memnon, the son of Atreus, shepherd of the people, revolving many
things in his mind. As when the husband of fair-haired Juno thunders,
preparing either an abundant, immense shower, or hail or snow, when the
snow whitens the fields; or somewhere [preparing] the wide mouth[332] of
bitter war; so frequently groaned Agamemnon in his breast from the
bottom of his heart, and his mind was troubled within him. As often
indeed as he looked towards the Trojan plain, he wondered at the many
fires which were burning before Ilium, the sound of flutes and pipes,
and the tumult of men. But when he looked towards the ships and army of
the Greeks, he tore up many hairs from his head by the roots,[333]
[enraged at] Jove who dwells aloft, and deeply he groaned in his noble
heart. But this plan appeared best to him in his judgment; to repair
first to Neleian Nestor, [and see] whether with him he might contrive
some blameless counsel, which might be an averter of evil. Rising,
therefore, he wrapped his coat around his breast, and beneath his smooth
feet bound the beautiful sandals; next he threw around him the
blood-stained skin of a huge, tawny[334] lion, stretching to his ankles,
and grasped his spear. In like manner, a tremor possessed Menelaus, for
neither did sleep rest upon his eyelids, [through fear] lest the Greeks
should suffer aught, who on his account had come over the wide sea to
Troy, waging daring war. First with a spotted leopard's skin he covered
his broad back; and next, lifting his brazen helmet, placed it upon his
head, and grasped a spear in his stout hand. But he went to awaken his
brother, who had the chief command of all the Greeks, and was honoured
by the people like a god. Him he found by the prow of his ship, putting
his bright armour around his shoulders; and arriving, he was welcome to
him. Him first Menelaus, valiant in the din of war, addressed: "Why arm
thus, my respected brother? Or whom dost thou urge of thy companions to
go as a spy amongst the Trojans? In truth I very much fear that no one
will undertake this deed, going alone through the dead of night to
reconnoitre the enemy. Any one [who does so] will be bold-hearted
indeed."

[Footnote 332: Cicero pro Arch. Sec. 5, "Totius belli ore ac
faucibus."]

[Footnote 333: Or "one after another." Schol.: [Greek: ep'
allelous, e prorrizous]. See Merrick on Tryphiodor. 388; Alberti
on Hesych. t. ii. p. 1029.]

[Footnote 334: Or, "active, ragi