Book XXII - Page 2

islands that are beyond the sea: even now I miss two sons from

among the Trojans who have thronged within the city, Lycaon and

Polydorus, whom Laothoe peeress among women bore me. Should they

be still alive and in the hands of the Achaeans, we will ransom

them with gold and bronze, of which we have store, for the old

man Altes endowed his daughter richly; but if they are already

dead and in the house of Hades, sorrow will it be to us two who

were their parents; albeit the grief of others will be more

short-lived unless you too perish at the hands of Achilles. Come,

then, my son, within the city, to be the guardian of Trojan men

and Trojan women, or you will both lose your own life and afford

a mighty triumph to the son of Peleus. Have pity also on your

unhappy father while life yet remains to him--on me, whom the son

of Saturn will destroy by a terrible doom on the threshold of old

age, after I have seen my sons slain and my daughters haled away

as captives, my bridal chambers pillaged, little children dashed

to earth amid the rage of battle, and my sons' wives dragged away

by the cruel hands of the Achaeans; in the end fierce hounds will

tear me in pieces at my own gates after some one has beaten the

life out of my body with sword or spear-hounds that I myself

reared and fed at my own table to guard my gates, but who will

yet lap my blood and then lie all distraught at my doors. When a

young man falls by the sword in battle, he may lie where he is

and there is nothing unseemly; let what will be seen, all is

honourable in death, but when an old man is slain there is

nothing in this world more pitiable than that dogs should defile

his grey hair and beard and all that men hide for shame."

The old man tore his grey hair as he spoke, but he moved not the

heart of Hector. His mother hard by wept and moaned aloud as she

bared her bosom and pointed to the breast which had suckled him.

"Hector," she cried, weeping bitterly the while, "Hector, my son,

spurn not this breast, but have pity upon me too: if I have ever

given you comfort from my own bosom, think on it now, dear son,

and come within the wall to protect us from this man; stand not

without to meet him. Should the wretch kill you, neither I nor

your richly dowered wife shall ever weep, dear offshoot of

myself, over the bed on which you lie, for dogs will devour you

at the ships of the Achaeans."

Thus did the two with many tears implore their son, but they

moved not the heart of Hector, and he stood his ground awaiting

huge Achilles as he drew nearer