§23.623θεύσεαι· ἤδη γὰρ χαλεπὸν κατὰ γῆρας ἐπείγει. §23.624ὣς εἰπὼν ἐν χερσὶ τίθει· ὃ δʼ ἐδέξατο χαίρων, §23.625καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §23.626ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα τέκος κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες·
nor run; for now bitter old age presses hard upon you." So he spoke and placed it in his hands; and Nestor received it rejoicing, and addressing him, spoke winged words: "Yes indeed, all these things, my child, you have spoken rightly.
§23.627οὐ γὰρ ἔτʼ ἔμπεδα γυῖα φίλος πόδες, οὐδέ τι χεῖρες §23.628ὤμων ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἐπαΐσσονται ἐλαφραί.
For my limbs are no longer firm, my friend, nor do my feet, nor my hands shoot out lightly from my shoulders on either side.
§23.629εἴθʼ ὣς ἡβώοιμι βίη τέ μοι ἔμπεδος εἴη §23.630ὡς ὁπότε κρείοντʼ Ἀμαρυγκέα θάπτον Ἐπειοὶ §23.631Βουπρασίῳ, παῖδες δʼ ἔθεσαν βασιλῆος ἄεθλα· §23.632ἔνθʼ οὔ τίς μοι ὁμοῖος ἀνὴρ γένετʼ, οὔτʼ ἄρʼ Ἐπειῶν §23.633οὔτʼ αὐτῶν Πυλίων οὔτʼ Αἰτωλῶν μεγαθύμων.
Would that I were as young and my strength were as firm as when the Epeians buried lord Amarynceus at Buprasium, and the sons of the king set up prizes; there no man was my equal, neither of the Epeians nor of the Pylians themselves, nor of the great-hearted Aetolians.
§23.634πὺξ μὲν ἐνίκησα Κλυτομήδεα Ἤνοπος υἱόν, §23.635Ἀγκαῖον δὲ πάλῃ Πλευρώνιον, ὅς μοι ἀνέστη· §23.636Ἴφικλον δὲ πόδεσσι παρέδραμον ἐσθλὸν ἐόντα, §23.637δουρὶ δʼ ὑπειρέβαλον Φυλῆά τε καὶ Πολύδωρον.
In boxing I defeated Clytomedes, son of Enops, and in wrestling Ancaeus of Pleuron, who stood up against me; and in the footrace I outran Iphiclus, fleet though he was, and with the spear I outthrew Phyleus and Polydorus.
§23.638οἴοισίν μʼ ἵπποισι παρήλασαν Ἀκτορίωνε §23.639πλήθει πρόσθε βαλόντες ἀγασσάμενοι περὶ νίκης, §23.640οὕνεκα δὴ τὰ μέγιστα παρʼ αὐτόθι λείπετʼ ἄεθλα.
Only in the chariot race did the sons of Actor pass me, outstripping me by their number, grudging me the victory, because the greatest prizes were left there.
§23.641οἳ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔσαν δίδυμοι· ὃ μὲν ἔμπεδον ἡνιόχευεν, §23.642ἔμπεδον ἡνιόχευʼ, ὃ δʼ ἄρα μάστιγι κέλευεν.
For they were twins: one guided the reins firmly, guided them firmly, while the other urged the horses with the whip.
§23.643ὥς ποτʼ ἔον· νῦν αὖτε νεώτεροι ἀντιοώντων §23.644ἔργων τοιούτων· ἐμὲ δὲ χρὴ γήραϊ λυγρῷ §23.645πείθεσθαι, τότε δʼ αὖτε μετέπρεπον ἡρώεσσιν.
Such was I once; but now let younger men meet such deeds; and I must yield to grievous old age, though then I was pre-eminent among heroes.
§23.646ἀλλʼ ἴθι καὶ σὸν ἑταῖρον ἀέθλοισι κτερέϊζε.
But go, and honor your companion with games.
§23.647τοῦτο δʼ ἐγὼ πρόφρων δέχομαι, χαίρει δέ μοι ἦτορ, §23.648ὥς μευ ἀεὶ μέμνησαι ἐνηέος, οὐδέ σε λήθω, §23.649τιμῆς ἧς τέ μʼ ἔοικε τετιμῆσθαι μετʼ Ἀχαιοῖς.
This gift I accept gladly, and my heart rejoices that you always remember my kindness, nor does it escape you what honor it is fitting for me to receive among the Achaeans.
§23.650σοὶ δὲ θεοὶ τῶνδʼ ἀντὶ χάριν μενοεικέα δοῖεν. §23.651ὣς φάτο, Πηλεΐδης δὲ πολὺν καθʼ ὅμιλον Ἀχαιῶν §23.652ᾤχετʼ, ἐπεὶ πάντʼ αἶνον ἐπέκλυε Νηλεΐδαο.
And may the gods give you in return a fitting grace for these things." So he spoke, and the son of Peleus went through the great crowd of Achaeans, when he had heard all the praise of the son of Neleus.
§23.653αὐτὰρ ὃ πυγμαχίης ἀλεγεινῆς θῆκεν ἄεθλα· §23.654ἡμίονον ταλαεργὸν ἄγων κατέδησʼ ἐν ἀγῶνι §23.655ἑξέτεʼ ἀδμήτην, ἥ τʼ ἀλγίστη δαμάσασθαι· §23.656τῷ δʼ ἄρα νικηθέντι τίθει δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον.
Then he set up prizes for the painful boxing match: leading a sturdy mule, he tied her in the ring, six years old, unbroken, which is the hardest to tame; and for the loser he set a double-handled cup.
§23.657στῆ δʼ ὀρθὸς καὶ μῦθον ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἔειπεν· §23.658Ἀτρεΐδη τε καὶ ἄλλοι ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ §23.659ἄνδρε δύω περὶ τῶνδε κελεύομεν, ὥ περ ἀρίστω, §23.660πὺξ μάλʼ ἀνασχομένω πεπληγέμεν·
He stood upright and spoke a word among the Argives: "Son of Atreus, and you other well-greaved Achaeans, we bid two men, whoever are the best, to stand up and box, raising their hands on high.
ᾧ δέ κʼ Ἀπόλλων §23.661δώῃ καμμονίην, γνώωσι δὲ πάντες Ἀχαιοί, §23.662ἡμίονον ταλαεργὸν ἄγων κλισίην δὲ νεέσθω· §23.663αὐτὰρ ὃ νικηθεὶς δέπας οἴσεται ἀμφικύπελλον. §23.664ὣς ἔφατʼ, ὄρνυτο δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀνὴρ ἠΰς τε μέγας τε §23.665εἰδὼς πυγμαχίης υἱὸς Πανοπῆος Ἐπειός, §23.666ἅψατο δʼ ἡμιόνου ταλαεργοῦ φώνησέν τε· §23.667ἆσσον ἴτω ὅς τις δέπας οἴσεται ἀμφικύπελλον· §23.668ἡμίονον δʼ οὔ φημί τινʼ ἀξέμεν ἄλλον Ἀχαιῶν §23.669πυγμῇ νικήσαντʼ, ἐπεὶ εὔχομαι εἶναι ἄριστος.
And he to whom Apollo gives endurance, and all the Achaeans acknowledge it, let him lead the sturdy mule and go to his tent; but the loser shall bear away the double-handled cup." So he spoke, and straightway arose a man brave and tall, skilled in boxing, Epeius, son of Panopeus, and he laid hold of the sturdy mule and spoke: "Let him come near, whoever is to bear away the double-handled cup; but the mule I say no other of the Achaeans shall lead away, by defeating me in boxing, since I claim to be the best.
§23.670ἦ οὐχ ἅλις ὅττι μάχης ἐπιδεύομαι;
Is it not enough that I fall short in battle?
οὐδʼ ἄρα πως ἦν §23.671ἐν πάντεσσʼ ἔργοισι δαήμονα φῶτα γενέσθαι.
Truly it was never possible for a man to be skilled in every kind of work.
§23.672ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, τὸ δὲ καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται· §23.673ἀντικρὺ χρόα τε ῥήξω σύν τʼ ὀστέʼ ἀράξω.
For thus I declare, and it shall indeed be accomplished: I will tear his flesh utterly and crush his bones.
§23.674κηδεμόνες δέ οἱ ἐνθάδʼ ἀολλέες αὖθι μενόντων, §23.675οἵ κέ μιν ἐξοίσουσιν ἐμῇς ὑπὸ χερσὶ δαμέντα. §23.676ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.
And let his kinsmen remain here assembled together, that they may carry him out when vanquished under my hands." So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence.
§23.677Εὐρύαλος δέ οἱ οἶος ἀνίστατο ἰσόθεος φὼς §23.678Μηκιστῆος υἱὸς Ταλαϊονίδαο ἄνακτος, §23.679ὅς ποτε Θήβας δʼ ἦλθε δεδουπότος Οἰδιπόδαο §23.680ἐς τάφον· ἔνθα δὲ πάντας ἐνίκα Καδμείωνας.
And Euryalus alone stood up against him, a godlike man, the son of King Mecisteus, son of Talaus, who once came to Thebes for the funeral of Oedipus when he had fallen; and there he defeated all the Cadmeians.
§23.681τὸν μὲν Τυδεΐδης δουρὶ κλυτὸς ἀμφεπονεῖτο §23.682θαρσύνων ἔπεσιν, μέγα δʼ αὐτῷ βούλετο νίκην.
Him the son of Tydeus, famous with the spear, attended, encouraging him with words, and he wished him victory greatly.
First he cast a girdle about him, and then gave him well-cut thongs of a wild bull's hide.
§23.685τὼ δὲ ζωσαμένω βήτην ἐς μέσσον ἀγῶνα, §23.686ἄντα δʼ ἀνασχομένω χερσὶ στιβαρῇσιν ἅμʼ ἄμφω §23.687σύν ῥʼ ἔπεσον, σὺν δέ σφι βαρεῖαι χεῖρες ἔμιχθεν.
So the two, having girded themselves, went into the midst of the ring, and raising their strong hands against each other, both together fell to, and their heavy hands clashed.
§23.688δεινὸς δὲ χρόμαδος γενύων γένετʼ, ἔρρεε δʼ ἱδρὼς §23.689πάντοθεν ἐκ μελέων· ἐπὶ δʼ ὄρνυτο δῖος Ἐπειός, §23.690κόψε δὲ παπτήναντα παρήϊον· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτι δὴν §23.691ἑστήκειν· αὐτοῦ γὰρ ὑπήριπε φαίδιμα γυῖα.
And a terrible grinding of jaws arose, and sweat flowed everywhere from their limbs; and noble Epeius rushed on, and struck Euryalus on the cheek as he peered for an opening; and no longer could he stand, for his glorious limbs sank beneath him.