mit nought of your fierce ardour, for father Jove will not
be an abettor to falsehoods, but certainly vultures will devour the
tender bodies of those very persons, who first offered injury, contrary
to the league; and we, after we shall have taken the city, will carry
off in our ships their dear wives, and their infant children."

But whomsoever on the other hand he saw declining hateful battle, them
he much rebuked with angry words:

"Argives, ye arrow-fighters,[180] subjects for disgrace, are ye not
ashamed? Why stand ye here astounded, like fawns, which, when they are
wearied, running through the extensive plain, stand, and have no
strength in their hearts? Thus do ye stand amazed, nor fight. Do ye
await the Trojans until they come near, where your fair-prowed galleys
are moored on the shore of the hoary sea, that ye may know whether the
son of Saturn will stretch forth his hand over you."

[Footnote 180: If it be remembered that archery, in comparison
with fighting close-handed, handed, was much despised (cf. Soph.
Aj. 1120, sqq.; Eur. Herc. Fur. 160), the term [Greek: iomoroi]
([Greek: oi peri tous ious memoremenoi], Apoll. Lex. and Hesych.)
need not be forced into any of the out-of-the-way meanings which
Anthon and others have assigned to it.]

Thus he, acting as commander, kept going through the ranks of heroes,
and he came to the Cretans, going through the throng of men. But they
were armed around warlike Idomeneus. Idomeneus, on his part, [commanded]
in the van, like a boar in strength; but Meriones urged on the hindmost
phalanxes for him. Seeing these, Agamemnon, the king of men, rejoiced,
and instantly accosted Idomeneus, in bland words:

"O Idomeneus, I honour thee, indeed, above the swift-horsed Greeks, as
well in war, as in any other work, and at the banquet, when the nobles
of the Argives mix in their cups the dark-red honourable[181] wine: for
though the other crested Greeks drink by certain measures, thy cup
always stands full, as [mine] to me, that thou mayest drink when thy
mind desires it. But hasten into war, such as formerly thou didst boast
to be."

[Footnote 181: See my note on Od.]

But him Idomeneus, the leader of the Cretans, in turn answered: "Son of
Atreus, a very congenial ally will I be to thee, as first I promised and
assented. But exhort the other crested Greeks that we may fight with all
haste, since the Trojans have confounded the league: death and griefs
s