ὡς ἔφαθ'. οἱ δ' ἔθελον Διομήδεϊ πολλοὶ ἕπεσθαι:
ἠθελέτην Αἴαντε δύω θεράποντες Ἄρηος:
ἤθελε Μηριόνης: μάλα δ' ἤθελε, Νέστορος υἱός:
ἤθελε δ' Ἀτρείδης δουρὶκλειτὸςδουρὶκλυτὸς Μενέλαος:
ἤθελε δ' ὁ τλήμων Ὀδυσεὺς καταδῦναι ὅμιλον
Τρώων, αἰεὶ γάρ οἱ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θυμὸς ἐτόλμα.
τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων:
Τυδείδη Διόμηδες. ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ:
τὸν μεν δὴ ἕταρόν γ' αἱρήσεαι ὅν κ' ἐθέλῃσθα,
φαινομένων τὸν ἄριστον. ἐπεὶ μεμάασί γε πολλοί:
μὴδὲ σύ γ' αἰδόμενος σῇσι φρεσὶ. τὸν μὲν ἀρείω
καλλείπειν: σὺ δὲ χείρον' ὀπάσσεαι αἰδοῖ εἴκων:
ἐς γενεὴν ὁρόων. μηδ`' εἰ βασιλεύτερός ἐστιν:
So spake he, and many there were that were fain to follow Diomedes. Fain were the two Aiantes, squires of Ares, fain was Meriones, and right fain the son of Nestor, fain was the son of Atreus, Menelaus, famed for his spear, and fain too was the stead-fast Odysseus to steal into the throng of the Trojans, for ever daring was the spirit in his breast. Then among them spake the king of men, Agamemnon: "Diomedes, son of Tydeus, dear to my heart, that man shalt thou choose as thy comrade, whomsoever thou wilt, the best of them that offer themselves, for many are eager. And do not thou out of reverent heart leave the better man behind, and take as thy comrade one that is worse, yielding to reverence, and looking to birth, nay, not though one be more kingly."
