Nov 3, 2014 5 min read

While the other chiefs of the Greeks were sleeping that night, King Agamemnon was awake, for he had great trouble in his heart. When he looked toward Troy, he saw the fires burning and heard the sound of flutes and pipes and the murmurs of many men, and he was astonished, for it seemed to him that the army of the Trojans was greater and stronger than it had ever been.

Menelaus could not sleep that same night, for he knew that it was on his account that the Greeks had come to Troy. So he arose from his bed, and when he found his brother he said: “What seek you? See you the Trojans there? Let us send a spy to find what they are doing and how many there are of them, for I do not doubt that they are planning something against us.”

So the chiefs were called, and Nestor said: “Is there now a man who will go among the Trojans and spy out what it is in their mind to do? Such a one will win great honor to himself, and the King will give him many gifts.”

Diomed stood up in his place and said: “I will go, but it is well that I should have someone with me, for two wits are better than one. If I may have my choice, Ulysses shall go with me. He is brave and he is prudent, and Athena loves him.”

Ulysses answered: “Then let us go, for the night is far spent.”

So the two armed themselves and set out.

Meanwhile, Hector was thinking about the same thing, that it would be well to find out what the Greeks were doing and what they were planning for the next day. So he called the chiefs of the Trojans and the allies to a council and said: “Who now will go and spy among the Greeks and see whether they are keeping a good watch and find out what they mean to do tomorrow. Such a man shall have a great reward.”

Then there stood up a certain Dolon. He said: “I will go, Hector, but I want a great reward, even the horses of Achilles, for these are the best in the whole camp of the Greeks.”

It was a foolish thing, for who was Dolon that he should have the chariot and horses of the great Achilles? And Hector knew this in his heart; nevertheless he swore he would give to Dolon these horses. Then Dolon armed himself and went his way.

After he had gone 50 yards or so, Ulysses and Diomed ran after him. Diomed called out to the man: “Stop, or I will slay you with my spear.”

Then said Dolon, weeping as he spoke: “Do not kill me; my father will pay a great ransom for me.”

Ulysses answered: “Be of good cheer. Tell us truly why you were coming through the darkness. Was it to spoil the dead, or did Hector send you to spy out what was going on at the ships?”

Dolon answered: “Hector persuaded me to go, promising that he would give me the chariot and horses of Achilles. And I was to spy out what you had in your minds to do on the morrow and whether you were keeping watch.”

Ulysses laughed when the man spoke of the chariot and horses of Achilles. “Truly,” he said, “it was a grand reward that you deserved. The horses of Achilles are hard to manage except a man be the son of a god or a goddess. But tell me, where is Hector and what watch does the Trojan keep?”

Dolon answered: “When I came away from the camp of the Trojans, Hector was holding council with the chiefs close to the tomb of Ilus. As for the watches, there are none set, except in that part of the camp where the Trojans are. As for the allies, they sleep without caring for watches, thinking that the Trojans will do this for them.”

Then Ulysses asked again: “Do the allies then sleep among the Trojans or apart?”

Then Dolon told him about the camp – about who were in this place and who were in that. “But,” he went on, “if you would know where you may best make your way into the camp and not be seen, go to the furthest part upon the left where you will find the allies.”

But Diomed said: “Think not, Dolon, that we will suffer you to live, though, indeed, you have told us that which we desired to know. For then you would come again to spy out our camp, or, maybe, would fight with us in battle. But if we kill you, then you will trouble us no more.”

So they killed him, and they went on to the camp of the Trojans and found the place of which Dolon had told them. Twelve men did Diomed slay. Meanwhile, Ulysses had unbound the horses from the chariot and driven them out of the camp. And when he had got the horses clear, then he whistled, for a sign to Diomed that he should come without more delay. And truly, the man was lingering, doubting whether he should kill yet more. But Athena whispered in his ear: “Think of your return; maybe some god will rouse the Trojans against you.”

And indeed, Apollo was rousing them. So all the camp was roused. But Diomed and Ulysses mounted the horses and rode to the camp of the Greeks. Right glad were their comrades to see them and to hear the tale of what they had done.

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