Ἀτρείδης δὲ γέροντας ἀολλέας ἦγεν Ἀχαιῶν
ἐς κλισίην, παρὰ δέ σφι τίθει μενοεικέα δαῖτα.
οἱ δ' ἐπ' ὀνείαθ' ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴ̈αλλον:
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:
Ἀτρείδη: κύδιστε: ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον:
ἐν σοὶ μὲν λήξω: σέο δ' ἄρξομαι. οὕνεκα πολλῶν
λαῶν ἐσσι ἄναξ: καί τοι Ζεὺς ἐγγυάλιξε
σκῆπτρόν τ'. ἠδὲ θέμιστας, ἵνά σφισι βουλεύῃσθα.
τώ σε χρὴ περι μὲν φᾶσθαι ἔπος, ἠδ' ἐπακοῦσαι:
κρηῆναι δὲ καὶ ἄλλῳ ὅτ ἄ̆ν τινα θυμὸς ἀνώγῃ
εἰπεῖν εἰς ἀγαθόν: σέο δ' ἕξεται ὅττί κεν ἄρχῃ:
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐρέω ὥς μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι ἄριστα:
οὐ γάρ τις νόον ἄλλος ἀμείνονα τοῦδε νοήσει:
οἷον ἐγὼ, νοέω ἠμὲν πάλαι ἠδ' έτι καὶ νῦν:
ἐξ έτι, τοῦ. ὅτε διογενεῦς Βρισηΐδα κούρην
χωομένου Ἀχιλῆος ἔβης κλισίηθεν ἀπούρας
οὔ τι καθ' ἡμέτερόν γε νόον: μάλα γάρ τοι. ἔγωγε
πολλ`' ἀπεμυθεόμην. σὺ δὲ σῷ μεγαλήτορι θυμῷ
εἴξας. ἄνδρα φέριστον. ὃν ἀθάνατοί περ ἔτισαν
ἠτίμησας. ἑλὼν γὰρ ἔχεις γέρας: ἀλλ' ἔτι καὶ νῦν
φραζώμεσθ', ὥς κέν μιν ἀρεσσάμενοι πεπίθοιμεν
δώροισίν τ' ἀγανοῖσιν, ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισι:
But the son of Atreus led the counsellors of the Achaeans all together to his hut, and set before them a feast to satisfy the heart. So they put forth their hands to the good cheer lying ready before them. 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: "Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, king of men, with thee will I begin and with thee make an end, for that thou art king over many hosts, and to thee Zeus hath vouchsafed the sceptre and judgements, that thou mayest take counsel for thy people. Therefore it beseemeth thee above all others both to speak and to hearken, and to fulfilll also for another whatsoever his heart may bid him speak for our profit; for on thee will depend whatsoever any man may begin. So will I speak what seemeth to me to be best. No man beside shall devise a better thought than this I have in mind from old even until now, even since the day when thou, O king sprung from Zeus, didst take from the hut of the angry Achilles the damsel Briseïs and go thy way—in no wise according to our will. Nay, for I, mine own self, urgently sought to dissuade thee; but thou didst yield to thy lordly spirit, and upon a man most mighty, whom the very immortals honoured, didst thou put dishonour; for thou tookest away and keepest his prize. Howbeit let us still even now take thought how we may make amends, and persuade him with kindly gifts and with gentle words."
