Book IX - Page 2

"Son of Tydeus," said he, "in

war your prowess is beyond question, and in council you excel all

who are of your own years; no one of the Achaeans can make light

of what you say nor gainsay it, but you have not yet come to the

end of the whole matter. You are still young--you might be the

youngest of my own children--still you have spoken wisely and

have counselled the chief of the Achaeans not without discretion;

nevertheless I am older than you and I will tell you everything;

therefore let no man, not even King Agamemnon, disregard my

saying, for he that foments civil discord is a clanless,

hearthless outlaw.

"Now, however, let us obey the behests of night and get our

suppers, but let the sentinels every man of them camp by the

trench that is without the wall. I am giving these instructions

to the young men; when they have been attended to, do you, son of

Atreus, give your orders, for you are the most royal among us

all. Prepare a feast for your councillors; it is right and

reasonable that you should do so; there is abundance of wine in

your tents, which the ships of the Achaeans bring from Thrace

daily. You have everything at your disposal wherewith to

entertain guests, and you have many subjects. When many are got

together, you can be guided by him whose counsel is wisest--and

sorely do we need shrewd and prudent counsel, for the foe has lit

his watchfires hard by our ships. Who can be other than dismayed?

This night will either be the ruin of our host, or save it."

Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. The

sentinels went out in their armour under command of Nestor's son

Thrasymedes, a captain of the host, and of the bold warriors

Ascalaphus and Ialmenus: there were also Meriones, Aphareus and

Deipyrus, and the son of Creion, noble Lycomedes. There were

seven captains of the sentinels, and with each there went a

hundred youths armed with long spears: they took their places

midway between the trench and the wall, and when they had done so

they lit their fires and got every man his supper.

The son of Atreus then bade many councillors of the Achaeans to

his quarters prepared a great feast in their honour. They laid

their hands on the good things that were before them, and as soon

as they had enough to eat and drink, old Nestor, whose counsel

was ever truest, was the first to lay his mind before them. He,

therefore, with all sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus.

"With yourself, most noble son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon,

will I both begin my speech and end it, for you are king