ὡς δ' αύτως Μενέλᾱον ἔχε τρόμος. οὐδὲ γὰρ αὖτῷ
ὕπνος ἐπὶ βλεφάροισιν ἐφίζανε. μή τι πάθοιεν
Ἀργεῖοι. τοὶ δή ἑθεν εἵνεκα, πολὺν πουλὺν ἐφ' ὑγρὴν
ἤλυθον, ἐς Τροίην. πόλεμον θρασὺν ὁρμαίνοντες:
παρδαλέῃ μὲν πρῶτα μετάφρενον εὐρὺ κάλυψε
ποικίλῃ: αὐτὰρ ἐπὶ στεφάνην κεφαλῇφιν ἀείρᾱς
θήκατο χαλκείην. δόρυ δ' εἵλετο χειρὶ παχείῃ:
βῆ δ' ΐμεν, ἀνστήσων, ὃν, ἀδελφεὸν. ὃς μέγα πάντων
Ἀργείων ἤνασσε, θεὸς δ' ὡς τίετο δήμῳ:
τὸν δ' εὗρ' ἀμφ' ὤμοισι τιθήμενον έντεα καλὰ
νηῒ παρα πρύμνῃ: τῷ δ' ἀσπάσιος γένετ' ἐλθών:
τὸν πρότερος προσέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς, Μενέλαος:
τίφθ' οὕτως ἠθεῖε κορύσσεαι: ἦ τιν' ἑταίρων
ὀτρύνεις Τρώεσσιν ἐπίσκοπον: ἀλλὰ μάλ' αἰνῶς
δείδω. μὴ οὔ τίς τοι ὑπόσχηται τόδε ἔργον.
ἄνδρας δυσμενέας σκοπιαζέμεν οἶος ἐπελθὼν
νύκτα δι' ἀμβροσίην: μάλα τις θρασυκάρδιος έσται
And even in like manner was Menelaus holden of trembling fear—for on his eyelids too sleep settled not down—lest aught should befall the Argives who for his sake had come to Troy over the wide waters of the sea, pondering in their hearts fierce war. With a leopard's skin first he covered his broad shoulders, a dappled fell, and lifted up and set upon his head a helmet of bronze, and grasped a spear in his stout hand. Then he went his way to rouse his brother, that ruled mightily over all the Argives, and was honoured of the folk even as a god. Him he found putting about his shoulders his fair armour by the stern of his ship, and welcome was he to him as he came. To him first spake Menelaus, good at the war-cry: "Wherefore, my brother, art thou thus arming? Wilt thou be rousing some man of thy comrades to spy upon the Trojans? Nay, sorely am I afraid lest none should undertake for thee this task, to go forth alone and spy upon the foemen, through the immortal night; right hardy of heart must that man be."
