Part III

Thus having said, the goddess all-divine,
Aye holding in her everlasting hands
Conquest and glory, rose into the car
Impetuous: to the war-steeds shouted fierce
The noble Ioläus: from the shout
They starting snatch’d the flying car, and hid
With dusty cloud the plain: for she herself,
The goddess azure-eyed, sent into them
Wild courage, clashing on her brandish’d shield:
Earth groan’d around. That moment with like pace
E’en as a flame or tempest came they on,
Cygnus the tamer of the steed, and Mars
Unsated with the roar of war. And now
The coursers mid-way met, and face to face
Neigh’d shrill: the broken echoes rang around.
Then him the first stern Hercules bespake.
“Oh soft of nature! why dost thou obstruct
The rapid steeds of men, who toils have proved
And hardships? Outward turn thy burnish’d car:
Pass outward from the track and yield the way:
For I to Trachys ride, of obstacle
Impatient: to the royal Ceyx: he
O’er Trachys rules in venerable power,
As needs not thee be told, who hast to wife
His blue-eyed daughter Themisthonöe:
Soft-one! for not from thee shall Mars himself
Inhibit death, if truly hand to hand
We wage the battle: and e’en this I say
That elsewhere, heretofore, himself has proved
My mighty spear: when on the sandy beach
Of Pylos ardour irrepressible
Of combat seized him, and to me opposed
He stood: but thrice, when stricken by my lance,
Earth propp’d his fall, and thrice his targe was cleft:
The fourth time urging on my utmost force
His ample shield I shattering rived, his thigh
Transpierced, and headlong in the dust he fell
Beneath my rushing spear: so there the weight
Of shame upon him fell midst those of heaven,
His gory trophies leaving to these hands.”

So said he: but in no wise to obey
Enter’d the thought of Cygnus the spear-skill’d:
Nor rein’d he back the chariot-whirling steeds.

Then truly from their close-compacted cars
Instant as thought they leap’d to earth: the son
Of kingly Mars, the son of mighty Jove.
Aside, though not remote, the charioteers
The coursers drove of flowing manes: but then
Beneath the trampling sound of rushing feet
The broad earth sounded hollow: and as rocks
From some high mountain-top precipitate
Leap with a bound, and o’er each other whirl’d
Shock in the dizzying fall: and many an oak
Of lofty branch, pine-tree and poplar deep
Of root are crash’d beneath them, as their course
Rapidly rolls, till now they touch the plain;
So met these foes encountering, and so burst
Their mighty clamour. Echoing loud throughout
The city of the Myrmidons gave back
Their lifted voices, and Iolchos famed,
And Arne, and Anthea’s grass-girt walls,
And Helice. Thus with amazing shout
They join’d in battle: all-considering Jove
Then greatly thunder’d: from the clouds of heaven
He cast forth dews of blood, and signal thus
Of onset gave to his high-daring son.
As in the mountain thickets the wild boar,
Grim to behold, and arm’d with jutting fangs,
Now with his hunters meditates in wrath
The conflict, whetting his white tusks aslant:
Foam drops around his churning jaws; his eyes
Show like to glimmering fires, and o’er his neck
And roughen’d back he raises up erect
The starting bristles, from the chariot whirl’d
By steeds of war such leap’d the son of Jove.

’Twas in that season when, on some green bough
High-perch’d, the dusky-wing’d cicada first
Shrill chants to man a summer note; his drink,
His balmy food, the vegetative dew:
The livelong day from early dawn he pours
His voice, what time the sun’s exhaustive heat
Fierce dries the frame: ’twas in that season when
The bristly ears of millet spring with grain
Which they in summer sow: when the crude grape
Faint reddens on the vine, which Bacchus gave
The joy or anguish of the race of men;—
E’en in that season join’d the war; and vast
The battle’s tumult rose into the heaven.
As two grim lions for a roebuck slain
Wroth in contention rush, and them betwixt
The sound of roaring and of clashing teeth
Ariseth; or as vultures, curved of beak,
Crooked of talon, on a steepy rock
Contest loud-screaming; if perchance below
Some mountain-pastur’d goat or forest-stag
Sleek press the plain; whom far the hunter youth
Pierced with fleet arrow from the bow-string shrill
Dismiss’d, and elsewhere wander’d, of the spot
Unknowing: they with keenest heed the prize
Mark, and in swooping rage each other tear
With bitterest conflict: so vociferous rush’d
The warriors on each other. Cygnus, then,
Aiming to slay the son of Jupiter
Unmatch’d in strength, against the buckler struck
His brazen lance, but through the metal plate
Broke not; the present of a god preserved.
On th’ other side he of Amphitryon named,
Strong Hercules, between the helm and shield
Drove his long spear; and underneath the chin
Through the bare neck smote violent and swift.
The murderous ashen beam at once the nerves
Twain of the neck cut sheer; for all the man
Drop’d, and his force went from him: down he fell
Headlong: as falls a thunder-blasted oak,
Or sky-capt rock, riven by the lightning shaft
Of Jove, in smouldering smoke is hurl’d from high,
So fell he: and his brass-emblazon’d mail
Clatter’d around him. Jove’s firm-hearted son
Then left the corse, abandon’d where it lay:
But wary watch’d the mortal-slayer god
Approach, and view’d him o’er with terrible eyes
Stern-lowering. As a lion, who has fall’n
Perchance on some stray beast, with griping claws
Intent, strips down the lacerated hide;
Drains instantaneous the sweet life, and gluts
E’en to the fill his gloomy heart with blood;
Green-eyed he glares in fierceness; with his tail
Lashes his shoulders and his swelling sides,
And with his feet tears up the ground; not one
Might dare to look upon him, nor advance
Nigh, with desire of conflict: such in truth
The war-insatiate Hercules to Mars
Stood in array, and gather’d in his soul
Prompt courage. But the other near approach’d,
Anguish’d at heart; and both encountering rush’d
With cries of battle. As when from high ridge
Of some hill-top abrupt, tumbles a crag
Precipitous, and sheer, a giddy space,
Bounds in a whirl and rolls impetuous down:
Shrill rings the vehement crash, till some steep clift
Obstructs: to this the mass is borne along;
This wedges it immoveable: e’en so
Destroyer Mars, bowing the chariot, rush’d,
Yelling vociferous with a shout: e’en so,
As utterance prompt, met Hercules the shock
And firm sustain’d. But Jove-born Pallas came
With darkening shield uplifted, and to Mars
Stood interposed: and scowling with her eyes
Tremendous, thus address’d her winged words:
“Mars! hold thy furious valour: stay those hands
In prowess inaccessible: for know
It is not lawful for thee to divest
Slain Hercules of these his gorgeous arms,
Bold-hearted son of Jove: but come; rest thou
From battle, nor oppose thyself to me.”

She said: nor yet persuaded aught the soul
Of Mars, the mighty of heart. With a great shout
He, brandishing his weapon like a flame,
Sprang rapid upon Hercules, in haste
To slay; and, for his slaughter’d son incensed,
With violent effort hurl’d his brazen spear
’Gainst the capacious targe. The blue-eyed maid
Stoop’d from the chariot, and the javelin’s force
Turn’d wide. Sore torment seiz’d the breast of Mars:
He bared his keen-edged falchion, and at once
Rush’d on the dauntless Hercules: but he,
The war-insatiate, as the God approach’d,
Beneath the well-wrought shield the thigh exposed
Wounded with all his strength, and thrusting rived
The shield’s large disk, and cleft it with his lance,
And in the middle-way threw him to earth
Prostrate. But Fear and Consternation swift
Urged nigh his well-wheel’d chariot: from the face
Of broad-track’d earth they raised him on the car
Variously framed: thence lash’d with scourge the steeds,
And bounding up the vast Olympus flew.

But now Alcmena’s son and his compeer,
The glorious Ioläus, having stripp’d
From Cygnus’ shoulders the fair armour’s spoil,
Retraced their way direct, and instant reach’d
The city Trachys with their fleet-hoof’d steeds:
While pass’d the goddess of the azure eyes
To great Olympus, and her father’s towers.

But Ceyx o’er the corse of Cygnus raised
A tomb. Innumerable people graced
His obsequies: both they who dwelt hard by
The city of the illustrious king, and they
Of Anthe, of Iolchos wide-renown’d,
Of Arne, of the Myrmidonian towers,
And Helice. So gather’d there around
A numerous people: honouring duteous thus
Ceyx, beloved of the blessed gods.

But the huge mount and monumental stone
Anaurus, foaming high with wintry rains,
Swept from the sight away: Apollo this
Commanded: for that Cygnus ambush’d spoil’d
In violence the Delphic hecatombs.