Book 3

But when they had marshalled, each with their own leaders,the Trojans came with clamour and war-cry, like birds,even as the cry of cranes sounds before the face of heaven,which, when they have fled the storm and the measureless rain,fly with clamour toward the streams of Ocean,bringing slaughter and death to the Pygmy men;and in the mist they bring on their evil strife.But the Achaeans came in silence, breathing fury,eager in heart to defend one another.As when the South Wind pours mist upon the mountain peaks,no friend at all to shepherds, but better than night for a thief,and a man sees only as far as he casts a stone,so beneath their feet a whirling dust-cloud roseas they came; and very swiftly they sped across the plain.But when they were near, coming on against one another,godlike Alexandros came forth as champion of the Trojans,wearing a leopard's skin on his shoulders, and curved bows,and a sword; and two spears tipped with bronzehe brandished, and challenged all the best of the Argivesto fight against him in grim battle.Him when Menelaos, dear to Ares, markedcoming out before the throng with long strides,as a lion rejoices when he lights on a great carcass,having found a horned stag or a wild goat,in his hunger; for he devours it eagerly, though swift houndsand lusty young huntsmen press hard upon him,so Menelaos rejoiced when he saw godlike Alexandroswith his eyes; for he thought to punish the transgressor.Forthwith he leapt from his chariot with his armour to the ground.But when godlike Alexandros marked himappearing among the champions, his own heart was struck with dread,and he shrank back into the troop of his comrades, shunning death.As when a man, seeing a serpent in the mountain glens,starts back, and trembling seizes his limbs,and he withdraws, and pallor takes his cheeks,so again Alexandros sank into the throng of the proud Trojans,fearing the son of Atreus, Alexandros of godlike face.Him Hektor rebuked when he saw him, with shameful words:Wretched Paris, best in beauty, mad for women, deceiver,would that you had never been born, or had died unwed!That I would wish, and it would be far betterthan that you should be thus a disgrace and a thing of scorn to others.Surely the long-haired Achaeans laugh aloud,deeming him a champion, because he has a fairshape; but there is no strength in his heart, nor any prowess.Was it being such a man that, in your sea-crossing ships,sailing the sea, gathering your trusty comrades,you mingled with strangers, and brought away a fair woman,from a distant land, a daughter-in-law of warrior men,a great sorrow to your father, and to your city, and to all your people,a joy to your enemies, and a shame to yourself?Would you not then abide Menelaos, dear to Ares?You would know of what a man you hold his blooming wife;your lyre would not help you, nor the gifts of Aphrodite,nor your hair, nor your beauty, when you are mingled with the dust.But the Trojans are great cowards; surely by nowyou would have worn a tunic of stone for the evils you have wrought.Him again godlike Alexandros answered:Hektor, since you have rebuked me rightly, and not beyond what is right,your heart is always like an unyielding axethat goes through timber by a man's hand, who with skillhews out ship-timber, and it furthers the man's stroke;so in your breast is a fearless mind.Do not taunt me with the lovely gifts of golden Aphrodite;the glorious gifts of the gods are not to be cast away,such as they themselves give; no man would choose them of his own will.But now, if you wish me to war and to fight,make the other Trojans and all the Achaeans sit down,and set me in the midst, and Menelaos dear to Ares,to fight together for Helen and all the treasures;and whichever of the two wins and proves the better,let him take all the treasures well and lead the woman home;and let the rest, cutting faithful oaths of friendship,dwell in fertile Troy, and let the others returnto horse-pasturing Argos and Achaea, land of fair women.So he spoke, and Hektor rejoiced greatly hearing the word,and going into the midst he held back the ranks of the Trojans,grasping his spear by the middle; and they all sat down.But the long-haired Achaeans shot arrows at him,aiming with arrows, and hurling stones;but Agamemnon, lord of men, shouted aloud:Hold, Argives; do not shoot, you sons of the Achaeans;for Hektor of the shining helmet promises to say something.So he spoke, and they held from battle and fell silentat once; and Hektor spoke among both hosts:Hear me, Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans,the word of Alexandros, for whose sake the quarrel has arisen.He bids the other Trojans and all the Achaeanslay their fair armour down on the much-nourishing earth,and that he himself in the midst, and Menelaos dear to Ares,alone should fight for Helen and all the treasures.And whichever of the two wins and proves the better,let him take all the treasures well and lead the woman home;and let the rest of us cut faithful oaths of friendship.So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence;and among them spoke Menelaos, good at the war-cry:Hear me also now; for grief comes mostto my heart, and I deem that they should now be parted,Argives and Trojans, since you have suffered many evilsfor my quarrel and for the beginning made by Alexandros.And whichever of us two has death and fate appointed,let him die; and do you others be parted at once.Bring lambs, one white, the other black,for Earth and Sun; and for Zeus we will bring another;and bring the mighty Priam, so that he may cut the oathshimself, since his sons are overbearing and faithless,lest someone by transgression harm the oaths of Zeus.The minds of younger men are always fluttering;but where an old man is present, he looks both forward and back,so that it may be best for both sides alike.So he spoke, and the Achaeans and the Trojans rejoiced,hoping to cease from woeful war.And they checked their horses by the ranks, and stepped out themselves,and took off their armour; they laid it on the groundclose to one another, and the space between was small.And Hektor sent two heralds to the cityswiftly, to bring the lambs and to call Priam;and lord Agamemnon sent forth Talthybiosto go to the hollow ships, and he bade him bringa lamb; and he did not disobey godlike Agamemnon.And Iris came as messenger to white-armed Helen,likened to the wife of the son of Antenor, her husband's sister,whom lord Helikaon, son of Antenor, had to wife,Laodike, fairest in form of the daughters of Priam.She found her in the hall; and she was weaving a great web,a double-folded purple cloth, and she was embroidering in it many strugglesof the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,which they suffered for her sake at the hands of Ares.And standing near, swift-footed Iris spoke to her:Come here, dear lady, that you may see the wondrous deedsof the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,who before were bringing tearful war upon one anotheron the plain, longing for ruinous war;they now sit in silence, and the war has ceased,leaning on their shields, and beside them their long spears are planted.But Alexandros and Menelaos dear to Areswill fight with long spears for you;and to him who wins you shall be called his dear wife.So speaking, the goddess cast sweet longing into her heartfor her former husband, and her city, and her parents.And at once she veiled herself in shining linenand rushed from her chamber, shedding a soft tear,not alone, for two handmaids followed with her,Aithra, daughter of Pittheus, and ox-eyed Klymene;and quickly then they came to where the Scaean Gates were.And those around Priam, and Panthoos, and Thymoites,Lampos, and Klytios, and Hiketaon, scion of Ares,and Oukalegon, and Antenor, both prudent,sat as elders of the people at the Scaean Gates,now ceased from war through age, but good speakers,like cicadas, which in the forest,seated on a tree, send forth a lily-like voice;such were the leaders of the Trojans sitting on the tower.And when they saw Helen coming up to the tower,softly they spoke winged words to one another:No blame is it that Trojans and well-greaved Achaeansfor such a woman should suffer woes for a long time;she is terribly like the immortal goddesses to look upon.But even so, being such, let her go home in the ships,and not be left a sorrow to us and our children hereafter.So they spoke, and Priam called Helen with his voice:Come here before me, dear child, sit beside me,that you may see your former husband, and your kin, and your friends;you are no cause of blame to me; the gods are the cause to mewho roused against me the tearful war with the Achaeans;so tell me the name of this enormous man too,who this Achaean man is, so goodly and so tall.Indeed others are even taller by a head,but so fair a man I have never yet seen with my eyes,nor so majestic; for he is like a kingly man.Helen, shining among women, answered him with words:Reverend you are to me, dear father-in-law, and terrible;would that evil death had pleased me when I came herefollowing your son, leaving my bridal chamber and my kinand my tender child and my lovely companions of like age.But those things did not happen; therefore weeping I have melted away.And this I will tell you, which you ask and inquire of me:this is the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon,both a good king and a strong spearman;and he was my brother-in-law, shameless that I am, if indeed he ever was.So she spoke, and the old man marvelled, and said:O blessed son of Atreus, born of fate, happy and fortunate,surely many sons of the Achaeans are subdued under you.Once I also entered vine-rich Phrygia,where I saw the most numerous Phrygian men with nimble horses,the hosts of Otreus and of godlike Mygdon,who were then encamped beside the banks of the Sangarios;for I too was reckoned among them as an allyon the day when the Amazons, match for men, came.But not even they were as many as the glancing-eyed Achaeans.Second, the old man, seeing Odysseus, asked:Come, tell me, dear child, who this one is;he is shorter by a head than Agamemnon son of Atreus,but broader in shoulders and chest to look upon.His armour lies on the much-nourishing earth,but he himself, like a ram, goes up and down the ranks of men;I liken him to a thick-fleeced ram,that goes through a great flock of white sheep.Then Helen, born of Zeus, answered him:This is Laertes' son, wily Odysseus,who was raised in the land of Ithaca, rugged though it be,knowing all manner of wiles and close counsels.Then Antenor, prudent, spoke to her in answer:Woman, truly you have spoken this word unerringly;for once godlike Odysseus came here tooon an embassy for your sake, with Menelaos dear to Ares;and I entertained them and loved them in my halls,and I learned the stature of both and their close counsels.But when they mingled in the assembly of the Trojans,when they stood, Menelaos overtopped him with broad shoulders,but when both were seated, Odysseus was the more majestic.But when they wove words and counsels before all,Menelaos indeed spoke fluently,few words, but very clearly, since he was not a man of many wordsnor one to misspeak; and he was also younger in birth.But when wily Odysseus sprang up,he would stand and look down, fixing his eyes on the ground,and he did not wield the staff backward nor forward,but held it unwaveringly, like a man without knowledge;you would say he was some sullen man, and simply foolish.But when he sent forth his great voice from his chest,and words like winter snowflakes,then no other mortal could contend with Odysseus;then we did not so marvel at the sight of the form of Odysseus.Third, the old man, seeing Aias, asked:Who then is this other Achaean man, so goodly and so tall,pre-eminent among the Argives in head and broad shoulders?Helen of the long robe, shining among women, answered him:This is the enormous Aias, bulwark of the Achaeans;and Idomeneus stands on the other side among the Cretans like a god,and around him the leaders of the Cretans are gathered.Often Menelaos, dear to Ares, entertained himin our house, whenever he came from Crete.But now I see all the other glancing-eyed Achaeans,whom I could well recognize and tell the name of;but two I cannot see, the marshals of the peoples,Castor, tamer of horses, and Polydeukes, good with the fist,my own brothers, whom one mother bore to me.Either they did not follow from lovely Lacedaemon,or they followed here in the sea-crossing ships,but now do not wish to go down into the battle of men,fearing the shames and the many reproaches that are mine.So she spoke, but the life-giving earth already held themthere in Lacedaemon, in their own dear native land.And the heralds through the city brought the faithful oaths of the gods,two lambs and wine, the gladdening fruit of the field,in a goatskin; and the herald Idaios brought a shining mixing-bowland golden cups;and standing beside the old man he urged him with words:Rise, son of Laomedon, the best men call you,of the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,to come down to the plain, that you may cut faithful oaths.For Alexandros and Menelaos dear to Areswill fight with long spears for the woman;and to him who wins, the woman and the treasures shall follow;and let the rest of us, cutting faithful oaths of friendship,dwell in fertile Troy, and let those others returnto horse-pasturing Argos and Achaea, land of fair women.So he spoke; the old man shuddered, and bade his companionsyoke the horses; and they obeyed readily.Priam climbed up, and pulled the reins back;and beside him Antenor stepped into the very beautiful chariot;and the two drove their swift horses through the Scaean Gates onto the plain.But when they came among the Trojans and the Achaeans,stepping down from the chariot onto the much-nourishing earth,they went into the midst of the Trojans and Achaeans.Then at once Agamemnon, lord of men, rose up,and wily Odysseus; and the noble heraldsgathered the faithful oaths of the gods, and mixed wine in the bowl,and poured water over the hands of the kings.The son of Atreus, drawing the knife with his hands,which always hung beside his great sword-sheath,cut hair from the heads of the lambs; and thenthe heralds distributed it to the best of the Trojans and Achaeans.And among them the son of Atreus prayed aloud, lifting up his hands:Father Zeus, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most great,and Sun, who behold all things and hear all things,and rivers, and earth, and you two who beneath the earthpunish men who have died, whoever swears a false oath,be you witnesses, and guard the faithful oaths.If Alexandros slays Menelaos,then let him himself have Helen and all the treasures,and let us go home in our sea-crossing ships;but if fair-haired Menelaos kills Alexandros,then the Trojans must give back Helen and all the treasures,and pay the Argives such recompense as is fitting,which may also be among men who are yet to be.But if Priam and the sons of Priam are unwillingto pay me recompense when Alexandros has fallen,then I myself will fight even thereafter for the penalty,remaining here, until I reach the end of the war.He spoke, and cut the throats of the lambs with the pitiless bronze;and he laid them on the ground gasping,bereft of life; for the bronze had taken away their strength.And drawing wine from the bowl with cupsthey poured it out, and prayed to the gods who live forever.And thus one of the Achaeans and Trojans would say:Zeus, most glorious, most great, and you other immortal gods,whichever of the two sides first does harm against the oaths,so may their brains flow to the ground as this wine does,theirs and their children's, and may their wives be taken by others.So they spoke, but the son of Kronos did not yet fulfill it for them.And among them Dardanid Priam spoke a word:Hear me, Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans:I indeed am going back to windy Ilion,since I will not endure to see with my eyesmy dear son fighting with Menelaos dear to Ares.Zeus surely knows this, and the other immortal gods,to whichever of the two the end of death is fated.He spoke, and the godlike man placed the lambs in the chariot,and he himself climbed up, and pulled the reins back;and beside him Antenor stepped into the very beautiful chariot.And the two went back toward Ilion;and Hektor, son of Priam, and godlike Odysseusfirst measured out the ground, and thentaking lots they shook them in a bronze helmet,to see which of the two should first let fly his bronze spear.And the people prayed, and lifted up their hands to the gods,and thus one of the Achaeans and Trojans would say:Father Zeus, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most great,whichever of the two brought these deeds about between the two hosts,grant that he, perishing, go down into the house of Hades,and that for us there be friendship and faithful oaths.So they spoke, and great Hektor of the shining helmet shook the lots,looking away; and the lot of Paris leapt out swiftly.Then they sat down along the ranks, where for each manhis high-stepping horses and his dappled armour lay;and he put on his fair armour about his shoulders,godlike Alexandros, husband of fair-haired Helen.First he placed the greaves about his shins,fair ones, fitted with silver ankle-clasps;secondly he put on the corselet about his chest,his own brother Lykaon's; and it fitted him.And he cast about his shoulders a sword with silver studs,of bronze, and then a shield great and sturdy;and on his sturdy head he set a well-made helmetwith horse-hair crest; and the plume nodded terribly above;and he took a sturdy spear, which fitted his palms.So likewise Menelaos, dear to Ares, put on his armour.And when they had armed themselves on either side of the throng,they went into the midst of the Trojans and Achaeans,glaring terribly; and amazement seized those who looked on,both the horse-taming Trojans and the well-greaved Achaeans.And they stood near in the measured space,shaking their spears at each other in anger.First Alexandros let fly his long-shadowed spear,and struck the shield of the son of Atreus, even on every side,but the bronze did not break it, and the point was bent backin the strong shield; and he rose up second with the bronze,Menelaos son of Atreus, praying to father Zeus:Lord Zeus, grant that I punish him who first did evil to me,godlike Alexandros, and subdue him beneath my hands,so that even among men born hereafter one may shudderto do evil to a host who offers him friendship.He spoke, and swinging it let fly his long-shadowed spear,and struck the shield of the son of Priam, even on every side;straight through the shining shield went the mighty spear,and it was driven through the richly-worked corselet;and straight on beside his flank the spear cut through the tunic,and he shrank aside and avoided black death.And the son of Atreus, drawing his silver-studded sword,struck, raising it, the horn of the helmet; but about itit broke in three and in four pieces and fell from his hand.And the son of Atreus groaned, looking up to the wide heaven:Father Zeus, no other of the gods is more destructive than you;truly I thought to punish Alexandros for his wickedness;but now the sword is broken in my hands, and the spearhas sped from my palms in vain, and I did not hit him.He spoke, and rushing on caught the horse-haired helmet,and twisted it and dragged him toward the well-greaved Achaeans;and the richly-embroidered strap choked him under his tender throat,which was stretched beneath his chin as the holder of the helmet.And now he would have dragged him and won boundless glory,had not the daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite, quickly marked it,who broke the strap for him, of a bull slain by force;and the empty helmet followed along with his thick hand.Then the hero whirled it and threw it among the well-greaved Achaeans,and his trusty comrades caught it up;but he sprang back again, eager to kill himwith the bronze spear; but Aphrodite snatched him away,very easily, as a god can, and covered him in thick mist,and set him down in his fragrant, sweet-smelling chamber.And she herself went to call Helen; and she found heron the high tower, and around her the Trojan women were in throngs;and with her hand she caught and shook her nectarous robe,and likened to an old woman born long ago, she spoke to her,a wool-worker, who when she dwelt in Lacedaemonused to work fair wool, and she loved her most;likened to her, shining Aphrodite spoke to her:Come here; Alexandros calls you to come home.He is there in the chamber, on the inlaid bed,gleaming in beauty and in garments; you would not saythat he had come from fighting a man, but rather that he goesto a dance, or that he has just sat down from a dance.So she spoke, and stirred the heart in her breast;and when she marked the goddess's very beautiful neckand her lovely breasts and her flashing eyes,then she marvelled, and spoke a word and named her:Strange goddess, why do you long to deceive me in this way?Will you lead me somewhere further, to some well-peopled city,either of Phrygia or of lovely Maeonia,if there too some man of the mortal races is dear to you?Because now Menelaos has conquered godlike Alexandros,and wishes to lead me, hateful as I am, home,is it for this that you now stand here with deceitful mind?Go sit beside him, and give up the way of the gods,and may you never again turn back to Olympus on your feet,but always grieve for him and watch over him,until he makes you either his wife or his slave.But I will not go there; it would be a thing of shameto serve his bed; and all the Trojan women will blame mehereafter; and I have endless griefs in my heart.Then shining Aphrodite, angered, spoke to her:Do not provoke me, wretch, lest in my anger I abandon you,and hate you as terribly as I have loved you now,and contrive bitter hatreds between both sides,Trojans and Danaans, and you may perish by an evil doom.So she spoke, and Helen, born of Zeus, feared,and went, covering herself with her shining white robe,in silence, and she escaped the notice of all the Trojan women; and the goddess led the way.And when they came to the very beautiful house of Alexandros,the handmaids turned swiftly to their tasks,but she, shining among women, went to the high-roofed chamber.And smiling Aphrodite, taking a chair, brought itand set it down for her facing Alexandros;there Helen sat down, daughter of Zeus who bears the aegis,turning her eyes aside, and she rebuked her husband with words:You have come from the war; would that you had perished there,subdued by the strong man who was my former husband.Surely before you boasted that in your strength and hands and spearyou were better than Menelaos dear to Ares.But come now, challenge Menelaos dear to Aresto fight against him again; but I for my partbid you cease, and not with fair-haired Menelaosto wage opposing war and to fightfoolishly, lest you soon be subdued by his spear.And Paris answered her with words and said:Do not, woman, rebuke my heart with harsh reproaches;for now Menelaos has won with Athena,but I will conquer him in turn; for the gods are with us too.But come, let us delight in love, lying together;for never yet has desire so enfolded my mind,not even when first from lovely LacedaemonI sailed, having seized you in my sea-crossing ships,and on the island of Cranae I mingled with you in love and bed,as now I long for you, and sweet desire seizes me.He spoke, and led the way to the bed; and his wife followed with him.So the two lay down in the pierced bed,while the son of Atreus went up and down the throng like a wild beast,if perhaps he might catch sight of godlike Alexandros.But none of the Trojans or of the famous allies couldthen point out Alexandros to Menelaos dear to Ares;for they did not hide him out of friendship, if any had seen him;for he was hated by them all equally with black death.And among them spoke Agamemnon, lord of men:Hear me, Trojans and Dardanians and allies:the victory is shown to be that of Menelaos, dear to Ares;and do you give up Argive Helen and the treasures with her,and pay such recompense as is fitting,which may also be among men who are yet to be.So spoke the son of Atreus, and the other Achaeans approved.

But when they had drawn themselves up, each group with its leader,the Trojans came with shouting and war-cries, like birds,just as the cry of cranes rises up before the sky,and when they have escaped the winter and the endless rain,they fly with cries toward the streams of Ocean,carrying slaughter and death to the Pygmy men;and in the mist they bring their evil quarrelling.But the Achaeans came in silence, breathing fury,eager in their hearts to defend one another.As when the South Wind pours mist over the mountain tops,no friend at all to shepherds, but better than night for a thief,and a man can see only as far as he throws a stone,so under their feet a whirling cloud of dust rose upas they came on; and very quickly they swept across the plain.But when they were close, coming at one another,godlike Alexandros came out as champion for the Trojans,with a leopard's skin on his shoulders and curved bowsand a sword; and two spears tipped with bronzehe brandished, and he challenged all the best of the Argivesto fight him face to face in the grim battle.When Menelaos, dear to Ares, noticed himcoming out in front of the crowd with long strides,just as a lion rejoices when it comes upon a big carcass,having found a horned stag or a wild goatwhile it is hungry; for it eats it eagerly, even though swift dogsand strong young hunters drive it on;so Menelaos rejoiced when he saw godlike Alexandroswith his eyes; for he thought he would punish the guilty man.At once he jumped from his chariot with his armour down to the ground.But when godlike Alexandros noticed himappearing among the front fighters, his own heart was struck with fear,and he shrank back into the crowd of his comrades, avoiding death.Just as when a man sees a snake and steps back away from itin the mountain glens, and trembling seizes his limbs,and he retreats, and pallor takes his cheeks,so again Alexandros sank back into the crowd of the proud Trojans,afraid of the son of Atreus, Alexandros of godlike face.When Hektor saw him, he scolded him with shameful words:Wretched Paris, best in looks, mad after women, deceiver,if only you had never been born, or had died without marrying!That is what I would wish, and it would be far betterthan that you should be such a disgrace and looked down on by others.Surely the long-haired Achaeans are laughing out loud,thinking he is a champion, because he has a fineappearance; but there is no strength in his heart and no fighting spirit.Was it as such a man that, in your sea-crossing ships,sailing the sea and gathering your trusty comrades,you mixed with foreigners and brought back a beautiful woman,from a distant land, the daughter-in-law of warrior men,a great sorrow to your father and to your city and to all your people,a joy to your enemies, and a shame to yourself?Would you not then stand and face Menelaos, dear to Ares?You would find out what kind of man it is whose blooming wife you have.Your lyre would not help you, nor the gifts of Aphrodite,nor your hair, nor your looks, when you are mixed with the dust.But the Trojans are great cowards; surely by nowyou would have worn a tunic of stone for all the evils you have done.Godlike Alexandros answered him again:Hektor, since you have blamed me justly and not beyond what is just,your heart is always like an unyielding axethat goes through timber in a man's hands, when he by his skillcuts out ship-building wood, and it drives the man's stroke on;so in your breast your mind is fearless.Do not throw the lovely gifts of golden Aphrodite in my face;the glorious gifts of the gods are not to be thrown away,whatever they themselves give; no one would choose them of his own will.But now, if you want me to make war and fight,make the other Trojans and all the Achaeans sit down,and put me in the middle, and Menelaos dear to Ares,and let us two fight for Helen and all the treasures.And whichever of the two wins and proves the better,let him take all the treasures and lead the woman home.And let the rest of you, after cutting faithful oaths of friendship,live in fertile Troy, and let those others go hometo horse-pasturing Argos and Achaea, land of beautiful women.So he spoke, and Hektor rejoiced greatly when he heard the words,and going into the middle he held back the ranks of the Trojans,taking his spear by the middle; and they all sat down.But the long-haired Achaeans kept shooting arrows at him,aiming with arrows, and throwing stones at him.Then Agamemnon, lord of men, shouted loudly:Hold, Argives; do not shoot, you sons of the Achaeans;for Hektor of the shining helmet promises to say something.So he spoke, and they held off from battle and fell silentat once; and Hektor spoke to both sides:Hear me, Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans,the words of Alexandros, on whose account the quarrel has arisen.He asks the other Trojans and all the Achaeansto lay their fine armour down on the much-nourishing earth,and that he himself in the middle, and Menelaos dear to Ares,should fight alone for Helen and all the treasures.And whichever of the two wins and proves the better,let him take all the treasures and lead the woman home;and let the rest of us cut faithful oaths of friendship.So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence;and Menelaos, good at the war-cry, spoke among them:Hear me also now; for grief comes most of allto my heart, and I think that they should now be separated,the Argives and the Trojans, since you have suffered many evilsbecause of my quarrel and because Alexandros began it.And whichever of us two has death and fate appointed,let him die; and let the rest of you be separated at once.Bring lambs, one white, and the other black,for Earth and Sun; and for Zeus we will bring another.And bring mighty Priam, so that he may cut the oathshimself, since his sons are arrogant and untrustworthy,in case someone by breaking faith harms the oaths of Zeus.The minds of younger men are always fluttering about;but when an old man is there, he looks both forward and backward,to see how things may turn out best for both sides.So he spoke, and the Achaeans and the Trojans rejoiced,hoping to stop the wretched war.And they checked their horses by the ranks, and got out themselves,and took their armour off; they laid it on the groundclose to one another, and the space between was small.And Hektor sent two heralds to the cityquickly, to bring the lambs and to call Priam.And lord Agamemnon sent Talthybiosto go to the hollow ships, and he told him to bringa lamb; and he did not disobey godlike Agamemnon.And Iris came as a messenger to white-armed Helen,looking like the wife of the son of Antenor, her husband's sister,whom lord Helikaon, son of Antenor, had as his wife,Laodike, the fairest in looks of Priam's daughters.She found her in the hall; and she was weaving a great cloth,a double-folded purple one, and she was embroidering into it many strugglesof the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,which they suffered for her sake at the hands of Ares.And standing near her, swift-footed Iris spoke:Come here, dear lady, so that you may see the wondrous deedsof the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,who before were bringing tearful war on one anotheron the plain, longing for the destroying war.They now sit in silence, and the war has stopped,leaning on their shields, and beside them their long spears are planted.But Alexandros and Menelaos dear to Areswill fight with long spears over you;and whichever one wins, you will be called his dear wife.So she spoke, and the goddess threw a sweet longing into her heartfor her former husband, and her city, and her parents.And at once she covered herself with shining linenand hurried from her room, shedding a soft tear,not alone, for two serving women followed with her,Aithra, the daughter of Pittheus, and ox-eyed Klymene.And quickly then they came to where the Scaean Gates were.And gathered around Priam were Panthoos and Thymoitesand Lampos and Klytios and Hiketaon, a branch of Ares,and Oukalegon and Antenor, both of them prudent,sitting as the elders of the people at the Scaean Gates,by then stopped from war by old age, but good speakers,like cicadas, which in the forest,sitting on a tree, send out a lily-like voice.Such were the leaders of the Trojans sitting on the tower.And when they saw Helen coming up to the tower,softly they spoke winged words to one another:There is no blame that the Trojans and the well-greaved Achaeansshould suffer troubles for a long time over such a woman.She is terribly like the immortal goddesses to look at.But even so, though she is such, let her go home in the ships,and not be left as a sorrow to us and our children later on.So they said, and Priam called Helen with his voice:Come here and sit beside me, dear child,so that you may see your former husband, and your in-laws, and your friends.You are not to blame in my eyes; the gods are to blame for me,who stirred up against me the tearful war with the Achaeans.So tell me the name of this enormous man too,who this Achaean is, so goodly and so tall.Indeed others are even taller by a head,but a man so handsome I have never yet seen with my eyes,nor so majestic; for he looks like a king.Helen, shining among women, answered him with words:You are respected by me, dear father-in-law, and I fear you.If only evil death had pleased me when I came here,following your son, leaving my marriage room and my own peopleand my tender child and my lovely companions of my own age.But those things did not happen; and so I have wasted away with weeping.And this I will tell you, what you are asking and inquiring about.This is the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon,both a good king and a strong spearman;and he was my brother-in-law, shameless as I am, if indeed he ever was.So she spoke, and the old man marvelled and said:O blessed son of Atreus, born for what fate gives, happy and fortunate,surely many sons of the Achaeans are subdued under you.I once entered vine-rich Phrygia too,where I saw the greatest number of Phrygian men with nimble horses,the hosts of Otreus and of godlike Mygdon,who were then encamped beside the banks of the Sangarios;for I too was counted among them as an allyon the day when the Amazons, a match for men, came.But not even they were as many as the glancing-eyed Achaeans.Second, the old man asked, when he saw Odysseus:Come, tell me, dear child, who this one is.He is shorter by a head than Agamemnon, son of Atreus,but broader in the shoulders and the chest to look at.His armour lies on the much-nourishing earth,but he himself goes up and down the ranks of men like a ram;I myself compare him to a thick-fleeced ramthat goes through a great flock of white sheep.Then Helen, born of Zeus, answered him:This is the son of Laertes, wily Odysseus,who was raised in the land of Ithaca, though it is rugged,knowing all kinds of tricks and close-kept plans.Then prudent Antenor spoke to her in answer:Woman, truly you have spoken this word without error.For godlike Odysseus came here once too,on an embassy for your sake, with Menelaos dear to Ares;and I entertained them and welcomed them in my halls,and I learned the build of both of them and their close-kept plans.But when they mixed in the assembly of the Trojans,when they stood, Menelaos overtopped him with his broad shoulders,but when both were seated, Odysseus was the more majestic.But when they wove words and plans before everyone,Menelaos indeed spoke fluently,few words, but very clearly, since he was not a man of many wordsand did not misspeak; and he was also younger by birth.But when wily Odysseus jumped up,he would stand and look down, fixing his eyes on the ground,and he did not swing the staff backward or forward,but held it firmly, like a man who knows nothing;you would say he was some sullen man and simply stupid.But when he sent his great voice out from his chest,and words like snowflakes in winter,then no other mortal could compete with Odysseus;and then we did not marvel at the appearance of Odysseus when we saw it.Third, the old man asked, when he saw Aias:Who then is this other Achaean, so goodly and so tall,outstanding among the Argives in head and broad shoulders?Helen of the long robe, shining among women, answered him:This is the enormous Aias, the wall of the Achaeans;and Idomeneus stands over on the other side among the Cretans like a god,and around him the leaders of the Cretans are gathered.Often Menelaos, dear to Ares, entertained himin our house, whenever he came from Crete.But now I see all the other glancing-eyed Achaeans,whom I could recognize well and tell the name of;but two I cannot see, the marshals of the peoples,Castor, tamer of horses, and Polydeukes, good with the fists,my own brothers, whom one mother bore to me.Either they did not come from lovely Lacedaemon,or they did come here in the sea-crossing ships,but now they do not want to go down into the battle of men,afraid of the shames and the many reproaches that are mine.So she spoke, but the life-giving earth already held themthere in Lacedaemon, in their own dear native land.And the heralds brought the faithful oaths of the gods through the city,two lambs and wine, the gladdening fruit of the field,in a goatskin; and the herald Idaios brought a shining mixing bowland golden cups;and standing beside the old man he urged him on with words:Rise up, son of Laomedon, the best men are calling you,of the horse-taming Trojans and the bronze-clad Achaeans,to come down to the plain, so that you may cut the faithful oaths.For Alexandros and Menelaos dear to Areswill fight with long spears over the woman;and the woman and the treasures will go with whichever one wins.And let the rest of us, after cutting faithful oaths of friendship,live in fertile Troy, and let those others go backto horse-pasturing Argos and Achaea, land of beautiful women.So he spoke; the old man shuddered, and told his companionsto yoke the horses; and they obeyed readily.Priam climbed up, and pulled the reins back;and beside him Antenor stepped into the very beautiful chariot;and the two drove their swift horses through the Scaean Gates out onto the plain.But when they came among the Trojans and the Achaeans,getting down from the chariot onto the much-nourishing earth,they walked into the middle of the Trojans and Achaeans.And at once Agamemnon, lord of men, rose up,and wily Odysseus too; and the noble heraldsgathered the faithful oaths of the gods, and mixed wine in the bowl,and poured water over the hands of the kings.The son of Atreus, drawing the knife with his hands,which always hung beside his great sword sheath,cut hair from the heads of the lambs; and thenthe heralds handed it out to the best of the Trojans and Achaeans.And among them the son of Atreus prayed loudly, lifting up his hands:Father Zeus, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most great,and Sun, who see all things and hear all things,and rivers, and earth, and you two who beneath the earthpunish men who have died, whoever swears a false oath,be witnesses, and guard the faithful oaths.If Alexandros kills Menelaos,then let him himself have Helen and all the treasures,and let us go home in our sea-crossing ships.But if fair-haired Menelaos kills Alexandros,then the Trojans must give back Helen and all the treasures,and pay the Argives whatever payment is fitting,which may also be told among men who come later.But if Priam and the sons of Priam are not willingto pay me the payment when Alexandros has fallen,then I myself will fight even after that for the compensation,staying here, until I reach the end of the war.He spoke, and cut the throats of the lambs with the pitiless bronze;and he laid them on the ground gasping,lacking life; for the bronze had taken away their strength.And drawing wine from the bowl into cupsthey poured it out, and prayed to the gods who live forever.And one of the Achaeans and Trojans would say this:Zeus, most glorious, most great, and you other immortal gods,whichever side first does harm against the oaths,so may their brains pour to the ground like this wine,theirs and their children's, and may their wives be taken by other men.So they spoke, but the son of Kronos did not yet bring it to pass for them.And Dardanid Priam spoke a word among them:Hear me, Trojans and well-greaved Achaeans.I am going back to windy Ilion,since I will not endure to see with my eyesmy dear son fighting with Menelaos dear to Ares.Zeus surely knows this, and the other immortal gods,to whichever of the two the end of death is fated.He spoke, and the godlike man put the lambs in the chariot,and he himself climbed up, and pulled the reins back;and beside him Antenor stepped into the very beautiful chariot.And the two went back toward Ilion;and Hektor, the son of Priam, and godlike Odysseusfirst measured out the ground, and thentaking lots they shook them in a bronze helmet,to see which of the two should throw his bronze spear first.And the people prayed, and lifted up their hands to the gods,and one of the Achaeans and Trojans would say this:Father Zeus, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most great,whichever of the two brought these deeds about between the two sides,grant that he, having perished, go down inside the house of Hades,and that for us there be friendship and faithful oaths.So they spoke, and great Hektor of the shining helmet shook the lots,looking away; and the lot of Paris jumped out quickly.Then they sat down along the ranks, where for each manhis high-stepping horses and his dappled armour were lying;and he put the fine armour on over his shoulders,godlike Alexandros, the husband of fair-haired Helen.First he put the greaves around his shins,fine ones, fitted with silver ankle clasps;second, he put the corselet around his chest,the one of his own brother Lykaon; and it fitted him.And he threw a silver-studded sword over his shoulders,a bronze one, and then a big and sturdy shield;and on his strong head he set a well-made helmetwith a horse-hair crest; and the plume nodded terribly above it;and he took a strong spear, which fitted his hands.In the same way Menelaos, dear to Ares, put on his armour.And when they had armed themselves on either side of the crowd,they walked into the middle of the Trojans and Achaeans,glaring terribly; and amazement took hold of those watching,both the horse-taming Trojans and the well-greaved Achaeans.And they stood near each other in the measured space,shaking their spears at each other in anger.First Alexandros threw his long-shadowed spear,and struck the shield of the son of Atreus, which was equal on every side,but the bronze did not break it, and the point was bent backin the strong shield; and he rose up second with the bronze,Menelaos son of Atreus, after praying to father Zeus:Lord Zeus, grant that I punish him who did evil to me first,godlike Alexandros, and bring him down under my hands,so that even among men born later one may shudderto do evil to a host who has offered him friendship.He spoke, and swinging it he threw his long-shadowed spear,and struck the shield of the son of Priam, which was equal on every side;the mighty spear went straight through the shining shield,and was driven through the richly-worked corselet;and straight on past his flank the spear cut through his tunic,and he leaned aside and avoided black death.And the son of Atreus, drawing his silver-studded sword,struck, raising it, the horn of the helmet; but on itthe sword broke in three and in four pieces and fell from his hand.And the son of Atreus groaned, looking up to the wide sky:Father Zeus, no other of the gods is more destructive than you.Truly I thought I would punish Alexandros for his wickedness;but now the sword has broken in my hands, and the spearhas flown from my hands for nothing, and I did not hit him.He spoke, and rushing at him he caught the horse-haired helmet,and twisted it and dragged him toward the well-greaved Achaeans;and the richly-embroidered strap was choking him under his tender throat,which was stretched under his chin as the holder of the helmet.And now he would have dragged him and won boundless glory,if the daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite, had not noticed it sharply,who broke the strap for him, made of a bull killed by force;and the empty helmet followed along with his thick hand.Then the hero whirled it and threw it among the well-greaved Achaeans,and his trusty comrades caught it up.But he sprang back at him, eager to kill himwith the bronze spear; but Aphrodite snatched him away,very easily, as a god can, and covered him in thick mist,and set him down in his fragrant, sweet-smelling room.And she herself went to call Helen; and she found heron the high tower, and around her the Trojan women were in crowds;and with her hand she caught and shook her fragrant robe,and looking like an old woman born long ago, she spoke to her,a wool-worker, who while she lived in Lacedaemonused to work fine wool, and she loved her most of all.Looking like her, shining Aphrodite spoke to her:Come here; Alexandros is calling you to come home.He is there in the room, on the inlaid bed,shining in beauty and in his clothes; you would not saythat he had come from fighting a man, but rather that he is goingto a dance, or has just sat down from a dance.So she spoke, and stirred the heart in her breast;and when she noticed the goddess's very beautiful neckand her lovely breasts and her flashing eyes,then she was amazed, and spoke a word and called her by name:Strange goddess, why do you want to deceive me in this way?Will you lead me somewhere further, to some well-peopled city,either in Phrygia or in lovely Maeonia,if there too some man of the mortal races is dear to you?Because now Menelaos has beaten godlike Alexandros,and wants to lead me, hateful as I am, home,is that why you have now come here with a deceitful mind?Go and sit beside him, and give up the way of the gods,and may you never again turn back to Olympus on your feet,but always grieve for him and watch over him,until he makes you either his wife or his slave.But I will not go there; that would be a thing to be blamed for,looking after his bed; and the Trojan women will all blame mefrom now on; and I have endless griefs in my heart.Then shining Aphrodite, angry, spoke to her:Do not provoke me, you wretch, in case in my anger I let you go,and hate you as terribly as I have loved you up to now,and plan bitter hatreds between both sides,the Trojans and the Danaans, and you may die an evil death.So she spoke, and Helen, born of Zeus, was afraid,and she went, covering herself with her shining white robe,in silence, and she went unnoticed by all the Trojan women; and the goddess led the way.And when they came to the very beautiful house of Alexandros,the serving women then turned quickly to their work,but she, shining among women, went into the high-roofed room.And smiling Aphrodite took a chair and brought itand set it down for her facing Alexandros;there Helen sat down, the daughter of Zeus who bears the aegis,turning her eyes away, and she scolded her husband with words:You have come from the war; if only you had died there,brought down by the strong man who was my husband before.Surely before this you used to boast that in your strength and hands and spearyou were better than Menelaos dear to Ares.But go now, challenge Menelaos dear to Aresto fight against him again; but I for my parttell you to stop, and not with fair-haired Menelaosto wage opposing war and to fightfoolishly, in case you are quickly brought down by his spear.And Paris answered her with words and said:Do not, woman, scold my heart with harsh reproaches.For now Menelaos has won with Athena,but I will beat him in turn; for the gods are with us too.But come, let us enjoy love, lying together;for never yet has desire so wrapped itself around my mind,not even when at first from lovely LacedaemonI sailed, having seized you, in my sea-crossing ships,and on the island of Cranae I joined with you in love and in bed,as now I long for you, and sweet desire takes hold of me.He spoke, and led the way to the bed; and his wife followed with him.So the two lay down in the pierced bed,while the son of Atreus went up and down the crowd like a wild beast,in case he might catch sight of godlike Alexandros somewhere.But none of the Trojans or the famous allies was ableto point out Alexandros then to Menelaos dear to Ares;for they were not hiding him out of friendship, if anyone had seen him;for he was hated by them all equally with black death.And among them spoke Agamemnon, lord of men:Hear me, Trojans and Dardanians and allies.The victory is shown to be that of Menelaos, dear to Ares.And you must give up Argive Helen and the treasures along with her,and pay whatever payment is fitting,which may also be told among men who come later.So spoke the son of Atreus, and the other Achaeans approved.