Thy inmost soul a soothing pleasure sweet! 
Then answer thus the hero quick return’d. 745
Antilochus! exasperate though I were,
Now, such no longer, I relinquish glad
All strife with thee, for that at other times
Thou never inconsiderate wast or light,
Although by youthful heat misled to-day. 750
Yet safer is it not to over-reach
Superiors, for no other Grecian here
Had my extreme displeasure calm’d so soon;
But thou hast suffer’d much, and much hast toil’d,
As thy good father and thy brother have, 755
On my behalf; I, therefore, yield, subdued
By thy entreaties, and the mare, though mine,
Will also give thee, that these Grecians all
May know me neither proud nor hard to appease. 
So saying, the mare he to Noemon gave, 760
Friend of Antilochus, and, well-content,
The polish’d caldron for his prize received. 
The fourth awarded lot (for he had fourth
Arrived) Meriones asserted next,
The golden talents; but the phial still 765
Left unappropriated Achilles bore
Across the circus in his hand, a gift
To ancient Nestor, whom he thus bespake. 
Thou also, oh my father! this accept,
Which in remembrance of the funeral rites 770
Of my Patroclus, keep, for him thou seest
Among the Greeks no more.  Receive a prize,
Thine by gratuity; for thou shalt wield
The cestus, wrestle, at the spear contend,
Or in the foot-race (fallen as thou art 775
Into the wane of life) never again. 
He said, and placed it in his hands.  He, glad,
Receiving it, in accents wing’d replied. 
True, oh my son! is all which thou hast spoken. 
These limbs, these hands, young friend! (their vigor lost) 780
No longer, darted from the shoulder, spring
At once to battle.  Ah that I could grow
Young yet again, could feel again such force
Athletic, as when in Buprasium erst
The Epeans with sepulchral pomp entomb’d 785
King Amarynceus, where his sons ordain’d
Funereal games in honor of their sire! 
Epean none or even Pylian there
Could cope with me, or yet AEtolian bold. 
Boxing, I vanquish’d Clytomedes, son 790
Of Enops; wrestling, the Pleuronian Chief
Ancaeus; in the foot-race Iphiclus,
Though a fleet runner; and I over-pitch’d
Phyleus and Polydorus at the spear. 
The sons of Actor[16] in the chariot-race 795
Alone surpass’d me, being two for one,
And jealous both lest I should also win
That prize, for to the victor charioteer
They had assign’d the noblest prize of all. 
They were twin-brothers, and one ruled the steeds, 800
The steeds one ruled,[17] the other lash’d them on. 
Such once was I; but now, these sports I leave