[1]All night both Gods and Chiefs equestrian slept, But not the Sire of all. He, waking soon, Mused how to exalt Achilles, and destroy No few in battle at the Grecian fleet. This counsel, at the last, as best he chose5 And likeliest; to dispatch an evil Dream To Agamemnon’s tent, and to his side The phantom summoning, him thus addressed. Haste, evil Dream! Fly to the Grecian fleet, And, entering royal Agamemnon’s tent,10 His ear possess thou thus, omitting nought Of all that I enjoin thee. Bid him arm His universal host, for that the time When the Achaians shall at length possess Wide Ilium, hath arrived. The Gods above15 No longer dwell at variance. The request Of Juno hath prevail’d; now, wo to Troy! So charged, the Dream departed. At the ships Well-built arriving of Achaia’s host, He Agamemnon, son of Atreus, sought.20 Him sleeping in his tent he found, immersed In soft repose ambrosial. At his head The shadow stood, similitude exact Of Nestor, son of Neleus; sage, with whom In Agamemnon’s thought might none compare.25 His form assumed, the sacred Dream began. Oh son of Atreus the renown’d in arms And in the race! Sleep’st thou? It ill behoves To sleep all night the man of high employ, And charged, as thou art, with a people’s care.30 Now, therefore, mark me well, who, sent from Jove, Inform thee, that although so far remote, He yet compassionates and thinks on thee With kind solicitude. He bids thee arm Thy universal host, for that the time35 When the Achaians shall at length possess Wide Ilium, hath arrived. The Gods above No longer dwell at variance. The requests Of Juno have prevail’d. Now, wo to Troy From Jove himself! Her fate is on the wing.40 Awaking from thy dewy slumbers, hold In firm remembrance all that thou hast heard. So spake the Dream, and vanishing, him left In false hopes occupied and musings vain. Full sure he thought, ignorant of the plan45 By Jove design’d, that day the last of Troy. Fond thought! For toils and agonies to Greeks And Trojans both, in many a bloody field To be endured, the Thunderer yet ordain’d. Starting he woke, and seeming still to hear50 The warning voice divine, with hasty leap Sprang from his bed, and sat.[2] His fleecy vest New-woven he put on, and mantle wide; His sandals fair to his unsullied feet He braced, and slung his argent-studded sword.55 Then, incorruptible for evermore The sceptre of his sires he took, with which He issued forth into the camp of Greece. Aurora now on the Olympian heights Proclaiming stood new day to all in heaven,60 When he his clear-voiced heralds bade convene The Greeks in council. Went the summons forth Into all quarters, and the throng began. First, at the ship of Nestor, Pylian King,[3] The senior Chiefs for high exploits renown’d65 He gather’d, whom he prudent thus address’d. My fellow warriors, hear! A dream from heaven, Amid the stillness of the vacant night Approach’d me, semblance close in stature, bulk, And air, of noble Nestor. At mine head70