The Iliads of Homer. Homer
The wealthy Corinth, Cleon that for beauteous site excell'd,
Aræthyrea's lovely seat, and in Ornia's plain,
And Sicyona, where at first did king Adrastus reign,
High-seated Gonoëssa's towers, and Hyperisius,
That dwelt in fruitful Pellenen, and in divine Ægius,
With all the sea-side borderers, and wide Helice's friends,
To Agamemnon ev'ry town her native birth commends,
In double-fifty sable barks. With him a world of men
Most strong and full of valour went, and he in triumph then
Put on his most resplendent arms, since he did over-shine
The whole heroic host of Greece, in pow'r of that design.
Who did in Lacedæmon's rule th' unmeasur'd concave hold,
High Pharis, Sparta, Messe's tow'rs, for doves so much extoll'd,
Bryseia's and Augia's grounds, strong Laa, Oetylon,
Amyclas, Helos' harbour-town, that Neptune beats upon,
All these did Menelaus lead (his brother, that in cries
Of war was famous). Sixty ships convey'd these enemies
To Troy in chief, because their king was chiefly injur'd there,
In Helen's rape, and did his best to make them buy it dear.
Who dwelt in Pylos' sandy soil, and Arene the fair,
In Thryon, near Alpheus' flood, and Aepy full of air,
In Cyparisscus, Amphigen, and little Pteleon,
The town where all the Iliots dwelt, and famous Doreon,
Where all the Muses, opposite, in strife of poesy,
To ancient Thamyris of Thrace, did use him cruelly,
(He coming from Eurytus' court, the wise Œchalian king,)
Because he proudly durst affirm he could more sweetly sing
Than that Pierian race of Jove; who, angry with his vaunt,
Bereft his eyesight, and his song, that did the ear enchant,
And of his skill to touch his harp disfurnishéd his hand.
All these in ninety hollow keels grave Nestor did command.
The richly-blest inhabitants of the Arcadian land
Below Cyllene's mount (that by Epytus' tomb did stand)
Where dwelt the bold near-fighting men, who did in Phæneus live,
And Orchomen, where flocks of sheep the shepherds clust'ring drive,
In Ripe, and in Stratié, the fair Mantinean town,
And strong Enispe, that for height is ever weather-blown,
Tegea, and in Stymphalus, Parrhasia strongly wall'd,
All these Alcæus' son to field (king Agapenor) call'd;
In sixty barks he brought them on, and ev'ry bark well-mann'd
With fierce Arcadian's, skill'd to use the utmost of a band.
King Agamemnon, on these men, did well-built ships bestow
To pass the gulfy purple sea, that did no sea rites know.
They, who in Hermin, Buphrasis, and Elis, did remain,
What Olen's cliffs, Alisius, and Myrsin did contain,
Were led to war by twice-two dukes (and each ten ships did bring,
Which many vent'rous Epians did serve for burthening,)
Beneath Amphimachus's charge, and valiant Thalpius,
(Son of Eurytus-Actor one, the other Cteatus,)
Diores Amaryncides the other did employ,
The fourth divine Polixenus (Agasthenes's joy).
The king of fair Angeiades, who from Dulichius came,
And from Echinaus' sweet isles, which hold their holy frame
By ample Elis region, Meges Phylides led;
Whom duke Phyleus, Jove's belov'd, begat, and whilome fled
To large Dulichius, for the wrath that fir'd his father's breast.
Twice-twenty ships with ebon sails were in his charge address'd.
The warlike men of Cephale, and those of Ithaca,
Woody Neritus, and the men of wet Crocylia,
Sharp Ægilipa, Samos' isle, Zacynthus sea inclos'd,
Epirus, and the men that hold the continent oppos'd,
All these did wise Ulysses lead, in counsel peer to Jove;
Twelve ships he brought, which in their course vermilion sterns did
move.
Thoas, Andremon's well-spoke son, did guide th' Ætolians well,
Those that in Pleuron, Olenon, and strong Pylene dwell,
Great Chalcis, that by sea-side stands, and stony Calydon;
(For now no more of Œneus' sons surviv'd; they all were gone;
No more his royal self did live, no more his noble son
The golden Meleager now, their glasses all were run)
All things were left to him in charge, th' Ætolians' chief he was,
And forty ships to Trojan wars the seas with him did pass.
The royal soldier Idomen did lead the Cretans stout,
The men of Gnossus, and the town Gortyna wall'd about,
Of Lictus, and Miletus' tow'rs, of white Lycastus' state,
Of Phæstus, and of Rhytius, the cities fortunate.
And all the rest inhabiting the hundred towns of Crete;
Whom warlike Idomen did lead, co-partner in the fleet
With kill-man Merion. Eighty ships with them did Troy invade.
Tlepolemus Heraclides, right strong and bigly made,
Brought nine tall ships of war from Rhodes, which haughty Rhodians
mann'd,
Who dwelt in three dissever'd parts of that most pleasant land,
Which Lyndus and Jalissus were, and bright Camirus, call'd.
Tlepolemus commanded these, in battle unappall'd;
Whom fair Astyoche brought forth, by force of Hercules,
Led out of Ephyr with his hand, from river Selleës,
When many towns of princely youths he levell'd with the ground.
Tlepolem, in his father's house (for building much renown'd)
Brought up to headstrong state of youth, his mother's brother slew,
The flow'r of arms, Licymnius, that somewhat aged grew;
Then straight he gather'd him a fleet, assembling bands of men,
And fled by sea, to shun the threats' that were denouncéd then
By other sons and nephews of th' Alciden fortitude.
He in his exile came to Rhodes, driv'n in with tempests rude.
The Rhodians were distinct in tribes, and great with Jove did
stand,
The King of men and Gods, who gave much treasure to their land.
Nirëus, out of Syma's hav'n three well-built barks did bring;
Nirëus, fair Aglaia's son, and Charopes' the king;
Nirëus was the fairest man that to fair Ilion came
Of all the Greeks,