Page:The Greek bucolic poets (1912).djvu/331

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THEOCRITUS XXIV, 129–140

horse—all such lore had he of horseman Castor, when he came an outlaw from Argos because Tydeus had received that land of horsemen from Adrastus and held all Castor's estate and his great vineyard. And till such time as age had worn away his youth, Castor had no equal in war among all the demigods.

While Heracles' dear mother thus ordered his upbringing, the lads bed was made him hard by his father's, and a lion-skin it was and gave him great delight; for meals, his breakfast was roast flesh, and in his basket he carried a great Dorian loaf such as might surely satisfy a delving man, but after the day's work he would make his supper sparely and without fire; and for his clothing he wore plain and simple attire that fell but a little below the knee.

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