Two lances, and a taslet strong, she gave. Yea, and to all the riders who that day Came at Achilles' funeral-feast to strive She gave gifts. But the son of the old war-lord, Laertes, inly grieved to be withheld From contests of the strong, how fain soe'er, By that sore wound which Alcon dealt to him In the grim fight around dead Aeacas' son. BOOK V How the Arms of Achilles were cause of madness and death unto Aias. So when all other contests had an end, Thetis the Goddess laid down in the midst Great-souled Achilles' arms divinely wrought; And all around flashed out the cunning work Wherewith the Fire-god overchased the shield Fashioned for Aeacus' son, the dauntless-souled. Inwrought upon that labour of a God Were first high heaven and cloudland, and beneath Lay earth and sea: the winds, the clouds were there, The moon and sun, each in its several place; There too were all the stars that, fixed in heaven, Are borne in its eternal circlings round. Above and through all was the infinite air Where to and fro flit birds of slender beak: Thou hadst said they lived, and floated on the breeze. Here Tethys' all-embracing arms were wrought, And Ocean's fathomless flow. The outrushing flood Of rivers crying to the echoing hills All round, to right, to left, rolled o'er the land. Round it rose league-long mountain-ridges, haunts Of terrible lions and foul jackals: there Fierce bears and panthers prowled; with these were seen Wild boars that whetted deadly-clashing tusks In grimly-frothing jaws. There hunters sped After the hounds: beaters with stone and dart, To the life portrayed, toiled in the woodland sport. And there were man-devouring wars, and all Horrors of fight: slain men were falling down Mid horse-hoofs; and the likeness of a plain Blood-drenched was on that shield invincible. Panic was there, and Dread, and ghastly Enyo With limbs all gore-bespattered hideously, And deadly Strife, and the Avenging Spirits Fierce-hearted--she, still goading warriors on To the onset they, outbreathing breath of fire. Around them hovered the relentless Fates; Beside them Battle incarnate onward pressed Yelling, and from their limbs streamed blood and sweat. There were the ruthless Gorgons: through their hair Horribly serpents coiled with flickering tongues. A measureless marvel was that cunning work Of things that made men shudder to behold Seeming as though they verily lived and moved. And while here all war's marvels were portrayed, Yonder were all the works of lovely peace. The myriad tribes of much-enduring men Dwelt in fair cities. Justice watched o'er all. To diverse toils they set their hands; the fields Were harvest-laden; earth her increase bore.