οἱ δ' ὅτε δὴ κλισίῃσιν ἐν Ἀτρείδαο γένοντο.
τοῖσι δὲ βοῦν ἱ̈έρευσεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων
ἄρσενα πενταέτηρον. ὑπερμενέϊ̆ Κρονίωνι:
τὸν δέρον ἀμφί θ' ἕπον. καί μιν διέχευονδιέχευαν ἅπαντα.
μίστυλλόν τ' ὰρ ἐπισταμένως, πεῖράν τ' ὀβελοῖσιν.
ὤπτησάν τε περιφραδέως. ἐρύσαντό τε πάντα:
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ παύσαντο πόνου. τετύκοντό τε δαῖτα:
δαίνυντ'. οὐδ' έτι θυμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης:
νώτοισιν δ' Αἴαντα διηνεκέεσσι γέραιρεν
ἥρως Ἀτρείδης. εὐρὺ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων:
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο.
τοῖς ὁ γέρων πάμπρωτος ὑφαίνειν ἤρχετο μῆτιν
Νέστωρ. οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή:
ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν:
ἈτρείδηἈτρείδαι τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν.
πολλοὶ γὰρ τεθνᾶσι κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ.
τῶν νῦν αἷμα κελαινὸν. ἐΰρροον ἀμφὶ Σκάμανδρον
ἐσσκέδασ' ὀξὺς Ἄρης. ψυχαὶ δ' Ἄϊδος δὲ κατῆλθον.
τῶ σε χρὴ πόλεμον μὲν ἅμ' ἠοῖ παῦσαι Ἀχαιῶν.
αὐτοὶ δ' ἀγρόμενοι κυκλήσομεν ἐνθάδε νεκροὺς
βουσὶ καὶ ἡμιόνοισιν: ἀτὰρ κατακείομεν αὐτοὺς.
τυτθὸν ἀπὸ πρὸ νεῶν. ὥς κ' ὀστέα παισὶν ἕκαστος
οἴκαδ' ἄγῃ ὅτ' ὰν αῦτε νεώμεθα πατρίδα γαῖαν:
τύμβον δ' ἀμφὶ πυρὴν ἕνα χεύομεν: ἐξαγαγόντες
ἄκριτον ἐκ πεδίου: ποτι δ`' αὐτὸν δείμομεν ῶκα
πύργους ὑψηλοὺς. εῖλαρ νηῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν:
ἒν δ' αὐτοῖσι πύλᾱς ποιήσομεν εὖ ἀραρυίας:
ὄφρα δι' αὐτάων ἱππηλασίη ὁδὸς εἴη:
ἔκτοσθεν δὲ βαθεῖαν ὀρύξομεν ἐγγύθι τάφρον.
ἥ χ' ἵππον καὶ λαὸν ἐρυκάκοι ἀμφὶς, ἐοῦσα:
μή ποτ' ἐπιβρίσῃ πόλεμος Τρώων ἀγερώχων:
And when they were now come to the huts of the son of Atreus, then did the king of men, Agamemnon slay there a bull, a male of five years, for the son of Cronos, supreme in might. This they flayed and dressed, and cut up all the limbs. Then they sliced these cunningly, and spitted them and roasted them carefully and drew all off the spits. But when they had ceased from their labour and had made ready the meal, they feasted, nor did their hearts lack aught of the equal feast. And unto Aias for his honour was the long chine given by the warrior son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon. But when they had put from them the desire of food and drink, first of all the old man began to weave the web of counsel for them, even Nestor, whose rede had of old ever seemed the best. He with good intent addressed their gathering and spake among them: "Son of Atreus and ye other princes of the hosts of Achaea, lo, full many long-haired Achaeans are dead, whose dark blood keen Ares hath now spilt about fair-flowing Scamander, and their souls have gone down to the house of Hades; therefore were it well that thou make the battle of the Achaeans to cease at daybreak, and we will gather to hale hither on carts the corpses with oxen and mules; and we will burn them a little way from the ships that each man may bear their bones home to their children, whenso we return again to our native land. And about the pyre let us heap a single barrow, rearing it from the plain for all alike, and thereby build with speed a lofty wall, a defence for our ships and for ourselves. And therein let us build gates close-fastening, that through them may be a way for the driving of chariots; and without let us dig a deep ditch hard by, which shall intervene and keep back chariots and footmen, lest ever the battle of the lordly Trojans press heavily upon us."
