Achaians; with thy gentle words refrain thou every man, neither suffer
them to draw their curved ships down to the salt sea."

So spake she, and the bright-eyed goddess Athene disregarded not; but
went darting down from the peaks of Olympus, and came with speed to the
fleet ships of the Achaians. There found she Odysseus standing, peer of
Zeus in counsel, neither laid he any hand upon his decked black ship,
because grief had entered into his heart and soul. And bright-eyed
Athene stood by him and said: "Heaven-sprung son of Laertes, Odysseus of
many devices, will ye indeed fling yourselves upon your benched ships to
flee homeward to your dear native land? But ye would leave to Priam and
the Trojans their boast, even Helen of Argos, for whose sake many an
Achaian hath perished in Troy, far from his dear native land. But go
thou now amid the host of the Achaians, and tarry not; and with gentle
words refrain every man, neither suffer them to draw their curved ships
down to the salt sea."

So said she, and he knew the voice of the goddess speaking to him, and
set him to run, and cast away his mantle, the which his herald gathered
up, even Eurybated of Ithaca, that waited on him. And himself he went to
meet Agamemnon son of Atreus, and at his hand received the sceptre of
his sires, imperishable for ever, wherewith he took his way amid the
ships of the mail-clad Achaians.

Whenever he found one that was a captain and a man of mark, he stood by
his side, and refrained him with gentle words: "Good sir, it is not
seemly to affright thee like a coward, but do thou sit thyself and make
all thy folk sit down. For thou knowest not yet clearly what is the
purpose of Atreus' son; now is he but making trial, and soon he will
afflict the sons of the Achaians. And heard we not all of us what he