Mysians

At that hour the heroes reached the homes of the Cynian land near the Arganthonian mount and the outfall of Ceus.

Them as they came in friendliness the Mysians, inhabitants of that land, hospitably welcomed and gave them in their need provisions and sheep and abundant wine.

Hereupon some brought dried wood, others from the meadows leaves for beds which they gathered in abundance for strewing, whilst others were twirling sticks to get fire.

Others again were mixing wine in the bowl and making ready the feast after sacrificing at nightfall to Apollo Ecbasius.

But what pleasure is there in words? For I will go, I only, with none of thy comrades, who have helped thee to plan this treachery.

He spake, and rushed upon Typhus, son of Haginus, and his eyes sparkled like flashes of ravening flame.

And they would quickly have turned back to the land of the Mysians, forcing their way through the deep sea and the unceasing blasts of wind, had not the two sons of Thracian Boreas held back the son of Aeacus with harsh words.

Hapless ones, assuredly a bitter vengeance came upon them thereafter at the hands of Heracles, because they stayed the search for him.

But he sheared only the forepart of his head, just as Homer said the Abantes did, and this kind of tonsure was called Theseus after him.

Now the Abantes were the first to cut their hair in this manner, not under instruction from the Arabians, as some suppose, nor yet in emulation of the Mysians, but because they were warlike men and close fighters, who had learned beyond all other men to force their way into close quarters with their enemies.

Archelaus is witness to this in the following words, quote, Not many bows indeed will be stretched tight, nor frequent slings be whirled, when Ares joins men in the moil of war.

Upon the plain, but swords will do their mournful work.

As he spoke, fear fell upon them, and every man looked round about to see whether he might fly for safety.

Tell me now, O Muses that dwell on Olympus, who was the first of the Argives to bear away blood-stained spoils after Neptune, lord of the earthquake, had turned the fortune of war? Ajax, son of Telamon, was first to win Hyrtius, son of Gyrtius, captain of the staunch Mysians.

Antilochus killed Phaleses and Mermerus, while Meriones slew Morys and Hippotion.

Teucer also killed Prothoan and Peribetes.

They bound it on the far end of the pole, and put the ring over the upright pin, making it fast with three turns on the band on either side of the knob, and bending the thong on the yoke behind it.

This done, they brought from the store chamber the rich ransom which was to purchase the body of Hector, and they set it all orderly on the wagons.

Then they yoked the strong harness mules which the Mysians had on a time given as a goodly present to Priam.

But for Priam himself, they yoked horses which the old king had bred, and kept for his own use.

The songs tell it different ways.

Some say prisoners were questioned, and their answers made no sense, for they spoke of avenging a stolen queen, and the Mysians knew of no queen.

Some say heralds went between the hosts under truce, as the custom was, to arrange for the gathering of the dead, and that the talk of the heralds unraveled everything in a few sentences.

And some say it was the name that did it, the name of the wounded king running along the shore from mouth to mouth, Telephus, Telephus, son of Heracles, and Greek men in the fleet stopping where they stood.

The soldiers, therefore, because they had recently received their rations, kept quiet, and Cleomenes, by passing over a month, deprived them of a month's pay in each year.

Stabelbius, general of the Mysians, when he owed his soldiers pay, called the officers together and told them that he had no need of private soldiers, but only of officers, and that when he did need soldiers he gave each officer a sum of money and sent him out to collect mercenaries, and that he would rather give the officers the pay which ought to go to the soldiers.

He therefore ordered them each to send away their own levies out of the country.

The officers, thinking that it would be an opportunity to make money, dismissed the soldiers in accordance with his commands.

Tell me now, O Muses that dwell on Olympus, who was the first of the Argives to bear away blood-stained spoils after Neptune, lord of the earthquake, had turned the fortune of war.

Ajax, son of Telamon, was first to win Hyrtius, son of Gyrtius, captain of the staunch Mysians.

Antilochus killed Phaleses and Mermerus, while Meriones slew Morys and Hippotion.

Teucer also killed Prothoön and Peribates.

They bound it on the far end of the pole, and put the ring over the upright pin, making it fast with three turns on the band on either side of the knob, and bending the thong on the yoke behind it.

This done, they brought from the store chamber the rich ransom which was to purchase the body of Hector, and they set it all orderly on the wagons.

Then they yoked the strong harness mules which the Mysians had on a time given as a goodly present to Priam.

But for Priam himself, they yoked horses which the old king had bred, and kept for his own use.

The one, that he could find no other commander so fortunate in war; the other, that he hoped that, in consequence of his readiness to expose himself to all dangers, he might at length meet with some mishap.

Kastriot was, consequently, sent against the Mysians.

At this time Kastriot did not venture to deal with the Christians as moderately as he was wont to do when sent against them, lest he should excite the suspicions of Amurath, who was already but too much inclined to regard his actions with a jealous eye.

He frequently defeated the despot, returning after all his conflicts victorious to Adrianople.

Adopt his expression to the subject, and harmonize the several parts of it.

Then, like Homer's Jupiter, who casts his eye sometimes on the Thracian and sometimes on the Mysian forces, he beholds now the Roman and now the Persian armies, now both if they are engaged, and relates what passes in them.

Whilst they are embattled, his eye is not fixed on any particular part, nor on any one leader, unless, perhaps, a Brasidas steps forth to scale the walls, or a Demosthenes to prevent him.

To the generals he gives his first attention, listens to their commands, their counsels, and their determination.

And now resolving to strike a bold stroke as I was already becoming a high flyer, and perfect in my art, I no longer confined myself to chicken flights, but getting upon Olympus, and taking a little light provision with me, I made the best of my way directly towards heaven.

The extreme height which I soared to brought on a giddiness at first, but this soon went off, and when I got as far as the moon, having left a number of clouds behind me, I found a weariness particularly in my vulture wing.

I halted therefore to rest myself a little, and looking down from thence upon the earth, like Homer's Jupiter, beheld the places Where the brave Mysians prove their martial force, And hardy Thracians tame the savage horse; Then India, Persia, and all-conquering Greece.

Which gave me wonderful pleasure and satisfaction.