ὡς φάτο: Μηριόνης δὲ θοῷ ἀτάλαντος Ἄρηϊ:
καρπαλίμως κλισίηθεν ἀνείλετο χάλκεον ἔγχος:
βῆ δὲ μετ' Ἰ̈δομενῆα, μέγα πτολέμοιο μεμηλώς:
οἷος δὲ βροτολοιγὸς Ἄρης πόλεμον δὲ μέτεισι.
τῷ δὲ Φόβος. φίλος υἱὸς ἅμα. κρατερὸς καὶ ἀταρβής ἀταρβὴς
έσπετο. ὅς τ' ἐφόβησε ταλάφρονά περ πολεμιστὴν.
τὼ μὲν ἂρ εκ Θρῄκης, Ἐφύρους μέτα θωρήσσεσθον.
ἠὲ μετα Φλεγύᾱς μεγαλήτορας οὐδ' ἄρα τώ γε
ἔκλυον ἀμφοτέρων, ἑτέροισι δὲ κῦδος ἔδωκαν.
τοῖοι Μηριόνης τε καὶ Ἰ̈δομενεὺς ἀγοὶ ἀνδρῶν
ήϊσαν ἐς πόλεμον κεκορυθμένοι αἴθοπι χαλκῷ:
τὸν καὶ Μηριόνης πρότεροςπρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε:
Δευκαλίδη: πῇ τ’ ὰρ μέμονας καταδῦναι ὅμιλον:
ἠ ἐπι δεξιόφιν παντὸς στρατοῦ: ἠ ἀνα μέσσους.
ἢ ἐπ' ἀριστερόφιν. ἐπεὶ οὔ ποθι ἔλπομαι οὕτω
δεύεσθαι πολέμοιο κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιούς:
So spake he, and Meriones, the peer of swift Ares, speedily took from the hut a spear of bronze, and followed Idomeneus with high thought of battle. And even as Ares, the bane of mortals, goeth forth to war, and with him followeth Rout, his son, valiant alike and fearless, that turneth to flight a warrior, were he never so staunch of heart - -these twain arm themselves and go forth from Thrace to join the Ephyri or the great-hearted Phlegyes, yet they hearken not to both sides, but give glory to one or the other; even in such wise did Meriones and Idomeneus, leaders of men, go forth into the fight, harnessed in flaming bronze. And Meriones spake first to Idomeneus, saying: "Son of Deucalion, at what point art thou eager to enter the throng? On the right of all the host, or in the centre, or shall it be on the left? For verily, methinks, in no other place do the long-haired Achaeans so fail in the fight."
