d was honoured by the people as though he
were a god. He found him by the stern of his ship already putting his
goodly array about his shoulders, and right glad was he that his
brother had come.

Menelaus spoke first. "Why," said he, "my dear brother, are you thus
arming? Are you going to send any of our comrades to exploit the
Trojans? I greatly fear that no one will do you this service, and spy
upon the enemy alone in the dead of night. It will be a deed of great
daring."

And King Agamemnon answered, "Menelaus, we both of us need shrewd
counsel to save the Argives and our ships, for Jove has changed his
mind, and inclines towards Hector's sacrifices rather than ours. I
never saw nor heard tell of any man as having wrought such ruin in one
day as Hector has now wrought against the sons of the Achaeans--and
that too of his own unaided self, for he is son neither to god nor
goddess. The Argives will rue it long and deeply. Run, therefore, with
all speed by the line of the ships, and call Ajax and Idomeneus.
Meanwhile I will go to Nestor, and bid him rise and go about among the
companies of our sentinels to give them their instructions; they will
listen to him sooner than to any man, for his own son, and Meriones
brother in arms to Idomeneus, are captains over them. It was to them
more particularly that we gave this charge."

Menelaus replied, "How do I take your meaning? Am I to stay with them
and wait your coming, or shall I return here as soon as I have given
your orders?" "Wait," answered King Agamemnon, "for there are so many
paths about the camp that we might miss one another. Call every man on
your way, and bid him be stirring; name him by his lineage and by his
father's name, give each all titular observance, and stand not too much
upon your own dignity; we must take our full share of toil, for at our
birth Jove laid this heavy burden upon us."

With these instructions he sent his brother on his way, and went on to
Nestor shepherd of his people. He found him sleeping in his tent hard
by his own ship; his goodly armour lay beside him--his shield, his two
spears and his helmet; beside him also lay the gleaming girdle with
which the old man girded himself when he armed to lead his people into
battle--for his age stayed him not. He raised himself on his elbow and
looked up at Agamemnon. "Who is it," said he, "that goes thus about the
host and the ships alone and in the dead of night, when men are
sleeping? Are y