lles thus compassionate the sons of the Greeks, as many as have been
wounded with weapons? Nor knows he how great sorrow hath arisen
throughout the army; for the bravest lie in the ships, smitten in the
distant or the close fight.[384] Stricken is brave Diomede, the son of
Tydeus, and wounded is spear-renowned Ulysses, as well as Agamemnon.
Eurypylus also has been wounded in the thigh with an arrow; and this
other have I lately brought from battle, smitten with an arrow from the
bowstring: yet Achilles, being brave, regards not the Greeks, nor pities
them. Does he wait until the swift ships near the sea, contrary to the
will of the Greeks, be consumed with the hostile fire, and we ourselves
be slain one after the other? For my strength is not as it formerly was
in my active members. Would that I were thus young, and my might was
firm, as when a contest took place between the Eleans and us, about the
driving away some oxen, when, driving away in reprisal, I slew
Itymoneus, the valiant son of Hypeirochus, who dwelt in Elis: for he,
defending his cattle, was smitten among the first by a javelin from my
hand, and there fell; and his rustic troops fled on every side. And we
drove from the plain a very great booty, fifty droves of oxen, as many
flocks of sheep, as many herds of swine, and as many broad herds of
goats, one hundred and fifty yellow steeds, all mares, and beneath many
there were colts. And these we drove within Neleian Pylus, at night
towards the city; but Neleus was delighted in his mind, because many
things had fallen to my lot, going as a young man to the war. But with
the appearing morn, heralds cried aloud for those to approach to whom a
debt was due in rich Elis; and the leading heroes of the Pylians
assembling, divided [the spoil], (because the Epeans owed a debt to
many); for we in Pylus, [being] few, were overwhelmed with evil. For the
Herculean might, coming in former years, did us mischief, and as many as
were bravest were slain. For we, the sons of illustrious Neleus, were
twelve; of whom I alone am left, but all the rest have perished. Elated
at these things, the brazen-mailed Epeans, insulting us, devised wicked
deeds. But the old man chose for himself a herd of cattle and a large
flock of sheep, selecting three hundred and their shepherds; for even
to him a great debt was due in rich Elis: four horses, victorious in the
race, with their chariots, which had gone for the prizes; for they were
about to