τὴν δ' αῦτε προσέειπε γέρων Πρίαμος θεοειδής:
μή μ' ἐθέλοντ' ϊέναι κατερύκανε. μη δέ μοι αὐτὴ
ὄρνις ἐνι μεγάροισι κακὸςκακὸν πέλευ. οὐδέ με πείσεις:
εἰ μὲν γάρ τις μ' ἀλλος ἐπιχθονίων ἐκέλευεν,
ἢ. οἳ, μάντιές εἰσὶ θυοσκόοι. ἠ ἱερῆες:
ψεῦδός κεν φαῖμεν. καὶ νοσφιζοίμεθα μᾶλλον:
νῦν δ̀', αὐτὸς γὰρ ἄκουσα θεοῦ. καὶ ἐσέδρακον ἄντην.
εῖμι. καὶ οὐχ ἅλιον ἔπος ἔσσεται: εἰ δέ μοι αῖσα
τεθνάμεναι παρὰ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων.
βούλομαι: αὐτίκα γάρ με κατακτείνειεν Ἀχιλλε` [Ἀχιλλεὺς]
ἀγκὰ̆ς ἑλόντ' ἐμὸν υἱὸν. ἐπὴν γόου ἐξ ἔρον, εἵην:
Then in answer spake unto her the old man, god-like Priam: "Seek not to stay me that am fain to go, neither be thyself a bird of ill-boding in my halls; thou shalt not persuade me. For if any other of the men that are upon the face of the earth had bidden me this, whether of seers that divine from sacrifice or of priests, a false thing might we deem it, and turn away therefrom the more; but now—for myself I heard the voice of the goddess and looked upon her face—I will go forth, neither shall her word be vain. And if it be my fate to lie dead by the ships of the brazen-coated Achaeans, so would I have it; forthwith let Achilles slay me, when once I have clasped in my arms my son, and have put from me the desire for wailing."
