Such noble strain did Neleus' son pour out Into the Argives' eager ears; and they Hearkened with ravished souls. Then in their midst He sang once more the imperishable deeds Of princely Achilles. All the mighty throng Acclaimed him with delight. From that beginning With fitly chosen words did he extol The glorious hero; how he voyaged and smote Twelve cities; how he marched o'er leagues on leagues Of land, and spoiled eleven; how he slew Telephus and Eetion's might renowned In Thebe; how his spear laid Cyenus low, Poseidon's son, and godlike Polydorus, Troilus the goodly, princely Asteropaeus; And how he dyed with blood the river-streams Of Xanthus, and with countless corpses choked His murmuring flow, when from the limbs he tore Lycaon's life beside the sounding river; And how he smote down Hector; how he slew Penthesileia, and the godlike son Of splendour-throned Dawn;--all this he sang To Argives which already knew the tale; Sang of his giant mould, how no man's strength In fight could stand against him, nor in games Where strong men strive for mastery, where the swift Contend with flying feet or hurrying wheels Of chariots, nor in combat panoplied; And how in goodlihead he far outshone All Danaans, and how his bodily might Was measureless in the stormy clash of war. Last, he prayed Heaven that he might see a son Like that great sire from sea-washed Scyros come. That noble song acclaiming Argives praised; Yea, silver-looted Thetis smiled, and gave The singer fleetfoot horses, given of old Beside Caicus' mouth by Telephus To Achilles, when he healed the torturing wound With that same spear wherewith himself had pierced Telephus' thigh, and thrust the point clear through. These Nestor Neleus' son to his comrades gave, And, glorying in their godlike lord, they led The steeds unto his ships. Then Thetis set Amidst the athlete-ring ten kine, to be Her prizes for the footrace, and by each Ran a fair suckling calf. These the bold might Of Peleus' tireless son had driven down From slopes of Ida, prizes of his spear.