THE RAPE OF HELEN 



a glorious king, hut thy family I know not among 

 the Argives. I know all the family of blameless 

 Deucalion. Not in sandy Pylus, the land of Neleus, 

 hast thou thy dwelling : Antilochus I know, but thy 

 face I have not seen ; not in gracious Phthia, nurse 

 of chieftains ; I know the whole renowned race of 

 the sons of Aeacus, the beauty of Peleus, the fair 

 fame of Telamon, the gentleness of Patroclus and 

 the prowess of Achilles." 



So, yearning for Paris, spake the lady of sweet 

 voice. And he opened honeyed speech and answered 

 her: 



" If haply thou hast heard of a town in the bounds 

 of Phrygia, even Ilios, whereof Poseidon built the 

 towers and Apollo : if thou hast haply heard of a 

 very wealthy king in Troy, sprung from the fruitful 

 race of Cronus : thence am I a prince and pursue all 

 the works of my race. I, lady, am the dear son of 

 Priam rich in gold, of the lineage of Dardanus am I, 

 and Dardanus was the son of Zeus. And the gods 

 from OljTiipus, companioning with men, oft-times 

 became his servants,** albeit they were immortal : 

 of whom Poseidon Anth Apollo built the shining walls 

 of our fatherland. And I, O Queen, am the judge 

 of goddesses. For, deciding a suit for the aggrieved 

 daughters of heaven, I praised the beauty of Cypris 

 and her lovely form. And she vowed that she would 

 give me a worthy recompense of my labour, even a 

 glorious and a lovely bride, whom they call Helen, 

 sister of Aphrodite ; and it is for her sake that I 

 have endured to cross such seas. Come, let us join 

 wedlock, since Cj-thereia bids. Despise me not, put 

 not my love to shame, I will not say — why should 



5(i3 



