δή ῥα τόθ' Ἑρμείας ἐριούνιος ᾦξε γέροντι
ἐς δ' ἄγαγε κλυτὰ δῶρα ποδώκεϊ Πηλείωνι:
ἐξ ἵππων δ' ἀπέβαινεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ φώνησέν τε:
ὦ γέρον ἤτοι ἐγὼ θεὸς ἄμβροτος εἰλήλουθα:
Ἑρμείας σοὶ γάρ με πατὴρ ἅμα πομπὸν ὄπασσεν.
ἀλλ' ἤτοι μὲν ἐγὼ πάλιν εἴσομαι οὐδ' Ἀχιλῆος
ὀφθαλμοὺς εἴσειμϊ: νεμεσητοννεμεσσητον δέ κεν εἴη:
ἀθάνατον θεὸν ὧδε βροτοὺς ἀγαπαζέμεν ἄντην:
τύνη δ' εἰσελθὼν λάβε γούνατα Πηλείωνος
καὶ μιν ὑπὲρ πατρὸς καὶ μητέρος ἠυκόμοιο
λίσσεο καὶ τέκεος ἵνά οἱ σὺν θυμὸν ὀρίνης:
Then verily the helper Hermes opened the door for the old man, and brought in the glorious gifts for the swift-footed son of Peleus; and from the chariot he stepped down to the ground and spake, saying: "Old sire, I that am come to thee am immortal god, even Hermes; for the Father sent me to guide thee on thy way. But now verily will I go back, neither come within Achilles' sight; good cause for wrath would it be that an immortal god should thus openly be entertained of mortals. But go thou in, and clasp the knees of the son of Peleus and entreat him by his father and his fair-haired mother and his child, that thou mayest stir his soul."
