A second host of Bolotians was led by fine-haired Hymenaios with unmarked chin, young and fresh, beloved by Bromios. As Guardian for the boy came a hoary chieftain named Phoinix; like Laocoon, who long ago embarked in the Argo, Iason’s ship, and sailed with Meleagros to the Colchian land, his comrade in the battlefield. Such another boy was this in the prime of youth, Hymenaios, with his luxuriant hair curving round either cheek, never cut since he was born, on the way to the Indian War. Shieldmen bare him company, who dwelt in the stronghold of Aspledon, and the dance-beaten cinct of the loves, Orchomenos city of Minyas, the Graces never leave those who dwelt in Hyria, that hospitable land which entertained the gods, […] hospitable Hyrieus ; where that huge giant […] of no marriage-bed, threefather Orion, sprang up from his mother earth, after a shower of piss from three gods grew in generative fruitfulness to the selfmade shape of a child, having impregnated a wrinkle of a fruitful oxhide. Then a hollow of the earth was midwife to earth’s unbegotten son. Those also came who possessed the place where the assembling Achaiane found refuge, rocky Aulis, pavement of the Archeress : where the goddess in heavy resentment received at her altar in the mountains the offering of a pretended Iphigeneia, and a wild pricket of the hills was burnt in a blameless fire, changeling shape of the true Iphigeneia who had been carried away. She it was that cunning Odysseus brought to be Achilles’ bride before the trouble, and hence Aulis has the name of matchmaker for Iphigeneia who never married at all ; for a guiding wind whistled over the Argive ships, flogging the quiet top of the calm which had kept back the ships, and brought a rescuing breeze for the fawn-slayer king. But the girl passed at last on high to the Taurian land, and there she was taught the inhospitable law of their horrible kettles, in cutting up men for meat; but beside the murderous altar she saved the life of her seabeaten brother Orestes. Such was the infinite host of Boiotian men who went with Hymenaios to the Indian War.
These were joined by comrades marching from Phocis near the wise Delphian rock : those who held the settlement of Cyparissos and the land of Hyampolis, taking its name as I hear from the Aonian Sow, which lifted a proud neck and challenged Tritogeneia to a beauty-match There were also those who had Python […] the gardens among the precipices, famous Crisa, and Daulis, and Panopeus, neighbour of Bacchos, for laurelled Apollo had made common with his brother Dionysos two-peak Parnassos his domain; as the peoples gathered, the Pythian rock uttered the inspired voice of God, and the tripod spoke of itself, the babbling rill of Castalia that never silent spring, bubbled with wisdom in its waters,
The Euboian battalions were ruled by shield-bearing Corybants, guardians of Dionysos in his growing days: who in the Phrygian gulf beside mountain-ranging Rheia surrounded Bacchos still a child with their drum-skins. They found him once, a horned baby, covered with a cloak the colour of purple wine, lying among the rocks where Ino had him in charge of Mystis the mother of Corybants All these came then from the famous island : Prymneus, and Mimas Waddlefoot, and Acmon the forester, Damneus and Ocythoos the shieldman; and with them came flash-helm Melisseus as comrade to Idakos, whom their father Socos under the insane goad of impiety had once cast out of their brine-girt country along with Combe the mother of seven. They escaped and passed to Cnossian soil, and again went on their travels from Crete to Phrygia, and from Phrygia to Athens ; where they remained as foreign settlers and hearth-guests until Cecrops destroyed Socos with avenging blade of justice then leaving the land of brine-flooded Marathon turned their steps homewards to the sacred soil of the Abantes, the earthborn stock of the ancient Curetes, whose life is the tune of pipes, whose life is the goodly noise of beaten swords, whose heart is set upon rhythmic circling of the feet and the shield-wise dancing. To the army came also warrior sons of the Abantes, whose lot was in the beetling brows of Eretria, whose lot was both Styra and Cerinthos, and the settlements of farfamed Carystos, and the barren land of Dion, those who held the shore, that boisterous shore of Geraistos never silent, and Styx and the Cotylaian fort and the habitation of Sirs, the stretches of Marmarion and the domain of ancient Aige. With these ranged themselves those whose country was Chalcis, mother city of the Ellopians with back-flowing hair. Seven captains armed this host, but all of one temper for war: with blaring altar they propitiated the tenants of the Zodiac path, committing their campaign to the planets of equal number.
The Cecropides were mustered by Erechtheus, the glutton of battle. He had in him the golden blood of Erechtheus father of glorious sons, whom once the Virgin selfborn nursed at her manly breast in the recess of her torchlit maiden chamber, […] turned nursemaid, and shamefast clasped with her inexperienced maiden arm that son of Hephaistos, when Crookshank unhappy in his wife spilt seed in unnatural love, and the hot foam of love fell of itself on the earth. This was the Erechtheus who came as captain of the Athenians, with […] to share his task, chief of that same city : whose lot was in the fertile land of Oinoe, and the bee-frequented vales on the heights of neighbouring Hymettos, and the deep woody borders of olive-planted Marathon, and the city of Celeos and those from the harbour of Athens, Brauron near the sea, the empty barrow of Iphigeneia, and the ground of Thoricos, and teeming Aphidna ; and those who held the Eleusinian land of daughter-proud Deo, initiates of the Basket and the good-fruit ; those born of the blood of Triptolemos : who once on a time drove Deo’s chariot and serpents through the air, with their load of corn-ears, and lashed their backs. Many an old man of Acharnai came, risking his armour of steel about and holding it out to his sons equipping themselves. The ranks of Attica came to join ; with spears and with sword the burghers hastened to make the fray, on to the fray fine helmet on head came Athens raging along, the harbour of Phaleron resounded with men hurrying to war; many a golden cicada was made fast in the plaited hair to proclaim their ancient indigenous.”
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