spoke; but they were all still in silence, and the sons of the
Greeks being sad, kept silent long: at length Diomede, brave in the din
of battle, spoke:

"Son of Atreus, thee will I first oppose, speaking inconsiderately, as
is lawful, in the assembly; but be not thou the least offended. First
among the Greeks didst thou disparage my valour, saying that I was
unwarlike and weak;[292] and all this, as well the young as the old of
the Greeks know. One of two things hath the son of crafty Saturn given
thee: he has granted that thou shouldst be honoured by the sceptre above
all; but valour hath he not given thee, which is the greatest strength.
Strange man, dost thou then certainly think that the sons of the Greeks
are unwarlike and weak, as thou sayest? If indeed thy mind impels thee,
that thou shouldst return, go: the way lies open to thee, and thy ships
stand near the sea, which very many followed thee from Mycenae. But the
other long-haired Greeks will remain until we overthrow Troy: but if
they also [choose], let them fly with their ships to their dear
fatherland. But we twain, I and Sthenelus,[293] will fight, until we
find an end of Troy; for under the auspices of the deity we came."

[Footnote 292: Cf. iv. 370, sqq.]

[Footnote 293: Heyne compares Julius Caesar, Com. B. G. i. 40. "Si
praeterea nemo sequatur (contra Ariovistum), tamen se cum sola
decima legione iturum dicit."]

Thus he spoke; but all the sons of the Greeks applauded, admiring the
speech of steed-breaking Diomede. But them the knight Nestor, rising up,
addressed:

"Son of Tydeus, pre-eminently indeed art thou brave in battle, and the
best in council amongst all thine equals. No one has censured thy
discourse, nor contradicts it, as many as are the Greeks; but thou
comest not to an end of discussion.[294] Assuredly thou art youthful,
and mightst be my youngest son for age, yet thou speakest prudent words
to the kings of the Greeks, for thou hast said aright. But come, I who
boast to be older than thou, will speak out, and discuss everything: nor
will any one, not even king Agamemnon, disregard my speech. Tribeless,
lawless, homeless is he, who loves horrid civil war. But now, however,
let us obey dark night, and make ready suppers. But let the respective
guards lie down beside the trench, dug without the wall. To the youth,
indeed, I enjoin these things; but next, Atrides, do thou begin, for
thou art supreme. Give a banquet to the elde