t. I have to be sure
blameless sons, and I have numerous troops, some of whom indeed, going
round, might give the summons. But a very great necessity hath oppressed
the Greeks, and now are the affairs of all balanced on a razor's
edge[347], whether there be most sad destruction to the Greeks, or life.
Yet go now, since thou art younger, arouse swift Ajax, and the son of
Phyleus, if thou hast pity on me."

[Footnote 347: Herodot. vii. 11: [Greek: Epi xyrou gar tes akmes
echetai ymin ta pragmata]. Soph. Antig. 996: [Greek: phronei
bezos au nun epi xyrou tyne]. Theocrit. xxii. 6: [Greek:
Anthropon soteres epi xuoou ede eonton].]

Thus he spake; but the other threw around his shoulders the skin of a
huge tawny lion, reaching to his feet, and took his spear. He hastened
forth, and the hero, having aroused the rest, led them thence.

But when they now came to the assembled guards, they found not the
leaders of the guards slumbering, but all were sitting vigilantly with
their arms. As dogs with care keep watch around the sheep in a fold,
hearing the furious wild beast, which comes through the wood from the
mountains, but much clamour of men and dogs is against it, and sleep is
utterly lost to them; so was sweet slumber lost to their eyelids,
keeping guard during the sad night, for they were ever turned towards
the plain, whensoever they heard the Trojans advancing. But the old man
seeing them, rejoiced, and encouraged them with a speech, and addressing
them, spoke winged words:

"Thus now, dear children, keep watch; nor let sleep seize upon any, lest
we become a mockery to the enemy."

Thus saying, he crossed the trench; and with him followed the chiefs of
the Greeks, as many as had been summoned to the council. Along with
these went Meriones, and the illustrious son of Nestor; for they had
invited them, that they might consult with them. Having therefore passed
over the dug trench, they sat down in a clear space, where a piece of
ground appeared free from fallen dead bodies, whence impetuous Hector
had turned back, having destroyed the Greeks, when night at length
enveloped them. There sitting down, they addressed words to each other,
and to them the Gerenian knight Nestor began discourse:

"O friends, would not now some man put such confidence in his own
daring mind as to go against the magnanimous Trojans, if perchance he
might take some of the enemy straying in the outskirts of the camp, or
perhaps even