ed his father's uncle Licymnius, who had
been a famous warrior in his time, but was then grown old. On this he
built himself a fleet, gathered a great following, and fled beyond the
sea, for he was menaced by the other sons and grandsons of Hercules.
After a voyage, during which he suffered great hardship, he came to
Rhodes, where the people divided into three communities, according to
their tribes, and were dearly loved by Jove, the lord of gods and men;
wherefore the son of Saturn showered down great riches upon them.

And Nireus brought three ships from Syme--Nireus, who was the
handsomest man that came up under Ilius of all the Danaans after the
son of Peleus--but he was a man of no substance, and had but a small
following.

And those that held Nisyrus, Crapathus, and Casus, with Cos, the city
of Eurypylus, and the Calydnian islands, these were commanded by
Pheidippus and Antiphus, two sons of King Thessalus the son of
Hercules. And with them there came thirty ships.

Those again who held Pelasgic Argos, Alos, Alope, and Trachis; and
those of Phthia and Hellas the land of fair women, who were called
Myrmidons, Hellenes, and Achaeans; these had fifty ships, over which
Achilles was in command. But they now took no part in the war, inasmuch
as there was no one to marshal them; for Achilles stayed by his ships,
furious about the loss of the girl Briseis, whom he had taken from
Lyrnessus at his own great peril, when he had sacked Lyrnessus and
Thebe, and had overthrown Mynes and Epistrophus, sons of king Evenor,
son of Selepus. For her sake Achilles was still grieving, but ere long
he was again to join them.

And those that held Phylace and the flowery meadows of Pyrasus,
sanctuary of Ceres; Iton, the mother of sheep; Antrum upon the sea, and
Pteleum that lies upon the grass lands. Of these brave Protesilaus had
been captain while he was yet alive, but he was now lying under the
earth. He had left a wife behind him in Phylace to tear her cheeks in
sorrow, and his house was only half finished, for he was slain by a
Dardanian warrior while leaping foremost of the Achaeans upon the soil
of Troy. Still, though his people mourned their chieftain, they were
not without a leader, for Podarces, of the race of Mars, marshalled
them; he was son of Iphiclus, rich in sheep, who was the son of
Phylacus, and he was own brother to Protesilaus, only younger,
Protesilaus being at once the elder and the more valiant. So the people
we