h grief, and the desire [for weeping]
had departed from his heart and limbs, immediately rising from his seat,
he lifted up the old man with his hand, compassionating both his hoary
head and hoary chin; and, addressing him, spoke winged words:

[Footnote 793: Literally, "my only son."]

[Footnote 794: Priam.]

"Alas! wretched one, thou hast certainly suffered many evils in thy
mind. How hast thou dared to come alone to the ships of the Greeks, into
the sight of the man who slew thy many and brave sons? Assuredly thy
heart is iron. But come now, sit upon a seat; and let us permit sorrows
to sink to rest within thy mind, although grieved; for there is not any
use in chill grief. For so have the gods destined to unhappy mortals,
that they should live wretched; but they themselves are free from
care.[795] Two casks of gifts,[796] which he bestows, lie at the
threshold of Jupiter, [the one] of evils, and the other of good. To whom
thunder-rejoicing Jove, mingling, may give them, sometimes he falls into
evil, but sometimes into good; but to whomsoever he gives of the evil,
he makes him exposed to injury; and hungry calamity pursues him over the
bounteous earth; and he wanders about, honoured neither by gods nor men.
So indeed have the gods given illustrious gifts to Peleus from his
birth; for he was conspicuous among men, both for riches and wealth, and
he ruled over the Myrmidons, and to him, being a mortal, they gave a
goddess for a wife.[797] But upon him also has a deity inflicted evil,
for there was not to him in his palaces an offspring of kingly sons; but
he begat one short-lived son; nor indeed do I cherish him, being old,
for I remain in Troy, far away from my country, causing sorrow to thee
and to thy sons. Thee too, old man, we learn to have been formerly
wealthy: as much as Lesbos, above the seat of Macar, cuts off on the
north, and Phrygia beneath, and the boundless Hellespont: among these, O
old man, they say that thou wast conspicuous for thy wealth and thy
sons. But since the heavenly inhabitants have brought this bane upon
thee, wars and the slaying of men are constantly around thy city. Arise,
nor grieve incessantly in thy mind; for thou wilt not profit aught,
afflicting thyself for thy son, nor wilt thou resuscitate him before
thou hast suffered another misfortune."

[Footnote 795: This Epicurean sentiment is illustrated with great
learning by Duport, pp. 140, sqq.]

[Footnote 796: See D