The cities such of the Strymonian Sea,
The Achelôdès, near the Thracians' home.
Antistrophe II.
And those tower-girded, distant from the coast,
Towns of the mainland, recognised his sway.
Those near Propontis' gulfs their site which boast, 870
Round Hellè's ample frith and Pontos' bay.
Strophe III.
And islands of the main,
Fronting the headland that o'erlooks the sea,
Hard by this Asian plain;
Lesbos, and Samos crowned with olive-trees,
Mycŏnos, Paros, Naxos, Chios, these,
And Andros, joining Tenos neighbourly.
Antistrophe III.
Ay, and each isle that lies
Midway between the mainlands he controlled;
Icăros' seat of old;
river to overpass, being situated at the bottom of a deep rocky chasm, at least in a considerable part of its course. The celebrated oracle, "If Crœsos passes over the Halys, he shall destroy a great kingdom," adds significance to the poet's words.
By the hearth of the Great King we may understand Persepolis, or some other royal city of Persia, and may interpret the poet to mean that Darius, like a wise ruler, subdued many distant countries by the arms of his generals, without taking the field himself.
