τὸνδ' αῦτε προσέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων:
Νέστορ. ἐπει δὴ νηυσὶν ἐπι πρύμνησι μάχονται.
τεῖχος δ' οὐκ ἔχραισμε τετυγμένον: οὐδέ τι τάφρος
ᾗ ἔπι πολλ`' ἔπαθον Δαναοὶ, ἔλποντο δὲ θυμῷ
ἄρρηκτον νηῶν τὲ καὶ αὐτῶν εῖλαρ ἔσεσθαι,
οὕτω που Διῒ μέλλει ὑπερμενέϊ φίλον εἶναι:
ῄδεα μὲν γὰρ, ὅτε πρόφρων Δαναοῖσιν ἄμυνεν.
οἶδα δὲ νῦν. ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ὁμῶς μακάρεσσι θεοῖσι
κυδάνει, ἡμέτερον δὲ μένος καὶ χεῖρας ἔδησεν:
ἀλλ' άγεθ' ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω πειθώμεθα πάντες:
νῆες ὅσαι πρῶται εἰρύαται ἄγχι θαλάσσης,
ἕλκωμεν, πάσας δὲ ἐρύσσομεν εἰς ἅλα δῖαν.
ὕψι δ' ἐπ' εὐνάων ὁρμίσσομεν, εἰσόκεν ἔλθῃ
νὺξ ἀβρότη: ἢν, καὶ τῇ ἀπόσχωνται πολέμοιο
Τρῶες. ἔπειτα δὲ δέ κεν, ἐρυσαίμεθα νῆας ἁπάσας:
οὐ γάρ τις νέμεσις φυγέειν κακόν οὐδ' ἀνα νύκτα:
βέλτερον, ὃς φεύγων προφύγῃ κακὸν, ἠὲ ἀλώῃ:
ὡς εἰπὼν, μέγ' ἄϋσεν ἐπεσσύμενος πεδίοιο:
Then again made answer the king of men, Agamemnon: "Nestor, seeing they are fighting at the sterns of the ships, and the well-built wall hath availed not, nor in any wise the trench, whereat the Danaans laboured sore, and hoped in their hearts that it would be an unbreakable bulwark for their ships and for themselves—even so, I ween, must it be the good pleasure of Zeus, supreme in might, that the Achaeans should perish here far from Argos, and have no name. I knew it when with a ready heart he was aiding the Danaans, and I know it now when he is giving glory to our foes, even as to the blessed gods, and hath bound our might and our hands. Nay, come, even as I shall bid, let us all obey. Let us drag down the ships that are drawn up in the first line hard by the sea, and let us draw them all forth into the bright sea, and moor them afloat with anchor-stones, till immortal night shall come, if so be that even at her bidding the Trojans will refrain from war; and thereafter might we drag down all the ships. For in sooth I count it not shame to flee from ruin, nay, not though it be by night. Better it is if one fleeth from ruin and escapeth, than if he be taken."
