he is dead. But as for me,before I see the city sacked and ravagedwith my own eyes, let me go down into the house of Hades."So he spoke, and drove the men apart with his staff; and they went outas the old man hurried; and he shouted to his sons,rebuking Helenus and Paris and noble Agathon,and Pammon and Antiphonus and Polites, good at the war-cry,and Deiphobus and Hippothous and noble Agavus;to these nine the old man shouted and gave his orders:"Hurry, my wretched sons, you shames! Would that you allhad been killed at the swift ships instead of Hector.Ah me, utterly ill-fated, since I fathered the best of sonsin broad Troy, and I say not one of them is left,godlike Mestor and Troilus, delighting in horses,and Hector, who was like a god among men, and did not seemto be the child of a mortal man but of a god.Those Ares destroyed, and all the disgraces are left,liars and dancers, best at dancing in the choir,raiders of lambs and kids among their own people.""Will you not make ready a wagon for me at once,and put all these things on it, so that we may go our road?"So he spoke, and they, fearing their father's rebuke,lifted out the well-wheeled mule wagon,beautiful, newly built, and bound the basket on it,and from the pegs they lifted down the mule yokeof boxwood, with a boss, well fitted with its rings;and they brought the yoke-strap nine cubits long together with the yoke.And they set it well on the polished pole,on the front end, and cast the ring over the pin,and three times they bound it on either side at the boss, and thenbound it in order, and bent it back under the hook.And carrying from the chamber, they heaped on the polished wagonthe countless ransom for Hector's head,and yoked the strong-clawed mules, harnessed to the pole,which the Mysians once gave to Priam as splendid gifts.And they brought under the yoke for Priam the horses, which the old manhimself kept and reared at the polished manger.And the two were yoking them in the high halls,the herald and Priam, with close counsel in their minds;and near them came Hecuba, troubled at heart,holding in her right hand honey-sweet winein a golden cup, so that they might pour a libation before going;and she stood before the horses, and spoke a word and called him by name:"Take this and pour to father Zeus, and pray that you come homeagain from hostile men, since your hearturges you to the ships against my will.But pray then to the dark-clouded son of Cronos,the Idaean, who watches over all Troy,and ask for a swift bird of omen, a messenger, which is to himdearest of birds, and whose strength is greatest,on the right, so that you, seeing it with your own eyes,may go trusting in it to the ships of the swift-horsed Danaans.But if Zeus the wide-thunderer does not give you his messenger,then I would not urge you further or bid yougo to the ships of the Argives, much as you long to."Then godlike Priam answered her:"Woman, I will not disobey you in this request of yours;for it is good to stretch out hands to Zeus, if he may pity us."So the old man spoke, and urged a maidservant, the housekeeper,to pour pure water over his hands; and she stood by,holding a basin and a pitcher in her hands, the maidservant.And having washed, he took the cup from his wife,and prayed then, standing in the middle of the courtyard, and poured wine,looking up to the sky, and speaking he uttered a word:"Father Zeus, ruler from Ida, most glorious, greatest,grant that I come to Achilles as a dear and pitied man,and send a swift bird of omen, a messenger, which is to youdearest of birds, and whose strength is greatest,on the right, so that I, seeing it with my own eyes,may go trusting in it to the ships of the swift-horsed Danaans."So he spoke in prayer, and wise Zeus heard him,and at once he sent an eagle, most perfect of birds,a dark hunter, which men also call the black eagle.And as great as the door of a high-roofed chamberof a wealthy man, well fitted with bolts,so great were its wings on either side; and it appeared to themon the right, darting through the city; and they, seeing it,rejoiced, and the heart in all their breasts was warmed.So the old man hurried and climbed up into his chariot,and drove out from the gateway and the echoing portico.In front the mules drew the four-wheeled wagon,which wise Idaeus drove; and behind camethe horses, which the old man urged on with the whip,swiftly through the city; and all his friends followed with him,lamenting greatly, as if he were going to his death.But when they came down from the city and reached the plain,the others turned back toward Ilium and went home,the sons and the sons-in-law; and those two did not escape wide-thundering Zeusas they appeared on the plain; and seeing them he pitied the old man,and at once he spoke to his dear son Hermes:"Hermes, since it is most dear to youto be a man's companion, and you hear whom you wish,go now and lead Priam to the hollow ships of the Achaeansin such a way that noneof the other Danaans sees him or notices him, before he comes to the son of Peleus."So he spoke, and the guide Argeiphontes did not disobey.At once he bound under his feet his beautiful sandals,immortal, golden, which carry him both over the wetand over the boundless earth with the breath of the wind;and he took the wand with which he charms the eyes of men,of whom he wishes, and rouses others even from sleep;holding this in his hands he flew, the strong Argeiphontes.And quickly he came to Troy and the Hellespont,and went on his way, like a young prince,with his first beard, whose youth is most graceful.And when they had driven past the great tomb of Ilus,they stopped the mules and the horses so that they might drinkin the river; for darkness had come over the earth.And the herald, seeing him from close by, recognizedHermes, and spoke to Priam and said:"Be on your guard, son of Dardanus; the work calls for a careful mind.I see a man, and I think we shall soon be torn apart.Come then, let us flee with the horses, or else,clasping his knees, let us beg him, if he may pity us."So he spoke, and the old man's mind was poured out, and he feared terribly,and his hair stood upright on his bending limbs,and he stood amazed; but the helper himself came nearand took the old man's hand, and questioned him, and spoke:"Where, father, are you driving your horses and mulesthrough the immortal night, when other mortals sleep?And were you not afraid of the Achaeans breathing fury,who are hostile and unfriendly to you, and are near?If one of them saw you through the swift black nightbringing so many treasures, what would your thought be then?You are not young yourself, and this man attends you, an old man,to ward off a man, when someone attacks first.But I will do you no harm, and I would evenward off another from you; for I liken you to my own dear father."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"Thus indeed these things are, dear child, as you say.But still some god has stretched his hand over me too,who has sent me such a traveler to meet meas a favorable sign, one so wondrous in body and form as you are,and you are wise in mind, and you are of blessed parents."Then the guide Argeiphontes answered him:"Yes, old man, you have said all this according to the measure of things.But come, tell me this and tell it truly,whether you are sending away many fine treasuresto foreign men, that these may stay safe for you,or whether you are all now leaving holy Iliumin fear; for such a best man has perished,your son; for he was in no way lacking against the Achaeans in battle."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"Who are you, most excellent, and of what parents are you?How well you have told me the fate of my ill-fated son!"Then the guide Argeiphontes answered him:"You are testing me, old man, and asking about noble Hector.Him I have very often, in the battle where men win glory,seen with my own eyes, and when he drove the Argivesto the ships and killed them, cutting them with the sharp bronze;and we stood amazed; for Achillesdid not let us fight, being angry with the son of Atreus.For I am his servant, and one well-built ship brought us;and I am of the Myrmidons, and my father is Polyctor.He is wealthy, and an old man like you here,and he has six sons, and I am the seventh of them;with them I was chosen by lot to follow here.And now I have come to the plain from the ships; for at dawnthe glancing-eyed Achaeans will set battle around the city.For these men are vexed as they sit, and they are not ableto hold back their kings, eager as they are for war."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"If you are indeed a servant of Achilles, son of Peleus,come then, tell me the whole truth,whether my son is still beside the ships, or whether alreadyAchilles has cut him limb from limb and thrown him to his dogs."Then the guide Argeiphontes answered him:"Old man, the dogs have not yet eaten him, nor the birds,but he still lies beside Achilles' ship,just as he is, in the hut; and this is the twelfth dawnfor him as he lies, and his flesh does not rot, nor do the wormseat him, which devour men slain in war.Truly he drags him around the tomb of his dear companioncarelessly, as often as shining Dawn appears,but he does not disfigure him; you would marvel if you came yourselfhow fresh he lies, and the blood is washed from him,and he is nowhere defiled; and all his wounds are closedwith which he was struck; for many drove bronze into him.So the blessed gods care for your soneven in death, since he was dear to their hearts."So he spoke, and the old man rejoiced, and answered him:"My child, it is indeed good and right to give giftsto the immortals, since my son — if ever he was —never forgot in his halls the gods who hold Olympus.Therefore they remembered him even in the fate of death.But come, accept from me this beautiful cup,and save me, and send me with the gods' help,until I come to the hut of the son of Peleus."Then the guide Argeiphontes answered him:"You are testing me, old man, a younger man, and you will not persuade me,to bid me receive your gifts apart from Achilles.Him I fear and reverence in my heartto rob, lest some evil come to me hereafter.But I would be your escort even to famous Argos,attending you carefully on a swift ship or on foot;no one would fight with me out of scorn for your escort."So he spoke, and the helper sprang up, and quicklytook the whip and reins in his hands for the chariot and horses,and breathed brave strength into the horses and mules.But when they came to the towers of the ships and the trench,and the guards were busy about their supper,the guide Argeiphontes poured sleep over themall, and at once opened the gates and pushed back the bars,and brought in Priam and the splendid gifts on the wagon.But when they came to the hut of the son of Peleus,the high one which the Myrmidons had made for their lord,cutting beams of fir; and above it they roofed itwith a shaggy roof of reeds gathered from the meadow;and around it they made a great courtyard for their lordwith close-set stakes; and a single door held it, a barof fir, which three Achaeans used to push shut,and three to open the great bolt of the doors —of the others; but Achilles alone could push it shut.Then indeed helper Hermes opened it for the old man,and brought in the famous gifts to the swift-footed son of Peleus,and he stepped down from the chariot to the ground and spoke:"Old man, I have come, an immortal god,Hermes; for my father sent me as your escort.But I will go back again, and I will not comeinto Achilles' sight; for it would be a thing of reproachfor an immortal god thus openly to favor mortals.But you, going in, clasp the knees of the son of Peleus,and beg him by his father and his fair-haired motherand his child, so that you may stir his heart."So speaking, Hermes departed to steep Olympus.But Priam leapt down from the chariot to the ground,and left Idaeus there; and he stayed, holdingthe horses and mules; and the old man went straight into the house,where Achilles, dear to Zeus, used to sit; and he found himthere, and his companions sat apart; and two alone,the heroes Automedon and Alcimus, offspring of Ares,were busy attending him; and he had just ceased from eatingand drinking; and the table still lay beside him.Great Priam came in unnoticed, and standing nearhe took Achilles' knees in his hands and kissed his hands,the terrible man-slaying hands that had killed so many of his sons.As when a dense ruin seizes a man, who in his own countryhas killed a man and comes to the land of others,to the house of a rich man, and amazement holds those who look on,so Achilles was amazed when he saw godlike Priam;and the others were amazed too, and they looked at one another.And Priam, supplicating him, spoke a word:"Remember your own father, godlike Achilles,of such an age as I am, on the sorrowful threshold of old age;and perhaps those who live around him afflict him,and there is no one to ward off ruin and destruction from him.But he at least, hearing that you are alive,rejoices in his heart, and hopes all his daysto see his dear son coming back from Troy;but I am utterly ill-fated, since I fathered the best of sonsin broad Troy, and I say not one of them is left.Fifty sons I had when the Achaeans came;nineteen of them were from one womb of mine,and the others women bore to me in my halls.Of these many, rushing Ares loosened their knees;and the one who was mine alone, and guarded the city and them,him you killed the other day as he fought for his homeland,Hector; and for his sake I now come to the ships of the Achaeansto ransom him from you, and I bring countless ransom.But revere the gods, Achilles, and pity me,remembering your own father; and I am more pitiable yet,and I have endured what no other mortal man on earth has endured,to reach my hand to the mouth of the man who killed my son."So he spoke, and stirred in him longing for his father, and weeping;and taking the old man's hand, he gently pushed him away.And the two remembered: one wept for man-slaying Hectorwith thick tears, huddled before Achilles' feet,and Achilles wept for his own father, and againfor Patroclus; and the groaning rose through the house.But when shining Achilles had taken his fill of weeping,and the longing had gone from his breast and his limbs,at once he rose from his chair, and raised the old man by the hand,pitying his gray head and his gray beard,and speaking to him he addressed winged words:"Ah, unhappy man, you have indeed endured many evils in your heart.How did you dare to come alone to the ships of the Achaeans,into the eyes of me, who have slain so many of your bravesons? Your heart is made of iron.But come, sit down on a chair, and let us let our griefslie in our hearts, grieving though we are;for there is no profit in cold weeping.For so the gods have spun for wretched mortals,to live grieving; but they themselves are without care.For two jars lie set in the floor of Zeus,of the gifts he gives: one of evils, the other of good.To whom Zeus the thunderer gives a mingled share,at one time he meets with evil, at another with good;but to whom he gives of the wretched portion, he makes him despised,and cruel famine drives him over the shining earth,and he wanders honored neither by gods nor men.So the gods gave splendid gifts to Peleus toofrom his birth; for he surpassed all menin felicity and wealth, and he ruled the Myrmidons,and though mortal, they made a goddess his wife.But upon him too the god put evil, that there wasno offspring of ruling sons in his halls,but he fathered one son, destined to an early death; and nordo I care for him as he grows old, since very far from my homelandI sit in Troy, troubling you and your children.And you, old man, we heard were once blessed;as much as Lesbos, the seat of Macar, contains within,and Phrygia above, and the boundless Hellespont,in these, old man, they say you surpassed all in wealth and sons.But since the heavenly ones brought this woe upon you,there are always battles and slaughters around your city.Endure, and do not lament unceasingly in your heart;for you will achieve nothing by grieving for your noble son,nor will you raise him up, before you suffer some other evil."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"Do not make me sit on a chair, Zeus-nurtured, while Hectorlies uncared for in the hut, but quicklyrelease him, so that I may see him with my eyes; and do you accept the ransom,many gifts, which we bring to you; may you enjoy them, and may you cometo your own native land, since you have first let melive and look upon the light of the sun."Then swift-footed Achilles, looking at him darkly, spoke:"Do not stir me now further, old man; I myself am mindedto release Hector to you, for a messenger came to me from Zeus,my mother, who bore me, the daughter of the old man of the sea.And I know you, Priam, in my mind, and it does not escape methat one of the gods led you to the swift ships of the Achaeans.For no mortal would dare to come, not even in his prime,into the camp; nor would he escape the guards, nor could he easilypush back the bolt of our doors.So do not now stir my heart further into griefs,lest, old man, I do not spare you yourself in the huteven though you are a suppliant, and I offend against the commands of Zeus."So he spoke, and the old man feared and obeyed his word.And the son of Peleus leapt out of doors like a lion,not alone, for two attendants followed with him,the heroes Automedon and Alcimus, whom Achilleshonored most of his companions after Patroclus died;these then loosed the horses and mules from under the yoke,and brought in the herald, the old man's summoner,and seated him on a seat; and from the polished wagonthey took the countless ransom for Hector's head.And they left two cloaks and a well-woven tunic,so that he might wrap the body and give it to be carried home.And calling the maidservants, he ordered them to wash and anoint him,lifting him aside, so that Priam might not see his son,lest he, with an aching heart, could not hold back his angerat the sight of his son, and Achilles' own heart be stirred,and he kill him, and offend against the commands of Zeus.And when the maidservants had washed him and anointed him with oil,and thrown a beautiful cloak and tunic about him,Achilles himself lifted him and laid him on a bier,and his companions lifted him onto the polished wagon.Then he groaned aloud, and called his dear companion by name:"Do not be angry with me, Patroclus, if you hear,even in the house of Hades, that I released noble Hectorto his dear father, since he gave me no unseemly ransom.And of these things too I will give you your fitting share."So he spoke, and shining Achilles went back into the hut,and sat down on the richly-worked chair from which he had risen,on the other side of the wall, and spoke a word to Priam:"Your son is released to you, old man, as you commanded,and he lies on a bier; and with the appearing of dawnyou will see him yourself as you lead him away; but now let us think of supper.For even fair-haired Niobe remembered food,she whose twelve children perished in her halls,six daughters and six sons in their prime.These Apollo killed with his silver bow,in anger at Niobe, and the daughters Artemis the arrow-pourer,because she likened herself to Leto of the beautiful cheeks;she said she had borne two, but Leto herself bore many.So the two gods destroyed them all, though they were only two.And they lay nine days in the slaughter, and there was no oneto bury them, for the son of Cronos turned the people to stone;but on the tenth the heavenly gods buried them.And she remembered food, when she was tired of pouring out tears.And now somewhere among the rocks, on the lonely mountains,in Sipylus, where they say the beds of the goddessesare, of the nymphs who dance about the Acheloüs,there, stone though she is, she digests the griefs given by the gods.But come, let us two also think of supper, noble old man;and afterwards you may weep again for your dear son,when you have brought him into Ilium; and he will be much wept for."So he spoke, and swift Achilles sprang up and slaughtereda white sheep; and his companions flayed it and dressed it well in order,and chopped it skillfully, and pierced the pieces on spits,and roasted them carefully, and drew them all off.And Automedon took the bread and served it at the tablein beautiful baskets; and Achilles divided the meat.And they reached out their hands to the ready meal set before them.But when they had put aside the desire for drink and food,then Priam, son of Dardanus, marveled at Achilles,how great he was and how beautiful; for he was like the gods to look on.And Achilles marveled at Priam, son of Dardanus,looking at his goodly face and hearing his words.But when they had taken their delight in looking at one another,the old man Priam, godlike, spoke to him first:"Now lay me down quickly, Zeus-nurtured, so that we may at lasttake our delight in sweet sleep, lying down;for my eyes have not yet closed under my lidssince my son lost his life at your hands,but I always groan and digest countless griefs,rolling in the dung in the courtyard of my house.And now I have tasted food and let the dark winego down my throat; before this I had tasted nothing."So he spoke, and Achilles ordered his companions and the maidservantsto set beds under the portico and to throw beautifulpurple blankets on them, and spread rugs over them,and put thick cloaks on top to wear.And the maidservants went out of the hall with torches in their hands,and quickly they spread two beds, hurrying.And swift-footed Achilles spoke to him, mocking him gently:"Outside, then, lie down, dear old man, lest one of the Achaeanscome here, a counselor, of those who alwayssit beside me and give me counsel, as is right;if one of them saw you through the swift black night,he would at once tell Agamemnon, shepherd of the people,and there would be a delay in the release of the body.But come, tell me this and tell it truly:how many days do you intend to give funeral rites to noble Hector,so that for that time I may myself wait and hold back the people."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"If indeed you wish me to complete the funeral of noble Hector,in doing this you would do me a favor, Achilles.For you know how we are crowded in the city, and the wood is farto bring from the mountain, and the Trojans are very afraid.Nine days we would wail for him in the halls,and on the tenth we would bury him and the people feast,and on the eleventh we would raise a mound over him,and on the twelfth we would fight again, if need be."Then swift-footed shining Achilles answered him:"These things too shall be for you, old man Priam, as you command;for I will hold back the war for as long a time as you ask."So speaking, he grasped the old man's right handat the wrist, so that he should not fear in his heart.So they slept there in the front porch of the house,the herald and Priam, with close counsel in their minds;but Achilles slept in the inner corner of the well-built hut,and beside him lay Briseis of the beautiful cheeks.And the other gods and the horse-helmed menslept all night long, subdued by soft sleep;but the helper Hermes was not seized by sleep,as he pondered in his heart how he might send king Priamout from the ships, eluding the holy gate-keepers.He stood above his head and spoke a word to him:"Old man, you do not care at all about evil, it seems, since you still sleepamong hostile men, though Achilles has let you be.And now you have ransomed your dear son, and given many gifts;and for you alive, three times as many gifts would be givenby the sons left behind after you, if Agamemnonthe son of Atreus recognized you, and all the Achaeans knew."So he spoke, and the old man feared, and roused the herald.And Hermes yoked the horses and mules for them,and quickly he drove them himself through the camp, and no one knew.But when they came to the ford of the fair-flowing riverXanthus the eddying, whom immortal Zeus fathered,then Hermes departed to steep Olympus,and Dawn in her saffron robe spread over all the earth,and they drove to the city with wailing and groaning,the horses, and the mules carried the body. And no otherknew before them, of men or of fair-girdled women,but Cassandra, like golden Aphrodite,going up to Pergamon, saw her dear fatherstanding in the chariot, and the herald, the crier of the city;and she saw him lying on the bier on the mules;and she cried out, and made her voice heard through all the city:"Come and see, Trojans and Trojan women, Hector,if ever you rejoiced in him while he lived, coming back from battle,since he was a great joy to the city and to all the people."So she spoke, and no man was left there in the city,nor woman; for unbearable grief came to them all;and they met near the gates the one bringing the body.First his dear wife and his lady mothertore their hair, rushing to the well-wheeled wagon,touching his head; and the crowd wept around them.And now all day long until the setting of the sunthey would have wept for Hector, shedding tears before the gates,if the old man had not spoken to the people from the chariot:"Give way, so that I may drive through with the mules; and afterwardsyou will have your fill of weeping, when I have brought him into the house."So he spoke, and they stood apart and gave way to the wagon.And when they had brought him into the famous house, thenthey laid him on a pierced bier, and seated beside him singers,leaders of the dirges, who sang the mournful song;and they sang the dirge, and the women groaned after them.And among them white-armed Andromache began the lament,holding in her hands the head of man-slaying Hector:"Husband, you have perished young, and you leave me a widowin the halls; and your child is still a mere infant,whom you and I, ill-fated, bore, and I do not thinkhe will come to manhood; for before that this citywill be utterly sacked; for you have perished, its guardian, whoused to save it, and you kept its loyal wives and infant children,who will soon be carried off in the hollow ships,and I among them; and you, child, will follow with me,where you would do unseemly work,toiling for a pitiless master; or some Achaeanwill seize you by the hand and throw you from the tower to a wretched death,in anger because Hector killed his brother,or his father, or his son; since very many Achaeansbit the boundless earth in Hector's hands.For your father was not gentle in the wretched battle;therefore the people lament him throughout the city,and you have made for your parents a sorrow and grief to be prayed away,Hector; and for me above all grievous sorrows are left.For you did not stretch out your hands to me from your bed as you died,nor did you speak to me a close word, which I might alwaysremember, nights and days, shedding tears."So she spoke weeping, and the women groaned after her.And among them Hecuba began the thick lament:"Hector, dearest by far to my heart of all my sons,truly while you lived you were dear to the gods;and they cared for you even in the fate of death.For my other sons, swift-footed Achillesused to sell, whoever he caught, across the barren sea,to Samos and Imbros and smoky Lemnos;but when he took your life with the long-pointed bronze,often he dragged you around the tomb of his companionPatroclus, whom you killed; and not even so did he raise him up.But now you lie fresh and dew-like in my halls,like one whom Apollo of the silver bow,coming upon him with his gentle arrows, has killed."So she spoke weeping, and raised unceasing lament.And after them Helen began the lament third:"Hector, dearest by far to my heart of all my husband's brothers,for my husband is godlike Alexander,who brought me to Troy; would that I had perished before then.For now this is the twentieth year for mesince I left there and departed from my own homeland;but I never heard a harsh or foolish word from you;but if any other in the halls reproached me,of my husband's brothers, or sisters-in-law, or well-robed wives of his brothers,or my mother-in-law — for my father-in-law was always gentle as a father —then you would speak to them and hold them back with words,with your gentle heart and your gentle words.Therefore I weep for you and for my own unhappy self, grieving at heart;for there is no longer anyone else in broad Troygentle or dear to me, but all men shudder at me."So she spoke weeping, and the countless people groaned.And the old man Priam spoke a word to the people:"Bring wood now, Trojans, to the city, and do notfear in your hearts the close ambush of the Argives; for Achillessent me off with this command from his black ships,not to harm us before the twelfth dawn comes."So he spoke, and they yoked oxen and mules under the wagons,and quickly then they gathered before the city.Nine days they brought in boundless wood;but when the tenth dawn appeared, bringing light to mortals,then they brought out bold Hector, shedding tears,and laid the body on the top of the pyre, and threw fire upon it.And when early-born rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,then the people gathered around the pyre of famous Hector.But when they had gathered and come together,first they quenched all the pyre with flashing wine,as far as the fire's strength had spread; and thenthe brothers and companions gathered the white bones,mourning, and the heavy tear streamed down their cheeks.And they took them and placed them in a golden urn,wrapping them in soft purple robes.And they quickly placed it in a hollow grave, and over itthey spread close-set great stones;and they quickly heaped the mound, and watchers sat all around,lest the well-greaved Achaeans attack before then.And when they had heaped the mound, they went back; and thengathering well together they feasted on a glorious feastin the halls of Priam, Zeus-nurtured king.So they busied themselves with the funeral of Hector, tamer of horses.

The games were over, and the crowds went off, each to their fast ships,hurrying away. They were thinking about dinnerand about the sweet sleep they would enjoy. But Achilleskept crying, thinking of his friend, and sleepthat conquers everyone did not take him; he tossed from side to side,longing for Patroclus, for his strength as a man and his courage,and for everything they had gone through together and suffered —wars with men and the hard waves they had crossed.Remembering all that, he poured out heavy tears,lying sometimes on his side, sometimeson his back, sometimes face down; then he would stand up straightand wander crazily along the seashore. Dawnnever came over the sea and the beaches without his noticing it.But when he had yoked his fast horses to the chariot,he tied Hector behind the chariot to be dragged,and dragged him three times around the tomb of dead Patroclus,then rested again in his hut, and left himstretched out face down in the dirt. But Apollokept all disgrace away from his body, because he pitied the maneven though he was dead; he covered him all over with the goldenshield, so that the dragging would not tear his skin.So Achilles, raging, kept shaming noble Hector,but the blessed gods pitied him as they watched,and kept pushing keen-sighted Hermes to steal him.That pleased all the others, but it never pleased Heraor Poseidon or the gray-eyed girl,who held to their anger as they had at first, when holy Troy was hateful to them,and Priam and his people, because of Alexander's madness —the man who insulted the goddesses when they came to his farmyard,and praised the one who gave him painful lust.But when the twelfth dawn came after that day,then Phoebus Apollo spoke among the deathless gods:"You gods are cruel and destructive! Did Hector neverburn thigh bones of oxen and perfect goats for you?Now that he is dead you did not dare to save him,for his wife to see him, and his mother, and his boy,and his father Priam and his people, who would quicklyburn him in the fire and hold his funeral.But you gods want to help deadly Achilles,who has no decent thoughts in him and no purposethat bends in his chest; he is like a lion who knows wild ways,one who, when he gives in to his great strength and proud heart,goes after people's flocks to get his dinner.So Achilles has thrown away pity, and there is no shame in him —shame, which does great harm and great good to men.A man may lose someone even dearer to him,a brother from the same mother, or even a son;but after he has cried and mourned, he lets it go,because the Fates gave people hearts that can endure.But this man, once he has torn out noble Hector's dear life,ties him to his horses and drags him round his friend's tomb;that is neither finer for him nor better.Let's not be angry at him, noble as he is,because in his rage he is shaming the dumb earth."Then white-armed Hera spoke to him in anger:"That word of yours would be fine, silver-bowed god,if you give Achilles and Hector the same honor.Hector is mortal and he sucked a woman's breast,but Achilles is the son of a goddess, whom I myselfraised and fed and gave as a wife to a man,to Peleus, who was dear to the deathless gods' hearts.You all came to the wedding, and you were there among them,feasting with your lyre, companion of evil, always faithless."Then Zeus the cloud-gatherer answered her:"Hera, don't get so completely angry with the gods,because their honor won't be the same — and even Hectorwas the dearest to the gods of all the mortals in Troy.At least he was to me, since he never missed the gifts I love.My altar never went without an equal feast,or a poured drink, or the smell of fat; that is the honor we get.But we will let the stealing go; there is no wayto steal bold Hector secretly from Achilles, since his motheris always with him, both night and day.But if one of the gods would call Thetis close to me,so I can say a careful word to her, then Achillesmight take gifts from Priam and let Hector go."So he spoke, and storm-footed Iris got up to carry the message,and between Samos and rocky Imbrosshe dove into the dark sea, and the deep water groaned.She dropped down to the bottom like a lead weight,the one that, stuck on the horn of a grazing ox,goes down to the greedy fish, bringing death.She found Thetis in a hollow cave, and around her otherssat gathered, sea goddesses; she sat in the middleand wept for the fate of her blameless son, who was goingto die in deep-soiled Troy, far from his homeland.Standing beside her, swift-footed Iris spoke:"Get up, Thetis; Zeus is calling you, the one who knows immortal plans."Then the goddess Thetis of the silver feet answered her:"Why does that great god call me? I am ashamedto mix with the deathless ones, and I have endless griefs in my heart.I will go, and whatever he says will not be an empty word."With that, the shining goddess took her veil,dark blue, darker than any other garment.She started off, and storm-footed swift Iriswent in front of her, and the sea wave split around them.Climbing up onto the shore, they were lifted to the sky,and found the wide-thundering son of Cronos, and around him allthe other blessed gods sat gathered, living forever.She sat down beside father Zeus, and Athena made room.Hera put a beautiful golden cup in her handand cheered her with words; Thetis drank and handed it back.Then the father of men and gods began to speak among them:"You have come to Olympus, goddess Thetis, even though you grieve,carrying unbearable sorrow in your heart; I know it too.But even so I will tell you why I called you here.For nine days now there has been a quarrel among the deathless onesabout Hector's body and Achilles the sacker of cities;they keep pushing keen-sighted Hermes to steal him.But I am giving this honor to Achilles,out of respect for you and to keep your friendship later.Go quickly to the camp and tell your son;tell him the gods are angry with him, and that I above allthe deathless ones am furious, because with a mad hearthe is keeping Hector by the curved ships and has not let him go,in the hope that he will fear me and let Hector go.But I will send Iris to great-hearted Priam,to go to the Achaeans' ships and ransom his dear son,and to bring gifts to Achilles that will soothe his heart."So he spoke, and the goddess Thetis of the silver feet did not disobey,but dove down from the peaks of Olympusand came to her son's hut; there she found himgroaning heavily, and his dear friends around himwere hurrying to get busy and make breakfast;and a big shaggy sheep was sacrificed for them in the hut.His lady mother sat down right beside him,stroked him with her hand, spoke to him, and called him by name:"My child, how long will you keep grieving and hurting,eating your own heart out, remembering neither foodnor bed? It is good to lie with a woman in love.You will not live long for me; alreadydeath and strong fate are standing near you.Listen to me quickly, because I am a messenger from Zeus.He says the gods are angry with you, and that he above allthe deathless ones is furious, because with a mad heartyou are keeping Hector by the curved ships and have not let him go.Come on, let him go, and take the ransom for the dead man."Then swift-footed Achilles answered her:"So be it. Whoever brings the ransom and takes the body away —let it happen, if the Olympian himself really commands it."So mother and son, in the gathering of the ships,said many winged words to each other.And the son of Cronos urged Iris to go to holy Troy:"Go now, swift Iris, leave the seat of Olympus,and tell great-hearted Priam inside Troyto ransom his dear son, going to the ships of the Achaeans,and to bring gifts to Achilles that will soothe his heart;alone, and no other man of Troy is to go with him.Let an older herald follow him, to drivethe mules and the well-wheeled wagon, and also to bringthe body back to the city, the one noble Achilles killed.Let him not think about death or be afraid at all,because we will give him an escort, Hermes,who will lead him until he brings him close to Achilles.But when he has brought him inside Achilles' hut,he won't kill him himself, and he will keep everyone else back,because he is not foolish or blind or wicked,but he will spare a begging man very kindly."So he spoke, and storm-footed Iris got up to carry the message.She came to Priam's house, and found shouting and wailing.His sons were sitting around their father inside the courtyard,soaking their clothes with tears, and the old man in the middlewas hunched over, wrapped in his cloak; and lots ofdung lay on the old man's head and neck,which he had scraped up with his own hands as he rolled in it.His daughters and his sons' wives wailed through the house,remembering the sons who, many and brave,lay killed by Argive hands, their lives gone.The messenger of Zeus stood beside Priam and spoke to himin a quiet voice; and trembling took hold of his limbs:"Take heart, Priam, son of Dardanus, in your mind, and don't be afraid;I have not come here expecting evil for you,but thinking of good; I am a messenger from Zeus,who is far away but cares a lot for you and pities you.The Olympian tells you to ransom noble Hector,and to bring gifts to Achilles that will soothe his heart;alone, and no other man of Troy is to go with you.Let an older herald follow you, to drivethe mules and the well-wheeled wagon, and also to bringthe body back to the city, the one noble Achilles killed.Let no thought of death or fear trouble your mind,because this escort will follow you — Hermes —who will lead you until he brings you close to Achilles.But when he has brought you inside Achilles' hut,he won't kill you himself, and he will keep everyone else back,because he is not foolish or blind or wicked,but he will spare a begging man very kindly."With that, swift-footed Iris left.Then Priam called his sons and told them to get readya well-wheeled mule wagon, and to tie a basket on it.He himself went down into his sweet-smelling storeroom,made of cedar, high-roofed, which held many treasures;and he called his wife Hecuba and said to her:"Poor woman, an Olympian messenger from Zeus has come to meto ransom my dear son, going to the ships of the Achaeans,and to bring gifts to Achilles that will soothe his heart.Come on, tell me: what do you think is best?My own strength and heart push me terriblyto go there to the ships, into the broad camp of the Achaeans."So he spoke, and the woman screamed and answered him:"Oh no, where have your wits gone — the wits that oncewere famous among people, both strangers and those you rule?How can you want to go alone to the Achaeans' ships,into the eyes of the man who has killed so many of your bravesons? Your heart is surely made of iron.If he catches you and looks at you with his eyes,that man, savage and faithless, he will not pity you,and he will have no shame before you. Now let us cry apart,sitting in the hall; for strong Fate spun his thread for himthe day I bore him, at his birth somewhere,to feed the swift dogs far from his own parents,beside a strong man — and I wish I could hold his liverand eat it, biting into it; then there would be fair paybackfor my son, since he did not kill him like a coward,but standing in front of the Trojans and the deep-bosomed Trojan women,thinking of neither fear nor escape."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered her:"Don't hold me back when I want to go, and don't bea bird of bad luck in the house yourself; you won't persuade me.If some other human had told me to do this,either a seer who reads sacrifices or a priest,we would call it a lie and turn away even more;but now, since I myself heard the god and saw him face to face,I will go, and the word will not be empty. And if it is my fateto die by the ships of the bronze-clad Achaeans,I am willing; let Achilles kill me right away,once I have held my son in my arms, when I have cried my fill."So he spoke, and opened the beautiful lids of the chests;from there he took out twelve very beautiful robes,and twelve plain cloaks, and as many rugs,and as many white sheets, and as many tunics on top of those.He brought ten full talents of gold, all weighed out,and two shining tripods, and four cauldrons,and a very beautiful cup, which men of Thrace had given himwhen he went on a mission, a great treasure; not even thatdid the old man keep back in his house, but in his heart he badly wantedto ransom his dear son. Then he drove all the Trojansout of the porch, scolding them with shameful words:"Get out, you scum, you disgraces! Don't you havewailing to do at home, that you come here to add to my grief?Do you think it's a small thing that Zeus the son of Cronos gave me pain,losing the best of my sons? You will find out too;you will be easier for the Achaeans to kill,now that he is dead. But as for me,before I see the city sacked and lootedwith my own eyes, let me go down into the house of Hades."So he spoke, and drove the men off with his staff, and they went outas the old man hurried; and he yelled at his sons,scolding Helenus and Paris and noble Agathon,and Pammon and Antiphonus and Polites, good at the war cry,and Deiphobus and Hippothous and noble Agavus;the old man yelled at these nine and gave his orders:"Hurry, you miserable sons, you disgraces! I wish you allhad been killed at the swift ships instead of Hector.Oh, I am completely ruined, since I fathered the best of sonsin broad Troy, and I say not one of them is left —godlike Mestor and Troilus, who loved horses,and Hector, who was like a god among men, and did not looklike the child of a mortal man but of a god.Ares destroyed those, and all the disgraces are left,liars and dancers, best at dancing in the chorus,robbers of lambs and kids at home among their own people.""Won't you get me a wagon ready right now,and put all these things on it, so we can get on the road?"So he spoke, and they, afraid of their father's scolding,lifted out the well-wheeled mule wagon,beautiful, newly built, and tied the basket on it,and from the pegs they took down the mule yokeof boxwood, with a boss, well fitted with its rings;and they brought the nine-cubit yoke strap with the yoke.They set it carefully on the polished pole,on the front end, and threw the ring over the pin,and three times they tied it on each side at the boss, and thentied it in order and bent it back under the hook.Carrying from the storeroom, they piled onto the polished wagonthe endless ransom for Hector's head,and yoked the strong-hoofed mules, harnessed to the pole,which the Mysians once gave Priam as splendid gifts.They brought the horses under the yoke for Priam, the ones the old manhimself kept and fed at the polished manger.The two of them were yoking them in the high halls,the herald and Priam, with careful plans in their minds;and Hecuba came up close to them, upset in her heart,holding honey-sweet wine in her right handin a golden cup, so they could pour a drink before they went;she stood in front of the horses, spoke to him, and called him by name:"Take this and pour it out to father Zeus, and pray that you come homeagain from enemy men, since your heartpushes you to the ships against my will.But pray to the dark-clouded son of Cronos,the Idaean, who watches over all of Troy,and ask for a swift bird sign, a messenger, the one that isdearest of birds to him, and whose strength is greatest,on the right, so that you, seeing it with your own eyes,may go trusting in it to the ships of the swift-horsed Danaans.But if Zeus the wide-thunderer does not give you his messenger,then I would not urge you or tell youto go to the Argives' ships, no matter how much you want to."Then godlike Priam answered her:"Woman, I will not disobey you in this request;it is good to raise your hands to Zeus, if he might pity us."So the old man spoke, and told a servant girl, the housekeeper,to pour pure water over his hands; and she stood by,holding a basin and a pitcher in her hands.After he washed, he took the cup from his wife,and then prayed, standing in the middle of the courtyard, and poured wine,looking up at the sky, and speaking he said:"Father Zeus, lord from Ida, most glorious, greatest,grant that I come to Achilles as someone dear and pitied,and send a swift bird sign, a messenger, the one that isdearest of birds to you, and whose strength is greatest,on the right, so that I, seeing it with my own eyes,may go trusting in it to the ships of the swift-horsed Danaans."So he prayed, and wise Zeus heard him,and at once sent an eagle, the most perfect of birds,a dark hunter, which people also call the black eagle.As wide as the door of a high-roofed roomof a rich man, well fitted with bolts,that wide were its wings on each side; and it appeared to themon the right, shooting through the city; and when they saw itthey rejoiced, and the heart in everyone's chest warmed up.The old man hurried and climbed up into his chariot,and drove out of the gateway and the echoing porch.In front the mules pulled the four-wheeled wagon,which wise Idaeus drove; and behind camethe horses, which the old man drove on with the whip,quickly through the city; and all his friends followed along,crying loudly, as if he were going to his death.When they came down out of the city and reached the plain,the others turned back toward Troy and went home,the sons and sons-in-law; but those two did not escape wide-thundering Zeuswhen they appeared on the plain; seeing them, he pitied the old man,and at once he spoke to his dear son Hermes:"Hermes, since it is dearest to youto be a man's companion, and you listen to anyone you want,go now and lead Priam to the hollow ships of the Achaeansin such a way that noneof the other Danaans sees or notices him, before he gets to the son of Peleus."So he spoke, and the guide Hermes did not disobey.At once he tied beautiful sandals under his feet,immortal, golden, which carry him over the wetand over the endless earth with the breath of the wind;and he took the wand that charms the eyes of men,of anyone he wants, and wakes others even out of sleep;holding this in his hands he flew, the strong Hermes.Quickly he reached Troy and the Hellespont,and walked along like a young prince,just getting his first beard, whose youth is the loveliest.When they had driven past the great tomb of Ilus,they stopped the mules and horses so they could drinkin the river; for darkness had come over the earth.The herald, seeing him from nearby, recognizedHermes, and said to Priam:"Watch out, son of Dardanus; this needs a careful mind.I see a man, and I think we will soon be torn to pieces.Come on, let's run for it with the horses, or elsegrab his knees and beg him, in case he pities us."So he spoke, and the old man's mind poured away, and he was terribly afraid,and his hair stood up on his bending limbs,and he stood stunned; but the helpful one himself came closeand took the old man's hand, questioned him, and spoke:"Where, father, are you driving your horses and mulesthrough the immortal night, when other people are asleep?Weren't you afraid of the Achaeans who breathe fury,who are enemies and unfriendly to you, and are close by?If one of them saw you through the swift black nightbringing so many treasures, what would you be thinking?You are not young, and this man here with you is an old man,to fight off a man when someone attacks first.But I won't do you any harm, and I would evenkeep someone else away from you; I think of you as my own dear father."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"Yes, dear child, these things are just as you say.But still some god has stretched his hand over me,who sent me such a traveler to meet meas a good sign, one as wonderful in body and looks as you are,and you are wise in your mind, and you come from blessed parents."Then the guide Hermes answered him:"Yes, old man, you have said all of this just as it should be.But come, tell me this and tell it straight:are you sending away many fine treasuresto foreign men, so that they stay safe for you,or are you all already leaving holy Troyout of fear? Such a best man has died,your son; he never fell short against the Achaeans in battle."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"Who are you, most excellent, and whose child are you?How well you told me about the fate of my unlucky son!"Then the guide Hermes answered him:"You are testing me, old man, asking about noble Hector.I have often seen him in the battle where men win glory,with my own eyes, and when he drove the Argivesto the ships and killed them, cutting them with the sharp bronze;and we stood there amazed, because Achilleswould not let us fight, being angry with the son of Atreus.I am his servant, and one well-built ship brought us here;I am one of the Myrmidons, and my father is Polyctor.He is rich, and an old man like you,and he has six sons, and I am the seventh;with them I was chosen by lot to come here.And now I have come out to the plain from the ships, because at dawnthe glancing-eyed Achaeans will set the battle around the city.These men are upset as they sit here, and the kings of the Achaeanscannot hold back those who are eager for war."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"If you really are a servant of Achilles, son of Peleus,come on, tell me the whole truth:is my son still by the ships, or has Achilles alreadycut him limb from limb and thrown him out for his dogs?"Then the guide Hermes answered him:"Old man, the dogs have not eaten him yet, nor the birds,but he still lies beside Achilles' ship,just as he is, in the hut; and this is the twelfth dawnfor him as he lies there, and his flesh does not rot, nor do the wormseat him, the worms that eat men killed in war.He does drag him around his dear friend's tomb,without a care, every time shining Dawn comes up,but he does not ruin him; you would be amazed if you came yourselfat how fresh he lies, and the blood has been washed off him,and he is not dirty anywhere; and all his wounds are closed —the wounds he was struck with, because many men drove bronze into him.So the blessed gods care for your soneven in death, because he was dear to their hearts."So he spoke, and the old man rejoiced, and answered him:"My child, it really is good and right to give giftsto the immortals, since my son — if he ever really was —never forgot in his halls the gods who hold Olympus.So they remembered him even in the fate of death.Come on, accept this beautiful cup from me,and save me, and send me on with the gods' help,until I reach the hut of the son of Peleus."Then the guide Hermes answered him:"You are testing me, old man, a younger man, and you won't convince meto tell me to take your gifts without Achilles knowing.I fear and respect him in my hearttoo much to rob him, in case something bad happens to me later.But I would escort you even as far as famous Argos,looking after you carefully on a swift ship or on foot;nobody would fight me for the sake of escorting you."So he spoke, and the helpful one jumped up and quicklytook the whip and reins in his hands for the chariot and horses,and breathed brave strength into the horses and mules.But when they came to the ships' towers and the trench,where the guards were busy with their supper,the guide Hermes poured sleep over themall, and at once opened the gates and pushed back the bars,and brought in Priam and the splendid gifts on the wagon.But when they reached the hut of the son of Peleus,the high one the Myrmidons had built for their lord,cutting beams of fir; and on top they roofed itwith a shaggy roof of reeds gathered from the meadow;and around it they made a big courtyard for their lordwith close-set stakes; and one single door held it, a barof fir, which three Achaeans used to push shut,and three to open the great bolt of the doors —of the others; but Achilles alone could push it shut.Then indeed helpful Hermes opened it for the old man,and brought in the famous gifts to the swift-footed son of Peleus,and he stepped down from the chariot to the ground and spoke:"Old man, I have come as an immortal god,Hermes; my father sent me as your escort.But I will go back again, and I will not comeinto Achilles' sight; it would be shamefulfor an immortal god to openly favor mortals like this.You go in, and clasp the knees of the son of Peleus,and beg him by his father and his lovely-haired motherand his child, so that you stir his heart."So speaking, Hermes left for steep Olympus.But Priam jumped down from the chariot to the ground,and left Idaeus there; and he stayed, holdingthe horses and mules; and the old man went straight into the house,where Achilles, dear to Zeus, used to sit; and he found himthere, and his companions were sitting apart; and two alone,the heroes Automedon and Alcimus, offspring of Ares,were busy serving him; and he had just stopped eatingand drinking; and the table still stood beside him.Great Priam came in unnoticed, and standing closehe took Achilles' knees in his hands and kissed his hands,the terrible man-killing hands that had killed so many of his sons.As when a heavy ruin takes hold of a man, who in his own countryhas killed a man and comes to another people's land,to the house of a rich man, and amazement takes those who watch,so Achilles was amazed when he saw godlike Priam;and the others were amazed too, and they looked at each other.And Priam, begging him, spoke:"Remember your own father, godlike Achilles,who is the same age as I am, on the sad threshold of old age;and maybe the people living around him wear him down,and there is nobody to keep ruin and destruction away from him.But he at least, hearing that you are alive,rejoices in his heart, and hopes every dayto see his dear son coming back from Troy;but I am completely ruined, since I fathered the best of sonsin broad Troy, and I say not one of them is left.I had fifty sons when the Achaeans came;nineteen of them were from my one womb,and the others women bore to me in my halls.Rushing Ares loosened the knees of many of them;and the one who was mine alone, and guarded the city and them,you killed the other day as he fought for his homeland,Hector; and for his sake I now come to the Achaeans' shipsto ransom him from you, and I bring endless ransom.But respect the gods, Achilles, and pity me,remembering your own father; and I am more pitiable still,and I have endured what no other mortal man on earth has endured:to reach my hand to the mouth of the man who killed my son."So he spoke, and stirred up in him a longing for his father, and tears;and taking the old man's hand, he gently pushed him away.And the two of them remembered: one wept for man-killing Hectorwith heavy tears, huddled in front of Achilles' feet,and Achilles wept for his own father, and then againfor Patroclus; and groaning rose through the house.But when shining Achilles had had his fill of crying,and the longing had left his chest and his limbs,at once he got up from his chair, and lifted the old man by the hand,pitying his gray head and gray beard,and speaking to him he said winged words:"Ah, poor man, you really have endured many troubles in your heart.How did you dare to come alone to the Achaeans' ships,into the eyes of me, who have killed so many of your bravesons? Your heart is made of iron.But come on, sit down on a chair, and let us let our painslie in our hearts, even though we are grieving;there is no profit in cold crying.The gods have spun it this way for miserable mortals,to live grieving; but they themselves have no cares.Two jars stand in Zeus's floor,of the gifts he gives: one of bad things, the other of good.To whom Zeus the thunderer gives a mixed share,sometimes he gets something bad, sometimes something good;but to whom he gives only from the bad jar, he makes him despised,and cruel hunger drives him over the shining earth,and he wanders honored by neither gods nor men.So the gods gave splendid gifts to Peleus toofrom his birth; he surpassed all menin happiness and wealth, and he ruled the Myrmidons,and though he was mortal, they made a goddess his wife.But the god put an evil on him too: there wasno line of ruling sons in his halls,but he fathered one son, doomed to die early; and I do notcare for him as he grows old, since very far from my homelandI sit in Troy, troubling you and your children.And you, old man, we heard were once blessed;as much as Lesbos, the seat of Macar, holds inside it,and Phrygia above, and the endless Hellespont,in those places, old man, they say you outdid everyone in wealth and sons.But since the heavenly ones brought this trouble on you,there are always battles and killings around your city.Endure it, and don't mourn endlessly in your heart;you will gain nothing by grieving for your noble son,and you will not raise him up, before you suffer some other evil."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"Don't make me sit on a chair, Zeus-nurtured, while Hectorlies uncared for in the hut, but quicklylet him go, so that I can see him with my eyes; and you take the ransom,the many gifts we bring you; may you enjoy them, and may you cometo your own homeland, since you first let melive and look at the light of the sun."Then swift-footed Achilles, glaring at him, spoke:"Don't prod me any more now, old man; I myself am mindedto let Hector go, because a messenger came to me from Zeus,my mother, who bore me, the daughter of the old man of the sea.And I know you, Priam, in my mind, and it does not escape methat one of the gods led you to the swift ships of the Achaeans.No mortal would dare to come, even in his prime,into the camp; he would not escape the guards, and he could not easilypush back the bolt of our doors.So don't stir my heart into more grief now,in case, old man, I don't spare you yourself in the hut,even though you are a beggar, and I offend against Zeus's commands."So he spoke, and the old man was afraid and obeyed his word.And the son of Peleus leaped out of doors like a lion,not alone, because two attendants came with him,the heroes Automedon and Alcimus, whom Achilleshonored most of his companions after Patroclus died;these two then loosed the horses and mules from under the yoke,and brought in the herald, the old man's summoner,and sat him on a seat; and from the polished wagonthey took the endless ransom for Hector's head.And they left two cloaks and a well-woven tunic,so he could wrap the body and give it to be carried home.And calling the servant women, he told them to wash him and rub him with oil,lifting him aside, so Priam would not see his son,in case he, with an aching heart, could not hold back his angerat the sight of his son, and Achilles' own heart got stirred up,and he killed him, and offended against Zeus's commands.And when the servant women had washed him and rubbed him with oil,and thrown a beautiful cloak and tunic around him,Achilles himself lifted him and laid him on a bier,and his companions lifted him onto the polished wagon.Then he groaned, and called his dear companion by name:"Don't be angry with me, Patroclus, if you hear,even in the house of Hades, that I let noble Hector goto his dear father, since he gave me a fitting ransom.I will give you your proper share of these too."So he spoke, and shining Achilles went back into the hut,and sat down on the richly-made chair he had got up from,on the other side of the wall, and said a word to Priam:"Your son is released to you, old man, as you asked,and he lies on a bier; with the appearing of dawnyou will see him yourself as you lead him away; but now let us think about dinner.Even lovely-haired Niobe remembered food,she whose twelve children died in her halls,six daughters and six sons in their prime.Apollo killed these with his silver bow,in anger at Niobe, and Artemis the arrow-shooter killed the daughters,because she compared herself to lovely-cheeked Leto;she said she had borne two, but Leto herself bore many.So the two gods destroyed them all, though there were only two of them.And they lay nine days in the blood, and there was nobodyto bury them, because the son of Cronos turned the people to stone;but on the tenth day the heavenly gods buried them.And she remembered food, when she was tired of pouring out tears.And now somewhere among the rocks, on the lonely mountains,in Sipylus, where they say the beds of the goddessesare, of the nymphs who dance around the Acheloüs,there, stone though she is, she digests the griefs the gods gave her.But come on, let us two think about dinner too, noble old man;afterwards you can cry for your dear son again,when you have brought him into Troy; and he will be much wept over."So he spoke, and swift Achilles jumped up and slaughtereda white sheep; and his companions skinned it and dressed it well in order,and chopped it skillfully, and stuck the pieces on spits,and roasted them carefully, and pulled them all off.Automedon took the bread and served it at the tablein beautiful baskets; and Achilles handed out the meat.And they reached out their hands to the ready meal set before them.But when they had put aside their desire for food and drink,then Priam, son of Dardanus, marveled at Achilles,how big he was and how handsome; he looked like the gods.And Achilles marveled at Priam, son of Dardanus,looking at his good face and listening to his words.But when they had enjoyed looking at each other,the old man Priam, godlike, spoke first:"Now lay me down quickly, Zeus-nurtured, so that at lastwe can enjoy sweet sleep, lying down;my eyes have not yet closed under my lidssince my son lost his life at your hands,but I always groan and digest countless griefs,rolling in the dung in my courtyard.And now I have tasted food and let the dark winego down my throat; before this I had tasted nothing."So he spoke, and Achilles told his companions and the servant womento set beds under the porch and throw beautifulpurple blankets on them, and spread rugs on top,and put thick cloaks on top to use as covers.And the women went out of the hall with torches in their hands,and quickly they spread two beds, hurrying.And swift-footed Achilles spoke to him, teasing him a little:"Lie down outside, then, dear old man, in case one of the Achaeanscomes here, a counselor, one of those who alwayssit beside me and give me advice, as is right;if one of them saw you through the swift black night,he would tell Agamemnon, shepherd of the people, right away,and there would be a delay in releasing the body.But come, tell me this and tell it straight:how many days do you plan to hold the funeral for noble Hector,so that for that time I can wait myself and hold back the people."Then the old man Priam, godlike, answered him:"If you really want me to complete the funeral of noble Hector,then by doing this you would do me a favor, Achilles.You know how crowded we are in the city, and the wood is farto bring down from the mountain, and the Trojans are very afraid.Nine days we would wail for him in the halls,and on the tenth we would bury him and the people would feast,and on the eleventh we would build a mound over him,and on the twelfth we would fight again, if we must."Then swift-footed shining Achilles answered him:"These things will be as you say too, old man Priam, just as you ask;I will hold back the war for as long a time as you ask."So speaking, he grasped the old man's right handat the wrist, so that he would not be afraid in his heart.So they slept there in the porch of the house,the herald and Priam, with careful plans in their minds;but Achilles slept in the inner corner of the well-built hut,and beside him lay Briseis with the lovely cheeks.And the other gods and the horse-helmed menslept all night long, overcome by soft sleep;but helpful Hermes was not caught by sleep,as he thought in his heart about how to send king Priamout from the ships, unnoticed by the holy gatekeepers.He stood above his head and said to him:"Old man, you don't seem to care about danger at all, sleeping like thisamong enemy men, though Achilles has let you be.Now you have ransomed your dear son, and given many gifts;for you alive, three times as much ransom would be givenby the sons left behind you, if Agamemnonthe son of Atreus recognized you, and all the Achaeans knew."So he spoke, and the old man was afraid, and woke the herald.And Hermes yoked the horses and mules for them,and quickly he drove them himself through the camp, and nobody knew.But when they came to the ford of the fair-flowing riverXanthus the whirling, whom immortal Zeus fathered,then Hermes left for steep Olympus,and Dawn in her saffron robe spread over all the earth,and they drove to the city with wailing and groaning,the horses, while the mules carried the body. And nobody elseknew before them, no man or fair-girdled woman,but Cassandra, like golden Aphrodite,going up to Pergamon, saw her dear fatherstanding in the chariot, and the herald, the city's crier;and she saw him lying on the bier on the mules;and she screamed, and made her voice heard through all the city:"Come and see, Trojans and Trojan women, Hector,if you ever rejoiced in him while he lived, coming back from battle,since he was a great joy to the city and to all the people."So she spoke, and no man was left there in the city,nor woman; unbearable grief came to them all;and they met the one bringing the body near the gates.First his dear wife and his lady mothertore their hair, rushing to the well-wheeled wagon,touching his head; and the crowd wept around them.And now all day long until the sun went downthey would have wept for Hector, shedding tears before the gates,if the old man had not spoken to the people from the chariot:"Give way, so I can drive through with the mules; afterwardsyou will have your fill of crying, when I have brought him into the house."So he spoke, and they stood apart and gave way to the wagon.And when they had brought him into the famous house, thenthey laid him on a pierced bier, and seated beside him singers,leaders of the dirges, who sang the mournful song;and they sang the dirge, and the women groaned after them.And white-armed Andromache began the lament among them,holding the head of man-killing Hector in her hands:"Husband, you have died young, and you leave me a widowin the halls; and your child is still just a baby,the one you and I, unlucky, bore, and I do not thinkhe will reach manhood; before that, this citywill be destroyed from the top down; you have died, its guardian, whoused to save it, and you kept its faithful wives and baby children,and they will soon be carried off in the hollow ships,and I along with them; and you, child, will follow with me,where you would do shameful work,slaving for a pitiless master; or some Achaeanwill grab you by the hand and throw you from the tower to a miserable death,in anger because Hector killed his brother,or his father, or his son; since very many Achaeansbit the endless ground in Hector's hands.Your father was not gentle in the miserable battle;that is why the people mourn him through the city,and you have made for your parents a grief and sorrow to be prayed away,Hector; and for me above all painful sorrows are left.You did not reach out your hands to me from your bed when you died,and you did not say a careful word to me, one I could alwaysremember, night and day, shedding tears."So she spoke weeping, and the women groaned after her.And then Hecuba began the heavy lament among them:"Hector, dearest by far to my heart of all my sons,while you lived you were truly dear to the gods;and they cared for you even in the fate of death.My other sons, swift-footed Achillesused to sell, whoever he caught, across the barren sea,to Samos and Imbros and smoky Lemnos;but when he took your life with the long-pointed bronze,he often dragged you around the tomb of his companionPatroclus, whom you killed; and even so he did not bring him back.But now you lie fresh and dewy in my halls,like someone whom Apollo of the silver bow,coming at him with his gentle arrows, has killed."So she spoke weeping, and raised endless lament.And after them Helen began the lament third:"Hector, dearest by far to my heart of all my husband's brothers,my husband is godlike Alexander,who brought me to Troy; I wish I had died first.It is now the twentieth year for mesince I left there and went away from my own homeland;but I never heard a harsh or insulting word from you;and if anyone else in the halls blamed me,one of my husband's brothers, or sisters-in-law, or the well-dressed wives of his brothers,or my mother-in-law — my father-in-law was always gentle like a father —then you would talk to them and hold them back with words,with your gentle heart and your gentle words.So I weep for you and for my own unlucky self, grieving in my heart;there is no longer anyone else in broad Troygentle or dear to me; everyone shrinks from me."So she spoke weeping, and the endless people groaned.And the old man Priam spoke to the people:"Bring wood now, Trojans, to the city, and don'tbe afraid in your hearts of an Argive ambush; Achillessent me off with this command from his black ships,not to harm us before the twelfth dawn comes."So he spoke, and they yoked oxen and mules under the wagons,and quickly then they gathered in front of the city.Nine days they brought in endless wood;but when the tenth dawn appeared, bringing light to mortals,then they brought bold Hector out, shedding tears,and laid the body on top of the pyre, and threw fire on it.And when early-born rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,then the people gathered around the pyre of famous Hector.But when they had gathered and come together,first they put out the whole pyre with flashing wine,as far as the fire's strength had spread; and thenthe brothers and companions gathered the white bones,mourning, and heavy tears streamed down their cheeks.And they took them and put them in a golden urn,wrapping them in soft purple cloth.And they quickly put it in a hollow grave, and over itthey spread large close-set stones;and they quickly heaped up the mound, and watchers sat all around,in case the well-greaved Achaeans attacked before then.And when they had heaped the mound, they went back; and thengathering well together they feasted on a glorious feastin the halls of Priam, Zeus-nurtured king.So they busied themselves with the funeral of Hector, tamer of horses.