The Fleet’s Quarrel

13And Nestor the Gerenian knight replied: —
“My friend, since you recall to my mind
The sufferings borne by us the sons of Greece,
Although of peerless valor, in that land,
Both when we ranged in ships the darkling sea
For booty wherever Achilles led,
And when around King Priam’s populous town
We fought, where fell our bravest, know you then
That there the valiant Ajax lies, and there
Achilles; there Patroclus, like the gods
In council; there my well-beloved son
Blameless and brave, Antilochus the swift
Of foot and warlike —many woes beside
We bore, and who of mortal birth could give
Their history? Nay, though you should remain
Five years or six, and ask of all the griefs
Endured by the brave Greeks, you would depart
Outwearied to your home, ere you had heard
The whole. Nine years in harassing the foe
We passed, beleaguering them and planning wiles
Innumerable. Cronus’ son at last
With difficulty seemed to close the war.
Then was there none who might presume to vie
In wisdom with Odysseus; that great man
Excelled in every kind of stratagem —
Your father —if indeed you be his son.
I look on you amazed; all your discourse
Is just like his, and one would never believe
A younger man could speak so much like him.
While we were there, Odysseus and myself
In council or assembly never spoke
On different sides, but with a like intent
We thoughtfully consulted how to guide
The Achaians in the way we deemed the best;
But after we had overthrown and spoiled
King Priam’s lofty city, and set sail
For home, and by some heavenly power the Greeks
Were scattered, Zeus ordained for them
A sad return. For all were neither wise
Nor just, and many drew upon themselves
An evil doom —the fatal wrath of her,
The blue-eyed maid, who claims her birth from Zeus.
It was she who kindled strife between the sons
Of Atreus. They had called the Achaians all
To an assembly, not with due regard
To order, at the setting of the sun,
And thither came the warriors overpowered
With wine. The brother kings set forth the cause
Of that assembly. Menelaus first
Bade all the Greeks prepare for their return
Over the great deep. That counsel little pleased
King Agamemnon, who desired to keep
The people longer there, that he might soothe
By sacred hecatombs the fiery wrath
Of Athena. Fool! who could not see how vain
Were such persuasion, for the eternal gods
Are not soon won to change their purposes.
They stood disputing thus, with bitter words,
Till wrangling noisily on different sides
Rose up the well-armed Greeks. The ensuing night
We rested, but we cherished in our breasts
A mutual hate; so for our punishment
Had Zeus ordained. With early morn we drew
Our ships to the great deep, and put our goods
And our deep-bosomed women all on board.
Yet half the host went not, but on the shore
Remained with Agamemnon, Atreus’ son,
And shepherd of the people. All the rest
Embarked, weighed anchor, and sailed swiftly thence;
A deity made smooth the mighty deep,
And when we came to Tenedos we paid
Our offerings to the gods and longed for home —
Vainly; it pleased not unpropitious Zeus
To favor our return, and once again
He sent among us strife. A part of us
Led by Odysseus, that sagacious prince,
To please Atrides Agamemnon turned
Their well-oared galleys back. But I, with all
The vessels of the fleet that followed me,
Fled on my way, perceiving that some god
Was meditating evil. With us fled,
Encouraging his men, the warlike son
Of Tydeus. Fair-haired Menelaus came
Later to us in Lesbos, where we planned
For a long voyage, whether we should sail
Around the rugged Chios, toward the isle
Of Psyria, keeping that upon the left,
Or under Chios pass beside the steeps
Of windy Mimas. We besought the god
That he would show a sign, and he complied,
And bade us to Euboea cross the deep
Right in the midst, the sooner to escape
All danger. Then the wind blew strong and shrill,
And swiftly over the fishy gulfs our fleet
Flew on, and reached Geraestus in the night.
There, having passed the mighty deep, we made
To Poseidon offerings of many a thigh
Of beeves. The fourth day dawned, and now the men
Of Diomed, the mighty horseman, son
Of Tydeus, stopped at Argos with their fleet,
While I went on to Pylos with the wind,
Which never, from the moment that the god
First sent it over the waters, ceased to blow.

14“So, my dear child, I reached my home, nor knew
Nor heard from others who among the Greeks
Was saved, or who had perished on the way.
Yet what I since have heard while here I sit
Within my palace you shall duly learn.
Nor is it what I ought to keep from you.