ὡς φάτο, Πηλεΐδης δὲ πολὺν καθ' ὅμιλον Ἀχαιῶν
ᾤχετ', ἐπεὶ πάντ' αἶνον ἐπέκλυε Νηλεΐδαο.
αὐτὰρ ὃ πυγμαχίης λεγεινῆς θῆκεν ἄεθλα:
ἡμίονον ταλαεργὸν ἄγων κατέδης' ἐν γῶνι
ἑξετέ' δμήτην, ἥ τ' λγίστη δαμάσασθαι:
τῷ δ' ἄρα νικηθέντι τίθει δέπας μφικύπελλον.
στῆ δ' ὀρθὸς καὶ μῦθον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔειπεν:
Ἀτρεΐδη τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
ἄνδρε δύω περὶ τῶνδε κελεύομεν, ὥσπερ ρίστω,
πὺξ μάλ' νασχομένω πεπληγέμεν: ᾧ δέ κ' Ἀπόλλων
δώιη καμμονίην, γνώωσι δὲ πάντες Ἀχαιοί,
ἡμίονον ταλαεργὸν ἄγων κλισίην δὲ φερέσθω:
αὐτὰρ ὁ νικηθεὶς δέπας οἴσεται μφικύπελλον.
So spake he, and the son of Peleus went his way through the great throng of the Achaeans, when he had hearkened to all the praise of the son of Neleus. Then set he forth prizes for grievous boxing. A sturdy mule he brought and tethered in the place of gathering, a mule of six years, unbroken, the which is hardest of all to break; and for him that should be worsted he appointed a two-handled cup. Then he stood up, and spake among the Argives, saying: "Son of Atreus, and ye other well-greaved Achaeans, for these prizes we invite warriors twain, the best there are, to lift up their hands and box amain. Let him to whom Apollo shall grant strength to endure, and all the Achaeans have knowledge thereof, go his way to his hut leading the sturdy muIe; but he that is worsted shall bear as his prize the two-handled cup."
