Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1896) v2.djvu/312

Theonoë^[1] they called her, for she knew
Heaven's will for things that are and things to be,
Inheriting from her grandsire Nereus this. 15
For me, not fameless is my fatherland
Sparta: my sire was Tyndareus. The tale
Telleth that to my mother Leda flew
Zeus, who had stoln the likeness of a swan,
And, fleeing from a chasing eagle, wrought 20
By guile his pleasure,—if the tale be true.
Helen my name, and these my sufferings:
In strife for beauty came three Goddesses
To Paris in a deep Idæan dell—
Hera, and Kypris, and Zeus' child, the Maid, 25
Fain to bring beauty's judgment unto issue.
And Kypris tempting Paris—he should wed
My fairness, if misfortune can be fair,—
Prevailed: Idæan Paris left the herds,
And for his bride, for me, to Sparta came. 30
But Hera, wroth that she should not prevail,
Turned into air Alexander's joy of me;
Gave him not me, but fashioned like to me
A breathing phantom, out of cloudland wrought,
For Priam's princely son: he deemed me his 35
Who was not, a vain phantasy. Withal
Zeus' counsels to these evils added more;
For war he brought upon the Hellenes' land
And hapless Phrygians, to disburden so
Earth-mother of her straitened throngs of men, 40
And to make Hellas' mightiest son renowned.
I lay 'twixt Phrygians' prowess—yet not I,
My name alone—and Hellene spears, the prize.