His mother sat down beside him and caressed him with her hand saying, "My son, how long will you keep on thus grieving and making moan?
You are gnawing at your own heart, and think neither of food nor of woman's embraces; and yet these too were well, for you have no long time to live, and death with the strong hand of fate are already close beside you.

Now, therefore, heed what I say, for I come as a messenger from Jove; he says that the gods are angry with you, and himself more angry than them all, in that you keep Hector at the ships and will not give him up.

Therefore let him go, and accept a ransom for his body." And Achilles answered, "So be it.

If Olympian Jove of his own motion thus commands me, let him that brings the ransom bear the body away." Thus did mother and son talk together at the ships in long discourse with one another.

Meanwhile the son of Saturn sent Iris to the strong city of Ilius.