Penthesilea

He rather chooseth the fire from heaven to steal To boats where were red herrings put to sail, Than to be calm 'gainst those who strive to brave us, And to the masorets' fond words enslave us.

All this at last concluded gallantly, In spite of Ate and her hern-like thigh, Whose sitting saw Penthesilea ta'en In her old age for a cress-selling queen.

Each one cried out, "Thou filthy collier toad, Doth it become thee to be found abroad? Thou hast the Roman standard filched away," Which they in rags of parchment did display.

Juno was born, who under the rainbow Was a bird-catching with her duck below, When her with such a grievous trick they plyed That she had almost been bethwacked by it.

I saw Electra, with companions many, amongst whom I knew both Hector and Aeneas, Caesar in armor with Gerfelcan eyes.

I saw Camilla and Penthesilea on the other side, and saw the king Latinus, who with Lavinia his daughter sat.

I saw that Brutus, who drove Tarquin forth, Lucretia, Julia, Marcia, and Cornelia, and saw alone, apart, the Saladin.

When I had lifted up my brows a little, the master I beheld, of those who know, sit with his philosophic family.

Or perhaps this is a part of the epic Greek poem, The Iliad.

when Penthesilea, queen of the Brazilian Amazon, led her Amazonian warriors across the ocean to the city of Troy to fight the Greek gods and avenge her sister's death.

But no, this is not that story either.

I'm sure this sounds something like the story of Rama, the exiled hero of ancient India who used a huge bow and arrow to fight the evil Rakshasas.

The next thing I have to do is eternally to forget 'em

There spoke the spirit of an Amazon, a Penthesilea

And yet I am thinking sometimes to carry my aversion further

How?

Most of them are now lost, surviving in fragments or later summaries.

A poem called The Aethiopis reportedly told of Achilles fighting Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons, and Memnon, a mighty defender of Troy associated with Ethiopia.

Achilles kills both in later epic tradition.

The death of Memnon, who also has a divine mother, was treated as a dark parallel to the death Achilles knew awaited him.

He rather chooseth the fire from heaven to steal To boats where were red herrings put to sail Than to be calm 'gainst those who strive to brave us And to the masoretes' fond words enslave us.

All this at last concluded gallantly In spite of Ate and her hern-like thigh Whose sittings or Penthesilea ta'en In her old age for a cress-selling queen.

Each one cried out, Thou filthy collier toad, Doth it become thee to be found abroad? Thou hast the Roman standard filched away Which they in rags of parchment did display.

Juno was born, who under the rainbow Was a bird-catching with her duck below When her with such a grievous trick they plyed That she had almost been bethwacked by it.