do I stand In prudence much above thee; I have lived More years, and more have learned. Let then thy mind Accept what I shall say. Men soon become Weary of warfare, even when the sword Lays its most ample harvest on the earth. But fewer sheaves are reaped when Jupiter, The arbiter of battles, turns the scale. It is not well that we of Greece should mourn The dead with fasting, since from day to day Our warriors fall in numbers. Where were then Respite from daily fasts? Lay we our slain In earth and mourn a day. We who outlive The cruel combat should refresh ourselves With food and wine, that we may steadily Maintain in arms the conflict with the foe. And then let no man idly wait to hear A further call to war—for it will come Freighted with evil to the man who skulks Among the ships—but let us all go forth To wage fierce battle with the knights of Troy.”
He spake, and summoned to his side the sons Of glorious Nestor, and Meriones, And Meges, son of Phyleus, and with them Thoas, and Lycomedes, Creon’s son, And Melanippus. Straight they took their way To Agamemnon’s tent, and there their task Was done as quickly as the word was given. They brought seven tripods forth, the promised gifts, And twenty burnished cauldrons, and twelve steeds, And led away seven graceful women trained In household arts—the maid with rosy cheeks, Briseis, was the eighth. Ulysses came, Leading the way, and bearing, duly weighed, Ten talents, all of gold. The Achaian youths Followed, and placed the presents in the midst Of that assembly. Agamemnon rose; And then Talthybius, who was like a god In power of voice, came near and took his place Beside the monarch, holding in his hands A boar. The son of Atreus drew a knife, Which hung by the great scabbard of his sword, And, cutting off the forelock of the boar, Prayed with uplifted hands to Jupiter: Meantime the Greeks in silence kept their seats, And, as became them, listened to the king, Who looked into the sky above, and said:—
“Now first bear witness, Jove, of all the gods Greatest and best, and also Earth and Sun, And Furies dwelling under Earth, who take Vengeance