῀ϊρις δ' αὖθ' Ἑλένη λευκωλένῳ ἄγγελος ἦλθεν
εἰδομένη γαλόῳ: Ἀντηνορίδάο δάμαρτι:
τὴν Ἀντηνορίδης εἶχε κρείων Ἑλικάων:
Λαοδίκην: Πριάμοιο θυγατρῶν εἶδος ἀρίστην:
τὴν δ' εὗρ' ἐν μεγάρῳ: ἡ δὲ μέγαν ἱ̈στὸν ὕφαινε
δίπλακα μαρμαρέην: πολέας δ' ἐνέπασσεν ἀέθλους
Τρώων θ' ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων
οὓς, ἕθεν εἵνεκ' ἔπασχον ὑπ' ῎Αρηος παλαμάων:
ἀγχοῦ δ' ἱ̈σταμένη προσέφη πόδας ὠκέα ῀Ϊρις:
δεῦρ' ΐθι νύμφα φίλη: ἵνα θέσκελα ἔργα ἴ̈δηαι
Τρώων θ' ἱπποδάμων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων:
οἳ πρὶν ἐπ' ἀλλήλοισι φέρον πολύδακρυν ῎Αρηα
ἐν πεδίῳ: ὀλοοῖο λιλαιόμενοι πολέμοιο.
οἳ δὴ νῦν ἔαται σιγῇ: πόλεμος δὲ πέπαυται:
ἀσπίσι κεκλιμένοι: παρα δ' ἔγχεα μακρὰ πέπηγεν:
αὐτὰρ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος
μακρῇς ἐγχείῃσι μαχήσονται περὶ σεῖο:
τῷ δέ κε. νικήσαντι φίλη κεκλήσῃ ἄκοιτις:
But Iris went as a messenger to white-armed Helen, in the likeness of her husband's sister, the wife of Antenor's son, even her that lord Helicaon, Antenor's son, had to wife, Laodice, the comeliest of the daughters of Priam. She found Helen in the hall, where she was weaving a great purple web of double fold, and thereon was broidering many battles of the horse-taming Trojans and the brazen-coated Achaeans, that for her sake they had endured at the hands of Ares. Close to her side then came Iris, swift of foot, and spake to her, saying: "Come hither, dear lady, that thou mayest behold the wondrous doings of the horse-taming Trojans and the brazen-coated Achaeans. They that of old were wont to wage tearful war against one another on the plain, their hearts set on deadly battle, even they abide now in silence, and the battle has ceased, and they lean upon their shields, and beside them their long spears are fixed. But Alexander and Menelaus, dear to Ares, will do battle with their long spears for thee; and whoso shall conquer, his dear wife shalt thou be called."
