ent of the
oracle spoken of old at Pytho. Then swift Erinys when she saw it slew
by each other's hand his war-like sons: yet after that Polyneikes fell
Thersander[5] lived after him and won honour in the Second Strife[6]
and in the fights of war, a saviour scion to the Adrastid house.

From him they have beginning of their race: meet is it that
Ainesidamos receive our hymn of triumph, on the lyre. For at Olympia
he himself received a prize and at Pytho, and at the Isthmus to his
brother of no less a lot did kindred Graces bring crowns for the
twelve rounds of the four-horse chariot-race.

Victory setteth free the essayer from the struggle's griefs, yea and
the wealth that a noble nature hath made glorious bringeth power for
this and that, putting into the heart of man a deep and eager mood, a
star far seen, a light wherein a man shall trust if but[7] the holder
thereof knoweth the things that shall be, how that of all who die the
guilty souls pay penalty, for all the sins sinned in this realm
of Zeus One judgeth under earth, pronouncing sentence by unloved
constraint.

But evenly ever in sunlight night and day an unlaborious life the good
receive, neither with violent hand vex they the earth nor the waters
of the sea, in that new world; but with the honoured of the gods,
whosoever had pleasure in keeping of oaths, they possess a tearless
life: but the other part suffer pain too dire to look upon.

Then whosoever have been of good courage to the abiding steadfast
thrice on either side of death and have refrained their souls from
all iniquity, travel the road of Zeus unto the tower of Kronos: there
round the islands of the blest the Ocean-breezes blow, and golden
flowers are glowing, some from the land on trees of splendour, and
some the water feedeth, with wreaths whereof they entwine their hands:
so ordereth Rhadamanthos' just decree, whom at his own right hand hath
ever the father Kronos, husband of Rhea, throned above all worlds[8].

Peleus and Kadmos are counted of that company; and the mother of
Achilles, when her prayer had moved the heart of Zeus, bare thither
her son, even him who overthrew Hector, Troy's unbending invincible
pillar, even him who gave Kyknos to death and the Ethiop son[9] of the
Morning.

Many swift arrows have I beneath my bended arm within my quiver,
arrows that have a voice for the wise, but for the multitude they need
interpreters. His art is true who of his nature hath knowledge; they