ὡς εἰπὼν. παρέπεισεν ἀδελφειοῦ φρένας ἥρως
αἴσιμα παρειπὼν, ὁ δ`' ἐπείθετο: τοῦ μὲν ἔπειτα
γηθόσυνοι θεράποντες ἀπ' ὤμων τεύχε' ἕλοντο:
Νέστωρ δ' Ἀργείοισιν ἀνίστατο καὶ μετέειπεν:
ὦ πόποι. ῆ μέγα πένθος Ἀχαιΐδα γαῖαν ἱ̈κάνει:
ῆ, κε. μέγ' οἰμώξειε γέρων ἱππηλάτα Πηλεὺς
ἐσθλὸς Μυρμιδόνων βουληφόρος ἢ δ' ἀγορητής
ὅς ποτέ μ' εἰρόμενος μέγ' ἐγήθεεν ᾧ ἐνι οίκῳ,
πάντων Ἀργείων ἐρέων γενεήν τε τόκον τε:
τοὺς νῦν εἰ, πτώσσοντας ὑφ' Ἕκτορι πάντας ἀκοῦσαι:
πολλά κεν ἀθανάτοισι φίλας ἀνα χείρας ἀείραι
θυμὸν ἀπο μελέων δῦναι δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω:
So spake the warrior and turned his brother's mind, for he counselled aright; and Menelaus obeyed. Then with gladness his squires took his armour from his shoulders; and Nestor rose up and spake amid the Argives: "Fie upon you! In good sooth is great grief come upon the land of Achaea. Verily aloud would old Peleus groan, the driver of chariots, goodly counsellor, and orator of the Myrmidons, who on a time questioned me in his own house, and rejoiced greatly as he asked of the lineage and birth of all the Argives. If he were to hear that these were now all cowering before Hector then would he lift up his hands to the immortals in instant prayer that his soul might depart from his limbs into the house of Hades.
