Ἄλλοι μὲν παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν
εὗδον παννύχιοι. μαλακῷ δεδμημένοι ὕπνῳ:
ἀλλ' οὐκ Ἀτρείδην Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιμένα λαῶν
ὕπνος ἔχε γλυκερὸς. πολλὰ φρεσὶν ὁρμαίνοντα:
ὡς δ' ὅτ ἂν ἀστράπτῃ πόσις Ἥρης ἠϋκόμοιο.
τεύχων ἠ πολὺν ὄμβρον. ἀθέσφατον. ἠὲ χάλαζαν.
ἢ νιφετὸν. ὅτε πέρ τε χιὼν ἐπάλυνεν ἀρούρᾱς.
ἠέ πόθι πτολέμοιο μέγα στόμα πευκεδανοῖο.
ὡς πυκὶν' ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀνεστενάχιζ' Ἀγαμέμνων
νειόθεν ἐκ κραδίης. τρομέοντο δέ οἱ φρένες ἐντός
ἤτοι ὅτ' ἐς πεδίον τὸ Τρωϊκὸν ἀθρήσειεν.
θαύμαζεν πυρὰ πολλὰ. τὰ καίετο Ϊλιόθι πρὸ.
αὐλῶν. συρίγγων τ' ἐνοπὴν. ὅμαδόν τ' ἀνθρώπων:
αὐτὰρ ὅτ' ἐς νῆάς τε ἴ̈δοι καὶ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν:
πολλὰς ἐκ κεφαλῆς προθελύμνους ἕλκετο χαίτᾱς
ὑψόθ' ἐόντι Διῒ: μέγα δ' ἔστενε κυδάλιμον κῆρ:
ἧδε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή:
Νέστορ' ἐπὶ πρῶτον Νηλήϊον ἐλθέμεν ἀνδρῶν.
εἴ τινά οἱ σὺν μῆτιν ἀμύμονα τεκτήναιτο.
ἥ τις ἀλεξίκακος πᾶσιν Δαναοῖσι γένοιτο:
ὀρθωθεὶς δ' ἔνδυνε περι στήθεσσι χιτῶνα:
ποσσὶ δ' ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδῑλα:
ἀμφι δ' ἔπειτα δαφοινὸν ἑέσσατο δέρμα λέοντος
αἴθωνος, μεγάλοιο. ποδηνεκὲς. εἵλετο δ' ἔγχος:
Now beside their ships all the other chieftains of the host of the Achaeans were slumbering the whole night through, overcome of soft sleep, but Agamemnon, son of Atreus, shepherd of the host, was not holden of sweet sleep, so many things debated he in mind. Even as when the lord of fair-haired Hera lighteneth, what time he maketh ready either a mighty rain unspeakable or hail or snow, when the snow-flakes sprinkle the fields, or haply the wide mouth of bitter war; even so often did Agamemnon groan from the deep of his breast, and his heart trembled within him. So often as he gazed toward the Trojan plain, he marvelled at the many fires that burned before the face of Ilios, and at the sound of flutes and pipes, and the din of men; but whensoever he looked toward the ships and the host of the Achaeans, then many were the hairs that he pulled from his head by the very roots in appeal to Zeus that is above, and in his noble heart he groaned mightily. And this plan seemed to his mind the best, to go first of all to Nestor, son of Neleus, if so be he might contrive with him some goodly device that should be for the warding off of evil from the Danaan host. So he sate him up and did on his tunic about his breast, and beneath his shining feet bound his fair sandals, and thereafter clad him in the tawny skin of a lion, fiery and great, a skin that reached his feet; and he grasped his spear.
