These then were the leaders and chieftains of the Greeks. Do thou, then, O muse, tell me who was the most excellent of these, of the kings and their steeds, who followed the son of Atreus to Troy. The steeds of the descendant of Pheres were indeed by far the most excellent, which Eumelus drove, swift as birds, like in hair, like in age, and level in [height of] back by the plumb-line.[1] These, bearing with them the terror of Mars, both mares, silver-bowed Apollo fed in Pieria.[2] Of the heroes Telamonian Ajax was by far the best, while Achilles continued wrathful, for he was by far the bravest; and the steeds which bore the irreproachable son of Peleus surpassed those of Eumelus. But he on his part lay in his dark sea-traversing ships, breathing wrath against the son of Atreus, Agamemnon, the shepherd of the people. But his forces meantime amused themselves with quoits and javelins, hurling [them,] and with their bows; and their steeds stood, each near his chariot, feeding on lotus and lake-fed parsley. And the well-fastened chariots lay in the tents of their lords. But they, longing for their warlike chief, wandered hither and thither through the camp, and did not fight.
But they went along, as if the whole earth was being fed upon by fire,[3] and the earth groaned beneath, as in honor of thunder-rejoicing Jove when angry,[4] when he strikes the earth around Typhœus in Arimæ,[5] where they say is the tomb of Typhœus; thus indeed beneath their feet the earth groaned mightily, as they went, and very swift they passed over the plain.
But swift-footed Iris came from ægis-bearing Jove, a messenger to the Trojans, with a woeful announcement. They all, collected together, both young and old, were holding councils at the gates of Priam. But swift-footed Iris standing near, accosted them: and she likened herself in voice to Polites, son of Priam, who, trusting to the swift-
