Peer

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So spake she, and the goddess, flashing-eyed Athene, failed not to hearken. Down from the peaks of Olympus she went darting, and speedily came to the swift ships of the Achaeans. There she found Odysseus, the peer of Zeus in counsel, as he stood. He laid no hand upon his benched, black ship, for that grief had come upon his heart and soul; and flashing-eyed Athene stood near him, and said: "Son of Laërtes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many wiles, is it thus indeed that ye will fling yourselves  on your benched ships to flee to your dear native land? Aye, and ye would leave to Priam and the Trojans their boast, even Argive Helen, for whose sake many an Achaean hath perished in Troy, far from his dear native land. But go thou now throughout the host of the Achaeans, and hold thee back no more; and with thy gentle words seek thou to restrain every man, neither suffer them to draw into the sea their curved ships."

So said she, and he knew the voice of the goddess as she spake, and set him to run, and cast from him his cloak, which his herald gathered up, even Eurybates of Ithaca, that waited on him. But himself he went straight to Agamemnon, son of Atreus, and received at his hand the staff of his fathers, imperishable ever, and therewith went his way along the ships of the brazen-coated Achaeans.


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 2


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But Agamemnon, king of men, slew a fat bull of five years to the son of Cronos, supreme in might, and let call the elders, the chieftains of the Achaean host, Nestor, first of all, and king Idomeneus, and thereafter the twain Aiantes and the son of Tydeus, and as the sixth Odysseus, the peer of Zeus in counsel. And unbidden came to him Menelaus, good at the war-cry, for he knew in his heart wherewith his brother was busied.


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 2


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And Odysseus led the great-souled Cephallenians that held Ithaca and Neritum, covered with waving forests, and that dwelt in Crocyleia and rugged Aegilips; and them that held Zacynthus, and that dwelt about Samos, and held the mainland and dwelt on the shores over against the isles. Of these was Odysseus captain, the peer of Zeus in counsel. And with him there followed twelve ships with vermilion prows.


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 2


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So saying he did on his tunic about his breast, and beneath his shining feet bound his fair sandals and around him buckled a purple cloak of double fold and wide, whereon the down was thick. And he grasped a mighty spear, tipped with sharp bronze, and went his way among the ships of the brazen-coated Achaeans. Then Odysseus first, the peer of Zeus in counsel, did the horseman, Nestor of Gerenia, awaken out of sleep with his voice, and forthwith the call rang all about his mind and he came forth from the hut and spake to them, saying: "How is it that ye fare thus alone by the ships throughout the camp in the immortal night? What need so great hath come upon you?"


- Homer, The Iliad, Book 10


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