Drimacos

In Crete reign'd Zeus and Minos; and there sprang
From rocky Chios (but more years between)
Homer. Ah! who near Homers side shall stand?
A slave, a slave shall stand near Homer's side.
Come from dark ages forth, come, Drimacos!

O gems of Ocean, shining here and there
Upon his vest of ever-changeful green,
Richer are ye than wide-spread continents,
Richer in thoughtful men and glorious deeds.
Drimacos was a slave; but Liberty
By him from Slavery sprang, as day from night.
Intolerable servitude overran
The isle of Chios. They whose sires had heard
The blind man, and the muse who sat beside.
Constant, as was the daughter to the king
Of Thebes, and comforting his sunless way.
Yea, even these bore stones within their breasts.
Buying by land or capturing by sea,
And torturing limbs fashioned like their own,
Limbs like the Gods' they all fell down before.
But Zeus had from Olympus lookt oblique,
Then breathed into the breasts of suffering slaves
Heroic courage and heroic strength,
And wisdom for their guidance and support.
Drimacos he appointed to coerce
The pride of the enslaver, and to free
All those who labored and were heavy-laden
With griefs, not even by the avenging Gods
Inflicted, wrongs which men alone inflict
On others, when their vices have scoopt out

A yoke far more opprobrious for themselves.
From field to field the clang of arms was heard;
Fires from the rocks and the hill-tops by night
Collected all the valiant, all the young.
Female and male, stripling and suckling babe,
By mother (then most fond) not left behind.
But many were overtaken; many dropt
Faint by the road; thirst, hunger, terror, seiz'd
Separate their prey. Among the fugitives,
In the most crowded and the narrowest path
That led into the thickets on the hill.
Was Amymone with her infant boy,
Eiarinos. She pray'd the Gods, nor pray'd
Inaudible, although her voice had fail'd.
On Drimacos she call'd by name; he heard
The voice; he turn'd his head, and cried aloud:
"Comrades! take up yon infant from the arms
That sink with it; and help the mother on."
Far in advance was he; all urged amain;
All minded their own household, nor obey'd.
But he rusht back amid them till he reacht
The mother, who had fallen under-foot,
Trampled, but not relinquishing her hold.
Scarcely was space to stoop in, yet he stoopt
And rais'd what feebly wail'd among men's legs,
And placed it on his head, that the fresh air
Might solace it: soon it began to play,
To pat the hair of some, of some the eyes,
Unconscious that its mother's soul had fled.
The dust rose lower, for the sultry day
Was closing, and above shone Hesperus
Alone. On mossy banks within the brake
The men threw down their weapons snatcht in haste,

Impenetrable woods received their flight,
And shelter'd and conceal'd them from pursuit.
There many years they dwelt; nor only there,
But also in the plains and in the towns
Fought they, and overthrew the wealthier race,
And drove their cattle off and reapt their grain.
Drimacos, strong in justice, strong in arms,
Prompt, vigilant, was everywhere obey'd.
He proffer'd the proud Chiots, half-subdued,
Repression of invaders, in return
For their repression of invaders too,
And corn and wine and oil enough for all,
And horned victims to avenger Zeus.
But plenteousness and sloth relaxt his hold
Upon a few, men yearning to partake
The vices of a city: murmurs rose
And reacht the ear of Drimacos, and reacht
The wealthy towns and their impatient lords.
Rewards were offered for the leader's head.
And askt perhaps ere offered. When he found
Ingratitude so nigh and so alert.
He listened calmly to the chiefs around.
His firm defenders; then replied:

"My friends!
Already in the days of youth ye watcht
Over the common-weal, but now your eyes
And mine too want repose. Fear not for me.
But guard yourselves. The Gods who placed me here
Call me away, not you."

They heard, and went.
Sorrowing. Then call'd he unto him the youth
Eiarinos, who two whole years had fought
Beside him, and fought well.

"Eiarinos!
I may have saved thy life ('tis said I did)
In infancy: it now behoves me, boy,
To give thee substance such as parents give.
Alas! 'tis wanting: nought is in the house
Save arms, as thou well knowest; but those men
Who left me now, had talkt with thee before,
And there are marks along thy cheek which tears
Leave upon maiden's cheeks, not upon men's.

Eiarinos spake not, but threw his arms
Around his guardian's neck and shook with grief.
"Thou shalt not be quite destitute, my sonl"
Said he, "Thou knowest what reward awaits
Him who shall bring my head within the town.
Here! strike! let never traitor grasp the gold."
Forward he held the hilt and lowered his brow.
"Bequeathest thou to parricidal hand,
O father! that accursed gold!" cried he.
And ran against the portal, blind with tears.
But the calm man now caught his arm, and said,
"Delay may bring on both what comes for one.
Inevitable is my death: at least
Promise me this one thing, Eiarinos,
And I release thee: swear that, when I die,
Thou wilt, against all adversaries, bear
My head to those who seek it, pledge of peace."
Calmer, but sobbing deep, the youth replied,
"When Zeus the liberator shall appoint
The pastor of the people to depart.
His will be done! if such l)e his and thine."
He lowered his eyes in reverence to the earth;
And Drimacos then smote into his breast
The unaccepted sword. The pious youth
Fell overpowered with anguish, nor arose
Until the elders, who had gone, returned.
They comforted the orphan, and implored
He would perform the duty thus enjoined.
Nor Muse, nor Memory her mother, knows
The sequel: but upon the highest peak
Of Chios is an altar of square stone
Roughened by time, and some beheve they trace
In ancient letters, cubit-long, the words
Drimacos and Eiarinos and Zeus,