Page 468 - the-iliad

a little on one side. The son of Atreus was afraid and shout-
ed out, ‘Antilochus, you are driving recklessly; rein in your
horses; the road is too narrow here, it will be wider soon,
and you can pass me then; if you foul my chariot you may
bring both of us to a mischief.’
But Antilochus plied his whip, and drove faster, as though
he had not heard him. They went side by side for about as
far as a young man can hurl a disc from his shoulder when
he is trying his strength, and then Menelaus’s mares drew
behind, for he left off driving for fear the horses should foul
one another and upset the chariots; thus, while pressing
on in quest of victory, they might both come headlong to
the ground. Menelaus then upbraided Antilochus and said,
‘There is no greater trickster living than you are; go, and bad
luck go with you; the Achaeans say not well that you have
understanding, and come what may you shall not bear away
the prize without sworn protest on my part.’
Then he called on his horses and said to them, ‘Keep
your pace, and slacken not; the limbs of the other horses
will weary sooner than yours, for they are neither of them
young.’
The horses feared the rebuke of their master, and went
faster, so that they were soon nearly up with the others.
Meanwhile the Achaeans from their seats were watching
how the horses went, as they scoured the plain amid clouds
of their own dust. Idomeneus captain of the Cretans was
first to make out the running, for he was not in the thick of
the crowd, but stood on the most commanding part of the
ground. The driver was a long way off, but Idomeneus could