Courage (1)

Homer, The Iliad, Book Thirteen, pages 153-254

Meriones, a thoughtful man, spoke to him in answer:

“For me also, beside my shelter and beside my black ship,

there are many spoils of the Trojans, but not near for me to get them.

For I tell you, neither am I one who has forgotten his war strength

but among the foremost, along the fighting where men win glory,

I take my stand, whenever the quarrel of battle arises.

Let my fighting be forgotten by some other bronze-armoured

Achaian. You are the very one I think must know of it.”

Then Idomeneus lord of the Kretans answered him in turn:

“I know your valour and what you are. Why need you speak of it?

If now beside the ships all the best of us were to assemble

for a hidden position, and there man’s courage is best decided,

where the man who is a coward and the brave man show themselves clearly:

the skin of the coward changes colour one way and another,

and the heart inside him has no control to make him sit steady,

but he shifts his weight from one foot to the another, then settles firmly

on both feet, and the heart inside his chest pounds violent

as he thinks of the death spirits, and his teeth chatter together:

but the brave man’s skin will not change colour, nor is he too much

frightened, once he has taken his place in the hidden position,

but his prayer is to close as soon as may be in bitter division:

and there no man could make light of your battle strength or your hand’s work.

Even were you to be wounded in your work with spearcast or spearstroke,

the weapon would not strike behind your neck, nor in your back,

but would be driven straight against the chest or the belly

as you made your way onward through the meeting of champions.

But come, let us no longer stand here talking of these things

like children, for fear some man may arrogantly scold us.

Go to my shelter and choose for yourself a heavy spear.”