near the swift ships, and struck one another with brass-tipped spears. Whilst it was morning, and sacred day grew on, so long we remained, warding them off, although they were more in number: but when the sun changed its journey towards evening,[1] then at length the Ciconians, subduing the Achæans, put them to flight. Six well-greaved companions out of each ship perished; but the rest of us escaped death and fate. And from thence we sailed forward sorrowing in our heart, rejoicing [at our own escape] from death, having lost our dear companions. Nor yet[2] did my ships rolling on both sides proceed, before we thrice cried out to each one[3] of our wretched companions, who died in the plain, slain by the Ciconians. And cloud-compelling Jove stirred up a north wind against our ships, with a divine whirlwind, and he covered the earth and the sea together with clouds; and night arose from heaven. They then were borne along to leeward, and the force of the wind rent their sails in three and four places. And these[4] we let down into the ships, dreading destruction, and we drew them[5] eagerly forward to the continent. There two nights and two days we lay continually, consuming our mind at the same time both with toil and griefs: but when at length fair-haired morning brought about the third day, having set up our masts, and drawn up our white sails, we sat down; and the wind and the helmsman guided them straight along. And now I should have reached my paternal land unharmed, but the billow and the stream and the north wind thrust me away as I was doubling Malea, and made me wander to Cythera. And from thence I was carried for nine days over the fishy sea by baleful winds; but on the tenth we came
- ↑ Literally, "towards the time when oxen are loosed from labour." Buttm. Lexil. p. 89, observes: "this is in truth a great and beautiful idea, full of spirit and meaning; the moment at which it may be supposed, that in the whole agricultural world the wearied steer is loosed from his daily labour." Cf. Heliodor. Ethiop. ii. p. 91, ed. Bourd. Καὶ ἦν μεν ὤρα περὶ βουλυτόν ἤδη. Hesychius interprets it, ἡ δείλη, ὥρα, ἐν ἧ τὸ ἅροτρον λύεται, τῶν βοῶν.
- ↑ ἄρα is emphatic. See Clarke.
- ↑ Join ἕκαστόν τινα, not, as the former prose translator supposed, τινα ἀῧσαι. On the custom here mentioned see Virg. Æn. iii. 67, "animamque sepulcro condimus, et magna supremum voce ciemus." vi. 506, "et magna manes ter voce vocavi." Cf. Eur. Suppl. 773, 804. Alcest. 625, with my notes on the former passage, t. i. p. 331, ed. Bohn.
- ↑ The sails.
- ↑ The ships.
