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inactive beside his wedded wife, fair Cleopatra, daughter of Marpessa, the handsome-footed child of Evenus and Idas, who was then the bravest of earthly men, and even lifted a bow against king Phœbus Apollo, for the sake of his fair-ankled spouse. Her [Cleopatra] then her father and venerable mother in the palace were accustomed to call by the surname of Alcyone, because her mother, having the plaintive note of sad Alcyone,^[1] lamented when far-darting Phœbus Apollo stole her away. Beside her he [Meleager] remained inactive, brooding^[2] over his sad anger, enraged because of the curses of his mother, who, much grieving, prayed to the gods on account of the murder of her brethren.^[3] Often with her hands did she strike the fruitful earth, calling upon Pluto and dread Proserpine, reclining upon her knees, while her bosom was bedewed with tears, to give death to her son: but her the Erinnys, wandering in gloom, possessing an implacable heart, heard from Erebus. Then immediately was there noise and tumult of these^[4] excited round the gates, the towers being battered. Then did the elders of the Ætolians entreat him, and sent chosen priests to the gods, that he would come forth and defend them, promising a great gift. Where the soil of fertile Calydon was richest, there they ordered him to choose a beautiful inclosure of fifty acres; the one half, of land fit for vines, to cut off the other half of plain land, free from wood, for tillage. Much did aged Œneus, breaker of steeds, beseech him, having ascended to the threshhold of his lofty-roofed chamber, shaking the well-glued door-post, supplicating his son. And much also his sisters and venerable mother entreated him, but he the more refused; and much [prayed] the companions who were dearest and most friendly of all; but not even thus did they persuade the soul within his breast, until his chamber was violently assailed, and the Curetes were in the act of scaling the ramparts, and firing the great city. Then indeed at length his fair-girdled spouse, weeping, supplicated

1. See Antonim. Liberal. Mot. § 2, who follows Homer rather closely.
2. Literally, "digesting."
3. See n. 2, p. 41, and on the death of Meleager, by his mother burning a fatal brand, Apollodor. l. c.; Zenobius Cent. Adag. v. 33; Anton. Lib. Met. § 2.
4. i. e., the Calydonians.