Miscellaneous writings of the late Dr. Maginn :: :: University of Virginia Library

Oh! was I as erst in my youthful day,
In vigor and strength the same,
When we and the Eleans about a prey
Of cattle to combat came;
When by my hand Itymones fell
To the rescue rushing on;
(Of Hypirochus who was wont to dwell
In Elis, gallant son.)

II

In the foremost line as he guarded his kine,
I stretched him amid the dead;
While with fear and amaze did the wild troops gaze
Whom he from his farm-lands led
Fifty flocks of goats, as many sheep,
And fifty drove of swine;
Fifty lowing herds at one night's sweep
I drove from the plain as mine.

III

And thrice fifty mares of yellow main,
And with them many a foal,
And we drove them to Neleus who held his reign
In those olden times o'er the Pylian plain,
And rejoiced was he in his soul
That to me, so young in my first essay,
Should so rich a booty fall;

224

And by heralds at dawn of the breaking day,
It was proclaimed to all.

IV

To whom debt was due all Elis through
Should meet in the spoils to share;
And together the Pylian chieftains drew,
And made a division fair;
For many a score of ancient date
Was to poor Pylos owed,
For we were reduced to low estate
By the strength of a demigod.

V

For Hercules came in years gone by,
And by him were our best men slain;
Twelve gallant sons had Neleus, and I
Did then the last remain;
The Epeians, therefore, thought they might dare
In their haughty meanness strong;
To a people so weak they refused to spare
Insults of deed, or tongue.

VI

A lowing herd and a fleecy flock,
In number of hundreds three,
As his share with the shepherds old Neleus took,
For the heaviest claim had he.
Four horses famed for glories won
When contending for the prize,
As for a tripod they went to run,
Were seized in a shameful wise.

225

VII

King Augias stopped them travelling on,
And back the driver came,
His race not run, his coursers gone,
With anger filled and shame.
Large, therefore, the share might my father choose,
To the people he gave the rest,
That none might his fairness in dolling accuse,
To divide as it pleased him best.

VIII

And now our various labors done,
Due sacrificial cheer
We offered the gods outside the town,
Free from the pressing fear;
But on the third morn, of foot and horse
A mighty gathering came;
The Molians armed them with the force,
Though but boys unknown to fame.

IX

A distant town Thryoessa stands
Where Alpheus' waters sweep
At the edge remote of Pylos' sands,
Perched on the rocky steep.
This far-off town they sought to gain,
And to use it at their need;
But when they had traversed all the plain
Athene came with speed

X

By night; and the Pylians to arms she bid,
And they answered with delight;

226

But my steeds of war old Neleus hid,
To keep me from the fight.
He said I knew not the works of war,
And yet to the field I sped,
Where I fought, though on foot, the horsemen near,
By Athene's orders led.

XI

Close by Arene the Minyas flows,
And falls into the sea,
Where the Pylian horsemen, till morning rose,
Awaited our infantry.
Then full of force our armor shine,
By Alpheus' banks we stood,
And we sacrificed there to the powers divine,
And first to the Olympian God.

XII

To Alpheus a steer—to Posidon a steer,
And a heifer all unbroke
To Pallas—and then our festal cheer
Throughout the ranks we took.
And the livelong night in our arms we lay,
Close by the rushing tide,
While to Pylos the Epeians made their way,
Camping its walls beside.

XIII

And soon as morning's dawn was seen,
Scattering its light around,
Praying to Jove, and Wisdom's Queen,
We for the fight were bound;

227

When we fairly joined us in the fray,
By me was the first man slain;
No horses longer I needed that day,
And my father's scheme was vain.

XIV

Brave Moleus, whom I made to bleed,
Had chosen as a bride
King Augias' daughter, fair Agamede,
By whom the virtues of plant and weed,
Wherever grown, were tried.
And I slew him there with my brazen spear,
And as in the dust he rolled,
In his chariot I drove in hot career
To the foremost warriors bold.

XV

And hither and thither the Epeians fled,
When they saw that warrior fall,
Their horse to the fight who had always led,
And was foremost in valor's call.
But on I rushed, like a darksome blast,
And from fifty chariots soon,
To bite the dust two riders were cast,
By my right arm alone.

XVI

And the Molian twins I there had slain
But for the pitchy cloud
In which their father, who rules the main,
Did them from danger shroud.
Then Jove assisting across the field,
We made the Epeians fly,

228

The men we slay, and their corses yield
Of armor a rich supply.

XVII

Till we came to Buprasium, rich in wheat,
Our horse rode conquering still,
Under Olenia's rocky retreat
And Alicium's distant hill.
And there their last man low I laid;
And much honor we lavished free,
First 'mong the gods to Jove they paid,
'Mong mankind first to me.