Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
He said this because he feared for Menelaus. Diomed answered, “If
you bid me take the man of my own choice, how in that case can I
fail to think of Ulysses, than whom there is no man more eager to
face all kinds of danger- and Pallas Minerva loves him well? If he
were to go with me we should pass safely through fire itself, for he
is quick to see and understand.”
“Son of Tydeus,” replied Ulysses, “say neither good nor ill about
me, for you are among Argives who know me well. Let us be
going, for the night wanes and dawn is at hand. The stars have
gone forward, two-thirds of the night are already spent, and the
third is alone left us.”
They then put on their armour. Brave Thrasymedes provided the
son of Tydeus with a sword and a shield (for he had left his own at
his ship) and on his head he set a helmet of bull’s hide without
either peak or crest; it is called a skull-cap and is a common
headgear. Meriones found a bow and quiver for Ulysses, and on
his head he set a leathern helmet that was lined with a strong
plaiting of leathern thongs, while on the outside it was thickly
studded with boar’s teeth, well and skilfully set into it; next the
head there was an inner lining of felt. This helmet had been stolen
by Autolycus out of Eleon when he broke into the house of
Amyntor son of Ormenus. He gave it to Amphidamas of Cythera to
take to Scandea, and Amphidamas gave it as a guest-gift to Molus,
who gave it to his son Meriones; and now it was set upon the head
of Ulysses.
When the pair had armed, they set out, and left the other chieftains
behind them. Pallas Minerva sent them a heron by the wayside
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