Helen

Perseus Greek · Perseus Greek · 691 sections

1199
Both she, and one who was there when he perished.
1200
Someone has come who announces this for certain?
1201
Someone has come; and may he go where I want him to go!
1202
Who is it? Where is he? so that I may learn this more clearly.
1203
That one, who is sitting crouched at this tomb.
1204
Apollo! He certainly has unattractive clothing.
1205
Alas! I think my husband is in the same situation also.
1206
What is this man’s country, and where did he come from, to land here?
1207
He is a Hellene, one of the Achaeans who saiIed with my husband.
1208
What kind of death does he say Menelaos died?
1209
The most piteous, in the watery waves at sea.
1210
On what part of the barbarous ocean was he sailing?
1211
He was cast up on the harborless rocks of Libya.
1212
How did this man not perish if he was sailing with him?
1213
There are times when common men have more luck than their betters.
1214
Where did he leave the wreckage of his ship before coming here?
1215
Where ruin may come upon it— but not on Menelaos!
1216
He is already ruined. In what ship did this man come?
1217
Sailors happened to meet him and took him up, as he says.
1218
Where then is that mischievous creature that was sent to Troy in your place?
1219
You mean the cloud image? It has gone into the air.
1220
O Priam, and Trojan lands, how you have perished in vain!
1221
I too have shared misfortunes with Priam’s race.
1222
Did he leave your husband unburied, or did he hide him in the earth?
1223
He is unburied; I am so unhappy in my troubles!
1224
It is for this that you have cut your locks of golden hair?
1225
Yes, for he is dear to me, whoever he is, being here.
1226
She rightly weeps for this misfortune. . .
1227
It is certainly easy to escape your sister’s notice!
1228
No, indeed. Well, what now? Will you continue to live at this tomb?
1229
Why do you jeer at me? Won’t you let the dead man be?
1230
No, for you are loyal to your husband and avoid me.
1231
No longer; begin my wedding now.
1232
It has come after a long time, but still I commend you for it.
1233
Do you know what you should do? Let us forget what is past.
1234
On what terms? One good turn deserves another.
1235
Let us make a truce; be reconciled to me.
1236
I relinquish my quarrel with you; may it go away on wings.
1237
Now by your knees, since you are indeed a friend—
1238
What thing do you hunt after, that you stretch out a suppliant hand to me?
1239
I wish to bury my dead husband.
1240
What? Is there a tomb for the absent? Or will you bury a shadow?
1241
It is customary among the Hellenes, whenever someone dies at sea—
1242
To do what? The race of Pelops is certainly clever in such matters.
1243
To carry out the funeral rites in empty woven robes.
1244
Hold the funeral; set up the tomb wherever you wish.
1245
We do not give burial like this to sailors who have perished.
1246
How then? I know nothing of the customs in Hellas.
1247
We take out of harbor to the sea all that is the dead man’s due.
1248
Then what am I to give you for the dead man?
1249
This man knows, but I have no experience, as I was fortunate before.
1250
Stranger, you have brought welcome news.
1251
Not for me, certainly, nor for the dead man.
1252
How do you bury those who have died at sea?
1253
Each according to his means.
1254
As far as wealth goes, say what you want, for her sake.
1255
There must be a blood-offering first to the dead.
1256
Blood of what? Explain it to me, and I will obey.
1257
You decide that yourself; whatever you give will suffice.
1258
Among barbarians it is customary to sacrifice a horse or a bull.
1259
If you make a gift, take care to give nothing mean.
1260
I have no lack of such in my rich herds.
1261
Next, a couch empty of the body is decked and carried in procession.
1262
It wall be done; what else is it customary to add?
1263
Bronze arms; for war was his delight.
1264
These will be worthy of the race of Pelops, and these we will give.
1265
And for the rest, all the lovely offspring that the earth bears.
1266
How then? In what way do you let them fall into the waves?
1267
A ship must be ready, and rowers.
1268
How far from the shore does the ship put out?
1269
So far that the foam in her wake can scarcely be seen from the land.
1270
But why? Why does Hellas observe this custom.
1271
So that the waves may not wash pollution back ashore.
1272
A swift Phoenician ship will be there.
1273
That would be well done, and pleasing to Menelaos, too.
1274
Can you not perform these rites well enough without Helen?
1275
This task belongs to mother, or wife, or children.
1276
According to you, the work of burying her husband belongs to her.
1277
Yes indeed; piety demands that the dead be not robbed of their due.
1278
Let her go; it is in my interest to foster piety in a wife. Go inside and choose adornment for the dead;
1280
I will not send you away from the land empty-handed either, since you have done her a favor. As you have brought me good news, you will receive clothing instead of going in rags, and food, so that you may reach your country, since now I see you doing very badly indeed.
1285
As for you, poor lady, do not wear yourself out in a hopeless case; Menelaos has met his doom, and your dead husband could not return to life.
1288
This is your duty, young woman; you must be content with the husband at your side, and let go the one that no longer exists;
1290
for this is best for you, according to what has happened. And if I come to Hellas and find safety, I will put to an end your former bad reputation, if you are such a wife as you ought to be to your husband.
1294
I will; my husband will never find fault with me;
1295
you yourself will be at hand to know it. Now go inside, unhappy man, and find the bath, and change your clothes. I will show my kindness to you without delay. For you will perform the due services with more kindly feeling for my dearest Menelaos,
1300
if you get from me what you ought to have. Exeunt Theoklymenos, Helen, Menelaos.
1.1301
Once with swift foot the mountain mother of the gods rushed through the wooded glen, and the river’s streams
1.1305
and the deep-thundering sea wave, yearning for her lost daughter, whose name may not be spoken. The loudly rattling castanets cried out a shrill sound,
1.1310
when they, swift-footed as whirlwinds, followed the goddess on her chariot yoked to wild creatures, after the girl that was snatched away from the circling chorus of maidens—
1.1315
here Artemis with her bow, and there the grim-eyed goddess, in full armor, with her spear. But Zeus, who sees clearly from his throne in heaven, brought to pass another destiny.
1.1319
When the mother ceased from her wild
1.1320
wandering toil, searching for the treacherous rape of her daughter, she crossed the snow-capped heights of the nymphs of Mount Ida;
1.1325
and in sorrow cast herself down in the rocky woods deep in snow; and, by not making fruitful with crops the barren fields of the earth for mortals, she destroyed the human race.
1.1330
She would not send forth the rich nourishment of leafy tendrils for the herds, and life was leaving the cities. No sacrifice was offered to the gods, and on the altars were no cakes to burn;
1.1335
she made the dew-fed springs of clear water cease flowing, the avenger in sorrow for her child.
2.1338
When she made an end to banquets for gods and the race of men, Zeus spoke out, appeasing the
2.1340
Mother’s gloomy wrath: Go, holy Graces, go and with a loud cry take from Demeter’s angry heart her grief for the maiden;
2.1345
and you, Muses, with song and dance. Then Kypris, fairest of the blessed gods, first took up the rumbling voice of bronze and the drum with tight-stretched skin; and the goddess smiled,
2.1350
and received in her hand the deep-toned flute, pleased with its loud note.

Perseus Greek. CTS URN tlg0006.tlg014.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source.