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to him all things that had happened to his father from the beginning, saying that he did not know the exact details. And Teucer began to speak thus. All eternity will not erase the victory of Achilles over Hector; who, learning that Hector wished to meet Queen Penthesilea by night, made a pretense secretly with his own army and hiding himself with them, kills Hector as he crossed the river and all those following him, leaving only one alive; whom, after cutting off his hands, he sent to Priam to announce the death of Hector. And with none of the Greeks knowing what had happened, he brought the corpse of Hector to the plain before dawn; and having tied him to a chariot, while Automedon drove the horses with him, your father did not cease to have his body flogged. And Priam, hearing of Hector's fate, wailed, and all with him; and so great a cry arose from the multitude of the Trojans that even the birds of the sky were disturbed. And the Greeks, rejoicing, shouted back in like manner; and the gates of Ilium are closed. Your father celebrated a festival of games for the kings and for all, having acted very generously. On the next day, Priam, wearing mourning attire, bringing with him Polyxena his daughter, a maiden, and Andromache, Hector's wife, and Astyanax and Laodamas, his infant sons, comes before the 124 Greeks, bringing with him also much adornment and gold and silver and clothing. And while there was silence among the leaders of the Greeks, and as he drew near, all marveled at the courage of this same Priam, and they went to meet him, wishing to learn the reason for his arrival. And Priam, seeing them, threw himself to the ground, putting dust upon his head and begging them to be fellow-suppliants to Achilles for the body of Hector. And Nestor and Idomeneus pitied him and became fellow-suppliants to Achilles for the body of Hector, who entreated your father concerning Priam. And he ordered him to enter his tent; and Priam, entering, fell at his feet, drenched in tears, beseeching, and likewise Andromache with the children, and Polyxena, embracing the feet of your father for her brother Hector, promising to serve and remain with him, if he would give back the corpse. And the kings, pitying his old age, pleaded on behalf of Priam. But your father Achilles said to them, "He ought to have controlled his children from the beginning and not to have sinned along with them; but love for other men's property held him; for he did not have desire for the woman Helen, but he had a longing for the wealth of Atreus and Pelops. Pay the penalty, therefore, for the impious things you have done; let Greeks and barbarians, therefore, be taught a lesson through you." But they persuade him to take a ransom and give 125 up the corpse; and he, considering the pleasant things of life, raises up Priam and Polyxena and Andromache, and orders Priam to wash and to taste food and wine with him; for otherwise he would not give up the corpse to him. And Priam, seized by fear and by hope for the future, humbly comes, supported by Polyxena, to Achilles your father and partook of food and drink. And when many things had been spoken, they stood up; and when the ransom was placed on the ground, Achilles, seeing the multitude of the gifts, accepts both the gold and the silver and a part of the clothing, and bestowing the rest upon Polyxena, he gave back the corpse. And Priam asks Achilles to leave Polyxena with him; but he told him to take her to Ilium, postponing matters concerning her to another time. And Priam, mounting his chariot, having the body of Hector with those who were with him, entered the city; and having reduced the body to ashes

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αὐτῷ πάντα ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὰ συμβάντα τῷ αὐτοῦ πατρί, φήσας ἀγνοεῖν τὸ ἀκριβές. ὁ δὲ Τεῦκρος ἤρξατο λέγειν οὕτως. Ὁ πᾶς αἰὼν οὐκ ἐξαλείψει τὴν Ἀχιλλέως κατὰ Ἕκτορος νίκην· ὃς μαθὼν Ἕκτορα νυκτὸς βουλόμενον ἀπαντῆσαι τῇ βασιλίδι Πενθεσιλείᾳ, προποιήσας λάθρᾳ ἅμα τῷ ἰδίῳ στρατῷ καὶ ἑαυτὸν σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀποκρύψας, τὸν ποταμὸν διαβαίνοντα τὸν Ἕκτορα κτείνει καὶ ἅπαντας τοὺς αὐτῷ ἑπομένους, ἕνα μόνον καταλιπὼν ζῶντα· ὅντινα χειροκοπήσας Πριάμῳ ἔπεμψεν ἀγγελοῦντα τὸν Ἕκτορος θάνατον. καὶ τὰ συμβάντα μηδενὸς τῶν Ἑλλήνων γνόντος, ἤγαγε τὸ τοῦ Ἕκτορος λείψανον εἰς δάπεδον πρὸ αὔγους· καὶ ἐν δίφρῳ ἀναρτήσας αὐτὸν τοὺς ἵππους ἐλαύνοντος Αὐτομέδοντος σὺν αὐτῷ μαστιγόπληκτον αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ὁ σὸς γενέτης ποιῶν οὐκ ἐπαύετο. ἀκούσας δὲ Πρίαμος τὸν τοῦ Ἕκτορος μόρον, ὠλόλυξε, καὶ πάντες σὺν αὐτῷ· καὶ τοσαύτη βοὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν Τρώων, ὥστε καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ταραχθῆναι. καὶ οἱ Ἕλληνες δὲ χαίροντες ἀντεβόησαν ὁμοίως· καὶ κλείονται αἱ πύλαι τοῦ Ἰλίου. ὁ σὸς γενέτης ἐπετέλεσεν ἀγῶνος ἑορτὴν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι καὶ πᾶσι, πολλὰ φιλοτιμησάμενος. τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ ὁ Πρίαμος πένθιμον φορῶν σχῆμα, ἄξας μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ Πολυξένην τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ, παρθένον, καὶ Ἀνδρομάχην, τὴν Ἕκτορος γυναῖκα, καὶ Ἀστυάνακτακαὶ Λαοδάμαντα, υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ νηπίους, παραγίνεται πρὸς τοὺς 124 Ἕλληνας, ἀγαγὼν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ κόσμον πολὺν καὶ χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ ἐσθῆτα. οὔσης δὲ σιγῆς ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τῶν Ἑλλήνων, πλησίον δὲ αὐτοῦ γενομένου, ἐθαύμαζον πάντες τὴν εὐτολμίαν τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πριάμου, καὶ ἀπαντῶσιν αὐτῷ βουλόμενοι μαθεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἀφίξεως. ἑωρακὼς δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁ Πρίαμος, ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος ῥίψας, κόνιν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ φέρων καὶ δεόμενος αὐτῶν συνικέτας γενέσθαι πρὸς τὸν Ἀχιλλέα ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Ἕκτορος. οἰκτείρει δὲ αὐτὸν Νέστωρ καὶ Ἰδομενεὺς αὐτῷ γενέσθαι συνικέτας πρὸς τὸν Ἀχιλλέα ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Ἕκτορος, οἵτινες ἐδυσώπησαν τὸν σὸν πατέρα περὶ τοῦ Πριάμου. καὶ ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ Πρίαμος εἰσελθὼν ἔπεσεν εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ πλωτὸς ἱκετεύων, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Ἀνδρομάχη σὺν τοῖς παισίν, ἡ δὲ Πολυξένη περιπλακεῖσα τοῖς ποσὶ τοῦ σοῦ γενέτου περὶ τοῦ αὐτῆς ἀδελφοῦ Ἕκτορος, δουλεύειν ἐπαγγειλαμένη καὶ μένειν σὺν αὐτῷ, εἰ ἀποδῷ τὸν νεκρόν. οἱ δὲ βασιλεῖς τὸ γῆρας αὐτοῦ οἰκτείραντες παρεκάλουν ὑπὲρ Πριάμου. ὁ δὲ σὸς γενέτης Ἀχιλλεὺς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔφη, Κρατεῖν αὐτὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔδει τῶν παίδων καὶ μὴ συνεξαμαρτάνειν· ἀλλ' εἶχεν αὐτὸν ἔρως τῶν ἀλλοτρίων χρημάτων· οὐ γὰρ Ἑλένης γυναικὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν εἶχεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν Ἀτρέως καὶ Πέλοπος χρημάτων τὸν πόθον εἶχε. δότε οὖν δίκας ἀνθ' ὧν ἠσεβήσατε· σωφρονιζέσθωσαν οὖν δι' ὑμᾶς Ἕλληνες καὶ βάρβαροι. Οἱ δὲ πείθουσιν αὐτὸν λύτρα λαβόντα τὸν νεκρὸν παραχω 125 ρῆσαι· ὁ δὲ τὰ τοῦ βίου τερπνὰ ἐννοήσας, τὸν Πρίαμον ἀνίστησι καὶ Πολυξένην καὶ Ἀνδρομάχην, καὶ κελεύει τῷ Πριάμῳ λούσασθαι καὶ σίτου καὶ οἴνου γεύσασθαι ἅμα αὐτῷ· ἄλλως γὰρ οὐκ ἂν παραχωρήσειεν αὐτῷ τὸν νεκρόν. ὁ δὲ Πρίαμος φόβῳ κατεχόμενος καὶ ἐλπίδι τῶν μελλόντων, ταπεινῶς παραγίνεται ὑπὸ Πολυξένης παρακρατούμενος πρὸς Ἀχιλλέα τὸν σὸν γενέτην καὶ βρωτοῦ καὶ ποτοῦ μετέσχε. καὶ πολλῶν λαληθέντων ἀνέστησαν· καὶ τεθέντων τῶν λύτρων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἰδὼν ὁ Ἀχιλλεὺς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν δώρων, τόν τε χρυσὸν καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον δέχεται καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἱματισμοῦ μέρος, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ Πολυξένῃ χαρισάμενος ἀπέδωκε τὸν νεκρόν. ὁ δὲ Πρίαμος παρακαλεῖ τὸν Ἀχιλλέα Πολυξένην παρ' αὐτῷ καταλιπεῖν· ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ Ἴλιον αὐτὴν ἀγαγεῖν, εἰς ἄλλον καιρὸν τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν ἀναβαλλόμενος. Ὁ δὲ Πρίαμος ἀνελθὼν εἰς τὸ ὄχημα, ἔχων τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἕκτορος ἅμα τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσῆλθε· καὶ τεφρώσαντες τὸ σῶμα τοῦ