Lines 350–480

‘Fond Kyknos, why now do ye direct your swift horses against us twain, who are experienced in toil and travail? Nay, drive aside your polished car, and yield to go aside from the way. Lo! I drive past unto Trachis unto King Keyx: for he excels all Trachis in might and in majesty, as thou thyself well knowest, since thou hast Themistonoe, his dark-eyed daughter, to wife. O fond! for lo! Ares will not keep from thee the end of death if we twain meet thee in battle. Ere now methinketh he hath had other experience of my spear, what time in defence of sandy Pylos he stood against me, eagerly yearning for battle. Three times smitten by my spear he pressed the dust, his shield being pierced, and the fourth time I smote his thigh with all my might and main, and greatly tore his flesh; and prone in the dust upon the ground he fell by the impulse of my spear. There would he have been disgraced among the deathless gods, if by my hands he had left behind the gory spoils.’

So he spake, but Kyknos of the good ashen spear had no mind to hearken unto him and restrain the steeds that drew his car. Then from their well-pleated cars leapt swiftly to earth the son of mighty Zeus, and the son of the lord of War. And the charioteers drove near the fair-maned steeds, and as they rushed on, the broad earth resounded to their feet. And even as when from the high top of a great mountain rocks leap away and fall one upon the other, and many an oak of lofty foliage and many a pine and long-rooted poplar are broken by them as they roll swiftly till they reach the plain,—even so they fell on one another with loud shouts. And all the city of the Myrmidons, and famous Iolkos, and Arne, and Helike, and grassy Antheia, rang loudly with the voices of the twain. With a wondrous din they came together, and Zeus the Counsellor thundered loudly, and rained drops of blood from heaven, giving an omen of battle to his own great-hearted son.

And even as in a mountain glen a tusked boar, terrible to look on, is minded in his heart to fight with hunters, and swerving aside whetteth his white tusk, and the foam floweth about his mouth as he gnasheth his jaws, and his eyes are like unto blazing fire, and he erecteth his bristles on mane and neck,—even in such wise leapt the son of Zeus from his horse-car. And what time the dark-winged chattering cicala perched upon a green branch beginneth to sing to men of summer—the cicala whose meat and drink is the fresh dew, and all day long and in the morning he poureth forth his voice in the time of fiercest heat, when Sirios parcheth the flesh of men,—in that season the beards grow round the millet, which men sow in summer, when the unripe grapes are turning, which Dionysos hath given to be at once a boon and a bane to men: in that season they fought, and loud arose the battle din. And as two lions in rage rush on one another about a Slain deer, and terrible is their roaring, and terrible withal the gnashing of their teeth, and even as vultures of crooked talons and hooked beaks on a lofty rock fight with loud yelping about a mountain-ranging goat or fat deer of the wilds, which some lusty man hath shot and slain with an arrow from the string, and himself hath wandered otherwhere, not knowing the country; and the vultures quickly remark it, and array bitter battle about the beast: even so they cried and rushed on one another.

Then Kyknos, fain to slay the son of mighty Zeus, hurled his brazen spear against his shield, but he brake not the shield of bronze: the gifts of the god protected him. But the son of Amphitryon, valiant Herakles, smote Kyknos with his long spear beneath the chin, where his neck was exposed between helm and shield: with a swift and mighty blow he smote him, and the murderous ashen spear cut away both tendons: for great was the hero’s strength that fell upon him. And he fell as falls an oak or a beetling rock when smitten by the smoking thunderbolt of Zeus. So he fell, and about him rattled his cunning armour of bronze.

Then him did the hardy son of Zeus leave there, but himself watched the onset of murderous Ares, looking with fierce eyes, even as a lion chancing on a body, which very eagerly teareth the hide with his strong claws, and taketh away honey-sweet life, and his black heart is filled with fury. His eyes glare fearfully, and with his tail he lasheth his sides and shoulders, and teareth the earth with his feet, and none dareth to look him in the face or draw nigh unto him and fight: in such wise the son of Amphitryon, insatiate of battle, eagerly stood up against Ares, nursing courage in his breast. And he came nigh unto him with rage in his heart; and they with shouting leapt on one another. And even as when from a great peak a rock leapeth, and with great bounds it roUeth on, and echoing goeth impetuously on its way, and a high bluff meeteth it: and, where it meeteth, there stayeth it: with such din deadly Ares, heavy on his car, rushed shouting on, and the other quick received his onset. But Athene, daughter of Aegis-bearing Zeus, came against Ares with her dark Aegis, and with terrible frowning looks she spake winged words:

‘Ares, stay thy strong might and hands invincible. For it is not lawful that thou shouldst slay Herakles, the stout-hearted son of Zeus, and strip him of his glorious armour. Nay come, make an end of fightings and stand not up against me.’

So she spake, but she persuaded not the great-hearted spirit of Ares; but with a great cry, and brandishing his arms like fire, he swiftly rushed on the mighty Herakles, fain to slay him, and hurled his brazen spear on the mighty shield, keenly angered for his son dead. But grey-eyed Athene reached from the car and turned aside the impulse of the spear. And bitter grief seized Ares, and he drew his sharp sword, and rushed upon stout-hearted Herakles. But as he came on, the son of Amphitryon, insatiate of dread battle, smote him strongly where his thigh was bared of the carven shield, and with the thrust of his spear he greatly rent his flesh, and cast him full upon the earth; and Fear and Rout swiftly drove nigh to him his well-wheeled car and steeds, and from the wide-wayed earth placed him in the carven car, and swiftly lashed their horses and came to high Olympos.

But the son of Alkmene and glorious Iolaos stripped from the shoulders of Kyknos his fair armour, and went their way, and speedily thereafter came with swift steeds unto the city of Trachis. But grey-eyed Athene arrived unto high Olympos and her Father’s halls, while Kyknos on the other hand did Keyx bury, himself and a countless host, even they who dwelled nigh the city of the renowned King in Anthe, and the city of the Myrmidons, and glorious Iolkos, and Arne, and Helike, and a great host gathered them in honour of Keyx, that was dear to the blessed gods. But his tomb and cairn did the Anauros sweep from sight in a flood of winter rain. For so did Apollo the son of Leto ordain, for as much as he had been wont to lie in wait and violently despoil every one who led glorious hecatombs unto Pytho.