ὣς φάτο. τὸν δ' οὐ πεῖθεν: ἀμειβόμενος δὲ προσηῦδα προσηύδα
νῦν μὲν δὴ Μενέλαε διοτρεφὲς; ῆ μάλα τίσεις
γνωτὸν ἐμὸν. τὸν ἔπεφνες. ἐπευχόμενος δ' ἀγορεύεις:
χήρωσας δὲ γυναῖκα μυχῷ θαλάμοιο νέοιο:
ἀρητὸν δὲ τοκεῦσι γόον καὶ πένθος ἔθηκας:
ῆ κέ σφιν δειλοῖσι γόου κατάπαυμα γενοίμην.
εἴ κεν ἐγὼ κεφαλήν τε τεὴν καὶ τεύχε' ἐνείκας
Πάνθῳ ἐν χείρεσσι βάλω. καὶ Φρόντιδι δίῃ:
ἀλλ' οὐ μὰν ἔτι δηρὸν ἀπείρητος πόνος ἔσται:
οὐδ έτ' ἀδήριτος. ἥτ' ἀλκῆς ἤτε φόβοιο:
ὣς εἰπὼν. ούτησε κατ' ἀσπίδα πάντοσε, ί̈σην:
So spake he, yet persuaded not the other, but he answered, saying: "Now in good sooth, Menelaus, nurtured of Zeus, shalt thou verily pay the price for my brother whom thou slewest, and over whom thou speakest vauntingly; and thou madest his wife a widow in her new-built bridal chamber, and broughtest grief unspeakable and sorrow upon his parents. Verily for them in their misery should I prove an assuaging of grief, if I but bring thy head and thy armour and lay them in the hands of Panthous and queenly Phrontis. Howbeit not for long shall the struggle be untried or unfought, be it for victory or for flight."
