efore let no man, not even King
Agamemnon, disregard my saying, for he that foments civil discord is a
clanless, hearthless outlaw.

"Now, however, let us obey the behests of night and get our suppers,
but let the sentinels every man of them camp by the trench that is
without the wall. I am giving these instructions to the young men; when
they have been attended to, do you, son of Atreus, give your orders,
for you are the most royal among us all. Prepare a feast for your
councillors; it is right and reasonable that you should do so; there is
abundance of wine in your tents, which the ships of the Achaeans bring
from Thrace daily. You have everything at your disposal wherewith to
entertain guests, and you have many subjects. When many are got
together, you can be guided by him whose counsel is wisest--and sorely
do we need shrewd and prudent counsel, for the foe has lit his
watchfires hard by our ships. Who can be other than dismayed? This
night will either be the ruin of our host, or save it."

Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. The sentinels went
out in their armour under command of Nestor's son Thrasymedes, a
captain of the host, and of the bold warriors Ascalaphus and Ialmenus:
there were also Meriones, Aphareus and Deipyrus, and the son of Creion,
noble Lycomedes. There were seven captains of the sentinels, and with
each there went a hundred youths armed with long spears: they took
their places midway between the trench and the wall, and when they had
done so they lit their fires and got every man his supper.

The son of Atreus then bade many councillors of the Achaeans to his
quarters prepared a great feast in their honour. They laid their hands
on the good things that were before them, and as soon as they had
enough to eat and drink, old Nestor, whose counsel was ever truest, was
the first to lay his mind before them. He, therefore, with all
sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus.

"With yourself, most noble son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, will
I both begin my speech and end it, for you are king over much people.
Jove, moreover, has vouchsafed you to wield the sceptre and to uphold
righteousness, that you may take thought for your people under you;
therefore it behooves you above all others both to speak and to give
ear, and to out the counsel of another who shall have been minded to
speak wisely. All turns on you and on your commands, therefore I will
say what I think will be best