hildren in our
ships."

But he angrily rebuked those whom he saw shirking and disinclined to
fight. "Argives," he cried, "cowardly miserable creatures, have you no
shame to stand here like frightened fawns who, when they can no longer
scud over the plain, huddle together, but show no fight? You are as
dazed and spiritless as deer. Would you wait till the Trojans reach the
sterns of our ships as they lie on the shore, to see whether the son of
Saturn will hold his hand over you to protect you?"

Thus did he go about giving his orders among the ranks. Passing through
the crowd, he came presently on the Cretans, arming round Idomeneus,
who was at their head, fierce as a wild boar, while Meriones was
bringing up the battalions that were in the rear. Agamemnon was glad
when he saw him, and spoke him fairly. "Idomeneus," said he, "I treat
you with greater distinction than I do any others of the Achaeans,
whether in war or in other things, or at table. When the princes are
mixing my choicest wines in the mixing-bowls, they have each of them a
fixed allowance, but your cup is kept always full like my own, that you
may drink whenever you are minded. Go, therefore, into battle, and show
yourself the man you have been always proud to be."

Idomeneus answered, "I will be a trusty comrade, as I promised you from
the first I would be. Urge on the other Achaeans, that we may join
battle at once, for the Trojans have trampled upon their covenants.
Death and destruction shall be theirs, seeing they have been the first
to break their oaths and to attack us."

The son of Atreus went on, glad at heart, till he came upon the two
Ajaxes arming themselves amid a host of foot-soldiers. As when a
goat-herd from some high post watches a storm drive over the deep
before the west wind--black as pitch is the offing and a mighty
whirlwind draws towards him, so that he is afraid and drives his flock
into a cave--even thus did the ranks of stalwart youths move in a dark
mass to battle under the Ajaxes, horrid with shield and spear. Glad was
King Agamemnon when he saw them. "No need," he cried, "to give orders
to such leaders of the Argives as you are, for of your own selves you
spur your men on to fight with might and main. Would, by father Jove,
Minerva, and Apollo that all were so minded as you are, for the city of
Priam would then soon fall beneath our hands, and we should sack it."

With this he left them and went onward to Nestor, the facile