ἔσπετε νῦν μοι Μοῦσαι Ὀλύμπια δώματ' ἔχουσαι.
ὅς τις δὴ πρῶτος Ἀγαμέμνονος ἀντίος ἦλθεν.
ἢ αὐτῶν Τρώων ἠὲ κλειτῶν ἐπικούρων:
Ἰ̈̈φιδάμας Ἀντηνορίδης ἠΰς τε μέγας τε:
ὃς τράφη ἐν Θρῄκῃ ἐριβώλακι. μητέρι μήλων:
Κισσῆς τόν γ' ἔθρεψε δόμοις ἔνι τυτθὸν ἐόντα
μητροπάτωρ. ὃς τίκτε Θεανὼ καλλιπάρηον:
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ρ' ἤβης ἐρικυδέος ί̈κετο μέτρον.
αὐτοῦ μιν κατέρυκε: δίδου δ' ὅ γε θυγατέρα ἥν:
γήμας δ' ἐκ θαλάμοιο μετα κλέος ἵ̈κετ' Ἀχαιῶν
συν δυοκαίδεκα νηυσὶ κορωνίσιν αἵ οἱ ἕποντο:
τὰς μὲν ἔπειτ' ἐν Περκώτῃ λίπε, νῆας ἐΐσας:
αὐτὰρ ὃ πεζὸς ἰ̈ὼνἐὼν εἰς Ἴ̈λιον εἰληλούθει:
ὅς ῥα τότ' Ἀτρείδεω Ἀγαμέμνονος ἀντίος ἦλθεν:
οἳ δ' ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦσαν ἐπ αλλήλοισιν ἰ̈όντες:
Ἀτρείδης μὲν άμαρτε. παραὶ δέ οἱ ἐτράπετ' ἔγχος:
Ἰ̈φιδάμας δὲ. κατα ζώνην θώρηκος: ἔνερθε.
νύξ': ἐπι δ' αὐτὸς ἔρεισε βαρείῃ χειρὶ πιθήσας:
οὐδ' ἔτορε ζωστῆρα παναίολον: ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρὶν
ἀργύρῳ ἀντομένη. μόλιβος ὡς ἐτράπετ' αἰχμή:
καὶ τό γε χειρὶ λαβὼν εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων
ἕλκ' ἐπι οἷ μεμαὼς ὥς τε λίς: ἐκ δ' άρα χειρὸς
σπάσατο. τὸν δ' ἄορι πλῆξ' αὐχένα, λῦσε δὲ γυῖα:
ὡς ὁ μὲν αὖθι πεσὼν κοιμήσατο χάλκεον ὕπνον.
οἰκτρὸς, ἀπὸ μνηστῆς, ἀλόχου: ἀστοῖσιν ἀρήγων.
κουριδίης. ἧς οὔ τι χάριν ἴ̈δε. πολλὰ δ' ἔδωκε:
πρῶθ' ἑκατὸν, βοῦς δῶκεν: ἔπειτα δὲ χίλι' ὑπέστη
αἶγας ὁμοῦ καὶ ὄϊς, τά οἱ ἄσπετα ποιμαίνοντο:
δὴ τότε γ' Ἀτρείδης Ἀγαμέμνων ἐξενάριξε.
βῆ δὲ φέρων ἀν ὅμιλον Ἀχαιῶν τεύχεα καλά.
Tell me now, ye Muses, that have dwellings on Olympus, who it was that first came to face Agamemnon, either of the Trojans themselves or of their famed allies. It was Iphidamas, son of Antenor, a valiant man and tall, that was nurtured in deep-soiled Thrace, mother of flocks, and Cisseus reared him in his house while he was yet but a little child, even his mother's father, that begat fair-cheeked Theano. But when he came to the measure of glorious youth he sought to keep him there, and offered him his own daughter; howbeit, a bridegroom newly wed, forth from his bridal chamber he went after the rumour of the coming of the Achaeans, with twelve beaked ships that followed him. Now these he had left at Percote, the shapely ships, but himself had come by land to Ilios; he it was that now came to face Agamemnon, son of Atreus. And when they were come near as they advanced one against the other, the son of Atreus missed, and his spear was turned aside, but Iphidamas stabbed him on the girdle beneath the corselet, and put his weight into the thrust, trusting in his heavy hand; howbeit he pierced not the flashing girdle, for long ere that the spear-point struck the silver, and was bent like lead. Then wide-ruling Agamamnon seized the spear in his hand and drew it toward him furiously like a lion, and pulled it from the hand of Iphidamas, and smote him on the neck with his sword and loosed his limbs. So there he fell, and slept a sleep of bronze, unhappy youth, far from his wedded wife, bearing aid to his townsfolk—far from the bride of whom he had known no joy, yet much had he given for her; first he gave an hundred kine, and thereafter promised a thousand, goats and sheep together, which were herded for him in flocks past counting. Then did Agamemnon, son of Atreus, strip him and went through the throng of the Achaeans bearing his goodly armour.
