Ὡς ὰρ έφαν: πάλλεν δὲ Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ:
ἒκ δ' ἔθορε κλῆρος κυνέης. ὃν, ὰρ ἤθελον αὐτοὶ
Αἴαντος: κῆρυξ δὲ φέρων ἀν ὅμῑλον ἁπάντῃ
δεῖξ' ἐνδέξια πᾶσιν ἀριστήεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν:
οἱ δ' οὐ γινώσκοντες: ἀπηνῄναντο ἕκαστος:
ἀλλ' ὅτε δή ῥ' ΐκανε φέρων ἀν ὅμῑλον ἁπάντῃ.
ὅς μιν ἐπιγράψας κυνέῃ βάλε φαίδιμος Αἴας.
ἤτοι ὑπέσχεθε χεῖρ'. ὁ δ' ὰρ ἔμβαλεν ἄγχι παραστὰς.
γνῶ δὲ κλήρου σῆμα ἰ̈δὼν. γήθησε δὲ θυμῷ:
τὸν μὲν παρ πόδ' εὸν χαμάδις βάλε. φώνησέν τε:
ὦ φίλοι: ἤτοι κλῆρος ἐμὸς. χαίρω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς
θυμῷ. ἐπεὶ δοκέω νικησέμεν Ἕκτορα δῖον:
ἂλλ' άγετ', ὄφρ' ὰν ἐγὼ πολεμήϊα τεύχεα δύω.
τόφρ' ὑμεῖς εὔχεσθε Διῒ Κρονίωνι ἄνακτι
σιγῇ ἐφ' ὑμείων. ἵνα μὴ Τρῶες γε πύθωνται.
ἠὲ καὶ ἀμφαδίην. ἐπεὶ οὔ τινα δείδιμεν ἔμπης:
οὐ γάρ τις με βίῃ γε ἑκὼν ἀἕκοντα δίηται
οὐδέ τ' ἀϊδρείῃ: ἐπεὶ οὐδ' ἐμὲ, νήϊδα γ' οὕτως
ἔλπομαι ἐν Σαλαμῖνι, γενέσθαί τε, τραφέμεν τε:
So spake they, and the horseman, Nestor of Gerenia, shook the helmet, and forth therefrom leapt the lot that themselves desired, even the lot of Aias. And the herald bare it everywhither throughout the throng, and showed it from left to right to all the chieftains of the Achaeans; but they knew it not, and denied it every man. But when in bearing it everywhither throughout the throng he was come to him that had marked it and cast it into the helm, even to glorious Aias, then Aias held forth his hand, and the herald drew near and laid the lot therein; and Aias knew at a glance the token on the lot, and waxed glad at heart. The lot then he cast upon the ground beside his foot, and spake: "My friends, of a surety the lot is mine, and mine own heart rejoiceth, for I deem that I shall vanquish goodly Hector. But come now, while I am doing on me my battle gear, make ye prayer the while to king Zeus, son of Cronos, in silence by yourselves, that the Trojans learn naught thereof—nay, or openly, if ye will, since in any case we fear no man. For by force shall no man drive me in flight of his own will and in despite of mine, nor yet by skill; since as no skilless wight methinks was I born and reared in Salamis."
