and Pallas. But I came
swiftly through the wood of Diana with its many sacrifices, making my cheek
red with youthful modesty, wishing to behold the defense of the shield, and
the arm-bearing tents[13] of the Greeks, and the crowd of steeds. But I saw
the two Ajaces companions, the son of Oileus, and the son of Telamon, the
glory of Salamis, and Protesilaus and Palamedes, whom the daughter of
Neptune bore, diverting themselves[14] with the complicated figures of
draughts, and Diomede rejoicing in the pleasures of the disk, and by them
Merione, the blossom of Mars, a marvel to mortals, and the son of Laertes
from the mountains of the isle, and with them Nireus, fairest of the
Greeks, and Achilles, tempest-like in the course, fleet as the winds, whom
Thetis bore, and Chiron trained up, I beheld him on the shore, coursing in
arms along the shingles. And he toiled through a contest of feet, running
against a chariot of four steeds for victory. But the charioteer cried out,
Eumelus, the grandson of Pheres,[15] whose most beauteous steeds I beheld,
decked out with gold-tricked bits, hurried on by the lash, the middle ones
in yoke dappled with white-spotted hair, but those outside, in loose
harness, running contrariwise in the bendings of the course, bays, with
dappled skins under their legs with solid hoofs. Close by which Pelides was
running in arms, by the orb and wheels of the chariot.[16] And I came to
the multitude of ships, a sight not to be described, that I might satiate
the sight of my woman's eyes, a sweet delight. And at the right horn [of
the fleet] was the Phthiotic army of the Myrmidons, with fifty valiant
ships. And in golden effigies the Nereid Goddesses stood on the summit of
the poops, the standard of the host of Achilles. And next to these there
stood the Argive ships, with equal number of oars, of which [Euryalus] the
grandson of Mecisteus was general, whom his father Talaus trains up, and
Sthenelus son of Capaneus. But [Acamas] son of Theseus, leading sixty ships
from Athens, kept station, having the Goddess Pallas placed[17] in her
equestrian winged chariot, a prosperous sign to sailors. But I beheld the
armament of the Boeotians, fifty sea-bound ships, with signs at the
figure-heads, and their sign was Cadmus, holding a golden dragon, at the
beaks of the ships, and Leitus the earth-born was leader of the naval
armament, and [I beheld] those from the Phocian land. But the son of
Oileus, leading an equal num