τὸν δ' αὖτ' Ἰ¨δομενεὺς Κρητῶν ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα:
οἶδ' ἀρετὴν οἷός ἐσσι. τί σε χρὴ ταῦτα λέγεσθαι.
εἰ γὰρ νῦν παρα νηυσὶ λεγοίμεθα πάντες ἄριστοι
ἐς λόχον, ἔνθα μάλιστ' ἀρετὴ διαείδεται ἀνδρῶν.
ἔνθ'. ὅ τε δειλὸς ἀνὴρ. ὅς τ' ἄλκιμος, ἐξεφαάνθη.
τοῦ μὲν γάρ τε κακοῦ τρέπεται χρὼς ἄλλυδις ἄλλῃ.
οὐδέ οἱ, ἀτρέμας ῆσθαι ἐρητύετ' ἐν φρεσὶ θυμὸς.
ἀλλὰ μετοκλάζει: καὶ ἐπ αμφοτέρους πόδας ΐζει:
ἐν δέ τέ οἱ, κραδίη μεγάλα στέρνοισι πατάσσει
κῆρας ὀϊομένῳ. πάταγος δέ τε γίγνετ' ὀδόντων:
τού τοῦ δ' ἀγαθοῦ. οὔτ' ἂρ, τρέπεται χρὼς. οὔ, τέ τι λίην
ταρβεῖ. ἐπειδὰν πρῶτον ἐσΐζηται λόχον ἀνδρῶν.
ἀρᾶται δὲ τάχιστα μιγήμεναι ἐν δαῒ λυγρῇ:
οὐδέ κεν ἔνθα τέον τεόν γε μένος καὶ χεῖρας ὄνοιτο:
εἴ περ γάρ κε βλεῖο πονεύμενος ἠὲ τυπείης
οὐκ ἂν ἐν αὐχέν' ὄπισθε πέσοι βέλος οὐδ' ἐνὶ νώτῳ,
ἀλλά κεν ἢ στέρνων ἢ νηδύος ἀντιάσειε
πρόσσω ἱεμένοιο μετὰ προμάχων ὀαριστύν.
ἀλλ' ἄγε μηκέτι ταῦτα λεγώμεθα νηπύτιοι ὡς
ἑσταότες. μή πού τις ὓπερφιάλως ὑπερφιάλως νεμεσήσῃ:
ἀλλὰ σύ γε κλισίην δὲ κιὼν, ἕλευ, ὄβριμον ἔγχος:
And to him Idomeneus, leader of the Cretans, made answer: "I know what manner of man thou art in valour; what need hast thou to tell the tale thereof? For if now all the best of us were being told off besides the ships for an ambush, wherein the valour of men is best discerned—there the coward cometh to light and the man of valour; for the colour of the coward changeth ever to another hue, nor is the spirit in his breast stayed that he should abide steadfast, but he shifteth from knee to knee and resteth on either foot, and his heart beats loudly in his breast as he bodeth death, and the teeth chatter in his mouth; but the colour of the brave man changeth not, neither feareth he overmuch when once he taketh his place in the ambush of warriors, but he prayeth to mingle forthwith in woeful war—not even in such case, I say, would any man make light of thy courage or the strength of thy hands. For if so be thou wert stricken by a dart in the toil of battle, or smitten with a thrust, not from behind in neck or back would the missile fall; nay, but on thy breast would it light or on thy belly, as thou wert pressing on into the dalliance of the foremost fighters. But come, no longer let us loiter here and talk thus like children, lest haply some man wax wroth beyond measure; nay, but go thou to the hut, and get thee a mighty spear."
