bunches bow'd,With them that dwelt in Midea, and Nissa most divine,
All those whom utmost Anthedon did wealthily confine.
From all these coasts, in general, full fifty sail were sent;
And six score strong Bœotian youths in ev'ry burthen went.
But those who in Aspledon dwelt, and Minian Orchomen,
God Mars's sons did lead (Ascalaphus and Ialmen)
Who in Azidon Actor's house did of Astyoche come;
The bashful maid, as she went up into the higher room,
The War-god secretly compress'd. In safe conduct of these,
Did thirty hollow-bottom'd barks divide the wavy seas.
Brave Schedius and Epistrophus, the Phocian captains were,
(Naubolida-Iphitus' sons) all proof 'gainst any fear;
With them the Cyparissians went, and bold Pythonians,
Men of religious Chrysa's soil, and fat Daulidians,
Panopæans, Anemores, and fierce Hyampolists;
And those that dwell where Cephisus casts up his silken mists;
The men that fair Lilæa held, near the Cephisian spring;
All which did forty sable barks to that designment bring.
About th' entoil'd Phocensian fleet had these their sail assign'd;
And near to the sinister wing the arm'd Bœotians shin'd.
Ajax the less, Oïleus' son, the Locrians led to war;
Not like to Ajax Telamon, but lesser man by far,
Little he was, and ever wore a breastplate made of linne,
But for the manage of his lance he gen'ral praise did win.
The dwellers of Caliarus, of Bessa, Opoën,
The youths of Cynus, Scarphis, and Augias, lovely men,
Of Tarphis, and of Thronius, near flood Boagrius' fall;
Twice-twenty martial barks of these, less Ajax sail'd withal.
Who near Eubœa's blesséd soil their habitations had,
Strength-breathing Abants, who their seats in sweet Eubœa made,
The Histiæans rich in grapes, the men of Chalcida,
The Cerinths bord'ring on the sea, of rich Eretria,
Of Dion's highly-seated town, Charistus, and of Styre,
All these the duke Alphenor led, a flame of Mars's fire,
Surnam'd Chalcodontiades, the mighty Abants' guide,
Swift men of foot, whose broad-set backs their trailing hair did
bide,
Well-seen in fight, and soon could pierce with far extended darts
The breastplates of their enemies, and reach their dearest hearts.
Forty black men of war did sail in this Alphenor's charge.
The soldiers that in Athens dwelt, a city builded large,
The people of Eristhius, whom Jove-sprung Pallas fed,
And plenteous-feeding Tellus brought out of her flow'ry bed;
Him Pallas placed in her rich fane, and, ev'ry ended year,
Of bulls and lambs th' Athenian youths please him with off'rings
there;
Mighty Menestheus, Peteus' son, had their divided care;
For horsemen and for targeteers none could with him compare,
Nor put them into better place, to hurt or to defend;
But Nestor (for he elder was) with him did sole contend;
With him came fifty sable sail. And out of Salamine
Great Ajax brought twelve sail, that with th' Athenians did
combine.
Who did in fruitful Argos dwell, or strong Tiryntha keep,
Hennion, or in Asinen whose bosom is so deep,
Trœzena, Eïon, Epidaure where Bacchus crowns his head,
Ægina, and Maseta's soil, did follow Diomed,
And Sthenelus, the dear-lov'd son of famous Capaneus
Together with Euryalus, heir of Mecisteus,
The king of Talæonides; past whom in deeds of war,
The famous soldier Diomed of all was held by far.
Four score black ships did follow these. The men fair Mycene held,
The wealthy Corinth, Cleon that for beauteous site excell'd,
Aræthyrea's lovely seat, and in Ornia's plain,
And Sicyona, where at first did king Adrastus reign,
High-seated Gonoëssa's towers, and Hyperisius,
That dwelt in fruitful Pellenen, and in divine Ægius,
With all the sea-side borderers, and wide Helice's friends,
To Agamemnon ev'ry town her native birth commends,
In double-fifty sable barks. With him a world of men
Most strong and full of valour went, and he in triumph then
Put on his most resplendent arms, since he did over-shine
The whole heroic host of Greece, in pow'r of that design.
Who did in Lacedæmon's rule th' unmeasur'd concave hold,
High Pharis, Sparta, Messe's tow'rs, for doves so much extoll'd,
Bryseia's and Augia's grounds, strong Laa, Oetylon,
Amyclas, Helos' harbour-town, that Neptune beats upon,
All these did Menelaus lead (his brother, that in cries
Of war was famous). Sixty ships convey'd these enemies
To Troy in chief, because their king was chiefly injur'd there,
In Helen's rape, and did his best to make them buy it dear.
Who dwelt in Pylos' sandy soil, and Arene the fair,
