σπερχόμενος δ' ὁ γεραιὸς ἑοῦ ἐπεβήσετο δίφρου:
ἐκ δ' ἔλασε προθύροιο καὶ αἰθούσης ἐριδούπου:
πρόσθεν μὲν ἡμίονοι ἕλκον. τετράκυκλον ἀπήνην.
τὰς Ϊδαῖος ἔλαυνε δαΐφρων: αὐτὰρ ὄπισθεν
ἵπποι, τοὺς ὃ γέρων ἐφέπων μάστιγι, κέλευε
καρπαλίμως κατὰ ἄστυ. φίλοι δ' ἅμα πάντες ἕποντο
πὸλλ' ὀλοφυρόμενοι, ὡς εἲ θάνατον δὲ κιόντα:
οἳ δ' ἐπεὶ οὖν πόλιος κατέβαν. πεδίον δ' ἀφίκοντο.
οἳ μὲν ὰρ ἄψορροι ποτὶ Ἴ̈λιον ἀπονέοντο:
παῖδες καὶ γαμβροί: τὼ δ' οὐ λάθον εὐρύοπα Ζῆ
ν' ἐς πεδίον προφανέντε: ἰ̈δὼν δ' ἐλέησε γέροντα:
αῖψα δ' ὰρ Ἑρμείᾱν υἱὸν φίλον ἀντίον ηύδᾱ
Ἑρμείᾱ: σοὶ γάρ τε μάλιστά τε φίλτατόν ἐστιν
ἀνδρὶ ἑταιρίσσαι: καί τ' ἔκλυες ᾧ κ' ἐθέλῃσθα:
βάσκ' ΐθι: καὶ Πρίαμον κοίλᾱς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
ὣς ἄγαγ'. ὡς μήτ' άρ τις ἴ̈δῃ μήτ' άρ τε νοήσῃ
τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν. πρὶν Πηλείωνα δ' ϊκέσθαι:
Then the old man made haste and stepped upon his car, and drave forth from the gateway and the echoing portico. In front the mules drew the four-wheeled waggon, driven of wise-hearted Idaeus, and behind came the horses that the old man ever plying the lash drave swiftly through the city; and his kinsfolk all followed wailing aloud as for one faring to his death. But when they had gone down from the city and were come to the plain, back then to Ilios turned his sons and his daughters' husbands; howbeit the twain were not unseen of Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, as they came forth upon the plain, but as he saw the old man he had pity, and forthwith spake to Hermes, his dear son: "Hermes, seeing thou lovest above all others to companion a man, and thou givest ear to whomsoever thou art minded up, go and guide Priam unto the hollow ships of the Achaeans in such wise that no man may see him or be ware of him among all the Damans, until he be come to the son of Peleus."
