by Homer
where they laid themselves to rest and took the gift of sleep.
10.ILIÁDOS K
Then beside their ships the other nobles of the grand Achaean army
slept the whole night long, overcome by sinking sleep;
but sweet sleep did not hold Agamemnon son of Atreus,
shepherd of the people, as he churned in his mind many things.
As when the husband of Hera of the lovely hair flashes lightning forth,
conjuring a great monstrous rain, or hail,
or fall of snow, so that snowflakes powder the plowed fields,
or somewhere makes rise the massive jaws of piercing war—
so again and again within his breast did Agamemnon groan aloud
from the depths of his heart, and the wits within him were seized with trembling.10
Whenever he looked toward the Trojan plain,
he was astonished at the many fires that burned in front of Ilion,
at the sound of hollow flutes and din of men;
and then when he beheld the ships and army of Achaeans,
he tore clumps of hair by the roots from his head,
looking to Zeus on high, and his noble heart was full to bursting.
And this plan appeared best to his mind,
to go to Nestor, Neleus’ son, first among men,
that he might put together with him some perfect scheme,
that would somehow avert destruction from all Danaans.20
Standing up, he put a tunic about him,
and beneath his smooth feet he bound his splendid sandals;
then he put about him the tawny skin of a gleaming
huge lion that reached to his feet, and took up his spear.
And in the same way trembling took hold of Menelaos—for sleep
was not settling on his eyelids either—lest the Argives suffer,
they who for his sake had come over the vast sea
to Troy to stir up ferocious war.
First he covered his broad back with a dappled
leopard skin; then taking his bronze helmet30
he placed it on his head; and his spear he took in his massive hand.
So he set out to go to rouse his brother, who ruled greatly
over all the Argives, and like a god was honored by his people.
He found him putting his splendid armor about his shoulders
by the stern of his ship; and his coming was welcome to his brother.
Menelaos of the war cry addressed him first:
“Why do you arm in this way, my brother? Will you dispatch
some companion of ours as spy against the Trojans? But I do greatly
fear that no one will undertake this task for you,
going alone to spy on enemy men40
through the ambrosial night; surely, that man will be bold of heart.”
Then answering him lord Agamemnon spoke:
“You and I have need of a plan, Zeus-cherished Menelaos,
a shrewd plan, if anyone is to defend and save
the Argives and their ships, for Zeus’ heart has turned against us.
It is to Hector’s sacrifices he has paid more heed.
For I have never seen nor heard tell
of one man, on one day, contriving so much evil,
as Hector beloved of Zeus has wrought upon the sons of the Achaeans
on his own, he the beloved son of neither god nor goddess.50
Such deeds he has committed as I think will weigh on Argives
for a long time to come; such evils he has devised for the Achaeans.
But come now—run beside the ships and summon
Ajax and Idomeneus; I am going to illustrious Nestor
to urge him to rise from sleep, and see if he is willing
to go to the sacred post of guards and give them orders.
Him they would obey above all; for his son
commands the watch guards with Meriones,
companion of Idomeneus; to these men above all others we entrusted the duty.”
Then Menelaos of the war cry answered him:60
“How would you charge me with your order?
Shall I remain there keeping watch with them until you come,
or shall I run after you, when I have clearly instructed them?”
Then answered him Agamemnon lord of men:
“Remain there, lest we somehow miss each other
as we come and go; for there are many byways throughout this camp.
Call out, wherever you go, and bid them stay awake,
naming each man by his paternal family name,
showing respect to all, and do not let your heart be haughty,
but let us do this work ourselves. For on us it seems70
at our very birth Zeus cast burdensome ill fortune.”
So speaking he dispatched his brother, having given clear instructions.
Then he set out for Nestor, shepherd of the people;
he found him beside his shelters and dark ships
in a soft bed; and beside him lay elaborate armor,
his shield and two spears and gleaming helmet;
and by him his war-belt lay all-shimmering, with which the old man
would gird himself when he armed for man-destroying war
to lead his people, since he had not yielded to distressful age.
Then raising himself upon his elbow, lifting his head,80
he addressed the son of Atreus and questioned him with a word:
“Who here goes alone among the ships and army
through the murk of night, when other mortal men are sleeping—
are you seeking some lost mule, or one of your companions?
Speak up, do not come to me in silence. What is your need?”
Then answered him Agamemnon lord of men:
“O Nestor, son of Neleus, great pride of the Achaeans,
you will recognize Agamemnon son of Atreus, whom beyond all men
Zeus has enmeshed in toil unceasing, as long as life’s breath
remains in my breast and my knees have motion.90
I wandered here, since soft sleep does not settle
on my eyes, but war and cares for the Achaeans are my concern.
For terribly do I fear for the Danaans; my strength is not
steady, I am distraught, my heart seems to leap through
my breast, my shining limbs shake beneath me.
But if you wish to act, since sleep has not reached you,
come, let us go down to the watches, so that we can see
whether, worn out with exhaustion and lack of sleep,
they are drowsing and have forgotten wholly their watch duty;
enemy men are camped nearby; nor do we know100
whether even in the night they might be minded to do battle.”
Then answered him the Gerenian horseman Nestor:
“Most glorious son of Atreus, lord of men Agamemnon,
surely all-devising Zeus will not fulfill everything that Hector
purposes, all he now dreams; indeed I think that he
will be afflicted with yet more cares, if Achilles should
turn his heart back from his grievous anger.
I will indeed follow you; and let us again arouse the others,
both the spear-famed son of Tydeus and Odysseus,
and swift Ajax and the brave son of Phyleus.110
And perhaps someone would also go and summon these men—
Ajax, like a god, and lord Idomeneus;
for their ships are at the farthest point, not at all near.
And dear though he is, and respected, I will reproach
Menelaos—even if you should be indignant with me, I will not conceal it,
since he sleeps, and has left it to you to toil alone.
Now he ought to be at work going among all our best men
in supplication; for a need has come that no longer can be borne.”
Then in turn A
gamemnon lord of men addressed him:
“Old father, another time I even encourage you to blame him;120
for often he holds back and is reluctant to go to work,
not withdrawing because of shirking, or thoughtlessness of mind,
but looking to me and waiting for my urging;
but this time he woke well before me and came to me.
I sent him to call out those men you asked after.
Come, let us go; we will catch up with them before the gates
with the watch guards, where I directed them to gather.”
Then answered him the Gerenian horseman Nestor:
“So no one of the Argives can rebuke him
nor disobey him, when he urges and stirs another man to action.”130
So speaking he put a tunic about him,
and beneath his smooth feet he bound his splendid sandals,
then he buckled round him a cloak of crimson,
with sweeping double folds, flushed with thick wool.
He took up his sturdy spear pointed with sharp bronze,
and set out to go among the ships of the bronze-clad Achaeans.
Then first it was Odysseus, like Zeus in wiles,
whom Nestor, the Gerenian horseman, roused from sleep
calling aloud; and the sound of his voice swept around Odysseus’ sleeping spirit,
and he came out of his shelter and cried to them:140
“Why do you wander thus, alone among the ships and army
through the ambrosial night—what need so great has come upon you?”
Then answered him the Gerenian horseman Nestor:
“Zeus-descended son of Laertes, Odysseus of many stratagems,
do not be angry; for such distress assails the Achaeans.
Come with us to rouse yet another man, who should rightly
join our counsel, as to whether we flee, or fight.”
So he spoke; and going into his shelter resourceful Odysseus
threw over his shoulders his patterned shield, and set out with them.
They made their way to Diomedes son of Tydeus; and found him150
outside his shelter with his weapons; around him his companions
slept, their shields beneath their heads; their spears
had been driven upright on their butt-ends in the ground, and far into the distance their bronze heads
flashed like Zeus the father’s lightning. But the warrior himself
slept, the hide of a field ox spread beneath him,
and under his head was laid a lustrous blanket.
Approaching, the Gerenian horseman Nestor roused him up,
shaking him with his foot, and urged and rebuked him to his face:
“Rise up, son of Tydeus; why do you slumber in night-long sleep?
Have you not seen the Trojans, encamped on the rise of the plain,160
close by the ships, and little land yet separates them?”
So he spoke; and Diomedes abruptly rose from sleep,
and raising his voice addressed Nestor with winged words:
“You are hard, old man; you never give over your toil.
Are there not other sons of the Achaeans, younger men,
then, who could wake each leader
ranging back and forth in all directions? You are impossible, old man.”
Then in turn the Gerenian horseman Nestor addressed him:
“Yes, all such things, my boy, you rightly state;
I have blameless sons, I have my people,170
many of them, any one of whom might go around and make the summons.
But great indeed is the need that assails the Achaeans.
For now, for all of us, it stands upon the razor’s edge
whether there will be abject destruction for the Achaeans, or life.
Come now, rouse swift Ajax and the son of Phyleus,
if you truly pity me, since you are younger.”
So he spoke; and the other put about his shoulders the skin
of a gleaming huge lion that reached to his feet, took up his spear,
and set out; and having roused his men from sleep the warrior led them forth.
And when they joined with the assembled guards,180
they did not find the watch commanders sleeping,
but all were sitting on alert with their weapons.
As dogs keep painful lookout around their flocks in the fold
when they hear a bold and fearless beast, who goes down through the woods
across the mountains, and much tumult of men and dogs
accompanies it, and sleep is banished from them,
so the grace of sleep was banished from their eyes
as they kept watch throughout the baneful night; for always
they were turned toward the plain, waiting to hear the Trojans coming.
And seeing them the old man rejoiced and encouraged them with a word190
and lifting his voice he addressed them with winged words:
“In this way now, dear boys, continue your watch, nor let sleep
catch any man, that we not become a source of joy to our enemies.”
So speaking he passed swiftly through the trench; and with him followed
the Argive leaders, those who had been summoned to the council.
With them went Meriones and the splendid son of Nestor;
for the leaders themselves had called them to join in the council.
When they had gone across the trench that had been dug, they were seated
in a clear space, where the ground showed through the bodies
that had fallen, the place from where mighty Hector had turned back200
from killing Argives, when night closed around him.
There they sat and spoke plain words to one another.
And to them the Gerenian horseman Nestor began to speak:
“O friends, is there not some man who, trusting in his own
enduring courage, would go among the great-hearted Trojans,
in the hope that he might with luck catch some enemy straggler,
he might with luck even hear of any talk among the Trojans,
whatever they deliberate among themselves, whether they intend
to remain afield here by the ships, or withdraw
back to their city, since they have defeated the Achaeans?210
He could learn all such things and could come back to us
unharmed; great would be his glory under heaven
among all mankind, and his reward would be outstanding.
For as many nobles as hold sway among the ships,
each one of these will give him a black sheep,
a female with young beneath her; no possession vies with it—
he will ever be included in the feasts and festivals.”
So he spoke, and all the men were hushed in silence.
Then Diomedes of the war cry spoke among them:
“Nestor, my heart and my strong spirit urge me220
to make my way into the host of enemy men nearby,
into the Trojans; but I would that some other man came with me,
it would be more heartening and give more confidence—
with two going out together one notices before the other
where advantage lies; a man alone, even if he is observant,
all the same his mind has shorter reach, and his judgment is narrow.”
So he spoke, and many were willing to accompany Diomedes.
The two Aiantes were willing, henchmen of Ares,
Meriones was willing, and the son of Nestor was very willing,
and Atreus’ son spear-famed Menelaos was willing,230
and enduring Odysseus was willing to enter in the throng
of Trojans, for the spirit in his breast was ever bold with resolve.
And these Agamemnon lord of men addressed:
“Son of Tydeus, Diomedes, delighting my heart,
you will choose as companion whom
you wish,
the best of those who have declared themselves, since many are ready.
But do not out of feelings of respect leave behind
the better man, and take the lesser with you, yielding to decorum,
looking to his birth, not even if he is more kingly.”
So he spoke, and was afraid for fair-haired Menelaos.240
And in turn Diomedes of the war cry addressed them:
“If you bid me chose my own companion,
how could I, then, not think of godlike Odysseus,
whose heart is so very willing and whose spirit is strong
in every kind of labor, and whom Pallas Athena loves?
With this one along, even out of blazing fire
we two would return, since beyond others he knows how to use his wits.”
Then in turn much enduring godlike Odysseus addressed him:
“Son of Tydeus, there is no more need of praise than of blame,
for you speak among Argives who know these things.250
Come, let us go; for the night draws to an end, and dawn is near.
The stars have advanced in their course, and the greater part of night has passed—
two of the watches—but the third watch still is left.”
So speaking the two stepped into their dread armor.
And to the son of Tydeus steadfast Thrasymedes gave
a double-edged sword (his own was left beside his ship)
and shield; and round Diomedes’ head he placed his bull-hide
helmet, without ridge or plume, which is called a
skull cap, and guards the head of hot-blooded young men.
And to Odysseus Meriones gave quiver, bow260
and sword; and round his head he placed his helmet
made of hide, stretched tight inside with many
thongs, while outside the white-shining teeth
of a bright-tusked boar ran close-set round and round,
well and skillfully applied, and felt was fitted in the center;
this in time before Autolykos had carried out of Eleon,
after breaking into the snug house of Amyntor son of Ormenos,
and Autolykos then gave it to Amphidamas of Cythera to take to Skandeia,
and Amphidamas gave it to Molos as a guest-gift,
and he gave it to his son Meriones to carry with him.270
And now it was put around and protected Odysseus’ head.
Then the two stepped into their dread armor,
and went their way, and left behind there all the other nobles.
And to them, on the right hand near the path,
Pallas Athena sent a night heron; they did not see it with their eyes
