Αἱδ' ὅτ' Ἀλεξάνδροιο δόμον περικαλλέ' ΐκοντο:
ἀμφίπολοι μὲν ἔπειτα θοῶς ἐπὶ ἔργα τράποντο:
ἡ δ' εἰς ὑψόροφον θάλαμον κί̆ε δῖα γυναικῶν:
τῇ δ' άρα δίφρον ἑλοῦσα φιλομμειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη.
ἀντί' Ἀλεξάνδροιο θεὰ κατέθηκε φέρουσα:
ἔνθα κάθῐζ' Ἑλένη κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο
ὄσσε πάλιν κλίνασα: πόσιν δ' ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ
ἤλυθες ἐκ πολέμου: ὡς ὤφελες αὐτόθ' ὀλέσθαι
ἀνδρὶ δαμεὶς κρατερῷ. ὃς ἐμὸς πρότερος πόσις ῆεν:
ῆ μὲν δὴ πρίν γ' εὔχε' ἀρηϊ φίλου Μενελάου
σῇ τε βίῃ καὶ χερσὶ καὶ ἔγχεϊ φέρτερος εἶναι:
ἀλλ ἴ̈θι νῦν προκάλεσσαι ἀρηΐ φιλον Μενέλαον
ἐξαῦτις μαχέσασθαι ἐναντίον: ἀλλά ς' ἔγωγε
παύσασθαι κέλομαι: μὴ δὲ ξανθῷ Μενελάῳ
ἀντίβιον πόλεμον πολεμίζειν ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι
ἀφραδέως: μή πως τάχ' ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δουρι δαμασθῃς:
Now when they were come to the beautiful palace of Alexander, the handmaids turned forthwith to their tasks, but she, the fair lady, went to the high-roofed chamber. And the goddess, laughter-loving Aphrodite, took for her a chair, and set it before the face of Alexander. Thereon Helen sate her down, the daughter of Zeus that beareth the aegis, with eyes turned askance; and she chid her lord, and said: "Thou hast come back from the war; would thou hadst perished there, vanquished by a valiant man that was my former lord. Verily it was thy boast aforetime that thou wast a better man than Menelaus, dear to Ares, in the might of thy hands and with thy spear. But go now, challenge Menelaus, dear to Ares, again to do battle with thee, man to man. But, nay, I of myself bid thee refrain, and not war amain against fair-haired Menelaus, nor fight with him in thy folly, lest haply thou be vanquished anon by his spear."
