ἀλλ' ὅτε δή ρ' ἵ̈κοντο μετὰ Τρῶας καὶ Ἀχαιούς.
ἐξ ἵ̈ππων ἀποβάντες ἐπὶ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν
ἐς μέσσον Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν ἐστιχόωντο:
ὤρνυτο δ' αὐτίκ' ἔπειτα ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων:
ἀν δ' Ὀδυσεὺς πολύμητις: ἀτὰρ κήρυκες ἀγαυοὶ
ὅρκια πιστὰ θεῶν σύναγον: κρητῆρι δὲ: οἶνον
μίσγον: ἀτὰρ βασιλεῦσιν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχευανἔχευον:
Ἀτρείδης δὲ ἐρυσσάμενος χείρεσσι μάχαιραν
ἥ οἱ παρ ξίφεος μέγα κουλεὸν αἰὲν ἄωρτο:
ἀρνῶν ἐκ κεφαλέων τάμνε τρίχας: αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
κήρυκες Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν. νεῖμαν ἀρίστοις:
τοῖσιν δ' Ἀτρείδης μεγάλ' εὔχετο χεῖρας ἀνασχών:
Ζεῦ πάτερ: ῎Ϊδηθεν μεδέων. κύδιστε μέγιστε:
Ἠέλιός θ' ὃς πάντ' ἐφορᾶς καὶ πάντ' ἐπακούεις:
καὶ ποταμοὶ: καὶ γαῖα: καὶ οἳ ὑπένερθε καμόντας
ἀνους [ἀνθρώπους] τίνυσθον. ὅτις κ' ἐπίορκον ὀμόσσῃ.
ὑμεῖς μάρτυροι ἔστε: φυλάσσετε δ' όρκια πιστά:
εἲ μέν κεν Μενέλαον Ἀλέξανδρος καταπέφνῃ.
αὐτὸς ἔπειθ' Ἑλένην ἐχέτω καὶ κτήματα πάντα:
ἡμεῖς δ' ἐν νήεσσι. νεώμεθα ποντοπόροισιν:
εἰ δέ κ' Ἀλέξανδρον κτείνῃ ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.
Τρῶας ἔπειθ' Ἑλένην καὶ κτήματα πάντ' ἀποδοῦναι:
τιμὴν δ' Ἀργείοις ἀποτῑνέμεν ἥν τιν' ἔοικεν:
ἥ τε καὶ ἐσσομένοισι μετ' ανθρώποισι πέληται:
εἰ δ' ὰν ἐμοὶ τιμὴν Πρίαμος Πριάμοιό τε παῖδες
τίνειν οὐκ ἐθέλωσιν Ἀλεξάνδροιο πεσόντος.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ ἔπειτα μαχήσομαι εἵνεκα ποινῆς
αῦθι μένων. εἵως κε τέλος πολέμοιο κιχείω:
But when they were now come to the Trojans and Achaeans, they stepped forth from the chariot upon the bounteous earth, and went into the midst of the Trojans and Achaeans. Straightway then rose up Agamemnon, king of men, and Odysseus of many wiles, and the lordly heralds brought together the offerings for the holy oaths of the gods, and mixed the wine in the bowl, and poured water over the hands of the kings. And the son of Atreus drew forth with his hand the knife that ever hung beside the great sheath of his sword, and cut hair from off the heads of the lambs; and the heralds portioned it out to the chieftans of the Trojans and Achaeans. Then in their midst Agamemnon lifted up his hands and prayed aloud: "Father Zeus, that rulest from Ida, most glorious, most great, and thou Sun, that beholdest all things and hearest all things, and ye rivers and thou earth, and ye that in the world below take vengeance on men that are done with life, whosoever hath sworn a false oath; be ye witnesses, and watch over the oaths of faith. If Alexander slay Menelaus, then let him keep Helen and all her treasure; and we will depart in our seafaring ships. But if so be fair-haired Menelaus shall slay Alexander, then let the Trojans give back Helen and all her treasure, and pay to the Argives in requital such recompense as beseemeth, even such as shall abide in the minds of men that are yet to be. Howbeit, if Priam and the sons of Priam be not minded to pay recompense unto me, when Alexander falleth, then will I fight on even thereafter, to get me recompense, and will abide here until I find an end of war."
