, for Juno, supplicating, has bent
all [to her will], and woes from Jove are impending over the Trojans;
but do thou preserve this in thy thoughts.' Thus having spoken, flying
away, it departed; but sweet sleep resigned me. But come, [let us try]
if by any means we can arm the sons of the Greeks. But first with words
will I sound their inclinations, as is right, and I will command them to
fly with their many-benched ships; but do you restrain them with words,
one in one place, another in another."

He indeed having thus spoken, sat down; but Nestor, who was king of
sandy Pylus, rose up, who wisely counselling, harangued them, and said:

"O friends, generals and counsellors of the Argives, if any other of the
Greeks had told this dream, we should have pronounced it a fabrication,
and withdrawn ourselves [from the reciter]. But now he has seen it, who
boasts himself [to be] by far the greatest man in the army. But come on,
if by any means we can arm the sons of the Greeks."

Thus then having spoken, he began to depart from the assembly; and they,
the sceptre-bearing princes, arose, and obeyed the shepherd of the
tribes, and the hosts rushed forward. Even as the swarms of clustering
bees,[79] issuing ever anew from the hollow rock, go forth, and fly in
troops over the vernal[80] flowers, and some have flitted in bodies
here, and some there; thus of these [Greeks] many nations from the ships
and tents kept marching in troops in front of the steep shore to the
assembly. And in the midst of them blazed Rumour, messenger of Jove,
urging them to proceed; and they kept collecting together. The assembly
was tumultuous, and the earth groaned beneath, as the people seated
themselves, and there was a clamour; but nine heralds vociferating
restrained them, if by any means they would cease from clamour, and
hear the Jove-nurtured princes. With difficulty at length the people sat
down, and were kept to their respective[81] seats, having desisted from
their clamour, when king Agamemnon arose, holding the sceptre, which
Vulcan had laboriously wrought. Vulcan in the first place gave it to
king Jove, the son of Saturn, and Jove in turn gave it to his messenger,
the slayer of Argus.[82] But king Mercury gave it to steed-taming
Pelops, and Pelops again gave it to Atreus, shepherd of the people. But
Atreus, dying, left it to Thyestes, rich in flocks; but Thyestes again
left it to Agamemnon to be borne, that he might rule over many
islands,[