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Book Ten
Agamemnon (a-guh-MEM-non) can't sleep. Gazing out at the many Trojan watchfires and his own hard-pressed encampment, he tears his hair out. Resolving to awaken Nestor and hatch some plan, he dons a lion's skin as a cloak and walks out into the night. Nestor is easily roused and inspired to awaken the other leaders. He only wants to know why Menelaus (meh-neh-LAY-us) is still asleep, since it is his cause that has brought them all to Troy. Agamemnon is relieved to say that he has already encountered his brother wide awake and on the prowl in his leapord-skin cloak and battle helmet. The other captains are rousted from their beds and, after making sure that the sentries are still vigilent, they cross the trench and find a space clear of corpses to hold their council.
Volunteers are sought to infiltrate the Trojan lines to do some stealthy damage or bring back intelligence as to the enemy's plans. Diomedes (dy-uh-MEE-deez) is the first to step forward, and he picks Odysseus (oh-DISS-yoos) as his companion. Since he has left most of his own gear back in his tent he is outfitted with a leather skullcap, a sword, and a shield. Odysseus is given a helmet made of boar's teeth, bow and arrows, and a sword. As they set out Athena (a-THEE-nuh) sends a heron alongside their path and veering to the right. In the darkness they can't see the bird, but from its sound they recognize the favorable omen. Both pray to Athena for support and promise a fitting sacrifice. Picking their way through the corpses and pools of blood, they approach the Trojan lines.
Meanwhile there is stirring in the Trojan camp as well. Hector has summoned a council. He offers a prize to any man who will spy on the Greek encampment. A wealthy Trojan named Dolon (DOH-lon) accepts the offer and names as his reward the chariot and team of Achilles (a-KIL-eez). Decking himself out in a wolf's pelt and a weasel-skin hat, and armed with a bow and spear, Dolon sets out toward the Greek lines at a fast trot. Diomedes and Odysseus see him coming and, lying facedown amongst the corpses, let him pass and then fall in behind, confident that they will either overtake him or pin him against the Greek lines. Dolon hears their footsteps and starts running for his life. Diomedes shouts out that he'll spear him from behind. He purposely misses with his cast, but Dolon gets the message when the spear passes right over his shoulder. He stops dead in his tracks, his teeth chattering in terror. The first words out of his mouth when the Greeks lay hands on him are an offer of a princely ransom from his father if they will only take him alive.
Odysseus tells him not to fear and asks the nature of his errand — out to strip a corpse for booty? spying on behalf of Hector, or on his own account? Dolon readily admits that he has undertaken to scout on the Greek encampment in return for Achilles' team and chariot. Odysseus laughs at the notion of any mere son of a mortal handling Achilles' team. He demands complete details of the Trojan encampment. Dolon eagerly responds in every particular and even volunteers that if it's an easy kill and booty they're after, a newly arrived contingent of Trojan allies from Thrace is camped by itself on the outskirts of the Trojan lines and some ways apart. Their leader, King Rhesus (REE-suss), has a magnificent team of horses, a chariot trimmed in silver and gold, and a suit of golden armor.
Dolon suggests that they tie him up so he can't escape while they verify the truth of what he has told them. "Escape?" says Diomedes. "Not likely, with what I have in mind. If you got away you'd be back spying tomorrow and suited up for combat. Better I should dispense with you right now." Before Dolon has so much as reached for the other's chin in supplication, Diomedes has hacked off his head. The bloody wolf pelt, bow, and spear are set aside to be retrieved later and offered to Athena.
Diomedes and Odysseus soon find the Thracians. Worn out from pitching camp, they have gone to sleep without posting sentries. King Rhesus is in their midst, his horses beside him. Fired up by Athena, Odysseus slaughters twelve Thracians and Rhesus himself as they sleep. Odysseus pulls the corpses by the heels and drags them aside so that they won't spook the horses when he leads them out, new to battle as they are and unused to trampling the dead. Then, driving the team with his bow since he has neglected to take the whip from his chariot, he signals to Diomedes to join him in making their escape. Diomedes has paused in indecision — should he try to make off with the chariot or the armor or hack up some more Trojans? Athena's voice orders him to run for it, before some other god awakens the Trojans. Sure enough, Apollo (uh-POL-oh) soon rouses a Thracian captain, but all he can do is stand and stare, sobbing, at the carnage.
Pausing only to retrieve the tropies of the slain Dolon, Odysseus and Diomedes race back to the ships. Dolon's gear is stowed away for a later offering to Athena, and the horses are tethered by Diomedes' tent. The men wash off their sweat in the surf, then soak in hot tubs before anointing their skin with olive oil and sitting down to yet another meal. Dipping their cups into the wine bowl, they pour them out as an offering to Athena.







Book Ten
Agamemnon (a-guh-MEM-non) can't sleep. Gazing out at the many Trojan watchfires and his own hard-pressed encampment, he tears his hair out. Resolving to awaken Nestor and hatch some plan, he dons a lion's skin as a cloak and walks out into the night. Nestor is easily roused and inspired to awaken the other leaders. He only wants to know why Menelaus (meh-neh-LAY-us) is still asleep, since it is his cause that has brought them all to Troy. Agamemnon is relieved to say that he has already encountered his brother wide awake and on the prowl in his leapord-skin cloak and battle helmet. The other captains are rousted from their beds and, after making sure that the sentries are still vigilent, they cross the trench and find a space clear of corpses to hold their council.
Volunteers are sought to infiltrate the Trojan lines to do some stealthy damage or bring back intelligence as to the enemy's plans. Diomedes (dy-uh-MEE-deez) is the first to step forward, and he picks Odysseus (oh-DISS-yoos) as his companion. Since he has left most of his own gear back in his tent he is outfitted with a leather skullcap, a sword, and a shield. Odysseus is given a helmet made of boar's teeth, bow and arrows, and a sword. As they set out Athena (a-THEE-nuh) sends a heron alongside their path and veering to the right. In the darkness they can't see the bird, but from its sound they recognize the favorable omen. Both pray to Athena for support and promise a fitting sacrifice. Picking their way through the corpses and pools of blood, they approach the Trojan lines.
Meanwhile there is stirring in the Trojan camp as well. Hector has summoned a council. He offers a prize to any man who will spy on the Greek encampment. A wealthy Trojan named Dolon (DOH-lon) accepts the offer and names as his reward the chariot and team of Achilles (a-KIL-eez). Decking himself out in a wolf's pelt and a weasel-skin hat, and armed with a bow and spear, Dolon sets out toward the Greek lines at a fast trot. Diomedes and Odysseus see him coming and, lying facedown amongst the corpses, let him pass and then fall in behind, confident that they will either overtake him or pin him against the Greek lines. Dolon hears their footsteps and starts running for his life. Diomedes shouts out that he'll spear him from behind. He purposely misses with his cast, but Dolon gets the message when the spear passes right over his shoulder. He stops dead in his tracks, his teeth chattering in terror. The first words out of his mouth when the Greeks lay hands on him are an offer of a princely ransom from his father if they will only take him alive.
Odysseus tells him not to fear and asks the nature of his errand — out to strip a corpse for booty? spying on behalf of Hector, or on his own account? Dolon readily admits that he has undertaken to scout on the Greek encampment in return for Achilles' team and chariot. Odysseus laughs at the notion of any mere son of a mortal handling Achilles' team. He demands complete details of the Trojan encampment. Dolon eagerly responds in every particular and even volunteers that if it's an easy kill and booty they're after, a newly arrived contingent of Trojan allies from Thrace is camped by itself on the outskirts of the Trojan lines and some ways apart. Their leader, King Rhesus (REE-suss), has a magnificent team of horses, a chariot trimmed in silver and gold, and a suit of golden armor.
Dolon suggests that they tie him up so he can't escape while they verify the truth of what he has told them. "Escape?" says Diomedes. "Not likely, with what I have in mind. If you got away you'd be back spying tomorrow and suited up for combat. Better I should dispense with you right now." Before Dolon has so much as reached for the other's chin in supplication, Diomedes has hacked off his head. The bloody wolf pelt, bow, and spear are set aside to be retrieved later and offered to Athena.
Diomedes and Odysseus soon find the Thracians. Worn out from pitching camp, they have gone to sleep without posting sentries. King Rhesus is in their midst, his horses beside him. Fired up by Athena, Odysseus slaughters twelve Thracians and Rhesus himself as they sleep. Odysseus pulls the corpses by the heels and drags them aside so that they won't spook the horses when he leads them out, new to battle as they are and unused to trampling the dead. Then, driving the team with his bow since he has neglected to take the whip from his chariot, he signals to Diomedes to join him in making their escape. Diomedes has paused in indecision — should he try to make off with the chariot or the armor or hack up some more Trojans? Athena's voice orders him to run for it, before some other god awakens the Trojans. Sure enough, Apollo (uh-POL-oh) soon rouses a Thracian captain, but all he can do is stand and stare, sobbing, at the carnage.
Pausing only to retrieve the tropies of the slain Dolon, Odysseus and Diomedes race back to the ships. Dolon's gear is stowed away for a later offering to Athena, and the horses are tethered by Diomedes' tent. The men wash off their sweat in the surf, then soak in hot tubs before anointing their skin with olive oil and sitting down to yet another meal. Dipping their cups into the wine bowl, they pour them out as an offering to Athena.