Look into the fifth next, and you will see Actaion also, whom no pricket brought forth, torn by dogs as a fleeing fawn.
As soon as Cadmos had reaped the snaky crop of tooth-planted battles, and shorn the stubble of the giants, pouring the blood-libation to Ares as the firstling feast of harvest-slaughter, he cleansed his body in dragon-breeding Dirce, and sacrificed the Delphian cow on the godbuilt altar as a fair offering for Pallas. As the first rite in the sacrifice, he sprinkled the two horns on both sides with barley-grains ; he drew out and bared the falchion knife which hung at his thigh alongside by an Assyrian strap, and cut the top hairs of the longhorned head with the hilted blade. Theoclymenos grasped the heifer’s horn and drew back the throat, Thyestes cut through the sinews of the neck with a double-edged axe; the stone altar of Athena Onca was reddened with the smear of the creature’s blood. Then the cow’s horned front was struck, and prone the creature fell. They brittled her with the steel, they cut through the sides and carved her up with the knife, they stript the hard covering of hide and stretched it out.
The prince himself was busy, after folding his bright mantle and laying it on the ground. He cut out raw slices of the sturdy thighs, chopt them small and set them between two layers of fat; he pierced the long tripes with iron spits and stretched them over the embers, grilling them with gentle heat : then he brought them, pierced on the pointed bronze, and lifting the glowing spits one by one, laid them in a row on the grass amid the flowers —steward of a lowly table! The fragrant smoke of Assyrian incense scattered curling through the air. The sacrifice ended, there was a feast : and Cadmos took and held out and served to each an equal portion of choice food. The rows of banqueters at the round - table soon had enough and wanted no more. The dragon’s death was not the end of the labours of Cadmos : but after the Serpent, and after the savage tribes of giants, he fought the champions of the Fetenes and the Aonian people, reaping a barbarian harvest of Ares, and fell on the neighbouring Temmicans: when he called for soldiers, a motley swarm of neighbours came to his help. To both armies alike Strife joined Enyo and brought forth Tumult : when they met in battle bows were bent, spears hurtled, helmets shook, shots whizzed, oxhides “rattled struck on the bossy round with chunks like millstones. The blood of the fallen ran in streams many a man fell headlong half-dead on the fruitful earth, and rolled in the dust. Then the army of his adversaries bowed supplant before Cadmos, and the conflict ceased. After the bloody whirl of battle Cadmos laid the foundation of Thebes yet unfortified.
He divided the spaces, and many furrows were cut this way and that, the beds of many branching roads were cut by the sharp-toothed iron of the oxplow; many streets were measured at right angles to the four opposing winds to take their share of the grasslands. Then the Aonian city was embellished with the stony beauty of Tyrian art : all were busy, one workman with another, cutting under the Boiotian slopes with earth-leaving pick the variegated rock, which the hills near the thick forest of tree-clad Teumessos brought forth, which Helicon grew and Cithairon brought to birth. He completed temples for the gods and houses for the people, planning with his builder’s rules. He scored the shape of a city surrounded by walls upon impregnable foundation-stones, with seven entries, imitating in his art heaven with its seven zones, but he left the walls for Amphion to build for the future inhabitants, and to protect, with tower-building harp,
He dedicated the seven gates, equal in number to the seven planets. First towards the western clime he allotted the Oncaian Gate to Mene Brighteyes, taking the name from the honk of cattle, because the Moon herself, bullshaped, horned, driver of cattle, being triform is Tritonis Athene. The second gate he gave in honour to Hermaon the shining neighbour of Mene. The fourth he traced out and named for Electra Phaethon’s daughter, because when he appears, Electra’s morning gleam sparkles with like colour; and the midmost gate opposite the Dawn he dedicated to fiery Helios, since he is in the middle of the planets. The fifth he gave to Ares, the third to Aphrodite, in order that Phaethon might be between them both on either side, and cut off his neighbour the furious Ares from Aphrodite. The sixth he made an image of Zeus, shining high with more glorious craftsmanship. The last fell to the lot of Cronos the seventh planet.
Such he made this seat ; and having founded the sacred city, he called it by the name of Thebes in Egypt, decking out an earthly image like to Olympos with all its adornments. The daughters of the Aonians struck up Harmonia’s marriage-hymn with dances the dancing girls sang the name of the Thracian bride, in that place and its fine bridal chamber. The Paphian also, lovely mother, decorated her daughter’s newbuilt bower for Cadmos, while she sang of the god-ordained marriage ; her father danced with joy for his girl, bare and stript of his armour, a tame Ares and laid his right arm unweaponed about Aphrodite, while he sounded the spirit of the Loves on his wedding- trumpet answering the panspipes: he had shaken “off from his helmet head the plumes of horsehair so familiar in the battlefield, and wreathed bloodless garlands about his hair, weaving a merry song for Love. Dancing with the immortals came Ismenian Apollo to Harmonia’s wedding, while he twangled a hymn of love on his seven-string. The nine Muses too struck up a life-stirring melody : Polymnia nursing-mother of the dance waved her arms, and sketched in the air an image of a soundless voice, speaking with hands and moving eyes in a graphic picture of silence full of meaning. Victory turned a tripping foot for the pleasure of Zeus, and stood by as bridesmaid crying triumph for Cadmos the god’s champion; about the bride-bed she wove the wedding song with her virgin voice, and moved her gliding steps in the pretty circles of the dance, while she fluttered her wings, shamefast beside the wings of the Loves.
A light arose, like a misnamed dawn in the evening, from the splendour no less brilliant of those gleaming torches scattered everywhere. All night “long, the merry rout of untiring dancers were singing with clear voices beside the bridal chamber in happy romps ; since (Hermes) anxious for a sleepless wedding night had left his familiar wand behind, because that was the rationer of sleep. So Thebes was the Olympian dancing-place and one might see Cadmos and Zeus touching the same table !
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