§10.219τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης· §10.220Νέστορ ἔμʼ ὀτρύνει κραδίη καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ §10.221ἀνδρῶν δυσμενέων δῦναι στρατὸν ἐγγὺς ἐόντων §10.222Τρώων· ἀλλʼ εἴ τίς μοι ἀνὴρ ἅμʼ ἕποιτο καὶ ἄλλος
And to them also spoke Diomedes, good at the war-cry: "Nestor, my heart and proud spirit urge me to enter the camp of the enemy men who are near, even of the Trojans; but if some other man would follow with me, there will be more comfort and it will be more encouraging.
§10.223μᾶλλον θαλπωρὴ καὶ θαρσαλεώτερον ἔσται. §10.224σύν τε δύʼ ἐρχομένω καί τε πρὸ ὃ τοῦ ἐνόησεν §10.225ὅππως κέρδος ἔῃ· μοῦνος δʼ εἴ πέρ τε νοήσῃ §10.226ἀλλά τέ οἱ βράσσων τε νόος, λεπτὴ δέ τε μῆτις. §10.227ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἔθελον Διομήδεϊ πολλοὶ ἕπεσθαι.
When two go together, one perceives before the other how there may be advantage; but if a man be alone when he perceives, yet his mind is slower, and his counsel is thin." So he spoke, and many were willing to follow Diomedes.
§10.228ἠθελέτην Αἴαντε δύω θεράποντες Ἄρηος, §10.229ἤθελε Μηριόνης, μάλα δʼ ἤθελε Νέστορος υἱός, §10.230ἤθελε δʼ Ἀτρεΐδης δουρικλειτὸς Μενέλαος, §10.231ἤθελε δʼ ὁ τλήμων Ὀδυσεὺς καταδῦναι ὅμιλον §10.232Τρώων· αἰεὶ γάρ οἱ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θυμὸς ἐτόλμα.
The two Ajaxes, squires of Ares, were willing; Meriones was willing, and very willing was the son of Nestor; and the son of Atreus, Menelaus famed for the spear, was willing; and the enduring Odysseus was willing to enter the throng of the Trojans; for always the spirit in his breast was daring.
§10.233τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπεν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων· §10.234Τυδεΐδη Διόμηδες ἐμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ §10.235τὸν μὲν δὴ ἕταρόν γʼ αἱρήσεαι ὅν κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα, §10.236φαινομένων τὸν ἄριστον, ἐπεὶ μεμάασί γε πολλοί.
And to them also spoke Agamemnon, king of men: "Diomedes, son of Tydeus, dear to my heart, you shall choose for yourself as companion whomsoever you wish, the best of those who show themselves, since many indeed are eager.
§10.237μηδὲ σύ γʼ αἰδόμενος σῇσι φρεσὶ τὸν μὲν ἀρείω §10.238καλλείπειν, σὺ δὲ χείρονʼ ὀπάσσεαι αἰδοῖ εἴκων §10.239ἐς γενεὴν ὁρόων, μηδʼ εἰ βασιλεύτερός ἐστιν. §10.240ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἔδεισεν δὲ περὶ ξανθῷ Μενελάῳ.
And do not you, out of respect in your heart, leave behind the better man, and take the worse as companion, yielding to respect, looking to birth, not even if he be more kingly." So he spoke, and he feared for fair-haired Menelaus.
§10.241τοῖς δʼ αὖτις μετέειπε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης· §10.242εἰ μὲν δὴ ἕταρόν γε κελεύετέ μʼ αὐτὸν ἑλέσθαι, §10.243πῶς ἂν ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἐγὼ θείοιο λαθοίμην, §10.244οὗ πέρι μὲν πρόφρων κραδίη καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ §10.245ἐν πάντεσσι πόνοισι, φιλεῖ δέ ἑ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.
To them again spoke Diomedes, good at the war-cry: "If indeed you command me to choose a companion myself, how then could I forget divine Odysseus, whose willing heart and proud spirit are outstanding in all manner of toils, and Pallas Athena loves him.
§10.246τούτου γʼ ἑσπομένοιο καὶ ἐκ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο §10.247ἄμφω νοστήσαιμεν, ἐπεὶ περίοιδε νοῆσαι. §10.248τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς· §10.249Τυδεΐδη μήτʼ ἄρ με μάλʼ αἴνεε μήτέ τι νείκει· §10.250εἰδόσι γάρ τοι ταῦτα μετʼ Ἀργείοις ἀγορεύεις.
If he but follow, even from blazing fire we might both return, since he is outstanding in understanding." To him in turn spoke much-enduring noble Odysseus: "Son of Tydeus, praise me not overmuch, nor chide me; for you speak these things among Argives who know them.
§10.251ἀλλʼ ἴομεν· μάλα γὰρ νὺξ ἄνεται, ἐγγύθι δʼ ἠώς, §10.252ἄστρα δὲ δὴ προβέβηκε, παροίχωκεν δὲ πλέων νὺξ §10.253τῶν δύο μοιράων, τριτάτη δʼ ἔτι μοῖρα λέλειπται. §10.254ὣς εἰπόνθʼ ὅπλοισιν ἔνι δεινοῖσιν ἐδύτην.
But let us go; for indeed the night is passing, and dawn is near, and the stars have moved forward, and more than two shares of the night are gone, and a third share still is left." So saying, they both put on their terrible armor.
§10.255Τυδεΐδῃ μὲν δῶκε μενεπτόλεμος Θρασυμήδης §10.256φάσγανον ἄμφηκες· τὸ δʼ ἑὸν παρὰ νηῒ λέλειπτο· §10.257καὶ σάκος· ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κυνέην κεφαλῆφιν ἔθηκε §10.258ταυρείην, ἄφαλόν τε καὶ ἄλλοφον, ἥ τε καταῖτυξ §10.259κέκληται, ῥύεται δὲ κάρη θαλερῶν αἰζηῶν.
To the son of Tydeus, war-resolute Thrasymedes gave a double-edged sword—for his own had been left by the ship— and a shield; and on his head he placed a helmet of bull's hide, without horn and without crest, which is called "kataityx", and protects the head of lusty youths.
§10.260Μηριόνης δʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ δίδου βιὸν ἠδὲ φαρέτρην §10.261καὶ ξίφος, ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ κυνέην κεφαλῆφιν ἔθηκε §10.262ῥινοῦ ποιητήν· πολέσιν δʼ ἔντοσθεν ἱμᾶσιν §10.263ἐντέτατο στερεῶς· ἔκτοσθε δὲ λευκοὶ ὀδόντες §10.264ἀργιόδοντος ὑὸς θαμέες ἔχον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα §10.265εὖ καὶ ἐπισταμένως· μέσσῃ δʼ ἐνὶ πῖλος ἀρήρει.
And Meriones gave Odysseus a bow and a quiver and a sword, and on his head he placed a helmet made of hide; and within it was tightly stretched firmly; and on the outside the white teeth of a white-tusked boar ran thick on this side and on that, well and skillfully arranged; and in the midst felt was fitted.
§10.266τήν ῥά ποτʼ ἐξ Ἐλεῶνος Ἀμύντορος Ὀρμενίδαο §10.267ἐξέλετʼ Αὐτόλυκος πυκινὸν δόμον ἀντιτορήσας, §10.268Σκάνδειαν δʼ ἄρα δῶκε Κυθηρίῳ Ἀμφιδάμαντι· §10.269Ἀμφιδάμας δὲ Μόλῳ δῶκε ξεινήϊον εἶναι, §10.270αὐτὰρ ὃ Μηριόνῃ δῶκεν ᾧ παιδὶ φορῆναι· §10.271δὴ τότʼ Ὀδυσσῆος πύκασεν κάρη ἀμφιτεθεῖσα.
This helmet once Autolycus took from Eleon, having broken into the strong house of Amyntor, son of Ormenus; and he gave it in Scandia to Amphidamas of Cythera; and Amphidamas gave it to Molus as a guest-gift, and he in turn gave it to his son Meriones to wear; and then indeed, being placed around, it covered the head of Odysseus.
§10.272τὼ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν ὅπλοισιν ἔνι δεινοῖσιν ἐδύτην, §10.273βάν ῥʼ ἰέναι, λιπέτην δὲ κατʼ αὐτόθι πάντας ἀρίστους.
And when the two had put on their terrible armor, they went on their way, and left all the chieftains there.
§10.274τοῖσι δὲ δεξιὸν ἧκεν ἐρῳδιὸν ἐγγὺς ὁδοῖο §10.275Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη· τοὶ δʼ οὐκ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσι §10.276νύκτα διʼ ὀρφναίην, ἀλλὰ κλάγξαντος ἄκουσαν.
And for them Pallas Athena sent a heron on the right, near their path; and they did not see it with their eyes through the dark night, but they heard its cry.
§10.277χαῖρε δὲ τῷ ὄρνιθʼ Ὀδυσεύς, ἠρᾶτο δʼ Ἀθήνῃ· §10.278κλῦθί μευ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος, ἥ τέ μοι αἰεὶ §10.279ἐν πάντεσσι πόνοισι παρίστασαι, οὐδέ σε λήθω §10.280κινύμενος· νῦν αὖτε μάλιστά με φῖλαι Ἀθήνη, §10.281δὸς δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ νῆας ἐϋκλεῖας ἀφικέσθαι §10.282ῥέξαντας μέγα ἔργον, ὅ κε Τρώεσσι μελήσῃ. §10.283δεύτερος αὖτʼ ἠρᾶτο βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης· §10.284κέκλυθι νῦν καὶ ἐμεῖο Διὸς τέκος Ἀτρυτώνη·
And Odysseus rejoiced in the bird, and prayed to Athena: "Hear me, child of Zeus who holds the aegis, you who always stand by me in all my toils, nor am I hidden from you as I move; now again, Athena, love me most of all, and grant that we come back with good glory to the ships, having done a great deed, such as will be a care to the Trojans." Next in turn prayed Diomedes, good at the war-cry: "Hear now me too, child of Zeus, unwearied one!
Follow with me, even as you followed with my father, noble Tydeus, to Thebes, when he went as a messenger before the Achaeans.
§10.287τοὺς δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ Ἀσωπῷ λίπε χαλκοχίτωνας Ἀχαιούς, §10.288αὐτὰρ ὃ μειλίχιον μῦθον φέρε Καδμείοισι §10.289κεῖσʼ· ἀτὰρ ἂψ ἀπιὼν μάλα μέρμερα μήσατο ἔργα §10.290σὺν σοὶ δῖα θεά, ὅτε οἱ πρόφρασσα παρέστης.
He left the bronze-clad Achaeans by the Asopus, and carried a gentle message to the Cadmeans there; but on his way back he devised very terrible deeds with you, noble goddess, when you stood by him with a willing mind."