ὡς φάτο: καί ῥ' ἐπίορκον ἐπώμοσε, τὸ̀`ν δ' ὀρόθυνεν:
ἀυτίκα δ' ἀμφ'' ὤμοισιν ἐβάλλετο καμπύλα τόξα:
ἕσσατο δ' ἔκτοσθεν ῥινὸν πολιοῖο λύκοιο:
κρατὶ δ' ἐπὶ, κτιδέην κυνέην: ἕλε δ' ὀξὺν ἄκοντα:
βῆ δ' ϊέναι ἐπὶ νῆας ἀπο στρατοῦ: οὐδ` ἀρ ἔμελλεν
ἐλθὼν ἐκ νηῶν ὰψ, Ἕκτορι μῦθον ἀποίσειν:
ἂλλ' ὅτε δή ρ' ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν κάλλιφ' ὅμιλον.
βῆ ῥ' ἀν ὁδὸν μεμαὼς: τὸν δὲ φράσατο προσϊόντα
διογενὴς Ὀδυσεὺς. Διομήδεα δὲ προσέειπεν:
οὗτός τοι Διόμηδες ἀπὸ στρατοῦ ἔρχεται ἀνὴρ:
οὐκ οἶδ': ἢει νήεσσιν ἐπίσκοπος ἡμετέρῃσιν.
ἤ τινα συλήσων νεκύων κατατεθνειώτων:
ἂλλ' ἐῶμέν μιν πρῶτα παρ' ὲξελθεῖν πεδίοιο
τυτθὸν: ἔπειτα δέ κ' ἀυτὸν ἐπαΐξαντες ἕλοιμεν
καρπαλίμως. εἰ δ' ἄμμε παραφθαίῃσι πόδεσσιν.
ἀιεί μιν ποτὶ νῆας ἀπὸ στρατόφιν προτιειλεῖν
ἔγχεϊ ἐπαΐσσων. μή πως προτὶ ἄστυ ἀλύξῃ:
So spake he, and swore thereto an idle oath, and stirred the heart of Dolon. Forthwith then he cast about his shoulders his curved bow, and thereover clad him in the skin of a grey wolf, and on his head he set a cap of ferret skin, and grasped a sharp javelin, and went his way toward the ships from the host; howbeit he was not to return again from the ships, and bear tidings to Hector. But when he had left the throng of horses and of men, he went forth eagerly on the way, and Odysseus, sprung from Zeus, was ware of him as he drew nigh, and spake to Diomedes: "Yonder, Diomedes, cometh some man from the camp, I know not whether as a spy upon our ships, or with intent to strip one or another of the corpses of the dead. But let us suffer him at the first to pass by us on the plain a little way, and thereafter let us rush forth upon him and seize him speedily; and if so be he outrun us twain by speed of foot ever do thou hem him in toward the ships away from the host, darting after him with thy spear, lest in any wise he escape toward the city."
