their sort. So wilt thou know whether it is even by divine command that
thou shalt not take the city, or by the baseness of thy warriors and
their ill skill in battle."

And lord Agamemnon answered and said to him: "Verily hast thou again
outdone the sons of the Achaians in speech, old man. Ah, father Zeus and
Athene and Apollo, would that among the Achaians I had ten such
councillors; then would the city of king Priam soon bow beneath our
hands, captive and wasted. But aegis-bearing Zeus, the son of Kronos,
hath brought sorrows upon me, in that he casteth my lot amid fruitless
wranglings and strifes. For in truth I and Achilles fought about a
damsel with violent words, and I was first to be angry; but if we can
only be at one in council, then will there no more be any putting off
the day of evil for the Trojans, no not for an instant. But now go ye to
your meal that we may join battle. Let each man sharpen well his spear
and bestow well his shield, and let him well give his fleet-footed
steeds their meal, and look well to his chariot on every side and take
thought for battle, that all day long we may contend in hateful war. For
of respite shall there intervene no, not a whit, only that the coming of
night shall part the fury of warriors. On each man's breast shall the
baldrick of his covering shield be wet with sweat, and his hand shall
grow faint about the spear, and each man's horse shall sweat as he
draweth the polished chariot. And whomsoever I perceive minded to tarry
far from the fight beside the beaked ships, for him shall there be no
hope hereafter to escape the dogs and birds of prey."

So spake he, and the Argives shouted aloud, like to a wave on a steep
shore, when the south wind cometh and stirreth it; even on a jutting
rock, that is never left at peace by the waves of all winds that rise
from this side and from that. And they did sacrifice each man to one of