Homer, Iliad

Then made answer the king of men, Agamemnon: “Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans, thou shalt know Agamemnon, son of Atreus, whom beyond all others Zeus hath set amid toils continually, [90] so long as the breath abideth in my breast and my knees are quick. I wander thus, because sweet sleep settleth not upon mine eyes, but war is a trouble to me and the woes of the Achaeans. Wondrously do I fear for the Danaans, nor is my mind firm, but I am tossed to and fro, and my heart [95] leapeth forth from out my breast, and my glorious limbs tremble beneath me. But if thou wouldest do aught, seeing on thee too sleep cometh not, come, let us go to the sentinels, that we may look to them, lest fordone with toil and drowsiness they be slumbering, and have wholly forgot their watch. [100] The foemen bivouac hard by, nor know we at all whether haply they may not be fain to do battle even in the night.” Then made answer to him the horseman Nestor of Gerenia: “Most glorious son of Atreus, Agamemnon, king of men, of a surety not all his purposes shall Zeus the counsellor fulfill for Hector, [105] even all that now he thinketh; nay methinks he shall labour amid troubles yet more than ours, if so be Achilles shall turn his heart from grievous anger. Howbeit with thee will I gladly follow, but let us moreover arouse others also, both the son of Tydeus, famed for his spear, and Odysseus, [110] and the swift Aias, and the valiant son of Phyleus. And I would that one should go and summon these also, the godlike Aias and lord Idomeneus, for their ships are furthest of all and nowise nigh at hand. But Menelaus will I chide, dear though he be and honoured, [115] aye, though thou shouldest be angry with me, nor will I hide my thought, for that he sleepeth thus, and hath suffered thee to toil alone. Now had it been meet that he laboured among all the chieftains, beseeching them, for need has come upon them that may no longer be borne.” And to him did the king of men, Agamemnon, make answer, saying: [120] “Old sir, at another time shalt thou chide him even at mine own bidding, seeing he is often slack and not minded to labour, neither yielding to sloth nor to heedlessness of mind, but ever looking to me and awaiting my leading. But now he awoke even before myself, and came to me, [125] and myself I sent him forth to summon those of whom thou inquirest. But let us go; we shall find them before the gates amid the sentinels, for there I bade them gather.”