Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 2

Page 25

Those who possessed Ormenium, and the fountain Hyperia, and those who possessed Asterium and the white tops of Titanus; these Eurypylus, the brave son of Evaemon, commanded. With him forty dark ships followed.

Those who possessed Argissa, and inhabited Gyrtone, and Orthe, and Elone, and the white city Oloosson: these the stout warrior Polypoetes, son of Pirithous, whom immortal Jove begat, commanded. Him renowned Hippodamia brought forth by Pirithous, on the day when he took vengeance on the shaggy Centaurs, and drove them from Mount Pelion, and chased them to the AEthiceans. He was not the only leader; with him commanded warlike Leonteus, son of magnamimous Coronus, the son of Coeneus. With these forty dark ships followed.

But Gyneus led two-and-twenty ships from Cyphus. Him the Enienes followed, and the Peraebi, stout warriors, who placed their habitations by chilly Dodona, and those who tilled the fields about delightful Titaresius, which pours its fair-flowing stream into the Peneus; nor is it mingled with silver-eddied Peneus, but flows on the surface of it like oil. For it is a streamlet of the Stygian wave, the dreadful [pledge of] oath.

Prothoues, son of Tenthredon, commanded the Magnetes, who dwell about the Peneus, and leaf-quivering Pelion: these swift Prothoues led; and with him forty dark ships followed.

These then were the leaders and chieftains of the Greeks. Do thou, then, O muse, tell me who was the most excellent of these, of the kings and their steeds, who followed the son of Atreus to Troy. The steeds of the descendant of Pheres were indeed by far the most excellent, which Eumelus drove, swift as birds, like in hair, like in age, and level in [height of] back by the plumb-line.[134] These, bearing with them the terror of Mars, both mares, silver-bowed Apollo fed in Pieria.[135] Of the heroes Telamonian Ajax was by far the best, whilst Achilles continued wrathful, for he was by far the bravest; and the steeds which bore the irreproachable son of Peleus surpassed those of Eumelus. But he on his part lay in his dark sea-traversing ships, breathing wrath against the son of Atreus, Agamemnon, the shepherd of the people. But his forces meantime amused themselves with quoits and javelins, hurling [them,] and with their bows; and their steeds stood, each near his chariot, feeding on lotus and lake-fed parsley. And the well-fastened chariots lay in the tents of their lords. But they, longing for their warlike chief, wandered hither and thither through the camp, and did not fight.

But they went along, as if the whole earth was being fed upon by fire,[136] and the earth groaned beneath, as in honour of thunder-rejoicing Jove when angry,[137] when he strikes the earth around Typhoeus in Arimae,[138] where they say is the tomb of Typhoeus; thus indeed beneath their feet the earth groaned mightily, as they went, and very swift they passed over the plain.

[Footnote 134: I. e. exactly equal in height, as if they had been measured.]

[Footnote 135: This degradation of Apollo used to be commemorated in the theoria in honour of the god. See Mueller Dor. vol. i. p. 233.]

[Footnote 136: Such was the glitter of their arms.]

[Footnote 137: See Arnold.]

[Footnote 138: A volcanic district of Mysia.]

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