the king of men; after him arose brave
Diomede, son of Tydeus, and after them the Ajaces, clad in impetuous
valour: after them Idomeneus, and Meriones, the armour-bearer of
Idomeneus, equal to man-slaughtering Mars. After them Eurypylus, the
gallant son of Evaemon. And there [also arose] Thoas, son of Andraemon,
and divine Ulysses. All these wished to fight with noble Hector. But
these again the Gerenian knight Nestor addressed:

"Decide now, exclusively by lot, who shall obtain [the accepting of the
challenge]; for he indeed will aid the well-greaved Greeks; and he will
also delight his own soul, if he shall escape safe from the hostile war
and the grievous fight."

Thus he spoke, and they marked each his own lot, and they cast them into
the helmet of Agamemnon, the son of Atreus. The people supplicated, and
raised their hands to the gods, and thus would one of them say, looking
towards the wide heaven:

"O father Jove, grant that Ajax obtain the lot, or the son of Tydeus, or
the king himself of rich Mycenae."

Thus they spake, and the Gerenian knight Nestor shook [the lots], and
the lot of Ajax, which indeed they wished for, leaped forth from the
helmet. Then a herald bearing it around through the multitude, beginning
at the right, showed it to all the chiefs of the Greeks. But they, not
recognizing it, disclaimed it severally. But, when at last the herald,
carrying it round through the multitude, came to him, illustrious Ajax,
who had inscribed and cast it into the helmet, he [Ajax] stretched forth
his hand, and the herald standing near, placed it in it. Having
inspected it, he knew his own mark, and rejoiced in his soul. He cast it
on the ground at his feet, and said:

"O friends, surely the lot is mine, and I myself rejoice in my soul,
since I think that I shall conquer noble Hector. But come, while I put
on my warlike arms, do ye meantime pray to Jove, the Saturnian king,
silently within yourselves, that the Trojans may not hear; or even
openly, since we fear no one at all. For no one willingly shall, by
force, overcome me against my will, nor through my inexperience; since I
hope I have not been so ignorantly[258] born and bred at Salamis."

[Footnote 258: I. e. ignorant of arms.]

Thus he spoke: but they prayed to Jove, the Saturnian king; and thus
would one of them say looking towards the wide heaven:

"O father Jove, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most mighty, grant to
Ajax to bear away victory, a