And when he was unable to obtain her from her guardians—for they were awaiting her maturity and the fulfilment of the oracle which the Pythian priestess had given—scorning the royal power of TyndareusFather of Helen., disdaining the might of Castor and PolluxBrothers of Helen., and belittling all the hazards in Lacedaemon, he seized her by force and established her at Aphidna in Attica.

So grateful was Theseus to Peirithos, his partner in the abduction, that when Peirithos wished to woo Persephon, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and summoned him to the descent into Hades to obtain her, when Theseus found that he could not by his warnings dissuade his friend, although the danger was manifest he nevertheless accompanied him, for he was of opinion that he owed this debtFor the figure of speech in E)/RANOS see Isoc. 11.1 and Plat. Sym. 177c. of gratitude—to decline no task enjoined by Peirithos in return for his help in his own perilous enterprise.

If the achiever of these exploits had been an ordinary person and not one of the very distinguished, it would not yet be clear whether this discourse is an encomium of Helen or an accusation of Theseus; but as it is, while in the case of other men who have won renown we shall find that one is deficient in courage, another in wisdom, and another in some kindred virtue, yet this hero alone was lacking in naught, but had attained consummate virtue.