Seba.Health

The Iliad 24.762–775

The Iliad 24.762–775
For this is now the twentieth year from the time when I went from thence and am gone from my native land, but never yet heard I evil or despiteful word from thee; nay, if so be any other spake reproachfully of me in the halls, a brother of thine or a sister, or brother's fair-robed wife, or thy mother—but thy father was ever gentle as he had been mine own—yet wouldst thou turn them with speech and restrain them by the gentleness of thy spirit and thy gentle words. Wherefore I wail alike for thee and for my hapless self with grief at heart; for no longer have I anyone beside in broad Troy that is gentle to me or kind; but all men shudder at me.
Ἕκτορ ἐμῷ θυμῷ δαέρων πολὺ φίλτατε πάντων, μέν μοι πόσις ἐστὶν Ἀλέξανδρος θεοειδής, ὅς μʼ ἄγαγε Τροίηνδʼ· ὡς πρὶν ὤφελλον ὀλέσθαι. ἤδη γὰρ νῦν μοι τόδε εἰκοστὸν ἔτος ἐστὶν ἐξ οὗ κεῖθεν ἔβην καὶ ἐμῆς ἀπελήλυθα πάτρης· ἀλλʼ οὔ πω σεῦ ἄκουσα κακὸν ἔπος οὐδʼ ἀσύφηλον· ἀλλʼ εἴ τίς με καὶ ἄλλος ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἐνίπτοι δαέρων γαλόων εἰνατέρων εὐπέπλων, ἑκυρή, ἑκυρὸς δὲ πατὴρ ὣς ἤπιος αἰεί, ἀλλὰ σὺ τὸν ἐπέεσσι παραιφάμενος κατέρυκες σῇ τʼ ἀγανοφροσύνῃ καὶ σοῖς ἀγανοῖς ἐπέεσσι. τὼ σέ θʼ ἅμα κλαίω καὶ ἔμʼ ἄμμορον ἀχνυμένη κῆρ· οὐ γάρ τίς μοι ἔτʼ ἄλλος ἐνὶ Τροίῃ εὐρείῃ ἤπιος οὐδὲ φίλος, πάντες δέ με πεφρίκασιν.
Lattimore commentary
While Andromachē and Hekabē dwelt on the effect of Hektor’s death and his appearance, respectively, only Helen captures the essence of his personality, his generosity and gentle protection. Furthermore, only Helen admits openly that she laments for herself as well (773). Her remark that it has been twenty years since coming to Troy is an odd slip, unless it is a rhetorical exaggeration, or the remnant of another version (traces of which are found later) according to which the Greeks took ten years after their initial expedition (which went astray, to Mysia) before regrouping and mounting a second.
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