By unpropitious tokens interfered.455 So forth they went, and on the reedy banks Arriving of Asopus, there thy sire By designation of the Greeks was sent Ambassador, and enter’d Thebes. He found In Eteocles’ palace numerous guests,460 The sons of Cadmus feasting, among whom, Although a solitary stranger, stood Thy father without fear, and challenged forth Their best to cope with him in manly games. Them Tydeus vanquish’d easily, such aid465 Pallas vouchsafed him. Then the spur-arm’d race Of Cadmus was incensed, and fifty youths In ambush close expected his return. Them, Lycophontes obstinate in fight, Son of Autophonus, and Mæon, son470 Of Hæmon, Chief of godlike stature, led. Those also Tydeus slew; Mæon except, (Whom, warned from heaven, he spared, and sent him home With tidings of the rest) he slew them all. Such was Ætolian Tydeus; who begat475 A son in speech his better, not in arms. He ended, and his sovereign’s awful voice Tydides reverencing, nought replied; But thus the son of glorious Capaneus. Atrides, conscious of the truth, speak truth.480 We with our sires compared, superior praise Claim justly.[15] We, confiding in the aid Of Jove, and in propitious signs from heaven, Led to the city consecrate to Mars Our little host, inferior far to theirs,485 And took seven-gated Thebes, under whose walls Our fathers by their own imprudence fell. Their glory, then, match never more with ours. He spake, whom with a frowning brow the brave Tydides answer’d. Sthenelus, my friend!490 I give thee counsel. Mark it. Hold thy peace. If Agamemnon, who hath charge of all, Excite his well-appointed host to war, He hath no blame from me. For should the Greeks (Her people vanquished) win imperial Troy,495 The glory shall be his; or, if his host O’erpower’d in battle perish, his the shame. Come, therefore; be it ours to rouse at once To action all the fury of our might. He said, and from his chariot to the plain500 Leap’d ardent; rang the armor on the breast Of the advancing Chief; the boldest heart Had felt emotion, startled at the sound. As when the waves by Zephyrus up-heaved Crowd fast toward some sounding shore, at first,505 On the broad bosom of the deep their heads They curl on high, then breaking on the land Thunder, and o’er the rocks that breast the flood Borne turgid, scatter far the showery spray; So moved the Greeks successive, rank by rank,510 And phalanx after phalanx, every Chief His loud command proclaiming, while the rest, As voice in all those thousands none had been Heard mute; and, in resplendent armor clad, With martial order terrible advanced.515 Not so the Trojans came. As sheep, the flock Of some rich man, by thousands in his court Penn’d close at milking time, incessant bleat, Loud answering all their bleating lambs without, Such din from Ilium’s wide-spread host arose.520 Nor was their shout, nor was their accent one, But mingled languages were heard of men From various climes. These Mars to battle roused,