r was the king to escape his fate and
return home from battle to his bridal chamber and bed. But Aeson's son
leapt upon him as he turned to face him, and smote him in the middle
of the breast, and the bone was shattered round the spear; he rolled
forward in the sand and filled up the measure of his fate. For that no
mortal may escape; but on every side a wide snare encompasses us. And
so, when he thought that he had escaped bitter death from the chiefs,
fate entangled him that very night in her toils while battling with
them; and many champions withal were slain; Heracles killed Telecles
and Megabrontes, and Acastus slew Sphodris; and Peleus slew Zelus and
Gephyrus swift in war. Telamon of the strong spear slew Basileus. And
Idas slew Promeus, and Clytius Hyacinthus, and the two sons of Tyndareus
slew Megalossaces and Phlogius. And after them the son of Oeneus slew
bold Itomeneus, and Artaceus, leader of men; all of whom the inhabitants
still honour with the worship due to heroes. And the rest gave way and
fled in terror just as doves fly in terror before swift-winged hawks.
And with a din they rustled in a body to the gates; and quickly the city
was filled with loud cries at the turning of the dolorous fight. But at
dawn both sides perceived the fatal and cureless error; and bitter grief
seized the Minyan heroes when they saw before them Cyzicus son of Aeneus
fallen in the midst of dust and blood. And for three whole days they
lamented and rent their hair, they and the Dollones. Then three times
round his tomb they paced in armour of bronze and performed funeral
rites and celebrated games, as was meet, upon the meadow-plain, where
even now rises the mound of his grave to be seen by men of a later day.
No, nor was his bride Cleite left behind her dead husband, but to crown
the ill she wrought an ill yet more awful, when she clasped a noose
round her neck. Her death even the nymphs of the grove bewailed; and
of all the tears for her that they shed to earth from their eyes
the goddesses made a fountain, which they call Cleite, [1107] the
illustrious name of the hapless maid. Most terrible came that day from
Zeus upon the Doliones, women and men; for no one of them dared even to
taste food, nor for a long time by reason of grief did they take thought
for the toil of the cornmill, but they dragged on their lives eating
their food as it was, untouched by fire. Here even now, when the Ionians
that dwell in Cyzicus pour their ye