Page 253 - the-iliad

have been at all times valorous, and wherever there has
been hard fighting have held my own among the foremost.
There may be those among the Achaeans who do not know
how I fight, but you know it well enough yourself.’
Idomeneus answered, ‘I know you for a brave man: you
need not tell me. If the best men at the ships were being cho-
sen to go on an ambush—and there is nothing like this for
showing what a man is made of; it comes out then who is
cowardly and who brave; the coward will change colour at
every touch and turn; he is full of fears, and keeps shifting
his weight first on one knee and then on the other; his heart
beats fast as he thinks of death, and one can hear the chat-
tering of his teeth; whereas the brave man will not change
colour nor be frightened on finding himself in ambush, but
is all the time longing to go into action—if the best men
were being chosen for such a service, no one could make
light of your courage nor feats of arms. If you were struck by
a dart or smitten in close combat, it would not be from be-
hind, in your neck nor back, but the weapon would hit you
in the chest or belly as you were pressing forward to a place
in the front ranks. But let us no longer stay here talking like
children, lest we be ill spoken of; go, fetch your spear from
the tent at once.’
On this Meriones, peer of Mars, went to the tent and got
himself a spear of bronze. He then followed after Idome-
neus, big with great deeds of valour. As when baneful Mars
sallies forth to battle, and his son Panic so strong and
dauntless goes with him, to strike terror even into the heart
of a hero—the pair have gone from Thrace to arm them-

The Iliad