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102
ILIAD. V.
765—797

"Come, incite the pillaging Minerva against him, who is very wont to cause him to approach grievous woes."

Thus he spoke: nor did the white-armed goddess Juno disobey, but she lashed on her steeds. They flew, not unwillingly, midway between the earth and the starry heaven. Now, as much haze[1] as a man sees with his eyes, sitting upon some lofty point, and looking over the darkling ocean, so far do the high-sounding steeds of the gods clear at one bound. But when they now reached Troy, and the two flowing rivers, where Simois and Scamander unite their streams, there the white-armed goddess Juno staid her steeds, having loosed them from the chariot, and shed a dense mist around them. But to them Simois afforded ambrosial food to feed on.

But they went on, like unto timid doves in their pace, hastening to assist the Grecian heroes. But when they had now arrived were the most numerous[2] and the bravest stood collected in dense array round horse-breaking Diomede, like raw-devouring lions or wild boars, whose strength is not feeble, there standing, the white-armed goddess Juno shouted aloud, having likened herself to great-hearted, brazen-voiced Stentor, who was accustomed to shout as loud as fifty other men:

"Shame! ye Greeks! foul subjects of disgrace! admirable in form [alone]. As long, indeed, as divine Achilles was wont to be engaged in the war, the Trojans were not in the habit of advancing beyond the Dardan gates; for they dreaded his mighty spear; but now they fight at the hollow ships, far away from the city."

Thus saying, she aroused the strength and courage of each. The azure-eyed goddess Minerva rushed toward the son of Tydeus; but she found that prince by his steeds and chariot, cooling the wound which Pandarus had inflicted on him with a shaft. For perspiration had afflicted him beneath the broad belt of his well-orbed shield: with this was he afflicted, and he was fatigued as to his hand; and raising

  1. Opposed to the pure air of æther. See Buttm. Lexil. p. 37, sqq.
  2. Observe the elegant position of the plural verb between two singular substantives, according to the Schema Alcmanicum. Compare Od. K, 515, and Il. Υ, 138, which have been pointed out by Lesbonax, p. 179, ed Yalck.