Νέστορι δὲ ξύμβληντο διοτρεφέες βασιλῆες
παρ νηῶν ἀνιόντες. ὅσοι βεβλήατο χαλκῷ:
Τυδείδης. Ὀδυσσεύς τε, καὶ Ἀτρείδης Ἀγαμέμνων:
πολλὸν γάρ ῥ' ἀπάνευθε μάχης εἰρύατο νῆες
θιν`' ἐφ ἁλὸς πολιῆς. τὰς γὰρ πρώτας πεδίον δὲ
είρυσαν: αὐτὰρ τεῖχος ἐπι πρύμνῃσιν ἔδειμαν.
οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ' εὐρύς περ ἐὼν. ἐδυνήσατο πάσας
αἰγιαλὸς νῆας χαδέειν. στείνοντο δὲ λαοί:
τῶ ρα προκρόσσας ἔρυσαν: καὶ πλῆσαν ἁπάσης
ἠϊόνος στόμα μακρὸν: ὅσον συνἐέργαθον συνεέργαθον ἄκραι:
τῷ ῥ' οἵ γ' ὀψείοντες ἀϋτῆς καὶ πτολέμοιο.
ἔγχει ἐρειδόμενοι κίον ἁθρόοι: ἄχνυτο δέ σφι
θυμὸς ἐνι στήθεσσιν. ὁ δὲ ξύμβλητο γεραιὸς
Νέστωρ. πτῆξε δὲ θυμὸν ἐνι στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.
τὸν καὶ φωνήσας προσέφη κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων:
ὦ Νέστορ Νηληϊάδη: μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν:
τίπτε λιπὼν πόλεμον φθισήνορα δεῦρ' ϊκάνεις,
δείδω. μη δή μοι τελέσῃ ἔπος όβριμος Ἕκτωρ,
ὥς ποτ' ἐπειπήλησεν ἐνι Τρώεσσ' ἀγορεύων,
μὴ πρὶν παρ νηῶν προτι Ί̈λιον ἀπονέεσθαι.
πρὶν πυρὶ νῆας ἐνιπρῆσαι. κτεῖναι δὲ καὶ αὐτούς.
κεῖνος, τὼσ' ἀγόρευε. τὰ δὴ νῦν πάντα τελεῖται:
ὦ πόποι: ῆ ῥα καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
ἐν θυμῷ βάλλονται ἐμοὶ χόλον ὥς περ Ἀχιλλεὺς:
οὐδ' ἐθέλουσι μάχεσθαι ἐπὶ πρύμνῃσι, νέεσσι:
ὡς εἰπὼν, μέγ' ἄϋσεν ἐπεσσύμενος πεδίοιο:
And Nestor was met by the kings, fostered of Zeus, as they went up from the ships, even all they that had been smitten with the bronze, the son of Tydeus, and Odysseus, and Atreus' son, Agamemnon. Far apart from the battle were their ships drawn up on the shore of the grey sea; for these had they drawn up to land in the foremost row, but had builded the wall close to the hindmost. For albeit the beach was wide, yet might it in no wise hold all the ships, and the host was straitened; wherefore they had drawn up the ships row behind row, and had filled up the wide mouth of all the shore that the headlands shut in between them. The kings therefore were faring all in one body, leaning each on his spear, to look upon the war and the combat, and grieved were the hearts in their breasts. And old Nestor met them, and made the spirit to quail in the breasts of the Achaeans. Then lord Agamemnon lifted up his voice and spake to him: "O Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans, wherefore hast thou left the war, the bane of men, and come hither? I fear me lest in sooth mighty Hector make good his word and the threats wherewith on a time he threatened us, as he spake amid the Trojans, even that he would not return to Ilios from the ships till he had burned the ships with fire and furthermore slain the men. On this wise spake he, and now all this is verily being brought to pass. Out upon it! surely the other well-greaved Achaeans are laying up wrath against me in their hearts, even as doth Achilles, and have no mind to fight by the sterns of the ships."
