The Iliad
By Homer
Written 800 B.C.E
Translated by Samuel Butler
Book III
....
Meanwhile Iris went to Helen in the form of
her sister-in-law, wife of the son of
Antenor, for Helicaon, son of Antenor, had
married Laodice, the fairest of Priam's
daughters. She found her in her own room,
working at a great web of purple linen,
on which she was embroidering the battles
between Trojans and Achaeans, that
Mars had made them fight for her sake. Iris
then came close up to her and said,
"Come hither, child, and see the strange doings
of the Trojans and Achaeans till
now they have been warring upon the plain,
mad with lust of battle, but now they
have left off fighting, and are leaning upon
their shields, sitting still with their
spears planted beside them. Alexandrus and
Menelaus are going to fight about
yourself, and you are to the the wife of him
who is the victor."
Thus spoke the goddess, and Helen's heart yearned
after her former husband, her
city, and her parents. She threw a white mantle
over her head, and hurried from
her room, weeping as she went, not alone,
but attended by two of her handmaids,
Aethrae, daughter of Pittheus, and Clymene.
And straightway they were at the
Scaean gates.
The two sages, Ucalegon and Antenor, elders
of the people, were seated by the
Scaean gates, with Priam, Panthous, Thymoetes,
Lampus, Clytius, and Hiketaon of
the race of Mars. These were too old to fight,
but they were fluent orators, and sat
on the tower like cicales that chirrup delicately
from the boughs of some high tree
in a wood. When they saw Helen coming towards
the tower, they said softly to one
another, "Small wonder that Trojans and Achaeans
should endure so much and so
long, for the sake of a woman so marvellously
and divinely lovely. Still, fair though
she be, let them take her and go, or she will
breed sorrow for us and for our
children after us."
But Priam bade her draw nigh. "My child," said
he, "take your seat in front of me
that you may see your former husband, your
kinsmen and your friends. I lay no
blame upon you, it is the gods, not you who
are to blame. It is they that have
brought about this terrible war with the Achaeans.
Tell me, then, who is yonder
huge hero so great and goodly? I have seen
men taller by a head, but none so
comely and so royal. Surely he must be a king."
"Sir," answered Helen, "father of my husband,
dear and reverend in my eyes, would
that I had chosen death rather than to have
come here with your son, far from my
bridal chamber, my friends, my darling daughter,
and all the companions of my
girlhood. But it was not to be, and my lot
is one of tears and sorrow. As for your
question, the hero of whom you ask is Agamemnon,
son of Atreus, a good king
and a brave soldier, brother-in-law as surely
as that he lives, to my abhorred and
miserable self."
[Helen continues to identify the Greek warriors for the Trojans]