§10.291ὣς νῦν μοι ἐθέλουσα παρίσταο καί με φύλασσε.
"So now too stand by me willingly and protect me.
§10.292σοὶ δʼ αὖ ἐγὼ ῥέξω βοῦν ἦνιν εὐρυμέτωπον §10.293ἀδμήτην, ἣν οὔ πω ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἤγαγεν ἀνήρ· §10.294τήν τοι ἐγὼ ῥέξω χρυσὸν κέρασιν περιχεύας. §10.295ὣς ἔφαν εὐχόμενοι, τῶν δʼ ἔκλυε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.
And to you in turn I will sacrifice a yearling broad-browed heifer, unbroken, which no man has yet led under the yoke; this to you I will sacrifice, having poured gold over her horns." So they spoke praying, and Pallas Athena heard them.
§10.296οἳ δʼ ἐπεὶ ἠρήσαντο Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο, §10.297βάν ῥʼ ἴμεν ὥς τε λέοντε δύω διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν §10.298ἂμ φόνον, ἂν νέκυας, διά τʼ ἔντεα καὶ μέλαν αἷμα.
And when they had prayed to the daughter of great Zeus, they went on their way like two lions through the black night, through the slaughter, through the corpses, through the armor and the black blood.
§10.299οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδὲ Τρῶας ἀγήνορας εἴασεν Ἕκτωρ §10.300εὕδειν, ἀλλʼ ἄμυδις κικλήσκετο πάντας ἀρίστους, §10.301ὅσσοι ἔσαν Τρώων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες· §10.302τοὺς ὅ γε συγκαλέσας πυκινὴν ἀρτύνετο βουλήν· §10.303τίς κέν μοι τόδε ἔργον ὑποσχόμενος τελέσειε §10.304δώρῳ ἔπι μεγάλῳ;
Nor indeed did Hector allow the proud Trojans to sleep, but summoned together all the chieftains, as many as were leaders and rulers of the Trojans; having called them together, he devised a close counsel: "Who would promise and perform this deed for me for a great gift?
μισθὸς δέ οἱ ἄρκιος ἔσται.
And his reward shall be sufficient.
§10.305δώσω γὰρ δίφρόν τε δύω τʼ ἐριαύχενας ἵππους §10.306οἵ κεν ἄριστοι ἔωσι θοῇς ἐπὶ νηυσὶν Ἀχαιῶν §10.307ὅς τίς κε τλαίη, οἷ τʼ αὐτῷ κῦδος ἄροιτο, §10.308νηῶν ὠκυπόρων σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν, ἔκ τε πυθέσθαι §10.309ἠέ φυλάσσονται νῆες θοαὶ ὡς τὸ πάρος περ, §10.310ἦ ἤδη χείρεσσιν ὑφʼ ἡμετέρῃσι δαμέντες §10.311φύξιν βουλεύουσι μετὰ σφίσιν, οὐδʼ ἐθέλουσι §10.312νύκτα φυλασσέμεναι, καμάτῳ ἀδηκότες αἰνῷ. §10.313ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.
For I will give a chariot and two strong-necked horses, whichever are the best by the swift ships of the Achaeans, to him who would dare—and it would bring glory to himself— to go near the swift-sailing ships, and to find out whether the swift ships are guarded as before, or if already subdued under our hands they are planning flight among themselves, and are not willing to keep watch through the night, worn out by terrible weariness." So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence.
§10.314ἦν δέ τις ἐν Τρώεσσι Δόλων Εὐμήδεος υἱὸς §10.315κήρυκος θείοιο πολύχρυσος πολύχαλκος, §10.316ὃς δή τοι εἶδος μὲν ἔην κακός, ἀλλὰ ποδώκης· §10.317αὐτὰρ ὃ μοῦνος ἔην μετὰ πέντε κασιγνήτῃσιν.
And there was among the Trojans a certain Dolon, son of Eumedes, the divine herald, rich in gold, rich in bronze, who was indeed bad in appearance, but swift of foot; and he was an only son among five sisters.
§10.318ὅς ῥα τότε Τρωσίν τε καὶ Ἕκτορι μῦθον ἔειπεν· §10.319Ἕκτορ ἔμʼ ὀτρύνει κραδίη καὶ θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ §10.320νηῶν ὠκυπόρων σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν ἔκ τε πυθέσθαι.
He then spoke a word to the Trojans and to Hector: "Hector, my heart and proud spirit urge me to go near the swift-sailing ships and to find out.
§10.321ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τὸ σκῆπτρον ἀνάσχεο, καί μοι ὄμοσσον §10.322ἦ μὲν τοὺς ἵππους τε καὶ ἅρματα ποικίλα χαλκῷ §10.323δωσέμεν, οἳ φορέουσιν ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα, §10.324σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ οὐχ ἅλιος σκοπὸς ἔσσομαι οὐδʼ ἀπὸ δόξης· §10.325τόφρα γὰρ ἐς στρατὸν εἶμι διαμπερὲς ὄφρʼ ἂν ἵκωμαι §10.326νῆʼ Ἀγαμεμνονέην, ὅθι που μέλλουσιν ἄριστοι §10.327βουλὰς βουλεύειν ἢ φευγέμεν ἠὲ μάχεσθαι. §10.328ὣς φάθʼ, ὃ δʼ ἐν χερσὶ σκῆπτρον λάβε καί οἱ ὄμοσσεν· §10.329ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς αὐτὸς ἐρίγδουπος πόσις Ἥρης §10.330μὴ μὲν τοῖς ἵπποισιν ἀνὴρ ἐποχήσεται ἄλλος §10.331Τρώων, ἀλλά σέ φημι διαμπερὲς ἀγλαϊεῖσθαι. §10.332ὣς φάτο καί ῥʼ ἐπίορκον ἐπώμοσε, τὸν δʼ ὀρόθυνεν·
But come, raise the sceptre for me, and swear to me that you will indeed give the horses and the chariot adorned with bronze which carry the noble son of Peleus, and to you I will not be a useless scout nor disappoint your expectation; for I will go straight through the army until I reach the ship of Agamemnon, where surely the chieftains must be planning counsels, whether to flee or to fight." So he spoke, and Hector took the sceptre in his hands and swore to him: "Let Zeus himself now be witness, the loud-thundering husband of Hera, that no other man of the Trojans shall ride upon those horses, but I say that you shall continually have glory from them." So he spoke, and swore a false oath, but it urged Dolon on.
§10.333αὐτίκα δʼ ἀμφʼ ὤμοισιν ἐβάλλετο καμπύλα τόξα, §10.334ἕσσατο δʼ ἔκτοσθεν ῥινὸν πολιοῖο λύκοιο, §10.335κρατὶ δʼ ἐπὶ κτιδέην κυνέην, ἕλε δʼ ὀξὺν ἄκοντα, §10.336βῆ δʼ ἰέναι προτὶ νῆας ἀπὸ στρατοῦ· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλεν §10.337ἐλθὼν ἐκ νηῶν ἂψ Ἕκτορι μῦθον ἀποίσειν.
And straightway he cast his curved bow about his shoulders, and put on over it the skin of a grey wolf, and on his head a cap of marten-skin, and took a sharp javelin, and went on his way towards the ships from the army; but he was not destined to return from the ships and bring back word to Hector.
§10.338ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν κάλλιφʼ ὅμιλον, §10.339βῆ ῥʼ ἀνʼ ὁδὸν μεμαώς· τὸν δὲ φράσατο προσιόντα §10.340διογενὴς Ὀδυσεύς, Διομήδεα δὲ προσέειπεν· §10.341οὗτός τις Διόμηδες ἀπὸ στρατοῦ ἔρχεται ἀνήρ, §10.342οὐκ οἶδʼ ἢ νήεσσιν ἐπίσκοπος ἡμετέρῃσιν, §10.343ἦ τινα συλήσων νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων.
But when indeed he had left behind the throng of horses and men, he went along the way eagerly; and divine Odysseus noticed him as he approached, and spoke to Diomedes: "Here is some man, Diomedes, coming from the army, I know not whether as a spy upon our ships, or to despoil some of the dead corpses.
§10.344ἀλλʼ ἐῶμέν μιν πρῶτα παρεξελθεῖν πεδίοιο §10.345τυτθόν· ἔπειτα δέ κʼ αὐτὸν ἐπαΐξαντες ἕλοιμεν §10.346καρπαλίμως· εἰ δʼ ἄμμε παραφθαίησι πόδεσσιν, §10.347αἰεί μιν ἐπὶ νῆας ἀπὸ στρατόφι προτιειλεῖν §10.348ἔγχει ἐπαΐσσων, μή πως προτὶ ἄστυ ἀλύξῃ. §10.349ὣς ἄρα φωνήσαντε παρὲξ ὁδοῦ ἐν νεκύεσσι §10.350κλινθήτην· ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ὦκα παρέδραμεν ἀφραδίῃσιν.
But let us suffer him first to pass by over the plain a little way; and then we might rush upon him and catch him quickly; but if he should outstrip us by his speed of foot, always hem him in towards the ships, away from the army, rushing at him with your spear, lest somehow he escape to the city." Having thus spoken, they lay down out of the path among the corpses; and he quickly ran past in his folly.
§10.351ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἀπέην ὅσσόν τʼ ἐπὶ οὖρα πέλονται §10.352ἡμιόνων· αἱ γάρ τε βοῶν προφερέστεραί εἰσιν §10.353ἑλκέμεναι νειοῖο βαθείης πηκτὸν ἄροτρον· §10.354τὼ μὲν ἐπεδραμέτην, ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔστη δοῦπον ἀκούσας.
But when he was as far away as is the range of mules —for they are better than oxen at drawing the jointed plow through deep fallow land— the two ran after him, and he stood still, hearing the sound.
For he hoped in his heart that comrades were coming to turn him back from the Trojans, Hector having urged them on.
§10.357ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἄπεσαν δουρηνεκὲς ἢ καὶ ἔλασσον, §10.358γνῶ ῥʼ ἄνδρας δηΐους, λαιψηρὰ δὲ γούνατʼ ἐνώμα §10.359φευγέμεναι· τοὶ δʼ αἶψα διώκειν ὁρμήθησαν.
But when they were a spear-cast off or even less, he knew them to be hostile men, and moved his swift knees to flee; and they immediately started in pursuit.
§10.360ὡς δʼ ὅτε καρχαρόδοντε δύω κύνε εἰδότε θήρης
And as when two sharp-toothed hounds, skilled in the chase,