and the whole army looking on as spectators, was
seized with the fear that he might miss his chance of being first to
run the gauntlet of the enemy's fire and get into the place. So,
without a word of summons to his neighbour, Aristonymous, or to
Eurylochus of Lusia, both comrades of his, or to any one else, off he
set on his own account, and passed the whole detachment. But
Callimachus, seeing him tearing past, caught hold of his shield by the
rim, and in the meantime Aristonymous the Methydrian ran past both,
and after him Eurylochus of Lusia; for they were one and all aspirants
to valour, and in that high pursuit, each was the eager rival of the
rest. So in this strife of honour, the three of them took the
fortress, and when they had once rushed in, not a stone more was
hurled from overhead.

And here a terrible spectacle displayed itself: the women first cast
their infants down the cliff, and then they cast themselves after 13
their fallen little ones, and the men likewise. In such a scene,
Aeneas the Stymphalian, an officer, caught sight of a man with a fine
dress about to throw himself over, and seized hold of him to stop him;
but the other caught him to his arms, and both were gone in an instant
headlong down the crags, and were killed. Out of this place the merest
handful of human beings were taken prisoners, but cattle and asses in
abundance and flocks of sheep.

From this place they marched through the Chalybes (1) seven stages,
fifty parasangs. These were the bravest men whom they encountered on
the whole march, coming cheerily to close quarters with them. They
wore linen cuirasses reaching to the groin, and instead of the
ordinary "wings" or basques, a thickly-plaited fringe of cords. They
were also provided with greaves and helmets, and at the girdle a short
sabre, about as long as the Laconian dagger, with which they cut the
throats of those they mastered, and after severing the head from the
trunk they would march along carrying it, singing and dancing, when
they drew within their enemy's field of view. They carried also a
spear fifteen cubits long, lanced at one end (2). This folk stayed in
regular townships, and whenever the Hellenes passed by they invariably
hung close on their heels fighting. They had dwelling-places in their
fortresses, and into them they had carried up their supplies, sot hat
the Hellenes could get nothing from this district, but supported
themselves on the flocks and herds