Iliad by Homer - Join iZDOT

Homer’s Iliad
to do so, that the father of Telemachus will join battle with the
foremost of them. You are talking idly.”
When Agamemnon saw that Ulysses was angry, he smiled
pleasantly at him and withdrew his words. “Ulysses,” said he,
“noble son of Laertes, excellent in all good counsel, I have neither
fault to find nor orders to give you, for I know your heart is right,
and that you and I are of a mind. Enough; I will make you amends
for what I have said, and if any ill has now been spoken may the
gods bring it to nothing.”
He then left them and went on to others. Presently he saw the son
of Tydeus, noble Diomed, standing by his chariot and horses, with
Sthenelus the son of Capaneus beside him; whereon he began to
upbraid him. “Son of Tydeus,” he said, “why stand you cowering
here upon the brink of battle? Tydeus did not shrink thus, but was
ever ahead of his men when leading them on against the foe- so, at
least, say they that saw him in battle, for I never set eyes upon him
myself. They say that there was no man like him. He came once to
Mycenae, not as an enemy but as a guest, in company with
Polynices to recruit his forces, for they were levying war against
the strong city of Thebes, and prayed our people for a body of
picked men to help them. The men of Mycenae were willing to let
them have one, but Jove dissuaded them by showing them
unfavourable omens. Tydeus, therefore, and Polynices went their
way. When they had got as far the deep-meadowed and rushgrown
banks of the Aesopus, the Achaeans sent Tydeus as their
envoy, and he found the Cadmeans gathered in great numbers to a
banquet in the house of Eteocles. Stranger though he was, he knew
no fear on finding himself single-handed among so many, but
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