The messenger of the gods, Iris, quickly rushed from Olympus and announced to the Trojans, taking the form of Priam's son Politus, that countless troops were approaching Troy from the Greek camp. When Iris was brought to Troy, all the Trojans were at a public meeting. Hector immediately dissolved the meeting.
All the citizens of Troy and their allies hastened to arm themselves and form into battle formation. The gates of Troy were opened, and squads of the Trojans and their allies began to emerge from them one after another. The Trojans walked with a loud cry, like lines of cranes during a flight. The Greeks approached in threatening silence. Clouds of dust covered the entire field.
Both troops converged, but did not yet enter into battle. Then the beautiful Paris emerged from the ranks of the Trojans. He had a leopard skin thrown over his shoulder, a bow and quiver of arrows behind his back, a sharp sword at his hip, and he held two spears in his hand. Paris challenged one of the Greek heroes to single combat. As soon as Menelaus saw Paris, he quickly jumped off the chariot and, sparkling with his weapons, came forward. Menelaus joyfully walked against Paris, like a lion who unexpectedly found rich prey; Menelaus rejoiced that he could take revenge on the kidnapper of the beautiful Helen.
As soon as Paris saw Menelaus, his heart trembled and he hid among his friends, afraid of death. Hector saw this and began to reproach his brother for his cowardice.
“You are only brave in appearance,” Hector said to Paris, “it would be better for you not to be born than to serve as a disgrace to us all.” Can't you hear the Greeks laughing at you? You were only brave enough to kidnap Menelaus’ wife Helen on the mountain of all Troy! You were afraid of Menelaus! If only you could find out what kind of fighter the husband of Elena, who you kidnapped, is! Oh, if the Trojans had been more decisive, they would have stoned you long ago for all the troubles that you brought upon them.
“You have the right to vilify me, Hector,” Paris answered, “but calm down.” I will enter into single combat with Menelaus. They only ordered the Trojans to stop. Before the troops, Menelaus and I will fight for the beautiful Helen. Whichever of us wins will lead Elena to his house. Hearing this answer, Hector went to the middle of the Trojan formation and stopped him. The Greeks were ready to shower Hector with arrows. Some had already thrown stones at him, but Agamemnon stopped them, exclaiming:
- Stop, Greeks, stop, Achaean men! Helmet-shining Hector intends to address us with a word!
When everyone fell silent, Hector announced that Paris was proposing to resolve the dispute for Helen through single combat. Menelaus answered him.
- Listen to me! It's high time we stopped the bloody strife. Let us fight with Paris, and let the one of us who is destined for death perish. You will make peace afterwards. Make sacrifices to the gods. Summon Elder Priam; His sons are all treacherous; let him take an oath before the fight that he will fulfill this agreement.
Everyone was happy when they heard this proposal. Hector immediately sent messengers to call Priam.
Meanwhile, the goddess Iris, taking the form of Priam’s daughter, the beautiful Laodice, appeared to Helen and called her to climb the tower at the Scaean Gate, where the Trojan elders gathered with Priam at their head to watch the single combat of Paris and Menelaus. Beautiful-haired Elena dressed in luxurious clothes and hurried after Iris, accompanied by two maids. Elena remembered her first husband, her homeland and dear Sparta, and at the same time tears appeared in her eyes. The Trojan elders saw Helen approaching. She was so beautiful that the elders looked at her with delight and said to each other:
- No, it is impossible to condemn either the Greeks or the Trojans for waging a bloody struggle for such a beautiful woman. Truly, she is equal in beauty to the immortal goddesses. But no matter how beautiful she is, it is better to return to Greece, then neither we nor our children will be in danger of death.
Priam called Elena and began to ask her about the heroes he saw from the wall. Helen showed him the mighty Agamemnon, the cunning Odysseus, Telamonides Ajax, Idomeneo - the king of Crete. Priam was surprised, looking at these heroes, both at their beauty and at their mighty warlike appearance. At this time, messengers sent by Hector for Priam arrived. Priam hastily stood up, ordered the chariot to be harnessed and, together with Antenor, rode out to the troops through the Scaean Gate.
Agamemnon and Odysseus stood up to meet Elder Priam. Sacrifices were made to the Olympian gods. Oaths were taken to uphold the treaty. Then King Priam addressed the troops of the Trojans and Greeks with the following words:
- Oh, brave men, Trojans and Greeks! I will now retire to the great Troy. I don’t have the strength to watch the duel between my son Paris and the mighty King Menelaus. Only Zeus knows which of them is destined to die in this battle.
Priam left the battlefield. Hector and Odysseus measured out the place for the duel, and then they put lots in the helmet and shook it so that the lot fell to the one who should throw the spear first. The lot fell to Paris.
Paris and Menelaus armed themselves and went to the place of the duel, shaking their heavy spears. Their gazes shone menacingly, their hatred for each other burned in them with a bright flame. Paris waved his spear and threw it at Menelaus. His spear hit the huge shield of Menelaus, but did not penetrate it. The tip of the spear bent, hitting the copper covering the shield. Menelaus loudly appealed to Zeus, begging him to help take revenge on Paris, so that in the future no one would dare to pay with evil for hospitality. King Menelaus swung his spear menacingly and hit Paris with it. The spear pierced the shield, it also pierced the armor of Paris and cut the tunic. Paris saved himself only by quickly retreating to the side. Menelaus grabbed the sword and hit Paris on the helmet, but the sword shattered into four pieces from the terrible blow. Having lost his sword, Menelaus rushed at Paris, grabbed his helmet with his hand and dragged him along the ground to the ranks of the Greeks. The helmet strap squeezed Paris' throat. Menelaus would have dragged Paris to the ranks of the Greeks, but then the goddess of love Aphrodite came to the aid of his favorite. She tore the belt, and only the helmet remained in the hands of Menelaus. He wanted to hit Paris, who was thrown to the ground, with a spear, but the goddess Aphrodite covered Paris with a dark cloud and quickly carried him to Troy. Menelaus searched in vain for Paris; he, like a wild beast, prowled through the Trojan troops, but no one could show him the son of Priam, although all the Trojans hated him. King Agamemnon exclaimed loudly:
- Listen, Trojans and Greeks! You all saw the victory of Menelaus, let them return to us Helen and all the treasures stolen by Paris from Menelaus, and let them pay us tribute.
But Agamemnon remained without an answer: the battle was not destined to end.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru