τὸν καὶ λισσόμενος Πρίαμος πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε:
μνῆσαι πατρὸς σεῖο θεοῖς ἐπιείκελ' Ἀχιλλεῦ:
τηλίκου. ὥς περ ἐγὼν ὀλοῷ ἐπὶ γήραος οὐδῷ
καὶ μέν που κεῖνον περιναιέται ἀμφὶς ἐόντες
τείρουσ' οὐδὲ τις ἐστιν ἀρὴν καὶ λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι:
ἀλλ' ἤτοι κεῖνος γε σέθεν ζώοντος ἀκούων
χαίρει τ' ἐν θυμῷ ἐπί τ' ἔλπεται ἤματα: πάντα
ὄψεσθαι φίλον υἱὸν ἀπο Τροίηθεν μολόντα:
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ πανάποτμος ἐπεὶ τέκον υἷας ἀρίστους
Τροίῃ ἐν εὐρείη: τῶν δ' οὔ τινά φημὶ λελεῖφθαι:
πεντήκοντά μοι ἦσαν ὅτ' ἤλυθον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν
ἐννεακαίδεκα μέν μοι ἰῆς ἐκ νηδύος ἦσαν:
τοὺς δ' ἄλλους μοι ἔτικτον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γυναῖκες:
τῶν μὲν πολλῶν θοῦρος Ἄρης ὑπὸ γούνατ' ἔλυσεν:
ὃς δέ μοι οἶος ἔην: εἴρυτο δὲ ἄστυ καὶ αὐτούς,
τὸν σὺ πρώην κτεῖνας ἀμυνόμενον περὶ πάτρης
Ἕκτορα: τοῦ νῦν εἵνεχ' ἱκάνω νῆας Ἀχαιῶν
λυσόμενος παρὰ σεῖο: φέρω δ' ἀπερείσι' ἄποινα:
ἀλλ' αἰδεῖο θεοὺς Ἀχιλεῦ: αὐτόν τ' ἐλέησον
μνησάμενος σοῦ πατρὸς: ἐγὼ δ' ἐλεεινότερός περ:
ἔτλην δ' οἷ' οὔ πώ τις ἐπιχθόνιος βροτὸς ἄλλος,
ἀνδρὸς παιδοφόνοιο ποτὶ στόμα χεῖρ' ὀρέγεσθαι:
But Priam made entreaty, and spake to him, saying: "Remember thy father, O Achilles like to the gods, whose years are even as mine, on the grievous threshold of old age. Him full likely the dwellers that be round about are entreating evilly, neither is there any to ward from him ruin and bane. Howbeit, while he heareth of thee as yet alive he hath joy at heart, and therewithal hopeth day by day that he shall see his dear son returning from Troy-land. But I—I am utterly unblest, seeing I begat sons the best in the broad land of Troy, yet of them I avow that not one is left. Fifty I had, when the sons of the Achaeans came; nineteen were born to me of the self-same womb, and the others women of the palace bare. Of these, many as they were, furious Ares hath loosed the knees, and he that alone was left me, that by himself guarded the city and the men, him thou slewest but now as he fought for his country, even Hector. For his sake am I now come to the ships of the Achaeans to win him back from thee, and I bear with me ransom past counting. Nay, have thou awe of the gods, Achilles, and take pity on me, remembering thine own father. Lo, I am more piteous far than he, and have endured what no other mortal on the face of earth hath yet endured, to reach forth my hand to the face of him that hath slain my sons."
