"Here are the Thracians, newly come, apart from the others at the very end; and among them is their king Rhesus, son of Eioneus.
§10.436τοῦ δὴ καλλίστους ἵππους ἴδον ἠδὲ μεγίστους· §10.437λευκότεροι χιόνος, θείειν δʼ ἀνέμοισιν ὁμοῖοι· §10.438ἅρμα δέ οἱ χρυσῷ τε καὶ ἀργύρῳ εὖ ἤσκηται· §10.439τεύχεα δὲ χρύσεια πελώρια θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι §10.440ἤλυθʼ ἔχων· τὰ μὲν οὔ τι καταθνητοῖσιν ἔοικεν §10.441ἄνδρεσσιν φορέειν, ἀλλʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν.
Truly I saw his horses, the most beautiful and the largest; they are whiter than snow, and like the winds in running; and his chariot is well fashioned with gold and silver; and he came having golden armor, monstrous, a wonder to behold; these it is not meet for mortal men to wear, but for the immortal gods.
§10.442ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ μὲν νῦν νηυσὶ πελάσσετον ὠκυπόροισιν, §10.443ἠέ με δήσαντες λίπετʼ αὐτόθι νηλέϊ δεσμῷ, §10.444ὄφρά κεν ἔλθητον καὶ πειρηθῆτον ἐμεῖο §10.445ἠὲ κατʼ αἶσαν ἔειπον ἐν ὑμῖν, ἦε καὶ οὐκί. §10.446τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη κρατερὸς Διομήδης· §10.447μὴ δή μοι φύξίν γε Δόλων ἐμβάλλεο θυμῷ· §10.448ἐσθλά περ ἀγγείλας, ἐπεὶ ἵκεο χεῖρας ἐς ἁμάς.
But now, either bring me near to the swift-faring ships, or leave me here, having bound me with a pitiless bond, until you two go and make trial of me, whether I have spoken to you according to truth, or not." Then looking grimly at him, strong Diomedes addressed him: "Do not, Dolon, put any thought of escape in your heart, though you have brought good tidings, since you have come into our hands.
§10.449εἰ μὲν γάρ κέ σε νῦν ἀπολύσομεν ἠὲ μεθῶμεν, §10.450ἦ τε καὶ ὕστερον εἶσθα θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν §10.451ἠὲ διοπτεύσων ἢ ἐναντίβιον πολεμίξων· §10.452εἰ δέ κʼ ἐμῇς ὑπὸ χερσὶ δαμεὶς ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσῃς, §10.453οὐκέτʼ ἔπειτα σὺ πῆμά ποτʼ ἔσσεαι Ἀργείοισιν. §10.454ἦ, καὶ ὃ μέν μιν ἔμελλε γενείου χειρὶ παχείῃ §10.455ἁψάμενος λίσσεσθαι, ὃ δʼ αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε §10.456φασγάνῳ ἀΐξας, ἀπὸ δʼ ἄμφω κέρσε τένοντε· §10.457φθεγγομένου δʼ ἄρα τοῦ γε κάρη κονίῃσιν ἐμίχθη.
For if we now release you or let you go, surely you will come hereafter also to the swift ships of the Achaeans, either to spy upon us or to fight against us in open war; but if, subdued under my hands, you lose your life, never again hereafter will you be a bane to the Argives." He spoke, and the other was about to touch his chin with his stout hand in supplication, but Diomedes struck him full on the neck rushing upon him with his sword, and sheared through both sinews; and even while he was speaking, his head was mingled with the dust.
§10.458τοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν κτιδέην κυνέην κεφαλῆφιν ἕλοντο §10.459καὶ λυκέην καὶ τόξα παλίντονα καὶ δόρυ μακρόν· §10.460καὶ τά γʼ Ἀθηναίῃ ληΐτιδι δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς §10.461ὑψόσʼ ἀνέσχεθε χειρὶ καὶ εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηὔδα· §10.462χαῖρε θεὰ τοῖσδεσσι· σὲ γὰρ πρώτην ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ §10.463πάντων ἀθανάτων ἐπιδωσόμεθʼ· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὖτις §10.464πέμψον ἐπὶ Θρῃκῶν ἀνδρῶν ἵππους τε καὶ εὐνάς. §10.465ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, καὶ ἀπὸ ἕθεν ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας §10.466θῆκεν ἀνὰ μυρίκην· δέελον δʼ ἐπὶ σῆμά τʼ ἔθηκε §10.467συμμάρψας δόνακας μυρίκης τʼ ἐριθηλέας ὄζους, §10.468μὴ λάθοι αὖτις ἰόντε θοὴν διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν.
From him they took the cap of ferret-skin from his head, and the wolf-skin, and the back-bent bow, and the long spear; and these divine Odysseus held aloft in his hand to Athena, the giver of spoil, and made prayer and spoke a word: "Rejoice, goddess, in these; for you first of all the immortals in Olympus will we invoke; but send us yet again against the horses and sleeping-places of the Thracian men." So he spoke, and lifting them high from him laid them upon a tamarisk bush, and set a plain mark thereon, gathering together reeds and the luxuriant branches of the tamarisk, lest they should miss them as they came back through the swift, dark night.
§10.469τὼ δὲ βάτην προτέρω διά τʼ ἔντεα καὶ μέλαν αἷμα, §10.470αἶψα δʼ ἐπὶ Θρῃκῶν ἀνδρῶν τέλος ἷξον ἰόντες.
So the two went forward through the arms and the black blood, and quickly came to the company of the Thracian men.
§10.471οἳ δʼ εὗδον καμάτῳ ἀδηκότες, ἔντεα δέ σφιν §10.472καλὰ παρʼ αὐτοῖσι χθονὶ κέκλιτο εὖ κατὰ κόσμον §10.473τριστοιχί· παρὰ δέ σφιν ἑκάστῳ δίζυγες ἵπποι.
These were sleeping, worn out by weariness, and their beautiful armor was laid by them on the ground, well in order in three rows; and by each of them was a pair of horses.
§10.474Ῥῆσος δʼ ἐν μέσῳ εὗδε, παρʼ αὐτῷ δʼ ὠκέες ἵπποι §10.475ἐξ ἐπιδιφριάδος πυμάτης ἱμᾶσι δέδεντο.
Rhesus slept in the midst, and by him his swift horses were bound by thongs to the topmost rim of the chariot-seat.
§10.476τὸν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς προπάροιθεν ἰδὼν Διομήδεϊ δεῖξεν· §10.477οὗτός τοι Διόμηδες ἀνήρ, οὗτοι δέ τοι ἵπποι, §10.478οὓς νῶϊν πίφαυσκε Δόλων ὃν ἐπέφνομεν ἡμεῖς.
Odysseus was the first to see him, and pointed him out to Diomedes: "This, Diomedes, is the man, and these are the horses, of which Dolon, whom we slew, told us.
§10.479ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ πρόφερε κρατερὸν μένος· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ §10.480ἑστάμεναι μέλεον σὺν τεύχεσιν, ἀλλὰ λύʼ ἵππους· §10.481ἠὲ σύ γʼ ἄνδρας ἔναιρε, μελήσουσιν δʼ ἐμοὶ ἵπποι. §10.482ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἔμπνευσε μένος γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη, §10.483κτεῖνε δʼ ἐπιστροφάδην· τῶν δὲ στόνος ὄρνυτʼ ἀεικὴς §10.484ἄορι θεινομένων, ἐρυθαίνετο δʼ αἵματι γαῖα.
But come, put forth your strong might; it is not meet for you to stand idle with your weapons, but untie the horses; or do you slay the men, and the horses shall be my care." So he spoke, and flashing-eyed Athena breathed strength into Diomedes, and he slew left and right; and a hideous groaning arose from them as they were smitten with the sword, and the earth grew red with blood.
§10.485ὡς δὲ λέων μήλοισιν ἀσημάντοισιν ἐπελθὼν §10.486αἴγεσιν ἢ ὀΐεσσι κακὰ φρονέων ἐνορούσῃ, §10.487ὣς μὲν Θρήϊκας ἄνδρας ἐπῴχετο Τυδέος υἱὸς §10.488ὄφρα δυώδεκʼ ἔπεφνεν· ἀτὰρ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεὺς §10.489ὅν τινα Τυδεΐδης ἄορι πλήξειε παραστὰς §10.490τὸν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς μετόπισθε λαβὼν ποδὸς ἐξερύσασκε, §10.491τὰ φρονέων κατὰ θυμὸν ὅπως καλλίτριχες ἵπποι §10.492ῥεῖα διέλθοιεν μηδὲ τρομεοίατο θυμῷ §10.493νεκροῖς ἀμβαίνοντες· ἀήθεσσον γὰρ ἔτʼ αὐτῶν.
And as a lion, coming upon an unguarded flock of goats or sheep, leaps upon them with evil intent, so the son of Tydeus fell upon the Thracian men, until he had slain twelve; but resourceful Odysseus, whomever the son of Tydeus smote with his sword as he stood by him, him would Odysseus seize from behind by the foot and drag out, planning this in his heart, that the fair-maned horses might easily pass through, and not be affrighted in spirit as they stepped on the dead; for they were not yet used to them.
§10.494ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ βασιλῆα κιχήσατο Τυδέος υἱός, §10.495τὸν τρισκαιδέκατον μελιηδέα θυμὸν ἀπηύρα §10.496ἀσθμαίνοντα· κακὸν γὰρ ὄναρ κεφαλῆφιν ἐπέστη §10.497τὴν νύκτʼ Οἰνεΐδαο πάϊς διὰ μῆτιν Ἀθήνης.
But when the son of Tydeus reached the king, him, the thirteenth, he robbed of honey-sweet life as he gasped; for an evil dream stood over his head that night, even the son of Oeneus, through the counsel of Athena.
§10.498τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ ὃ τλήμων Ὀδυσεὺς λύε μώνυχας ἵππους, §10.499σὺν δʼ ἤειρεν ἱμᾶσι καὶ ἐξήλαυνεν ὁμίλου §10.500τόξῳ ἐπιπλήσσων, ἐπεὶ οὐ μάστιγα φαεινὴν §10.501ποικίλου ἐκ δίφροιο νοήσατο χερσὶν ἑλέσθαι· §10.502ῥοίζησεν δʼ ἄρα πιφαύσκων Διομήδεϊ δίῳ.
Meanwhile the steadfast Odysseus untied the single-hoofed horses, and bound them together with the thongs, and drove them out of the throng, striking them with his bow, since he had not thought to take with his hands the shining whip from the adorned chariot; and he whistled to give a sign to divine Diomedes.