Homer, Iliad (Orange Street).pdf

Homer’s Iliad
the shore, to see, whether the son of Saturn will hold his hand over
you to protect you?”
Thus did he go about giving his orders among the ranks. Passing
through the crowd, he came presently on the Cretans, arming
round Idomeneus, who was at their head, fierce as a wild boar,
while Meriones was bringing up the battalions that were in the
rear. Agamemnon was glad when he saw him, and spoke him fairly.
“Idomeneus,” said he, “I treat you with greater distinction than I
do any others of the Achaeans, whether in war or in other things, or
at table. When the princes are mixing my choicest wines in the
mixing-bowls, they have each of them a fixed allowance, but your
cup is kept always full like my own, that you may drink whenever
you are minded. Go, therefore, into battle, and show yourself the
man you have been always proud to be.”
Idomeneus answered, “I will be a trusty comrade, as I promised
you from the first I would be. Urge on the other Achaeans, that we
may join battle at once, for the Trojans have trampled upon their
covenants. Death and destruction shall be theirs, seeing they have
been the first to break their oaths and to attack us.”
The son of Atreus went on, glad at heart, till he came upon the two
Ajaxes arming themselves amid a host of foot-soldiers. As when a
goat-herd from some high post watches a storm drive over the
deep before the west wind- black as pitch is the offing and a
mighty whirlwind draws towards him, so that he is afraid and
drives his flock into a cave- even thus did the ranks of stalwart
youths move in a dark mass to battle under the Ajaxes, horrid with
shield and spear. Glad was King Agamemnon when he saw them.
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