Help finding a passage in the Iliad?

Question

I need to find a passage I remember in the Iliad for the paper I'm writing. It was Priam talking about his sons and describing them and what they were good at, and talking about how all his sons who were warriors were dead, and now all he's got is sons who aren't warriors.

If you remember this part let me know even if you don't know where it is so I know I didn't make it up. And, of course, if you know where it is, let me know and that would be amazing. But even if you don't, just let me know I'm not going crazy.

Answer 1

Okay, my translation dates from 1950. Here's the passage I think you are looking for:

"Then he [Priam] called unto his sons, chiding Helenos and Paris and noble Agathon and Pammon and Antiphonos, and Polites of the loud war-cry, and Deiphobos and Hippothoos and proud Dios; nine were they whom the old man called and bade unto him: 'Haste ye, ill sons, my shame; would that ye all in Hector's stead had been slain at the swift ships! Woe is me all unblest, since I begat sons the best men in wide Troy-land, but none of them is left for me to claim, neither godlike Mestor, nor Troilos with his chariot of war, nor Hector who was a god among men, neither seemd he as the son of a mortal man but a god:--all these hath Ares slain, and here are my shames all left to me, false-tongued, light-heeled, the heroes of the dance, plunderers of your own people's sheep and kids...'"

I don't have line numbers; it's on the sixth page of Book 24 in my translation (which has 20 pages).

Answer 2

It's in book 24, as Priam is preparing to go to Achilles to ransom Hector's body. In his grief he lashes out at his surviving sons, lamenting the loss of Mestor, Troilus, and Hector. He calls his sons "liars, dancers, heroes only at beating the dancing-rings".

In the Fagles translation this scene starts around line 293.