ὣς ἔφατ', ὦρτο δὲ Ϊ̂ρις ἀελλόπος ἀγγελέουσα:
ΐξεν δ' ἐς Πριάμοιο, κίχεν δ' ἐνοπήν τε γόον τε:
παῖδες μὲν πατέρ' ἀμφι καθήμενοι ἔνδοθεν αὐλῆς
δάκρυσιν εἵματ' ἔφυρον: ὃ δ' ἐν μέσσοισι γεραιὸς
ἐντυπά̆ς ἐν χλαίνῃ κεκαλυμμένος: ἀμφι δὲ πολλὴ
κόπρος ἔην κεφαλῇ τε καὶ αὐχένι τοῖο γέροντος,
τήν ῥα κυλινδόμενος καταμήσατο χερσὶν ἑῇσι:
θυγατέρες δ' ἀνὰ δώματ' ἰ̈δὲ, νυοὶ ὠδύροντο
τῶν μιμνησκόμεναι. οἳ δὴ πολέες τε καὶ ἐσθλοὶ
χερσὶν ὑπ Αργείων κέατο ψυχὰς ὀλέσαντες:
στῆ δὲ παρα Πρίαμον Διὸς ἄγγελος, ἠδὲ προσηύδᾱ
τυτθὸν φθεγξαμένη: τὸν δὲ τρόμος ἔλλαβε γυῖα:
θάρσει Δαρδανίδη Πρίαμε φρεσὶ. μὴ δέ τι τάρβει:
οὐ μὲν γάρ τοι ἐγὼ κακὸν ὀσσομένη, τόδ' ϊκάνω:
ἂλλ' ἀγαθὰ φρονέουσα: Διὸς δέ τοι ἄγγελός εἰμι:
ὃς σεῦ ἄνευθεν, ἐὼν, μέγα κήδεται. ἠδ' ἐλεαίρει:
λύσασθαίλύσεσθαί σε κέλευσεν Ὀλύμπιος Ἕκτορα δῖον:
δῶρα δ' Ἀχιλλῆϊ φερέμεν, τά κε θυμὸν ἰ̈ήνῃ:
οἶον μη δέ τις ἄλλος ἅμα Τρώων ΐτω ἀνὴρ
κῆρύξ τίς τοι ἕποιτο γεραίτερος, ὅς κ' ϊθύνοι
ἡμιόνους καὶ ἄμαξαν ἐΰτροχον, ἥ δὲκὲ καὶ αὖτις
νεκρὸν ἄγοι προτι ἄστυ. τὸν ἔκτανε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς:
μη δέ τι τοι θάνατος μελέτω φρεσὶ, μηδέ τι τάρβος.
τοῖος γάρ τοι πομπὸς ἅμ' ἕψεται ἀργειφόντης.
ὅς σ' ἄξει, έως κεν ἄγων. Ἀχιλῆϊ πελάσσῃ:
αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν ἀγάγῃσιν ἔσω κλισίην Ἀχιλῆος,
οὔτ' αὐτὸς κτενέει: ἀπό τ' ἄλλους πάντας ἐρύξει:
οὔτε γὰρ ἔστ' ἄφρων, οὔτ' ἄσκοπος, οὔτ' ἀλιτήμων:
ἀλλὰ μάλ' ἐνδυκέως ἱ̈κέτεω πεφιδήσεται ἀνδρός:
ἡ μὲν ἂρ ὡς εἰποῦσ' ἀπέβη πόδας ὠκέα Ϊ̂ρις:
So spake he, and storm-footed Iris hasted to bear his message. She came to the house of Priam, and found therein clamour and wailing. His sons sat about their father within the court sullying their garments with their tears, and in their midst was the old king close-wrapped in his mantle; and upon the old man's head and neck was filth in abundance, which he had gathered in his hands as he grovelled on the earth. And his daughters and his sons' wives were wailing throughout the house, bethinking them of the warriors many and valiant who were lying low, slain by the hands of the Argives. And the messenger of Zeus drew nigh to Priam, and spake to him; softly she uttered her voice, yet trembling gat hold of his himbs: "Be of good courage, O Priam, son of Dardanus, and fear thou not at all. Not to forbode any evil to thee am I come hither, but with good intent. I am a messenger to thee from Zeus, who far away though he be, hath exceeding care for thee and pity. The Olympian biddeth thee ransom goodly Hector, and bear gifts to Achilles which shall make glad his heart; alone do thou go, neither let any man beside of the Trojans go with thee. A herald may attend thee, an elder man, to guide the mules and the light-running waggon, and to carry back to the city the dead, even him that Achilles slew. Let not death be in thy thoughts, neither any fear; such a guide shall go with thee, even Argeiphontes, who shall lead thee, until in his heading he bring thee nigh to Achilles. And when he shall have led thee into the hut, neither shall Achilles himself slay thee nor suffer any other to slay; for not without wisdom is he, neither without purpose, nor yet hardened in sin; nay, with all kindliness will he spare a suppliant man."
