The rape of Helen (Lines 1-40) - Colluthus

Ye Nymphs of Troy, children of the river Xanthus,¹
who oft-times leave on your father’s sands
the snoods that bind your tresses and the sacred toys of your hands,
and array you for the dance on Ida,²
come hither, leaving the sounding river,
and declare to me the counsel of the herdsman judge³:
say whence from the hills he came, sailing the unaccustomed deep,
albeit ignorant of the business of the sea;
and what was the occasion of the ships that were the spring of woe,
that a cowherd should stir heaven and earth together;
and what was the primeval beginning of the feud,
that herdsmen should deal judgement to immortals:
what was the suit: whence heard he the name of the Argive nymph?⁴
For ye came yourselves and beheld,
beneath the three-peaked cliff of Idaean Phalacra,⁵
Paris sitting on his shepherd seat
and the queen of the Graces, even Aphrodite, glorying.
So among the high-peaked hills of the Haemonians,⁶
the marriage song of Peleus was being sung
while, at the bidding of Zeus, Ganymede⁷ poured the wine.
And all the race of the gods hasted to do honour to the white-armed bride,⁸
own sister of Amphitrite⁹:
Zeus from Olympus and Poseidon from the sea.
Out of the land of Melisseus,¹⁰ from fragrant Helicon,
Apollo came leading the clear-voiced choir of the Muses.
On either side, fluttering with golden locks,
the unshorn cluster of his hair was buffeted by the west wind.
And after him followed Hera, sister of Zeus;
nor did the queen of harmony herself, even Aphrodite,
loiter in coming to the groves of the Centaur.¹¹
Came also Persuasion,¹² having fashioned a bridal wreath,
carrying the quiver of archer Eros.
And Athena put off her mighty helmet from her brow
and followed to the marriage, albeit of marriage she was untaught.
Nor did Leto’s daughter Artemis, sister of Apollo, disdain to come,
goddess of the wilds thought she was.
And iron Ares, even as, helmetless nor lifting warlike spear,
he comes into the house of Hephaestus,
in such wise without breastplate and without whetted sword danced smilingly.
But Strife did Cheiron leave unhonoured:
Cheiron did not regard her and Peleus heeded her not.

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Colluthus (late 5th - early 6th century) Greece
Translated A.W. Mair
Source: Theoi Classical Texts Library
Notes:

1. Scamander, a river in the Troad
2. A mountain in the Troad
3. Paris
4. Helen
5. Peak of Ida
6. Thessalians
7. Son of Tros, for his beauty carried away and made cup-bearer to Zeus
8. Thetis
9. Daughter of Nereus and Doris
10. Legendary king of the district of Helicon
11. Cheiron, who had his cave on Pelion
12. Peitho, an attendant goddess of Aphrodite