them, the swift,
Son of Oileus led, not such as he
From Telamon, big-boned and lofty built, 645
But small of limb, and of an humbler crest;
Yet he, competitor had none throughout
The Grecians of what land soe'er, for skill
In ushering to its mark the rapid lance.
Elphenor brought (Calchodon's mighty son) 650
The Euboeans to the field. In forty ships
From Histriaea for her vintage famed,
From Chalcis, from Iretria, from the gates
Of maritime Cerinthus, from the heights
Of Dios rock-built citadel sublime, 655
And from Caristus and from Styra came
His warlike multitudes, all named alike
Abantes, on whose shoulders fell behind
Their locks profuse,[23] and they were eager all
To split the hauberk with the pointed spear. 660
Nor Athens had withheld her generous sons,
The people of Erectheus. Him of old
The teeming glebe produced, a wondrous birth!
And Pallas rear'd him: her own unctuous fane
She made his habitation, where with bulls 665
The youth of Athens, and with slaughter'd lambs
Her annual worship celebrate. Then led
Menestheus, whom, (sage Nestor's self except,
Thrice school'd in all events of human life,)
None rivall'd ever in the just array 670
Of horse and man to battle. Fifty ships
Black-prowed, had borne them to the distant war.
Ajax from Salamis twelve vessels brought,
And where the Athenian band in phalanx stood
Marshall'd compact, there station'd he his powers. 675
The men of Argos and Tyrintha next,
And of Hermione, that stands retired
With Asine, within her spacious bay;
Of Epidaurus, crown'd with purple vines,
And of Troezena, with the Achaian youth 680
Of sea-begirt AEgina, and with thine,
Maseta, and the dwellers on thy coast,
Wave-worn Eionae; these all obeyed
The dauntless Hero Diomede, whom served
Sthenelus, son of Capaneus, a Chief 685
Of deathless fame, his second in command,
And godlike man, Euryalus, the son
Of King Mecisteus, Talaues' son, his third.
But Diomede controll'd them all, and him
Twice forty sable ships their leader own'd. 690
Came Agamemnon with a hundred ships,
Exulting in his powers; more numerous they,
And more illustrious far than other Chief
Could b