ῆ ρα γυνὴ ταμίη: ὁ δ' ἀπέσσυτο δώματος Ἕκτωρ
τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν αὖτις ἐϋκτιμένας κατ' ἀγυιάς:
εῦτε πύλας ΐκανε διερχόμενος μέγα ἄστυ
Σκαιὰς. τῇ ὰρ ἔμελλε διεξίμεναι πεδίον δὲ:
ἔνθ' ἄλοχος πολύδωρος ἐναντίη ἦλθε θέουσα
Ἀνδρομάχη. θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἠετίωνος:
Ἠετίων. ὃς ἔναιεν ὑπὸ Πλάκῳ ὑληέσσῃ
Θήβῃ Ὑποπλακίῃ Κιλίκεσσ' ἄνδρεσσιν ἀνάσσων:
τοῦ περ δὴ θυγάτηρ ἔχεθ' Ἕκτορι χαλκοκορυστῇ:
ἥ, οἱ, ἔπειτ' ἤντησ', ἅμα δ' ἀμφίπολος κίεν αὐτῇ
παῖδ' ἐπὶ κόλπῳ ἔχους' ἀταλάφρονα. νήπιον αύτως
Ἑκτορίδην ἀγαπητὸν ἀλίγκιον ἀστέρι καλῷ:
τόν ῥ' Ἕκτωρ καλέεσκε Σκαμάνδριον: αὐτὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι
Ἀστυάνακτ'. οἶος γὰρ ἐρύετο ῎Ϊλιον Ἕκτωρ:
ἤτοι ὁ μὲν μείδησεν ἰ̈δὼν ἐς παῖδα, σιωπῇ:
Ἀνδρομάχη δέ οἱ ἄγχι παρίστατο δακρυ χέουσα,
ἔν τ' άρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ: ἔπος τ' ἔφατ', ἔκ τ' ὀνόμαζε:
δαιμόνιε. φθείσει σε τὸ σὸν μένος: οὐδ' ἐλεαίρεις
παῖδά τε νηπιάχον. καὶ ἒμ' ἄμμορον. ἣ τάχα χήρη
σεῦ ἔσομαι: τάχα γάρ σε κατακτανέουσιν Ἀχαιοὶ
πάντες ἐφορμηθέντες: ἐμοὶ δέ κε κέρδιον εἴη
σεῦ ἀφαμαρτούση χθόνα δύμεναι: οὐ γὰρ ἔτ' ἄλλη
ἔσται θαλπωρὴ, ἐπεὶ ὰν σύ γε πότμον ἐπίσπῃς.
ἀλλ' ἄχε': οὐδέ μοι ἐστὶ πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ:
So spake the house-dame, and Hector hasted from the house back over the same way along the well-built streets. When now he was come to the gate, as he passed through the great city, the Scaean gate, whereby he was minded to go forth to the plain, there came running to meet him his bounteous wife, Andromache, daughter of great-hearted Eëtion, Eëtion that dwelt beneath wooded Placus, in Thebe under Placus, and was lord over the men of Cilicia; for it was his daughter that bronze-harnessed Hector had to wife. She now met him, and with her came a handmaid bearing in her bosom the tender boy, a mere babe, the well-loved son of Hector, like to a fair star. Him Hector was wont to call Scamandrius, but other men Astyanax; for only Hector guarded Ilios. Then Hector smiled, as he glanced at his boy in silence, but Andromache came close to his side weeping, and clasped his hand and spake to him, saying: "Ah, my husband, this prowess of thine will be thy doom, neither hast thou any pity for thine infant child nor for hapless me that soon shall be thy widow; for soon will the Achaeans all set upon thee and slay thee. But for me it were better to go down to the grave if I lose thee, for nevermore shall any comfort be mine, when thou hast met thy fate, but only woes. Neither father have I nor queenly mother.
