proceeding, they came immediately to the band of
the Thracian heroes. But they were sleeping, overpowered with fatigue;
and their beautiful armour lay upon the ground beside them, carefully in
order, in three rows: and by each of them [stood] a yoke of horses.
Rhesus slept in the midst, and beside him his swift horses were fastened
by the reins to the outer rim[357] of the chariot. And Ulysses first
observing, pointed him out to Diomede:

"This [is] the man, O Diomede, and these [are] the horses, which Dolon,
whom we slew, pointed out to us. But come now, exert thy mighty
strength; nor does it at all become thee to stand leisurely with thy
armour. Loose therefore the steeds, or do thou slay the men, and the
horses shall be my care."

[Footnote 356: [Greek: Summarpsas]. Ernesti says: "Confregit
leviter arundines, et addidit similiter confractis myricae
frondibus."]

[Footnote 357: Ernesti regards [Greek: epidiphriados] as an
adjective, with [Greek: antygos] understood.]

Thus he spoke; but into him azure-eyed Minerva breathed valour, and he
slaughtered, turning himself on every side, and a dreadful groaning
arose of those smitten with the sword; and the earth grew red with
blood. As when a lion, coming upon unprotected flocks of goats or sheep,
rushes upon them, designing evils, so fell the son of Tydeus upon the
Thracian men, until he had slain twelve. But much-counselling
Ulysses--whomsoever Diomede standing beside struck with the sword--him
Ulysses dragged backwards, seizing by the foot; meditating these things
in his mind, that the fair-maned steeds should pass through easily, nor
should tremble in spirit, treading on the corses; for as yet they were
unused to them. But when now the son of Tydeus had reached the king,
him, the thirteenth, he deprived of sweet life, panting; for by the
counsel of Minerva an evil dream had stood over his head during the
night, [in likeness of] the son of oeneus: but in the meantime patient
Ulysses was untying the solid-hoofed steeds. With the reins he bound
them together and drove them from the crowd, lashing them with his bow,
because he thought not of taking with his hands the splendid lash from
the well-wrought chariot seat; and then he whistled as a signal to noble
Diomede. But he remaining, was meditating what most daring deed he
should do; whether seizing the car, where lay the embroidered armour, he
should drag it out by the pole[358] or bear it away, raising