Nestor then told his own story, not as idle boasting but to stir Patroclus.
In his youth the Epeians had carried off cattle from Pylos and killed a man; Nestor, still young, gathered much spoil in return, taking fifty herds of cattle, fifty flocks of sheep, fifty droves of swine, fifty herds of goats, and a hundred and fifty chestnut horses, many with foals at foot.
The Pylians drove the spoil into the city by night, and Neleus rejoiced. At dawn the heralds called all who were owed payment by the Epeians.
The Pylian leaders divided the goods because they had suffered much, with Heracles having once destroyed many of their best men. Nestor took his share, though he had lost horses before.
On the third day the Epeians came in force with chariots and infantry and the two Moliones, still young. Athena came by night and urged the Pylians to arm. Neleus tried to hide Nestor's horses, but Nestor went on foot and stood among the fighters by the river Minyeios.
They sacrificed to the gods, and at dawn the battle joined. Nestor killed Moulios, son-in-law of Augeias, and took his horses. The Epeians broke in fear. He captured fifty chariots, killing two men at each, and would have taken the Aktorione twins if Poseidon had not wrapped them in mist.
The Pylians drove the Epeians as far as Bouprasion, the Olenian rock, and Alesion, where Athena turned them back. Nestor killed the last man there, and the Achaeans returned to Pylos giving thanks to Zeus, Athena, and Nestor.
Such was he among men, he said, if he ever truly was strong. Achilles kept his strength to himself, and would grieve when the army was ruined.
Nestor urged Patroclus: if Achilles feared some prophecy from Zeus told by Thetis, let him at least send Patroclus with the Myrmidons. Let Patroclus wear Achilles' armor, so the Trojans might take him for Achilles and draw back from battle. Even a brief breathing space would help the exhausted Achaeans.
The word stirred Patroclus deeply. He ran back along the ships toward Achilles. But as he came near the ships of Odysseus, where the assembly and altars stood, he met Eurypylos limping from battle, sweat pouring from head and shoulders, dark blood running from his painful wound, though his mind was still steady.
Patroclus pitied him and cried out that the leaders of the Danaans were doomed to feed dogs far from home. Eurypylos asked him to save him, lead him to his black ship, cut out the arrow, wash the wound with warm water, and put on gentle medicines Achilles had learned from Cheiron.
Patroclus said Machaon was already wounded and needed healing himself, but he would not abandon Eurypylos. He took him under the chest and led him to the shelter.
The attendant spread hides, and Patroclus laid him down, cut the bitter arrow from the thigh with a knife, washed away the black blood, crushed a pain-killing root in his hands, and laid it on. The wound dried, and the blood stopped.