Iliad

And King Agamemnon answered, "Nestor, if the Trojans are indeed fighting at the rear of our ships, and neither the wall nor the trench has served us - over which the Danaans toiled so hard, and which they deemed would be an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet - I see it must be the will of Zeus that the Achaeans should perish ingloriously here, far from Argos . I knew when Zeus was willing to defend us, and I know now that he is raising the Trojans to like honor with the gods, while us, on the other hand, he bas bound hand and foot. Now, therefore, let us all do as I say; let us bring down the ships that are on the beach and draw them into the water; let us make them fast to their mooring-stones a little way out, against the fall of night - if even by night the Trojans will desist from fighting; we may then draw down the rest of the fleet. There is no sense of nemesis in fleeing ruin even by night. It is better for a man that he should flee and be saved than be caught and killed."

IliadBook 14, Line 64Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 14

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