allisto with a shot of her silver bow.'

HESIOD: 'So they feasted all day long, taking nothing--'

HOMER: 'From their own houses; for Agamemnon, king of men, supplied
them.'

HESIOD: 'When they had feasted, they gathered among the glowing ashes
the bones of the dead Zeus--'

HOMER: 'Born Sarpedon, that bold and godlike man.'

HESIOD: 'Now we have lingered thus about the plain of Simois, forth from
the ships let us go our way, upon our shoulders--'

HOMER: 'Having our hilted swords and long-helved spears.'

HESIOD: 'Then the young heroes with their hands from the sea--'

HOMER: 'Gladly and swiftly hauled out their fleet ship.'

HESIOD: 'Then they came to Colchis and king Aeetes--'

HOMER: 'They avoided; for they knew he was inhospitable and lawless.'

HESIOD: 'Now when they had poured libations and deeply drunk, the
surging sea--'

HOMER: 'They were minded to traverse on well-built ships.'

HESIOD: 'The Son of Atreus prayed greatly for them that they all might
perish--'

HOMER: 'At no time in the sea: and he opened his mouth said:'

HESIOD: 'Eat, my guests, and drink, and may no one of you return home to
his dear country--'

HOMER: 'Distressed; but may you all reach home again unscathed.'

When Homer had met him fairly on every point Hesiod said:

'Only tell me this thing that I ask: How many Achaeans went to Ilium
with the sons of Atreus?'

Homer answered in a mathematical problem, thus:

'There were fifty hearths, and at each hearth were fifty spits, and
on each spit were fifty carcases, and there were thrice three hundred
Achaeans to each joint.'

This is found to be an incredible number; for as there were fifty
hearths, the number of spits is two thousand five hundred; and of
carcasses, one hundred and twenty thousand...

Homer, then, having the advantage on every point, Hesiod was jealous and
began again:

'Homer, son of Meles, if indeed the Muses, daughters of great Zeus the
most high, honour you as it is said, tell me a standard that is both
best and worst for mortal-men; for I long to know it.' Homer replied:
'Hesiod, son of Dius, I am willing to tell you what you command, and
very readily will I answer you. For each man to be a standard will I
answer you. For each man to be a standard to himself is most excellent
for the good, but for the bad it is the worst of all things. And now ask
me whatever else your heart desires.'

HESIOD: 'How would men best dwell in cities, and with what o