The King Idomeneus the Cretans led, From Cnossus, and Gortyna’s well-wall’d town, Miletus, and Lycastus’ white-stone cliffs, Lyctus, and Phaestus, Rhytium, and the rest Whom Crete from all her hundred cities sent: These all Idomeneus, a spearman skill’d, Their King, commanded; and Meriones, In battle terrible as blood-stain’d Mars. In their command came fourscore dark-ribb’d ships. Valiant and tall, the son of Hercules, Tlepolemus, nine vessels brought from Rhodes, By gallant Rhodians mann’d, who tripartite Were settled, and in Ialyssus dwelt, In Lindus, and Cameirus’ white-stone hills. These all renown’d Tlepolemus obey’d, Who to the might of Hercules was born Of fair Astyoche; his captive she, When many a goodly town his arms had raz’d, Was brought from Ephyra, by Selles’ stream. Rear’d in the royal house, Tlepolemus, In early youth, his father’s uncle slew, A warrior once, but now in life’s decline, Lycimnius; then in haste a fleet he built, Muster’d a num’rous host; and fled, by sea, The threaten’d vengeance of the other sons And grandsons of the might of Hercules. Long wand’rings past, and toils and perils borne, To Rhodes he came; his followers, by their tribes, Three districts form’d; and so divided, dwelt, Belov’d of Jove, the King of Gods and men, Who show’r’d upon them boundless store of wealth. Nireus three well-trimm’d ships from Syme brought; Nireus, to Charops whom Aglaia bore; Nireus, the goodliest man of all the Greeks, Who came to Troy, save Peleus’ matchless son: But scant his fame, and few the troops he led. Who in Nisyrus dwelt, and Carpathus, And Cos, the fortress of Eurypylus, And in the Casian and Calydnian Isles, Were by Phidippus led, and Antiphus, Two sons of Thessalus, Alcides’ son; With them came thirty ships in order due. Next those who in Pelasgian Argos dwelt, And who in Alos, and in Alope, Trachys, and Phthia, and in Hellas fam’d For women fair; of these, by various names, Achaians, Myrmidons, Hellenes, known, In fifty ships, Achilles was the chief. But from the battle-strife these all abstain’d, Since none there was to marshal their array. For Peleus’ godlike son, the swift of foot, Lay idly in his tent, the loss resenting Of Brises’ fair-hair’d daughter; whom himself Had chosen, prize of all his warlike toil, When he Lyrnessus and the walls of Thebes O’erthrew, and Mynes and Epistrophus Struck down, bold warriors both, Evenus’ sons, Selepius’ royal heir; for her in wrath, He held aloof, but soon again to appear.