in her bright shining mantle, in silence ; and she was unseen of the Trojan women ;

and the goddess ^ led the way.

Now when they were come to the beautiful palace
of Alexander, the for her a chair, and set it before the face of Alexander.
Thereon Helen sate her
down, the dae, and led the way to the couch, and with
him followed his wife. Thus the twain were couched upon the corded
bed ; but the son of Atreus ranged through the
throng like a wild beast, if anywhere he might
have sight of godlike Alexander. But none of
the Trojans or their famed allies could then discover Alexander to Menelaus, dear
to Ares. Not for love verily were they fain to hide him, could any
have seen him, for he was hated of all even as black
death. Then the king of men, Agamemnon, spake
among them, saying : " s. Victory is now of a
surety seen to rest with Menelaus, dear to Ares ; doughter of Zeus that beareth the
aegis,
with eyes tm-ned askance ; and she chid her lord,
and said : " Thou hast come back from the war ; would thou hadst perished there,
vanquished by a vahant man that was my former lord. Verily it was thy boast
aforetime that thou wast a better man than Menelaus, dear to Ares, in the might of
thy hands and with thy spear. But go now,
challenge Menelaus, dear to Ares, again to do
battle with thee, man to man. But, nay,Hearken to me, ye Trojans
and Dardanians and allie I of myself
bid thee refrain, and not war amain against fair- haired Menelaus, nor fight with
him in thy folly, lest haply thou be vanquished anon by his spear."
Then Paris made answer, and spake to her, saying : " Chide not my heart, lady, with
hard words
of revihng. For this present hath Menelaus van- quished me with Athene's aid, but
another time
shall I vanquish him ; on our side too there be gods.
But come, let us take our joy, couched together in love ; for never yet hath desire
so encompassed my
soul�nay, not when at the first I snatched thee
from lovely Lacedaemon and sailed with thee on my seafaring ships, and on the isle
of Cranae had
dalliance with thee on the couch of love�as now
I love thee, and sweet desire layeth hold of me."
149
HOMER
*H pa, KoX apx^ Ae;^0CT8e Ktcov dfia 8' etzrer* aKOCTLS. Ta> fxev dp iv rp'qrolai
KarevvaaOev Xe^ieaoLV,
ArpetSrjs 8' dv 6p,i\ov e^olra drjpl eoiKws,
et TTOV icra6p7]a�L�V 'AXe^avSpov deoeihia. 4' dAA' oij. TLs Svvaro Tpcocov
KXeuTcov r iTriKovpcov
Bel^at, ^AXe^avSpou ror dprjCJ)iXcp Mei^eAaw. ov p.ev yap (f)i,X6TrjTi, y
eKevdavov, et rt? t8oiro'
tcrov yap a^iv Trdaiv dn'qx^^'^'^ K7]pl ixeXaivr). roZai 8e kol /xereetTrev dva^
dvhpcov ^ AyapLep^vcov 4i " KCKXvre p,�V, Tpcoes Kal AdpSavoL lyS' eTTiKovpoi* a
VLKTj fx�v Brj ^atVer' dprfi^iXov McveAaou, ^^K)
vp-eXs 8' 'Apy�L7]v 'KXevrjV Kal Krrjp.ad^ dfx avrfj
CkSoTC, Kal TLHTjV dTTOTlV�p,�V tJv Tiv' �OLK�V,
7) re Kal iaaofxevoiai jjuer* dvOpconoicrL TrdXr^TaL." 4( "Qs e^ar* *Arpet8r]S,
irrl 8' rjveov dXXoi ^A^aiOL.
150
THE ILIAD, III. 447-461
r
He spak
ye therefore give up Argive Helen and the treasure with her, and pay ye in requital
such recompense
as beseemeth, even such as shall abide in the minds
of men that are yet to be." So spake the son of Atreus, and all the Achaeans
shouted assent.handmaids turned forthwith to
their tasks, but she, the fair lady, went to the high- roofed chamber. And the
goddess, laughter-loving
Aphrodite, took