“It is not a subject for indignation, that Trojans and well-greaved Greeks endure hardships for a long time on account of such a woman. In countenance she is wondrous like unto the immortal goddess, but even so, although being such, let her return in the ships, nor be left a destruction to us and to our children hereafter.” Thus they spoke. But Priam called Helen,—“Coming hither before us, dear daughter, sit by me, that thou mayest see thy former husband, thy kindred, and thy friends—(thou art not at all in fault towards me; the gods, in truth, are in fault towards me, who have sent against me the lamentable war of the Greeks)—that thou mayest name for me this mighty man, who is this gallant and tall Grecian hero. Certainly there are others taller in height; but so graceful a man have I never yet beheld with my eyes, nor so venerable; for he is like unto a kingly man.” But him Helen, one of the divine women, answered in [these] words: “Revered art thou and feared by me, dear father-in-law; would that an evil death had pleased me, when I followed thy son hither, having left my marriage-bed, my brothers, my darling 154 daughter, and the congenial company of my equals. But these things were not done: therefore I pine away with weeping. But this will I tell thee, which thou seekest of me and inquirest. This is wide-ruling Agamemnon, son of Atreus, in both characters, 155 a good king and a brave warrior. He was the brother-in-law, moreover, of shameless me, if ever indeed he was.” 156 Footnote 154: (return) See Buttm. Lexil. s. v. and Arnold. Footnote 155: (return) Observe the force of the neuter. Footnote 156: (return) “_Si unquam fuit, quod nunc non est ampleus_. i.e. _si recte dici potest fuisse, quod ita sui factum est dissimile, ut fuisse unquam vix credas_.”—Herm. on Vig. p. 946, quoted by Anthon. Thus she spoke. But him the old man admired, and said “O blessed son of Atreus, happy-born, fortunate, truly indeed were many Achæan youths made subject to thee. Before now I entered vine-bearing Phrygia, where I beheld many Phrygians, heroes on fleet horses, the forces of Otreus and godlike Mygdon, who encamped there near the banks of the Sangarius. For I also, being an ally, was numbered with them on that day, when the man-opposing Amazons came. But not even these were so numerous as the black-eyed Greeks.” But next perceiving 157 Ulysses, the old man asked her: “Come, tell me of this one also, dear daughter, who he is? he is less indeed in height 158 than Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, but is broader to behold in shoulders and breast. His arms lie up on the fertile earth, but he himself, like a ram, goes round the ranks of the men. I for my part compare him to a thick-fleeced ram, which wanders through a great flock of snowy sheep.” Footnote 157: (return) This whole passage may be compared with the similar enumeration and description of the seven Argive chieftains in Eurip. Phœn. 119, sqq.