Page 131 - the-iliad

a garment, and then Idomeneus, and Meriones his broth-
er in arms. After these Eurypylus son of Euaemon, Thoas
the son of Andraemon, and Ulysses also rose. Then Nestor
knight of Gerene again spoke, saying: ‘Cast lots among you
to see who shall be chosen. If he come alive out of this fight
he will have done good service alike to his own soul and to
the Achaeans.’
Thus he spoke, and when each of them had marked his
lot, and had thrown it into the helmet of Agamemnon son
of Atreus, the people lifted their hands in prayer, and thus
would one of them say as he looked into the vault of heaven,
‘Father Jove, grant that the lot fall on Ajax, or on the son of
Tydeus, or upon the king of rich Mycene himself.’
As they were speaking, Nestor knight of Gerene shook
the helmet, and from it there fell the very lot which they
wanted—the lot of Ajax. The herald bore it about and
showed it to all the chieftains of the Achaeans, going from
left to right; but they none of them owned it. When, how-
ever, in due course he reached the man who had written
upon it and had put it into the helmet, brave Ajax held out
his hand, and the herald gave him the lot. When Ajax saw
his mark he knew it and was glad; he threw it to the ground
and said, ‘My friends, the lot is mine, and I rejoice, for I
shall vanquish Hector. I will put on my armour; meanwhile,
pray to King Jove in silence among yourselves that the Tro-
jans may not hear you—or aloud if you will, for we fear no
man. None shall overcome me, neither by force nor cun-
ning, for I was born and bred in Salamis, and can hold my
own in all things.’

1 0 The Iliad