“When on the sacred day, in order next Came on the contest of the rapid car, As o’er the Phocian plain the orient sun Shot his impurpled beams, the Pythic course Orestes enter’d, circled with a troop Of charioteers, his bold antagonists. One from Achaia came; from Sparta one; Two from the Lybian shores, well practised each To rule the whirling car: with these the fifth, Orestes, vaunting his Thessalian mares: Ætolia sent a sixth, with youthful steeds In native gold arrayed: the next in rank From fair Magnesia sprang: of Thrace the eighth His snow-white coursers from Thesprotia drove: From heaven-built Athens the ninth hero came: A huge Bœotian the tenth chariot filled. These, when the judges of the games by lot Had fix’d their order, and arranged their cars, All, at the trumpet’s signal, all at once Burst from the barrier; all together cheer’d Their fiery steeds, and shook the floating reins. Soon with the din of rattling cars was filled The sounding hippodrome, and clouds of dust Ascending, tainted the fresh breath of morn. Now mix’d and press’d together, on they drove, Nor spared the smarting lash; impatient each To clear his chariot, and outstrip the throng Of dashing axles, and short-blowing steeds, They panted on each other’s necks, and threw On each contiguous yoke the milky foam. “But to the pillar as he nearer drew, Orestes, reining-in the nearmost steed, While in a larger scope, with loosen’d reins, And lash’d up to their speed, the others flew, Turn’d swift around the goal his grazing wheel. “As yet erect, upon their whirling orbs Roll’d every chariot, till the hard-mouth’d steeds That drew the Thracian car, unmaster’d, broke With violence away, and turning short, (When o’er the hippodrome with winged speed They had completed now the seventh career), Dash’d their wild foreheads ’gainst the Lybian car. From this one luckless chance a train of ills Succeeding, rudely on each other fell Horses and charioteers, and soon was fill’d With wrecks of shatter’d cars the Phocian plain. “This seen, the Athenian, with consummate art, His course obliquely veer’d, and, steering wide With steady rein, the wild commotion pass’d Of tumbling chariots and tumultuous steeds. Next, and, though last, yet full of confidence And hopes of victory, Orestes came; But when he saw of his antagonists Him only now remaining, to his mares Anxious he raised his stimulating voice. And now with equal fronts abreast they drove, Now with alternate momentary pride Beyond each other push’d their stretching steeds.