“At the bronze trumpet’s signal forth they shot: the men Urged on their horses and with both hands loosed the reins. Now on a sudden all the race course filled with din Of rattling chariots. Up aloft the dust cloud flew, Enwrapping all together. Spared they not the goad That one might pass the others’ horses snorting foam For horses, breathing neck and neck, now smote with flecks, Blown backwards, rivals’ flanks and fellies of the wheels. But he, just grazing past the post each time, would urge The trace-horse on the right and curb the left inside. Now thus far all the chariots had fared upright, But here the Ænianian’s colts the curb refused, Ran off with violence and, swerving from the course, (’Twas now the sixth round ended or the seventh now) Full on the frontlets of the Libyan’s team they crashed. From this mischancing first another and then one Fouled with his neighbour, crushing him, till all the course Crisæan filled with wreckage of the chariot teams. This noticing, the skilled Athenian charioteer Held in and swerved to safer offing to pass by The surge of chariot billows wallowing in the midst. Last came Orestes driving, holding back his colts, Placing his confidence upon the final heat. But when he sees the man from Athens left alone He stings his swift colts’ ears and whistled shrill the whip Pursuing. Now abreast the chariots twain drove on, First one team, then the other leading by a neck. Now he through all the other laps unscathed had come, Ill fated, upright on the upright chariot board, But as the horses doubled now the final turn He loosed the left rein, recked not of the column’s edge And struck upon it full the shivering axle-nave. Over the chariot rim he lurched. The severing straps Coiled round him. As he fell to earth the colts ran wild Along the race course wide. The people, seeing him Thus fallen from the team, raise outcries loud and high At what the youth had done and then this evil hap. Now borne along the ground, now high again upflung His legs gleam white, until the charioteers the colts Had checked, no easy task, and disentangled him So covered o’er with blood that never had a friend, Seeing that ruined form, have known him as his own.”