Verse
Iliad
Book 10, Line 227 by Samuel Butler (English)
On this several offered to go with Diomedes. The two Ajaxes, squires [ therapontes ] of Ares, Meriones, and the son of Nestor all wanted to go, so did Menelaos son of Atreus; Odysseus also wished to go among the host of the Trojans, for he was ever full of daring, and thereon Agamemnon king of men spoke thus: "Diomedes," said he, "son of Tydeus, man after my own heart, choose your comrade for yourself - take the best man of those that have offered, for many would now go with you. Do not through delicacy reject the better man, and take the worst out of respect [ aidôs ] for his lineage, because he is of more royal blood."
IliadBook 10, Line 227Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 10
HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-10-227