内斯特正坐在那里喝酒，但战斗的喊声没有逃过他的耳朵，他对埃斯库拉庇俄斯的儿子说:“高贵的马尚，这一切是什么意思?在我们的船上战斗的人的喊声越来越强;所以，你就呆在这儿，坐着喝酒，让美丽的赫卡米德给你洗个澡，洗掉你身上的凝血。我马上到瞭望台去看看到底是怎么回事。”他一边说着，一边拿起了他儿子色拉西米德的一面盾牌，那面盾牌正躺在他的帐篷里，全身闪着青铜的光，因为色拉西米德已经拿走了他父亲的盾牌;他抓起他那支可怕的铜掌长矛，一到外面，他就看到亚该亚人溃不成军，他们的城墙被推翻了，在特洛伊人面前乱飞。就像海面上有汹涌的巨浪，而海浪却沉默不语——它们的眼睛盯着可能被狂风吹来的地方，但它们却原地不动，既不转向这边，也不转向那边，直到有一股特别的风从天上刮下来决定它们的方向——老人也同样在考虑是去找达纳安人，还是去找阿伽门农。最后，他认为最好去找阿特柔斯的儿子;但与此同时，东道主们正在互相厮杀，当他们用剑和矛互相刺向对方时，坚硬的青铜在他们身上发出嘎嘎声。受伤的国王，泰得乌斯的儿子尤利西斯和阿特鲁斯的儿子阿伽门农，在他们从船上上岸时倒在内斯特，因为他们的船离战斗的地方有一段距离，因为他们是在海岸上，因为他们最先上岸，而城墙是在最后面建造的。 The stretch of the shore, wide though it was, did not afford room for all the ships, and the host was cramped for space, therefore they had placed the ships in rows one behind the other, and had filled the whole opening of the bay between the two points that formed it. The kings, leaning on their spears, were coming out to survey the fight, being in great anxiety, and when old Nestor met them they were filled with dismay. Then King Agamemnon said to him, "Nestor son of Neleus, honour to the Achaean name, why have you left the battle to come hither? I fear that what dread Hector said will come true, when he vaunted among the Trojans saying that he would not return to Ilius till he had fired our ships and killed us; this is what he said, and now it is all coming true. Alas! others of the Achaeans, like Achilles, are in anger with me that they refuse to fight by the sterns of our ships." Then Nestor knight of Gerene answered, "It is indeed as you say; it is all coming true at this moment, and even Jove who thunders from on high cannot prevent it. Fallen is the wall on which we relied as an impregnable bulwark both for us and our fleet. The Trojans are fighting stubbornly and without ceasing at the ships; look where you may you cannot see from what quarter the rout of the Achaeans is coming; they are being killed in a confused mass and the battle-cry ascends to heaven; let us think, if counsel can be of any use, what we had better do; but I do not advise our going into battle ourselves, for a man cannot fight when he is wounded." 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 Jove that the Achaeans should perish ingloriously here, far from Argos. I knew when Jove was willing to defend us, and I know now that he is raising the Trojans to like honour 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 nothing wrong in flying ruin even by night. It is better for a man that he should fly and be saved than be caught and killed." Ulysses looked fiercely at him and said, "Son of Atreus, what are you talking about? Wretch, you should have commanded some other and baser army, and not been ruler over us to whom Jove has allotted a life of hard fighting from youth to old age, till we every one of us perish. Is it thus that you would quit the city of Troy, to win which we have suffered so much hardship? Hold your peace, lest some other of the Achaeans hear you say what no man who knows how to give good counsel, no king