Ὡς εἰπὼν, τοὺς μὲν λίπεν αὐτοῦ: βῆ δὲ μετ' ἄλλους:
ἔνθ' ὅ γε Νέστορ' ἔτετμε. λιγὺν Πυλίων ἀγορητὴν
οὓς ἑτάρους στέλλοντα καὶ ὀτρύνοντα μάχεσθαι:
ἀμφι μέγαν Πελάγοντα Ἀλάστορά τε, Χρομίον τε:
Αἵμονά τε. κρείοντα: Βίαντά τε ποιμένα λαῶν:
ἱππῆας μὲν πρῶτα σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν.
πεζοὺς δ' ἐξόπιθεν στῆσεν πολέας τὲ καὶ ἐσθλοὺς
ἕρκος. έμεν πολέμοιο: κακοὺς δ' ἐς μέσσον ἔλασσεν:
ὄφρα καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλων τις. ἀναγκαίῃ πολεμίζοι:
ἱππεῦσιν μὲν πρῶτ' ἐπετέλλετο: τοὺς μὲνγὰρ ἀνώγει
σφοὺς ἵππους ἐχέμεν, μηδὲ κλονέεσθαι ὁμίλῳ:
μηδέ τις ἱπποσύνῃ τε καὶ ἠνορέηφι πεποιθὼς.
οἶος πρόσθ' ἄλλων μεμάτω Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι:
μηδ`' ἀναχωρείτω: ἀλαπαδνότεροι γὰρ ἔσεσθε:
ὃς δέ κ' ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ ὧν ὀχέων ἕτερ' ἅρμαθ' ἵ̈κηται.
ἔγχει ὀρεξάσθω ἐπει ῆ. πολὺ φέρτερον οὕτω:
ὧδε καὶ οἱ, πρότεροι πόλεας καὶ τείχε' ἐπόρθεον:
τόνδε νόον καὶ θυμὸν ἐνι στήθεσσιν ἔχοντες.
So saying, he left them there and went to others. Then found he Nestor, the clear-voiced orator of the Pylians, arraying his comrades and urging them to fight, around mighty Pelagon and Alastor and Chromius and lord Haemon and Bias, shepherd of the host. The charioteers first he arrayed with their horses and cars, and behind them the footmen, many and valiant, to be a bulwark of battle; but the cowards he drave into the midst, that were he never so loath each man must needs fight perforce. Upon the charioteers was he first laying charge, and he bade them keep their horses in hand, nor drive tumultuously on amid the throng. "Neither let any man, trusting in his horsemanship and his valour, be eager to fight with the Trojans alone in front of the rest, nor yet let him draw back; for so will ye be the feebler. But what man soe'er from his own car can come at a car of the foe, let him thrust forth with his spear, since verily it is far better so. Thus also did men of olden time lay waste cities and walls, having in their breasts mind and spirit such as this."
