made a vow to take Priam's city, to fight on. Let us take food and rest
now, and to-morrow let us go against Hector's host, and you, Agamemnon,
take the foremost place in the battle."'

'So Diomedes spoke and the warriors applauded what he said, and they all
poured out libations of wine to the gods, and thereafter they went to
their huts and slept. But for Agamemnon, the King, there was no sleep
that night. Before his eyes was the blaze of Hector's thousand
watch-fires and in his ears were the sound of pipes and flutes that made
war-music for the Trojan host encamped upon the plain.'




XIII


When dawn came the King arrayed himself for the battle, putting on his
great breast-plate and his helmet that had a high plume of horse-hair;
fastening about his legs greaves fitted with ankle-clasps of silver; and
hanging round his shoulders a great sword that shone with studs of
gold--a sword that had a silver scabbard fitted with golden chains. Over
his shoulders he cast a great lion's skin, and he took upon his arm a
shield that covered the whole of a man. Next he took in his hands two
strong spears of bronze, and so arrayed and so armed he was ready to
take the foremost place in the battle.'

'He cried aloud and bade the Greeks arm themselves, and straightway they
did so and poured from behind the wall that guarded their ships into the
Trojan plain. Then the chiefs mounted their chariots, and their