whether he should draw out the chariot by the pole, or lift it on high and carry it forth, or whether he should take the lives of yet more Thracians.
§10.507εἷος ὃ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα, τόφρα δʼ Ἀθήνη §10.508ἐγγύθεν ἱσταμένη προσέφη Διομήδεα δῖον· §10.509νόστου δὴ μνῆσαι μεγαθύμου Τυδέος υἱὲ §10.510νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς, μὴ καὶ πεφοβημένος ἔλθῃς, §10.511μή πού τις καὶ Τρῶας ἐγείρῃσιν θεὸς ἄλλος. §10.512ὣς φάθʼ, ὃ δὲ ξυνέηκε θεᾶς ὄπα φωνησάσης, §10.513καρπαλίμως δʼ ἵππων ἐπεβήσετο· κόψε δʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς §10.514τόξῳ· τοὶ δʼ ἐπέτοντο θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Ἀχαιῶν.
While he was pondering these things in his mind, Athena stood near and spoke to divine Diomedes: "Bethink thee of return, son of great-hearted Tydeus, to the hollow ships, lest thou go thither in flight, lest perchance some other god arouse the Trojans also." So she spoke, and he knew the voice of the goddess as she spoke, and quickly mounted the horses; and Odysseus smote them with his bow, and they flew toward the swift ships of the Achaeans.
§10.515οὐδʼ ἀλαοσκοπιὴν εἶχʼ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων §10.516ὡς ἴδʼ Ἀθηναίην μετὰ Τυδέος υἱὸν ἕπουσαν· §10.517τῇ κοτέων Τρώων κατεδύσετο πουλὺν ὅμιλον, §10.518ὦρσεν δὲ Θρῃκῶν βουληφόρον Ἱπποκόωντα §10.519Ῥήσου ἀνεψιὸν ἐσθλόν· ὃ δʼ ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνορούσας §10.520ὡς ἴδε χῶρον ἐρῆμον, ὅθʼ ἕστασαν ὠκέες ἵπποι, §10.521ἄνδράς τʼ ἀσπαίροντας ἐν ἀργαλέῃσι φονῇσιν, §10.522ᾤμωξέν τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα φίλον τʼ ὀνόμηνεν ἑταῖρον.
Nor did Apollo of the silver bow keep a blind watch, when he saw Athena attending the son of Tydeus; wroth with her, he entered the great throng of the Trojans, and aroused Hippocoon, a counselor of the Thracians, the noble kinsman of Rhesus; and he, leaping up from sleep, when he saw the place empty where the swift horses had stood, and the men gasping in the dreadful slaughter, groaned then and called by name on his dear companion.
§10.523Τρώων δὲ κλαγγή τε καὶ ἄσπετος ὦρτο κυδοιμὸς §10.524θυνόντων ἄμυδις· θηεῦντο δὲ μέρμερα ἔργα §10.525ὅσσʼ ἄνδρες ῥέξαντες ἔβαν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας.
And a clamor and unspeakable tumult arose from the Trojans as they ran together; and they gazed at the terrible deeds which the men had wrought and then gone to the hollow ships.
§10.526οἳ δʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵκανον ὅθι σκοπὸν Ἕκτορος ἔκταν, §10.527ἔνθʼ Ὀδυσεὺς μὲν ἔρυξε Διῒ φίλος ὠκέας ἵππους, §10.528Τυδεΐδης δὲ χαμᾶζε θορὼν ἔναρα βροτόεντα §10.529ἐν χείρεσσʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ τίθει, ἐπεβήσετο δʼ ἵππων· §10.530μάστιξεν δʼ ἵππους, τὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην §10.531νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς· τῇ γὰρ φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ.
But when they came to the place where they had slain the spy of Hector, there Odysseus, dear to Zeus, stayed the swift horses, and the son of Tydeus, leaping to the ground, placed the bloody spoils in the hands of Odysseus, and then mounted the horses; and he lashed the horses, and they flew nothing loth toward the hollow ships, for there it was pleasing to their hearts to go.
§10.532Νέστωρ δὲ πρῶτος κτύπον ἄϊε φώνησέν τε· §10.533ὦ φίλοι Ἀργείων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες §10.534ψεύσομαι, ἦ ἔτυμον ἐρέω;
And Nestor was the first to hear the sound, and spoke: "O friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives, shall I speak falsely, or shall I say the truth?
κέλεται δέ με θυμός.
Yet my heart bids me.
§10.535ἵππων μʼ ὠκυπόδων ἀμφὶ κτύπος οὔατα βάλλει.
The sound of swift-footed horses strikes upon my ears.
§10.536αἲ γὰρ δὴ Ὀδυσεύς τε καὶ ὃ κρατερὸς Διομήδης §10.537ὧδʼ ἄφαρ ἐκ Τρώων ἐλασαίατο μώνυχας ἵππους· §10.538ἀλλʼ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατὰ φρένα μή τι πάθωσιν §10.539Ἀργείων οἳ ἄριστοι ὑπὸ Τρώων ὀρυμαγδοῦ. §10.540οὔ πω πᾶν εἴρητο ἔπος ὅτʼ ἄρʼ ἤλυθον αὐτοί.
Would that Odysseus and strong Diomedes had thus quickly driven the single-hoofed horses from the Trojans; but terribly do I fear in my heart lest they have suffered some harm, they, the best of the Argives, from the clamor of the Trojans." Not yet was the whole word spoken when they themselves arrived.
§10.541καί ῥʼ οἳ μὲν κατέβησαν ἐπὶ χθόνα, τοὶ δὲ χαρέντες §10.542δεξιῇ ἠσπάζοντο ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισι· §10.543πρῶτος δʼ ἐξερέεινε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ· §10.544εἴπʼ ἄγε μʼ ὦ πολύαινʼ Ὀδυσεῦ μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν §10.545ὅππως τοῦσδʼ ἵππους λάβετον καταδύντες ὅμιλον §10.546Τρώων, ἦ τίς σφωε πόρεν θεὸς ἀντιβολήσας.
And they dismounted to the ground, and the others with joy welcomed them with the right hand and with gentle words; and Gerenian horseman Nestor was the first to question them: "Come, tell me, Odysseus, greatly praised, great glory of the Achaeans, how you two took these horses, having entered the throng of the Trojans; or did some god meet you and give them to you?
§10.547αἰνῶς ἀκτίνεσσιν ἐοικότες ἠελίοιο.
They are wondrously like the rays of the sun.
§10.548αἰεὶ μὲν Τρώεσσʼ ἐπιμίσγομαι, οὐδέ τί φημι §10.549μιμνάζειν παρὰ νηυσὶ γέρων περ ἐὼν πολεμιστής· §10.550ἀλλʼ οὔ πω τοίους ἵππους ἴδον οὐδὲ νόησα.
Ever do I mingle with the Trojans, nor do I say that I abide by the ships, old warrior though I am; yet never have I seen or marked such horses.
§10.551ἀλλά τινʼ ὔμμʼ ὀΐω δόμεναι θεὸν ἀντιάσαντα· §10.552ἀμφοτέρω γὰρ σφῶϊ φιλεῖ νεφεληγερέτα Ζεὺς §10.553κούρη τʼ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη. §10.554τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §10.555ὦ Νέστορ Νηληϊάδη μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν §10.556ῥεῖα θεός γʼ ἐθέλων καὶ ἀμείνονας ἠέ περ οἵδε §10.557ἵππους δωρήσαιτʼ, ἐπεὶ ἢ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσιν.
But I deem that some god met you and gave them; for both of you are loved by Zeus the cloud-gatherer and by the flashing-eyed daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus, Athena." Then resourceful Odysseus answered him and said: "Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans, easily could a god, if he willed, bestow even better horses than these, since the gods are far stronger.
§10.558ἵπποι δʼ οἵδε γεραιὲ νεήλυδες οὓς ἐρεείνεις §10.559Θρηΐκιοι· τὸν δέ σφιν ἄνακτʼ ἀγαθὸς Διομήδης §10.560ἔκτανε, πὰρ δʼ ἑτάρους δυοκαίδεκα πάντας ἀρίστους.
But these horses, old man, of which thou askest, are newly come from Thrace; and their king did brave Diomedes slay, and beside him twelve companions, all of them the best.
§10.561τὸν τρισκαιδέκατον σκοπὸν εἵλομεν ἐγγύθι νηῶν, §10.562τόν ῥα διοπτῆρα στρατοῦ ἔμμεναι ἡμετέροιο §10.563Ἕκτωρ τε προέηκε καὶ ἄλλοι Τρῶες ἀγαυοί. §10.564ὣς εἰπὼν τάφροιο διήλασε μώνυχας ἵππους §10.565καγχαλόων· ἅμα δʼ ἄλλοι ἴσαν χαίροντες Ἀχαιοί.
And the thirteenth, a spy, we took near the ships, whom to be a spy upon our camp Hector sent forth, and the other lordly Trojans." So saying, he drove the single-hoofed horses through the trench, laughing aloud; and with him went the other Achaeans rejoicing.
§10.566οἳ δʼ ὅτε Τυδεΐδεω κλισίην εὔτυκτον ἵκοντο, §10.567ἵππους μὲν κατέδησαν ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσι §10.568φάτνῃ ἐφʼ ἱππείῃ, ὅθι περ Διομήδεος ἵπποι §10.569ἕστασαν ὠκύποδες μελιηδέα πυρὸν ἔδοντες· §10.570νηῒ δʼ ἐνὶ πρυμνῇ ἔναρα βροτόεντα Δόλωνος §10.571θῆκʼ Ὀδυσεύς, ὄφρʼ ἱρὸν ἑτοιμασσαίατʼ Ἀθήνῃ.
And when they came to the well-built shelter of the son of Tydeus, they bound the horses with well-cut thongs at the horses' manger, where the swift-footed horses of Diomedes stood eating honey-sweet wheat; and in the stern of the ship Odysseus laid the bloody spoils of Dolon, until they should make ready a sacred offering to Athena.
But they themselves washed off the abundant sweat in the sea, entering in, from their shins and necks and thighs.
§10.574αὐτὰρ ἐπεί σφιν κῦμα θαλάσσης ἱδρῶ πολλὸν §10.575νίψεν ἀπὸ χρωτὸς καὶ ἀνέψυχθεν φίλον ἦτορ, §10.576ἔς ῥʼ ἀσαμίνθους βάντες ἐϋξέστας λούσαντο.
And when the wave of the sea had washed the abundant sweat from their skin, and their dear hearts were refreshed, they went into well-polished baths and bathed.
§10.577τὼ δὲ λοεσσαμένω καὶ ἀλειψαμένω λίπʼ ἐλαίῳ §10.578δείπνῳ ἐφιζανέτην, ἀπὸ δὲ κρητῆρος Ἀθήνῃ §10.579πλείου ἀφυσσόμενοι λεῖβον μελιηδέα οἶνον.
And having bathed and anointed themselves with olive oil, they sat down to meat, and from the full bowl to Athena they poured libations of honey-sweet wine, drawing it forth.