ὡς εἰπὼν. τάφροιο διέσσυτο. τοὶ δ' ἅμ' ἕποντο
Ἀργείων βασιλῆες. ὅσοι κεκλήατο βουλήν:
τοῖς δ' ἅμα Μηριόνης καὶ Νέστορος ἀγλαὸς υἱὸς
ἤϊσαν: αὐτοὶ γὰρ κάλεον συμμητιάασθαι:
τάφρον δ' ἐκδιαβάντες ὀρυκτὴν. ἑδριόωντο
ἐν καθαρῷ: ὅθι δὴ, νεκύων διεφαίνετο χῶρος
πιπτόντων: ὅθεν αὖτις ἀπετράπετ' όβριμος Ἕκτωρ
ὀλλὺς, Ἀργείους, ὅτε δὴ περι νὺξ ἐκάλυψεν:
ἔνθα καθεζόμενοι. ἔπε' ἀλλήλοισι πίφαυσκον:
τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε Γερήνιος ἱ̈ππότα Νέστωρ:
ὦ φίλοι. οὐκ ὰν δή τις ἀνὴρ πεπίθοιθ'ἑῷ αὐτοῦ
θυμῷ τολμήεντι: μετα Τρῶας μεγαθύμους
ἐλθεῖν: εἴ τινά που δηΐων ἕλοι ἐσχατόωντα:
ἤ τινά που καὶ φῆμιν ἐνι Τρώεσσι πύθοιτο.
ἄσσά τε μητιόωσι μετὰ σφίσιν, ἢ μεμάασιν
αὖθι μένειν παρα νηυσὶν ἀπόπροθεν. ἠὲ πόλιν δὲ
ὰψ, ἀναχωρήσουσιν. ἐπεὶ δαμάσαντό γ' Ἀχαιούς:
ταῦτά τεκε πὰντα πάντα πύθοιτο καὶ ὰψ, εἰς ἡμέας ἔλθοι
ἀσκηθὴς, μέγα κέν οἱ ὑπουράνιον κλέος εἴη
πάντας ἐπ ἀνθρώπους: καί οἱ δόσις ἔσσεται ἐσθλή:
ὅσσοι γὰρ νήεσσιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι.
τῶν πάντων οἱ ἕκαστος ὄϊν δώσουσι. μέλαιναν.
θῆλυν. ὑπόρρηνον. τῇ μὲν κτέρας οὐδὲν ὁμοῖον:
αἰεὶ δ' ἐν δαίτῃσι καὶ εἰλαπίνῃσι παρέσται:
So saying he hasted through the trench, and there followed with him the kings of the Argives, even all that had been called to the council. But with them went Meriones and the glorious son of Nestor; for of themselves they bade these share in their counsel. So they went through and out from the digged ditch and sate them down in an open space, where the ground shewed clear of dead men fallen, even where mighty Hector had turned back again from destroying the Argives, when night enfolded him. There they sate them down and spake one to the other, and among them the horse-man, Nestor of Gerenia, was first to speak: "My friends, is there then no man who would trust his own venturous spirit to go among the great-souled Trojans, if so be he might slay some straggler of the foemen, or haply hear some rumour among the Trojans, and what counsel they devise among themselves, whether to abide where they be by the ships afar, or to withdraw again to the city, seeing they have worsted the Achaeans? All this might he learn, and come back to us unscathed: great would his fame be under heaven among all men, and a goodly gift shall be his. For of all the princes that hold sway over the ships, of all these shall every man give him a black ewe with a lamb at the teat—therewith may no possession compare;—and ever shall he be with us at feasts and drinking-bouts."
