Book XIV - Page 2

Achaeans, like Achilles,

are in anger with me that they refuse to fight by the sterns of

our ships."

Then Nestor knight of Gerene, answered, "It is indeed as you say;

it is all coming true at this moment, and even Jove who thunders

from on high cannot prevent it. Fallen is the wall on which we

relied as an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet. The

Trojans are fighting stubbornly and without ceasing at the ships;

look where you may you cannot see from what quarter the rout of

the Achaeans is coming; they are being killed in a confused mass

and the battle-cry ascends to heaven; let us think, if counsel

can be of any use, what we had better do; but I do not advise our

going into battle ourselves, for a man cannot fight when he is

wounded."

And King Agamemnon answered, "Nestor, if the Trojans are indeed

fighting at the rear of our ships, and neither the wall nor the

trench has served us--over which the Danaans toiled so hard, and

which they deemed would be an impregnable bulwark both for us and

our fleet--I see it must be the will of Jove that the Achaeans

should perish ingloriously here, far from Argos. I knew when Jove

was willing to defend us, and I know now that he is raising the

Trojans to like honour with the gods, while us, on the other

hand, he bas bound hand and foot. Now, therefore, let us all do

as I say; let us bring down the ships that are on the beach and

draw them into the water; let us make them fast to their

mooring-stones a little way out, against the fall of night--if

even by night the Trojans will desist from fighting; we may then

draw down the rest of the fleet. There is nothing wrong in flying

ruin even by night. It is better for a man that he should fly and

be saved than be caught and killed."

Ulysses looked fiercely at him and said, "Son of Atreus, what are

you talking about? Wretch, you should have commanded some other

and baser army, and not been ruler over us to whom Jove has

allotted a life of hard fighting from youth to old age, till we

every one of us perish. Is it thus that you would quit the city

of Troy, to win which we have suffered so much hardship? Hold

your peace, lest some other of the Achaeans hear you say what no

man who knows how to give good counsel, no king over so great a

host as that of the Argives should ever have let fall from his

lips. I despise your judgement utterly for what you have been

saying. Would you, then, have us draw down our ships into the

water while the battle is raging, and thus play further into the

hands of the conquering