for he was not wont to fight with bow or with long spear, but with an iron mace he was wont to break the phalanxes.
§7.142τὸν Λυκόοργος ἔπεφνε δόλῳ, οὔ τι κράτεΐ γε, §7.143στεινωπῷ ἐν ὁδῷ ὅθʼ ἄρʼ οὐ κορύνη οἱ ὄλεθρον §7.144χραῖσμε σιδηρείη· πρὶν γὰρ Λυκόοργος ὑποφθὰς §7.145δουρὶ μέσον περόνησεν, ὃ δʼ ὕπτιος οὔδει ἐρείσθη· §7.146τεύχεα δʼ ἐξενάριξε, τά οἱ πόρε χάλκεος Ἄρης.
Him Lycurgus slew by guile, and not by might, in a narrow way, where his iron mace did not ward off destruction from him; for Lycurgus, anticipating him, pierced him through the middle with his spear, and he was stretched on his back upon the ground; and Lycurgus stripped off his armor, which bronze Ares had given him.
§7.147καὶ τὰ μὲν αὐτὸς ἔπειτα φόρει μετὰ μῶλον Ἄρηος· §7.148αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Λυκόοργος ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἐγήρα, §7.149δῶκε δʼ Ἐρευθαλίωνι φίλῳ θεράποντι φορῆναι·
And this armor Lycurgus himself thereafter wore in the toil of Ares; but when Lycurgus grew old in his halls, he gave it to Ereuthalion, his dear squire, to wear.
§7.150τοῦ ὅ γε τεύχεʼ ἔχων προκαλίζετο πάντας ἀρίστους.
Wearing this man's armor, he challenged all the chief men.
§7.151οἳ δὲ μάλʼ ἐτρόμεον καὶ ἐδείδισαν, οὐδέ τις ἔτλη· §7.152ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ θυμὸς ἀνῆκε πολυτλήμων πολεμίζειν §7.153θάρσεϊ ᾧ· γενεῇ δὲ νεώτατος ἔσκον ἁπάντων·
But they trembled and feared greatly, and no one dared; yet my enduring heart impelled me to fight by its own boldness; though in birth I was the youngest of them all.
§7.154καὶ μαχόμην οἱ ἐγώ, δῶκεν δέ μοι εὖχος Ἀθήνη.
And I fought with him, and Athena gave me glory.
§7.155τὸν δὴ μήκιστον καὶ κάρτιστον κτάνον ἄνδρα· §7.156πολλὸς γάρ τις ἔκειτο παρήορος ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα.
Thus I slew that man who was the tallest and strongest; for a vast form he lay stretched out this way and that.
§7.157εἴθʼ ὣς ἡβώοιμι, βίη δέ μοι ἔμπεδος εἴη·
Would that I were now so young, and my strength were still firm within me!
§7.158τώ κε τάχʼ ἀντήσειε μάχης κορυθαίολος Ἕκτωρ.
Then would Hector of the flashing helmet soon meet his match in battle.
§7.159ὑμέων δʼ οἵ περ ἔασιν ἀριστῆες Παναχαιῶν §7.160οὐδʼ οἳ προφρονέως μέμαθʼ Ἕκτορος ἀντίον ἐλθεῖν. §7.161ὣς νείκεσσʼ ὃ γέρων, οἳ δʼ ἐννέα πάντες ἀνέσταν.
But of you, who are the chief men of all the Achaeans, not even you are eager to go face to face against Hector." Thus the old man reproached them, and they all, nine in number, stood up.
§7.162ὦρτο πολὺ πρῶτος μὲν ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγαμέμνων, §7.163τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ Τυδεΐδης ὦρτο κρατερὸς Διομήδης, §7.164τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ Αἴαντες θοῦριν ἐπιειμένοι ἀλκήν, §7.165τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ Ἰδομενεὺς καὶ ὀπάων Ἰδομενῆος §7.166Μηριόνης ἀτάλαντος Ἐνυαλίῳ ἀνδρειφόντῃ, §7.167τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ Εὐρύπυλος Εὐαίμονος ἀγλαὸς υἱός, §7.168ἂν δὲ Θόας Ἀνδραιμονίδης καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·
Far first rose Agamemnon, lord of men, and after him rose strong Diomedes, son of Tydeus, and after them the Ajaxes, clothed in impetuous valor, and after them Idomeneus and Idomeneus' companion, Meriones, peer of Enyalius, slayer of men, and after them Eurypylus, the glorious son of Euaemon, and up rose Thoas, son of Andraemon, and noble Odysseus.
§7.169πάντες ἄρʼ οἵ γʼ ἔθελον πολεμίζειν Ἕκτορι δίῳ.
All these, then, were willing to fight with noble Hector.
§7.170τοῖς δʼ αὖτις μετέειπε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ· §7.171κλήρῳ νῦν πεπάλασθε διαμπερὲς ὅς κε λάχῃσιν· §7.172οὗτος γὰρ δὴ ὀνήσει ἐϋκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς, §7.173καὶ δʼ αὐτὸς ὃν θυμὸν ὀνήσεται αἴ κε φύγῃσι §7.174δηΐου ἐκ πολέμοιο καὶ αἰνῆς δηϊοτῆτος. §7.175ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δὲ κλῆρον ἐσημήναντο ἕκαστος, §7.176ἐν δʼ ἔβαλον κυνέῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο.
To them again spoke the Gerenian horseman Nestor: "Cast lots now, from first to last, for him who shall win; for he shall indeed profit the well-greaved Achaeans, and he shall also profit his own soul, if he escapes from the hostile war and grim combat." So he spoke, and they marked each his own lot, and cast them into the helmet of Agamemnon, son of Atreus.
§7.177λαοὶ δʼ ἠρήσαντο, θεοῖσι δὲ χεῖρας ἀνέσχον· §7.178ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν ἰδὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν· §7.179Ζεῦ πάτερ ἢ Αἴαντα λαχεῖν, ἢ Τυδέος υἱόν, §7.180ἢ αὐτὸν βασιλῆα πολυχρύσοιο Μυκήνης. §7.181ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν, πάλλεν δὲ Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ, §7.182ἐκ δʼ ἔθορε κλῆρος κυνέης ὃν ἄρʼ ἤθελον αὐτοὶ §7.183Αἴαντος·
And the people prayed, and lifted up their hands to the gods; and thus would one say, looking up into the wide heaven: "Father Zeus, grant that the lot fall to Ajax, or to the son of Tydeus, or to the king of wealthy Mycenae himself." So they spoke, and the Gerenian horseman Nestor shook the helmet, and there leapt forth from the helmet the lot that they themselves desired, even the lot of Ajax.
κῆρυξ δὲ φέρων ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἁπάντῃ §7.184δεῖξʼ ἐνδέξια πᾶσιν ἀριστήεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.
And the herald carried it through the crowd everywhere, and showed it from right to left to all the chief men of the Achaeans.
§7.185οἳ δʼ οὐ γιγνώσκοντες ἀπηνήναντο ἕκαστος.
But they, not recognizing it, denied it each one.
§7.186ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸν ἵκανε φέρων ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἁπάντῃ §7.187ὅς μιν ἐπιγράψας κυνέῃ βάλε φαίδιμος Αἴας, §7.188ἤτοι ὑπέσχεθε χεῖρʼ, ὃ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔμβαλεν ἄγχι παραστάς,
But when at length, carrying it through the crowd everywhere, the herald came to him who had marked it and cast it into the helmet, even illustrious Ajax, he held out his hand, and the herald stood near and placed it therein.
§7.189γνῶ δὲ κλήρου σῆμα ἰδών, γήθησε δὲ θυμῷ.
And Ajax saw the mark of the lot and recognized it, and rejoiced in his heart.
§7.190τὸν μὲν πὰρ πόδʼ ἑὸν χαμάδις βάλε φώνησέν τε· §7.191ὦ φίλοι ἤτοι κλῆρος ἐμός, χαίρω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς §7.192θυμῷ, ἐπεὶ δοκέω νικησέμεν Ἕκτορα δῖον.
He threw it on the ground beside his foot, and spoke: "O friends, surely the lot is mine, and I myself rejoice in my heart, since I think I shall defeat noble Hector.
§7.193ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ πολεμήϊα τεύχεα δύω, §7.194τόφρʼ ὑμεῖς εὔχεσθε Διὶ Κρονίωνι ἄνακτι §7.195σιγῇ ἐφʼ ὑμείων ἵνα μὴ Τρῶές γε πύθωνται, §7.196ἠὲ καὶ ἀμφαδίην, ἐπεὶ οὔ τινα δείδιμεν ἔμπης·
But come, while I am putting on my battle armor, meanwhile pray ye to lord Zeus, son of Cronos, silently in your own minds, that the Trojans may not hear, or even openly, since we fear no one at all.
§7.197οὐ γάρ τίς με βίῃ γε ἑκὼν ἀέκοντα δίηται §7.198οὐδέ τι ἰδρείῃ, ἐπεὶ οὐδʼ ἐμὲ νήϊδά γʼ οὕτως §7.199ἔλπομαι ἐν Σαλαμῖνι γενέσθαι τε τραφέμεν τε. §7.200ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἳ δʼ εὔχοντο Διὶ Κρονίωνι ἄνακτι· §7.201ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν ἰδὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν εὐρύν· §7.202Ζεῦ πάτερ Ἴδηθεν μεδέων κύδιστε μέγιστε §7.203δὸς νίκην Αἴαντι καὶ ἀγλαὸν εὖχος ἀρέσθαι· §7.204εἰ δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορά περ φιλέεις καὶ κήδεαι αὐτοῦ, §7.205ἴσην ἀμφοτέροισι βίην καὶ κῦδος ὄπασσον.
For no one shall drive me by force against my will, nor by any skill, since I hope that I was not born and bred so utterly unskilled in Salamis." So he spoke, and they prayed to lord Zeus, son of Cronos; and thus would one say, looking up into the wide heaven: "Father Zeus, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most great, grant victory to Ajax and that he may win glorious fame; but if thou also lovest Hector and carest for him, vouchsafe to both equal strength and glory."