hall be theirs hereafter, since they first offered injury, contrary to
the league."

Thus he spoke: and the son of Atreus passed on, joyous at heart, and he
came to the Ajaces, going through the troops of the heroes. But they
were armed, and with them followed a cloud of infantry. As when a
goat-herd from a hill-top perceives a cloud traversing the deep, beneath
the north-western blast; and to him, standing at a distance, it appears
while coming over the ocean, darker than pitch, and brings with it a
mighty whirlwind;[182] he both shudders on seeing it, and drives his
flock into a cave. Such, with the Ajaces, moved into hostile battle the
dense dark phalanxes of Jove-nurtured youths, bristling with shields and
spears. And king Agamemnon seeing them, rejoiced, and accosting them,
spoke winged words:

[Footnote 182: The _waterspout_, which is often followed by
hurricanes, is meant. See Arnold.]

"Ye Ajaces, leaders of the brazen-mailed Argives, ye two, indeed, for it
becomes me not, I in no respect desire to incite; for ye yourselves
mightily instigate the people to fight valiantly. Would that, O father
Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, such courage were in the breasts of all; soon
then would the city of king Priam bend to its fall, taken and destroyed
by our hands."

Thus having said, he left them there and went to the others; there he
found Nestor, the harmonious orator of the Pylians, marshalling his
associates, and exhorting them to battle, mighty Pelagon, Alastor,
Chromius, and prince Haemon, and Bias the shepherd of the people. In
front, indeed, he placed the cavalry[183] with their horses and
chariots, but the foot, both numerous and brave, in the rear, to be the
stay of the battle; but the cowards he drove into the middle, that
every man, even unwilling, might fight from necessity. At first, indeed,
he gave orders to the horsemen; these he commanded to rein in their
horses, nor to be confused with the crowd. "And let no person, relying
on his skill in horsemanship, and on his strength, desire alone, before
the rest, to fight with the Trojans, nor let him retreat: for [if so],
ye will be weaker. And whatever man, from his own chariot, can reach
that of another, let him stretch out with his spear;[184] for so it is
much better: for thus the ancients overturned cities and walls, keeping
this purpose and resolution in their breasts."

[Footnote 183: _I. e._ those who fought from chariots.]

[Footnote 184: