Book XIV

The Fraud Practised on Jupiter by Juno

Consultation of Agamemnon with Nestor, Diomed, and Ulysses⁠—Proposal of Agamemnon to withdraw from Troy by night opposed by Ulysses⁠—Visit made by these wounded chiefs to the battlefield, in order to encourage the army⁠—The cestus of Venus borrowed by Juno, who decoys Jupiter to her chamber, where he falls asleep⁠—Neptune meanwhile actively aids the Greeks, who commit great slaughter⁠—Hector wounded by Ajax.

The mighty uproar was not unperceived By Nestor’s ear, who, sitting at the wine, Addressed the son of Aesculapius thus:⁠—

“Noble Machaon, what will happen now? Bethink thee: for the clamor grows more loud From our young warriors at the ships. Stay here And drink the purple wine, while for thy limbs The fair-haired Hecamede warms the bath And washes the dark blood away, and I Will climb the watch-tower, and will know the worst.

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