Ζεὺς δ' ἀρετὴν ἄνδρεσσιν ὀφέλλει τε μινύθει τε
ὅππως κεν ἐθέλῃσιν ὃ γὰρ κ' όχ' ἄριστος ἁπάντων:
ἂλλ' άγε μὴκέτι ταῦτα λεγώμεθα νηπύτιοι ὡς
ἑσταότ' ἐν μέσσῃ ὑσμίνῃ δηϊοτῆτος:
ἔστι γὰρ ἀμφοτέροισιν ὀνείδεα μυθήσασθαι
πολλὰ μάλ', οὐδ' ὰν νῆυς ἑκατόζυγος ἄχθος ἄροιτο:
στρεπτὴ δὲ γλῶσσ' ἐστὶ βροτῶν: πολέες δ' ἔνι μῦθοι μυθῷ
παντοῖοι. ἐπέων δὲ πολὺς νομὸς ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα:
ὁπποῖόν κ' εἴπῃσθα ἔπος. τοῖόν κ' ἐπακούσαις:
ἀλλὰ τί ὴ, ἔριδας καὶ νείκεα νῶϊν ἀνάγκῃ
νεικεῖν ἀλλήλοισιν ἐναντίον: ὥς τε γυναῖκας:
αἵ τε χολωσάμεναι ἔριδος πέρι θυμοβόροιο
νεικεῦσ' ἀλλήλῃσι μέσην ἐς ἄγυιαν ἰ+οῦσαι
πολλὰ τά τε καὶ οὐκὶ. χόλος δέ τε καὶ τὰ κελεύει
ἀλκῆς δ' οὔ μ' ἐπέεσσι μεταστρέψεις μεμαῶτα.
πρὶν χαλκῷ μαχέσασθαι ἐναντίον. ἂλλ' άγε θᾶσσον
"But as for valour, it is Zeus that increaseth it for men or minisheth it, even as himself willeth, seeing he is mightiest of all. But come, no longer let us talk thus like children, as we twain stand in the midst of the strife of battle. Revilings are there for both of us to utter, revilings full many; a ship of an hundred benches would not bear the load thereof. Glib is the tongue of mortals, and words there be therein many and manifold, and of speech the range is wide on this side and on that. Whatsoever word thou speakest, such shalt thou also hear. But what need have we twain to bandy strifes and wranglings one with the other like women, that when they have waxed wroth in soul-devouring strife go forth into the midst of the street and wrangle one against the other with words true and false; for even these wrath biddeth them speak. But from battle, seeing I am eager therefor, shalt thou not by words turn me till we have fought with the bronze man to man; nay, come, let us forthwith make trial each of the other with bronze-tipped spears."
