Great wo, ye Gods! hath on Achaia fallen. Now may the warlike Pelaus, hoary Chief, Who both with eloquence and wisdom rules The Myrmidons, our foul disgrace deplore. With him discoursing, erst, of ancient times,145 When all your pedigrees I traced, I made His heart bound in him at the proud report. But now, when he shall learn how here we sat Cowering at the foot of Hector, he shall oft His hands uplift to the immortal Gods,150 Praying a swift release into the shades. Jove! Pallas! Phœbus! Oh that I were young As when the Pylians in fierce fight engaged The Arcadians spear-expert, beside the stream Of rapid Celadon! Beneath the walls155 We fought of Pheia, where the Jardan rolls. There Ereuthalion, Chief of godlike form, Stood forth before his van, and with loud voice Defied the Pylians. Arm’d he was in steel By royal Areïthous whilom worn;160 Brave Areïthous, Corynetes[4] named By every tongue; for that in bow and spear Nought trusted he, but with an iron mace The close-embattled phalanx shatter’d wide. Him by address, not by superior force,165 Lycurgus vanquish’d, in a narrow pass, Where him his iron whirl-bat[5] nought avail’d. Lycurgus stealing on him, with his lance Transpierced and fix’d him to the soil supine. Him of his arms, bright gift of brazen Mars,170 He stripp’d, which after, in the embattled field Lycurgus wore himself, but, growing old, Surrender’d them to Ereuthalion’s use His armor-bearer, high in his esteem, And Ereuthalion wore them on the day175 When he defied our best. All hung their heads And trembled; none dared meet him; till at last With inborn courage warm’d, and nought dismayed, Though youngest of them all, I undertook That contest, and, by Pallas’ aid, prevail’d.180 I slew the man in height and bulk all men Surpassing, and much soil he cover’d slain. Oh for the vigor of those better days! Then should not Hector want a champion long, Whose call to combat, ye, although the prime185 And pride of all our land, seem slow to hear. He spake reproachful, when at once arose Nine heroes. Agamemnon, King of men, Foremost arose; then Tydeus’ mighty son, With either Ajax in fierce prowess clad;190 The Cretan next, Idomeneus, with whom Uprose Meriones his friend approved, Terrible as the man-destroyer Mars. Evæmon’s noble offspring next appear’d Eurypylus; Andræmon’s son the next195 Thoas; and last, Ulysses, glorious Chief. All these stood ready to engage in arms With warlike Hector, when the ancient King, Gerenian Nestor, thus his speech resumed. Now cast the lot for all. Who wins the chance200 Shall yield Achaia service, and himself Serve also, if successful he escape This brunt of hostile hardiment severe. So Nestor. They, inscribing each his lot, Into the helmet cast it of the son205 Of Atreus, Agamemnon. Then the host Pray’d all, their hands uplifting, and with eyes To the wide heavens directed, many said[6]— Eternal sire! choose Ajax, or the son Of Tydeus, or the King himself[7] who sways210