Homer ILIAD : Rhapsody 9

Page 14

The Curetes and Aetolians, obstinate in battle, fought around the city of Calydon, and slaughtered each other; the Aetolians, in defence of lofty Calydon, the Curetes, eager to lay it waste in war; for between them had golden-throned Diana excited mischief, indignant because oeneus had not offered the first-fruits in sacrifice in the fertile spot of ground:[319] whilst the other gods feasted on hecatombs, but to the daughter of mighty Jove alone he sacrificed not. Either he forgot,[320] or did not think of it, but he did greatly err in mind. But she, the daughter of Jove, delighting in arrows, enraged, sent against [him] a sylvan wild boar, with white tusks, which did much detriment, as is the wont [of boars], to the land of oeneus. And many tall trees, one after another, did he prostrate on the ground, with their very roots and the blossom of their fruit. But him Meleager, son of oeneus, slew, assembling huntsmen and dogs from many cities; for he would not have been subdued by a few mortals: so mighty was he, and he caused many to ascend the sad funeral-pile. Still she (Diana) excited around him[321] a great tumult and war between the Curetes and magnanimous Aetolians, for the head and bristly skin of the boar.[322] Whilst warlike Meleager fought, so long were the Curetes unsuccessful; nor were they able, although numerous, to remain without the wall. But when wrath, which swells the minds of others, though very prudent, within their breasts, came upon Meleager, for, enraged at heart with his dear mother Althaea, he remained inactive beside his wedded wife, fair Cleopatra, daughter of Marpessa, the handsome-footed child of Evenus and Idas, who was then the bravest of earthly men, and even lifted a bow against king Phoebus Apollo, for the sake of his fair-ankled spouse. Her [Cleopatra] then her father and venerable mother in the palace were accustomed to call by the surname of Alcyone, because her mother, having the plaintive note of sad Alcyone,[323] lamented when far-darting Phoebus Apollo stole her away. Beside her he [Meleager] remained inactive, brooding[324] over his sad anger, enraged because of the curses of his mother, who, much grieving, prayed to the gods on account of the murder of her brethren.[325] Often with her hands did she strike the fruitful earth, calling upon Pluto and dread Proserpine, reclining upon her knees, whilst her bosom was bedewed with tears, to give death to her son: but her the Erinnys, wandering in gloom, possessing an implacable heart, heard from Erebus. Then immediately was there noise and tumult of these[326] excited round the gates, the towers being battered. Then did the elders of the Aetolians entreat him, and sent chosen priests to the gods, that he would come forth and defend them, promising a great gift. Where the soil of fertile Calydon was richest, there they ordered him to choose a beautiful enclosure of fifty acres; the one half, of land fit for vines, to cut off the other half of plain land, free from wood, for tillage.

[Footnote 319: Cf. Hesiod's Theogony 54. [Greek: Mnemosyne, gounoisin eleutheros medeousa]. Like [Greek: outhar aroures], in ver. 141, it is an expression denoting excessive fertility.]

[Footnote 320: So Xenoph. de Venat. Sec. 1. [Greek: Oineos d' en gera epilathomenou tes ueou]. See an excellent sketch of the story in Grote, vol. i. p. 195, sqq. Cf. Hygin. Fab. clxxii.; Lactant. Arg. fab. Ovid. viii. 4; Antonin. Lib. Met. Sec. 2.]

[Footnote 321: I. e. the boar.]

[Footnote 322: On the legend of this war, see Apollodor. i. 8, 2; Callimach. Ib. Dian. 216; Ovid, Met. viii. 260. A catalogue of the heroes who accompanied Meleager is given by Hyginus, Fab. clxxiii.]

[Footnote 323: See Antonin. Liberal. Met. Sec. 2. who follows Homer rather closely.]

[Footnote 324: Literally, "digesting."]

[Footnote 325: See n. 2, p. 41, and on the death of Meleager, by his mother burning a fatal brand, Apollodor. i. c.; Zenobius Cent. Adag. v. 33; Anton. Lib. Met. Sec. 2.]

[Footnote 326: I. e. the Calydonians.]

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