Ἕκτωρ δ' ὡς Σκαιάς τε πύλας καὶ πύργον ἵκανεν.
ἀμφ' άρα μιν Τρώων ἄλοχοι θέον ἠδὲ θύγατρες
εἰρόμεναι παῖδάς τε: κασιγνήτους τὲ: ἔτας τε
καὶ πόσιας, ὁ δ`' ἔπειτα θεοῖς εὔχεσθαι ἀνώγει
πάσας ἐξείης: πολλῇσι δὲ, κήδε' ἐφῆπτο:
Ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ Πριάμοιο δόμον περικαλλέ' ΐκανε
ξεστῇς αἰθούσσῃσε τετυγμένον: αὐτὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ
πεντήκοντ' ἔνεσαν θάλαμοι ξεστοῖο λίθοιο
πλησίονπλησίοι ἀλλήλων δεδμημένοι: ἔνθα δὲ παῖδες
κοιμῶντο Πριάμοιο, παρὰ μνηστῇς ἀλόχοισι:
κουράων δ' ἑτέρωθεν. ἐναντίοι, ἔνδοθεν αὐλῆς.
δώδεκ' έσαν τέγεοι θάλαμοι ξεστοῖο λίθοιο
πλησίονπλησίοι ἀλλήλων δεδμημένοι: ἔνθα δὲ γαμβροὶ
κοιμῶντο Πριάμοιο, παρ' αἰδοίῃς ἀλόχοισιν:
ἔνθά οἱ, ἡπιόδωρος ἐναντίη ἤλυθε μήτηρ
Λαοδίκην ἐσάγουσα θυγατρῶν εἶδος ἀρίστην:
ἔν τ' ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ. ἔπος τ' ἔφατ' ἔκ τ' ὀνόμαζε:
τέκνον: τίπτε λιπὼν πόλεμον θρασὺν εἰλήλουθας:
ἦ μάλα δὴ τείρουσι δυσώνυμοι υἷες Ἀχαιῶν
μαρνάμενοι περι άστυ, σὲ δ`' ἐνθάδε θυμὸς ἀν ἧκεν
ἐλθόντ', ἐξ ἄκρης πόλιος Διῒ χεῖρας ἀνασχεῖν:
ἀλλὰ μέν' ὄφρά κέ τοι μελιηδέα οἶνον ἐνείκω.
ὡς σπείσῃς Διῒ πατρὶ καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισι
πρῶτον. ἔπειτα δέ κ’ αὐτὸς ὀνήσεαι αἴ κε πίῃσθα:
ἀνδρὶ δὲ κεκμηῶτι μένος. μέγα οἶνος ἀέξει:
ὡς τύ̄νη κέκμηκας ἀμύνων σοῖσιν έτῃσι:
But when Hector was come to the Scaean gate and the oak-tree, round about him came running the wives and daughters of the Trojans asking of their sons and brethren and friends and husbands. But he thereupon bade them make prayer to the gods, all of them in turn; yet over many were sorrows hung. But when he was now come to the beauteous palace of Priam, adorned with polished colonnades—and in it were fifty chambers of polished stone, built each hard by the other; therein the sons of Priam were wont to sleep beside their wedded wives; and for his daughters over against them on the opposite side within the court were twelve roofed chambers of polished stone, built each hard by the other; therein slept Priam's sons-in-law beside their chaste wives—there his bounteous mother came to meet him, leading in Laodice, fairest of her daughters to look upon; and she clasped him by the hand and spake and addressed him: "My child, why hast thou left the fierce battle and come hither? Of a surety the sons of the Achaeans, of evil name, are pressing sore upon thee as they fight about our city, and thy heart hath bid thee come hitherward and lift up thy hands to Zeus from the citadel. But stay till I have brought thee honey-sweet wine that thou mayest pour libation to Zeus and the other immortals first, and then shalt thou thyself have profit thereof, if so be thou wilt drink. When a man is spent with toil wine greatly maketh his strength to wax, even as thou art spent with defending thy fellows."
