Page 129 - the-iliad

man, but the upshot of the fight will be from on high in the
hands of the immortal gods.’
With these words he put on his armour; and then, O
Menelaus, your life would have come to an end at the hands
of hands of Hector, for he was far better the man, had not
the princes of the Achaeans sprung upon you and checked
you. King Agamemnon caught him by the right hand and
said, ‘Menelaus, you are mad; a truce to this folly. Be pa-
tient in spite of passion, do not think of fighting a man so
much stronger than yourself as Hector son of Priam, who is
feared by many another as well as you. Even Achilles, who
is far more doughty than you are, shrank from meeting
him in battle. Sit down your own people, and the Achae-
ans will send some other champion to fight Hector; fearless
and fond of battle though he be, I ween his knees will bend
gladly under him if he comes out alive from the hurly-burly
of this fight.’
With these words of reasonable counsel he persuaded
his brother, whereon his squires gladly stripped the ar-
mour from off his shoulders. Then Nestor rose and spoke,
‘Of a truth,’ said he, ‘the Achaean land is fallen upon evil
times. The old knight Peleus, counsellor and orator among
the Myrmidons, loved when I was in his house to question
me concerning the race and lineage of all the Argives. How
would it not grieve him could he hear of them as now quail-
ing before Hector? Many a time would he lift his hands
in prayer that his soul might leave his body and go down
within the house of Hades. Would, by father Jove, Minerva,
and Apollo, that I were still young and strong as when the

1 The Iliad