Ὡς ἔφαθ'. οἱ δ' ἄρα πάντες ἐπίαχον υἷες Ἀχαιῶν
μῦθον ἀγασσάμενοι Διομήδεος ἱ̈πποδάμοιο:
τοῖσι δ' ἀνιστάμενος μετεφώνεεν ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ:
Τυδείδη. περὶ μὲν πολέμῳ ἒν, καρτερός ἐσσι.
καὶ βουλῇ μετα πάντας ὁμήλικας ἔπλευ, ἄριστος:
οὔ τίς τοι τὸν μῦθον ὀνόσσεται ὅσσοι Ἀχαιοὶ.
οὐδὲ πάλιν ἐρέει: ἀτὰρ οὐ τέλος ί̈κεο μύθων:
ῆ μὴν καὶ νέος ἐσσὶ. ἐμὸς δέ κε, καὶ πάϊς εἴης,
ὁπλότατος γενεῇφιν: ἀτὰρ πεπνυμένα βάζεις
Ἀργείων βασιλῆας. ἐπεὶ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες:
ἀλλ' άγ' ἐγὼν; ὃς, σεῖο γεραίτερος εὔχομαι εἶναι
ἐξείπω, καὶ πάντα διΐξομαι: οὐδέ κε τίς μοι
μῦθον ἀτῑμήσει. οὐδὲ κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων:
ἀφρήτωρ. ἀθέμιστος. ἀνέστιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος.
ὃς πολέμου ἔραται ἐπιδημίου ὀκρυόεντος:
ἀλ'λ' ἤτοι νῦν μὲν πειθώμεθα νυκτὶ μελαίνῃ:
δόρπά τ' ἐφοπλισόμεσθα: φυλακτῆρες δὲ ἕκαστοι
λεξάσθων παρὰ τάφρον ὀρυκτὴν. τείχεος ἐκτός.
κούροισιν μὲν ταῦτ' ἐπιτέλλομαι: αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
Ἀτρείδη: σὺ μὲν ἄρχε; σὺ γὰρ βασιλεύτατός ἐσσι.
δαίνῡ δαῖτα γέρουσιν, ἔοικέ τοι. οὔ τοι ἀεικές:
πλεῖαί τοι οἴνου κλισίαι. τὸν νῆες Ἀχαιῶν
ἠμάτιαι Θρῄκηθεν ἐπ' εὐρέα πόντον ἄγουσι:
πᾶσά τοι ἔσθ' ὑποδεξείη: πολέεσσι δ' ἀνάσσεις:
πολλῶν δ' ἀγρομένων. τῷ πείσεαι. ὅς κεν ἀρίστην
βουλὴν βουλεύσῃ. μάλα δὲ χρεὼ πάντας Ἀχαιοὺς
ἐσθλῆς καὶ πυκινῆς. ὅτι δήϊοι ἐγγύθι νηῶν
καίουσιν πυρὰ πολλά: τίς ἂν τάδε γηθήσειε:
νὺξ δ' ἧδ' ἠὲ διαρραίσει στρατὸν. ἠὲ σαώσει:
So spake he, and all the sons of the Achaeans shouted aloud, applauding the word of Diomedes, tamer of horses. Then uprose and spake among them the horseman Nestor: "Son of Tydeus, above all men art thou mighty in battle, and in council art the best amid all those of thine own age. Not one of all the Achaeans will make light of what thou sayest neither gainsay it; yet hast thou not reached a final end of words. Moreover, thou art in sooth but young, thou mightest e'en be my son, my youngest born; yet thou givest prudent counsel to the princes of the Argives, seeing thou speakest according to right. But come, I that avow me to be older than thou will speak forth and will declare the whole; neither shall any man scorn my words, no, not even lord Agamemnon. A clanless, lawless, hearthless man is he that loveth dread strife among his own folk. Howbeit for this present let us yield to black night and make ready our supper; and let sentinels post themselves severally along the digged ditch without the wall. To the young men give I this charge; but thereafter do thou, son of Atreus, take the lead, for thou art most kingly. Make thou a feast for the elders; this were but right and seemly for thee. Full are thy huts of wine that the ships of the Achaeans bring thee each day from Thrace, over the wide sea; all manner of entertainment hast thou at hand, seeing thou art king over many. And when many are gathered together thou shalt follow him whoso shall devise the wisest counsel. And sore need have all the Achaeans of counsel both good and prudent, seeing that foemen hard by the ships are kindling their many watchfires; what man could rejoice thereat? This night shall either bring to ruin or save our host."
