new him. He also perceived a remarkable steed outstripping, which in
every other part indeed was chesnut, but in its forehead was a white
round spot, like the moon. And he stood erect, and delivered this speech
amongst the Greeks:

[Footnote 753: "Videtur proverbii loco dictum in eos, qui non
facile, non sine gravi labore ac difficultate consequi possent,
quod peterent, sive qui rem valde difficilem
peterent."--Ernesti.]

[Footnote 754: See note on vii. p. 129, n. 2.]

"O friends, leaders and chieftains of the Greeks, do I alone recognize
the horses, or do ye also? Different steeds indeed appear to me to be
foremost, and there seems a different charioteer; but those [mares]
which hitherto were successful, are probably hurt upon the plain
somewhere: for surely I first saw them turning round the goal, but now I
can no longer see them, although my eyes survey the Trojan plain as I
gaze around. Surely the reins have fled the charioteer, and he could not
rein well round the goal, and did not succeed in turning. There I
imagine he fell out, and at the same time broke his chariot, whilst they
(the mares) bolted, when fury seized their mind. But do ye also,
standing up, look, for I cannot well distinguish; it appears to me to be
an AEtolian hero by birth, and [who] rules amongst the Argives, the son
of horse-breaking Tydeus, gallant Diomede."

But him swift Ajax, the son of Oileus, bitterly reproached:

"Idomeneus, why dost thou prate endlessly?[755] Those high-prancing
mares run over the vast plain afar. Neither art thou so much the
youngest amongst the Greeks, nor do thine eyes see most sharply from thy
head: but thou art always prating with words. Nor is it at all necessary
for thee to be a prater, for others better than thou are present. For
the mares of Eumelus are still[756] foremost, which were so before, and
he himself is advancing, holding the reins."

But him the leader of the Cretans, indignant, answered in turn:

"Ajax, best at abuse, reviler, but in all other things thou art inferior
to the Greeks, because thy temper is morose; come now, let us stake a
tripod[757] or a goblet, and let us both appoint Agamemnon, the son of
Atreus, arbiter, which horses are foremost; that paying, thou mayest
learn."

[Footnote 755: "[Greek: Paros] implies habit, as in i. 553,
particularly in connection with a verb of such import, as in
xviii. 425."--Kennedy.]

[Footnote 756: This is implied in [G