The Iliad 3.229–242
And Idomeneus over against him standeth amid the Cretans even as a god, and about him are gathered the captains of the Cretans. Full often was Menelaus, dear to Ares, wont to entertain him in our house, whenever he came from Crete. And now all the rest of the bright-eyed Achaeans do I see, whom I could well note, and tell their names; but two marshallers of the host can I not see, Castor, tamer of horses, and the goodly boxer, Polydeuces, even mine own brethren, whom the same mother bare. Either they followed not with the host from lovely Lacedaemon, or though they followed hither in their seafaring ships, they have now no heart to enter into the battle of warriors for fear of the words of shame and the many revilings that are mine.
οὗτος δʼ Αἴας ἐστὶ πελώριος ἕρκος Ἀχαιῶν·
Ἰδομενεὺς δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐνὶ Κρήτεσσι θεὸς ὣς
ἕστηκʼ, ἀμφὶ δέ μιν Κρητῶν ἀγοὶ ἠγερέθονται.
πολλάκι μιν ξείνισσεν ἀρηΐφιλος Μενέλαος
οἴκῳ ἐν ἡμετέρῳ ὁπότε Κρήτηθεν ἵκοιτο.
νῦν δʼ ἄλλους μὲν πάντας ὁρῶ ἑλίκωπας Ἀχαιούς,
οὕς κεν ἐῢ γνοίην καί τʼ οὔνομα μυθησαίμην·
δοιὼ δʼ οὐ δύναμαι ἰδέειν κοσμήτορε λαῶν
Κάστορά θʼ ἱππόδαμον καὶ πὺξ ἀγαθὸν Πολυδεύκεα
αὐτοκασιγνήτω, τώ μοι μία γείνατο μήτηρ.
ἢ οὐχ ἑσπέσθην Λακεδαίμονος ἐξ ἐρατεινῆς,
ἢ δεύρω μὲν ἕποντο νέεσσʼ ἔνι ποντοπόροισι,
νῦν αὖτʼ οὐκ ἐθέλουσι μάχην καταδύμεναι ἀνδρῶν
αἴσχεα δειδιότες καὶ ὀνείδεα πόλλʼ ἅ μοί ἐστιν.
Lattimore commentary