Page 185 - the-iliad

about his comely feet. He buckled on his purple coat, of two
thicknesses, large, and of a rough shaggy texture, grasped
his redoubtable bronze-shod spear, and wended his way
along the line of the Achaean ships. First he called loudly
to Ulysses peer of gods in counsel and woke him, for he was
soon roused by the sound of the battle-cry. He came outside
his tent and said, ‘Why do you go thus alone about the host,
and along the line of the ships in the stillness of the night?
What is it that you find so urgent?’ And Nestor knight of
Gerene answered, ‘Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, take it not
amiss, for the Achaeans are in great straits. Come with me
and let us wake some other, who may advise well with us
whether we shall fight or fly.’
On this Ulysses went at once into his tent, put his shield
about his shoulders and came out with them. First they
went to Diomed son of Tydeus, and found him outside his
tent clad in his armour with his comrades sleeping round
him and using their shields as pillows; as for their spears,
they stood upright on the spikes of their butts that were
driven into the ground, and the burnished bronze flashed
afar like the lightning of father Jove. The hero was sleeping
upon the skin of an ox, with a piece of fine carpet under
his head; Nestor went up to him and stirred him with his
heel to rouse him, upbraiding him and urging him to bestir
himself. ‘Wake up,’ he exclaimed, ‘son of Tydeus. How can
you sleep on in this way? Can you not see that the Trojans
are encamped on the brow of the plain hard by our ships,
with but a little space between us and them?’
On these words Diomed leaped up instantly and said,

1 The Iliad