haeans hear you say what no man who knows how to give good counsel,
no king over so great a host as that of the Argives should ever have
let fall from his lips. I despise your judgement utterly for what you
have been saying. Would you, then, have us draw down our ships into the
water while the battle is raging, and thus play further into the hands
of the conquering Trojans? It would be ruin; the Achaeans will not go
on fighting when they see the ships being drawn into the water, but
will cease attacking and keep turning their eyes towards them; your
counsel, therefore, sir captain, would be our destruction."

Agamemnon answered, "Ulysses, your rebuke has stung me to the heart. I
am not, however, ordering the Achaeans to draw their ships into the sea
whether they will or no. Someone, it may be, old or young, can offer us
better counsel which I shall rejoice to hear."

Then said Diomed, "Such an one is at hand; he is not far to seek, if
you will listen to me and not resent my speaking though I am younger
than any of you. I am by lineage son to a noble sire, Tydeus, who lies
buried at Thebes. For Portheus had three noble sons, two of whom,
Agrius and Melas, abode in Pleuron and rocky Calydon. The third was the
knight Oeneus, my father's father, and he was the most valiant of them
all. Oeneus remained in his own country, but my father (as Jove and the
other gods ordained it) migrated to Argos. He married into the family
of Adrastus, and his house was one of great abundance, for he had large
estates of rich corn-growing land, with much orchard ground as well,
and he had many sheep; moreover he excelled all the Argives in the use
of the spear. You must yourselves have heard whether these things are
true or no; therefore when I say well despise not my words as though I
were a coward or of ignoble birth. I say, then, let us go to the fight
as we needs must, wounded though we be. When there, we may keep out of
the battle and beyond the range of the spears lest we get fresh wounds
in addition to what we have already, but we can spur on others, who
have been indulging their spleen and holding aloof from battle
hitherto."

Thus did he speak; whereon they did even as he had said and set out,
King Agamemnon leading the way.

Meanwhile Neptune had kept no blind look-out, and came up to them in
the semblance of an old man. He took Agamemnon's right hand in his own
and said, "Son of Atreus, I take it Achilles is glad now that he sees