Ἄδρηστον δ' ἂρ' ἄρ' ἔπειτα βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος
ζωὸν ἕλ': ἵππω γὰρ γάρ οἱ ἀτυζομένω πεδίοιο.
ὄζω ἐνι βλαφθέντε μυρικίνῳ. ἀγκύλον ἅρμα
ἄξαντ' ἐν πρώτῳ ῥυμῷ. αὐτῶ αὐτὼ μὲν ἐβήτην
πρὸς πόλιν. ᾗ περ οἱ ἄλλοι ἀτυζόμενοι φοβέοντο:
αὐτὸς δ' ἐκ δίφροιο. παρὰ τροχὸν ἐξεκυλίσθη
πρηνὴς ἐν κονίῃσιν. ἐπὶ στόμα: παρ δέ οἱ έστη
Ἀτρείδης Μενέλαος ἔχων δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος:
Ἄδρηστος δ' ὰρ ἔπειτα λαβῶν λαβὼν ἐλίσσετο γούνων:
ζώγρει Ἀτρέος υἱὲ. σὺ δ' ἄξια δέξαι ἄποινα:
πολλὰ δ' ἐν ἀφνειοῦ πατρὸς κειμήλια κεῖται.
χαλκός τε, χρυσός τε, πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος:
τῶν κέν τοι χαρίσαιτο πατὴρ ἀπερείσι' ἄποινα
εἴ κεν ἐμὲ ζωὸν πεπύθοιτ' ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν:
But Adrastus did Menelaus, good at the warcry, take alive; for his two horses, coursing in terror over the plain, became entangled in a tamarisk bough, and breaking the curved car at the end of the pole, themselves went on toward the city whither the rest were fleeing in rout; but their master rolled from out the car beside the wheel headlong in the dust upon his face. And to his side came Menelaus, son of Atreus, bearing his far-shadowing spear. Then Adrastus clasped him by the knees and besought him: "Take me alive, thou son of Atreus, and accept a worthy ransom; treasures full many lie stored in the palace of my wealthy father, bronze and gold and iron wrought with toil; thereof would my father grant thee ransom past counting, should he hear that I am alive at the ships of the Achaeans."
