With mutual slaughter; the Ætolian powers In the defence of Calydon the fair,660 And the Curetes bent to lay it waste: That strife Diana of the golden throne Kindled between them, with resentment fired That Oeneus had not in some fertile spot The first fruits of his harvest set apart665 To her; with hecatombs he entertained All the Divinities of heaven beside, And her alone, daughter of Jove supreme, Or through forgetfulness, or some neglect, Served not; omission careless and profane!670 She, progeny of Jove, Goddess shaft-arm’d, A savage boar bright-tusk’d in anger sent, Which haunting Oeneus’ fields much havoc made. Trees numerous on the earth in heaps he cast Uprooting them, with all their blossoms on.675 But Meleager, Oeneus’ son, at length Slew him, the hunters gathering and the hounds Of numerous cities; for a boar so vast Might not be vanquish’d by the power of few, And many to their funeral piles he sent.680 Then raised Diana clamorous dispute, And contest hot between them, all alike, Curetes and Ætolians fierce in arms The boar’s head claiming, and his bristly hide. So long as warlike Meleager fought,685 Ætolia prosper’d, nor with all their powers Could the Curetes stand before the walls. But when resentment once had fired the heart Of Meleager, which hath tumult oft Excited in the breasts of wisest men,690 (For his own mother had his wrath provoked Althæa) thenceforth with his wedded wife He dwelt, fair Cleopatra, close retired. She was Marpessa’s daughter, whom she bore To Idas, bravest warrior in his day695 Of all on earth. He fear’d not ’gainst the King Himself Apollo, for the lovely nymph Marpessa’s sake, his spouse, to bend his bow. Her, therefore, Idas and Marpessa named Thenceforth Alcyone, because the fate700 Of sad Alcyone Marpessa shared, And wept like her, by Phœbus forced away. Thus Meleager, tortured with the pangs Of wrath indulged, with Cleopatra dwelt, Vex’d that his mother cursed him; for, with grief705 Frantic, his mother importuned the Gods To avenge her slaughter’d brothers[17] on his head. Oft would she smite the earth, while on her knees Seated, she fill’d her bosom with her tears, And call’d on Pluto and dread Proserpine710 To slay her son; nor vain was that request, But by implacable Erynnis heard Roaming the shades of Erebus. Ere long The tumult and the deafening din of war Roar’d at the gates, and all the batter’d towers715 Resounded. Then the elders of the town Dispatch’d the high-priests of the Gods to plead With Meleager for his instant aid, With strong assurances of rich reward. Where Calydon afforded fattest soil720 They bade him choose to his own use a farm Of fifty measured acres, vineyard half, And half of land commodious for the plow. Him Oeneus also, warrior grey with age, Ascending to his chamber, and his doors725 Smiting importunate, with earnest prayers Assay’d to soften, kneeling to his son. Nor less his sisters woo’d him to relent, Nor less his mother; but in vain; he grew Still more obdurate.