“Stop pointing out to me by your looks and rumors that Diomedes was my partner: his own part is in that glory! You were not alone either, when you held your shield in front of the allied fleet: You had an army of companions, I had only one, who, if he did not know to be aggressive is to be less than to be wise and nor are the prizes to be owed to an indomitable right hand, would be seeking this himself; also Ajax the lesser and Eurypylus the wild and the son of famous Andraemon nor less would Idomeneus or Meriones from the same country, and Menelaus too: while they are brave and nor is their strength second to mine in battle, they all concede to plans by my hand. 

 

For your right hand is useful in war, it is your nature, which requires my control; you have strength without intelligence, my nature is care for the future; you are able to fight, I, with Agamemnon, choose the time to fight, you are only useful in your body, I with my mind; by how much the duty of who rules the ship surpasses the rowsman, by how much the leader is greater than the soldier, I am by so much superior to you. And nor is bodily strength better than our hearts: all vigor is in that. 

 

And you, o chiefs, give to your vigil the prizes, for so many of these year of care, which I uneasily made, return to me this title paying for our services: now the work is at end; I removed fate’s obstacles and captured high Troy by conceiving how to make it possible.Now through our common hope, the walls of Troy about to fall, through the the gods, which I recently took from the enemy, through if anything else remains, which requires wisdom, if anything dangerous is thus requiring audacity, if any of you ponder that by the fates something of Troy remains, then you should be reminded of me! Or if you do not give to me the weapons, give to this!” And he showed the deadly mark of Minerva. The Chiefs were moved, and because of what eloquence was present in the matter, Oddyseus’s words won the weapons of Achilles. 

 

And he who so often alone endured the trojans, who so often endured the iron and fire of Jupiter, did not endure this one anger, grief defeated the invincible man: he grabbed hold of a sword and said “This certainly is mine!” Or does Ulysses demand this for himself? This, which is to also be used against myself for myself, often wet in the gore of the Phyrgians, also will be wet by means of its master, so that no-one may be able to conquer Ajax except for Ajax”. 

He spoke and then at last buried his sword into his chest, which accepted the iron, suffering a lethal wound. And no hand was strong enough to lead out the implanted weapon. The gore itself was expelled, and the ground, made red with blood, birthed a purple flower from the green soil, which was first made from the wound of Hyacinthus, letters having been inscribed on the middle of the leaves, for both the Boy and the Man, these their names, those their miseries.