Verse
Iliad
Book 13, Line 723 by Samuel Butler (English)
The Trojans would now have been driven in sorry plight from the ships and tents back to windy Ilion , had not Polydamas presently said to Hektor, "Hektor, there is no persuading you to take advice. Because heaven has so richly endowed you with the arts of war, you think that you must therefore excel others in counsel; but you cannot thus claim preeminence in all things. Heaven has made one man an excellent warrior; of another it has made a dancer or a singer and player on the lyre; while yet in another Zeus has implanted a wise understanding [ noos ] of which men reap fruit to the saving of many, and he himself knows more about it than any one; therefore I will say what I think will be best. The fight has hemmed you in as with a circle of fire,
IliadBook 13, Line 723Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 13
HomerProseID iliad-iliad-butler-en-prose-13-723