Page 275 - the-iliad

er of the Achaeans hear you say what no man who knows
how to give good counsel, no king over so great a host as
that of the Argives should ever have let fall from his lips. I
despise your judgement utterly for what you have been say-
ing. Would you, then, have us draw down our ships into the
water while the battle is raging, and thus play further into
the hands of the conquering Trojans? It would be ruin; the
Achaeans will not go on fighting when they see the ships be-
ing drawn into the water, but will cease attacking and keep
turning their eyes towards them; your counsel, therefore,
sir captain, would be our destruction.’
Agamemnon answered, ‘Ulysses, your rebuke has stung
me to the heart. I am not, however, ordering the Achae-
ans to draw their ships into the sea whether they will or no.
Someone, it may be, old or young, can offer us better coun-
sel which I shall rejoice to hear.’
Then said Diomed, ‘Such an one is at hand; he is not far
to seek, if you will listen to me and not resent my speaking
though I am younger than any of you. I am by lineage son
to a noble sire, Tydeus, who lies buried at Thebes. For Porth-
eus had three noble sons, two of whom, Agrius and Melas,
abode in Pleuron and rocky Calydon. The third was the
knight Oeneus, my father’s father, and he was the most val-
iant of them all. Oeneus remained in his own country, but
my father (as Jove and the other gods ordained it) migrated
to Argos. He married into the family of Adrastus, and his
house was one of great abundance, for he had large estates
of rich corn-growing land, with much orchard ground as
well, and he had many sheep; moreover he excelled all the

The Iliad