Seba.Health

The Iliad 3.395–398

The Iliad 3.395–398
So spake she, and stirred Helen's heart in her breast; and when she marked the beauteous neck of the goddess, her lovely bosom, and her flashing eyes, then amazement seized her, and she spake, and addressed her, saying: Strange goddess, why art thou minded to beguile me thus?Verily thou wilt lead me yet further on to one of the well-peopled cities of Phrygia or lovely Maeonia, if there too there be some one of mortal men who is dear to thee, seeing that now Menelaus hath conquered goodly Alexander, and is minded to lead hateful me to his home.It is for this cause that thou art now come hither with guileful thought. Go thou, and sit by his side, and depart from the way of the gods, neither let thy feet any more bear thee back to Olympus; but ever be thou troubled for him, and guard him, until he make thee his wife, or haply his slave.But thither will I not go—it were a shameful thing—to array that man's couch; all the women of Troy will blame me hereafter; and I have measureless griefs at heart. Then stirred to wrath fair Aphrodite spake to her: Provoke me not, rash woman, lest I wax wroth and desert thee,and hate thee, even as now I love thee wondrously; and lest I devise grievous hatred between both, Trojans alike and Danaans; then wouldst thou perish of an evil fate. So spake she, and Helen, sprung from Zeus, was seized with fear; and she1 went, wrapping herself in her bright shining mantle,
ὣς φάτο, τῇ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὄρινε· καί ῥʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε θεᾶς περικαλλέα δειρὴν στήθεά θʼ ἱμερόεντα καὶ ὄμματα μαρμαίροντα, θάμβησέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·
Lattimore commentary
The trickiness of Aphrodite is a continuing theme in Greek literature. Her disguise here seems almost intentionally incomplete, as a provocation to Helen who must recognize her power and submit to it (despite her initial feisty revolt: 399).
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