late
to Elis, I think we adopt an unnatural construction to come at a
forced meaning; for the old Greek historians tell us, that those
islands are so close upon the coast of Elis, that in their time
many of them had been joined to it by means of the
Achelous."--Wood on Homer, p. 8, sq.]

[Footnote 130: Grote, Hist, of Greece, vol. i. p. 197, after
referring to the Homeric legend respecting Meleager in II. xi.
525, sqq., remarks that "though his death is here indicated only
indirectly, there seems little doubt that Homer must have
conceived the death of the hero as brought about by the maternal
curse: the unrelenting Erinnys executed to the letter the
invocations of Althaea, though she herself must have been willing
to retract them."]

Spear-renowned Idomeneus commanded the Cretans, those who possessed
Gnossus and well-walled Gortyna and Lyctos, and Miletus, and white
Lycastus and Phaestus, and Rhytium, well-inhabited cities; and others who
inhabited the hundred-towned Crete. These spear-famed Idomeneus
commanded, and Meriones, equal to man-slaying Mars: with these followed
eighty dark ships.

But Tlepolemus, the brave and great descendant of Hercules, led from
Rhodes nine ships of the haughty Rhodians, those who inhabited Rhodes,
arranged in three bands, Lindus, and Ialyssus, and white Camirus. These
spear-famed Tlepolemus led, he whom Astyochea brought forth to the might
of Hercules,[131] whom [Astyochea] he [Hercules] carried out of Ephyre,
from the river Selleis, after having laid waste many cities of
nobly-descended youths. Now Tlepolemus, after he had been trained up in
the well-built palaces, straightway slew the beloved uncle of his
father, Licymnius, now grown old, a branch of Mars; and instantly he
built a fleet; and having collected many troops, he departed,[132]
flying over the ocean; for him the sons and grandsons of the might of
Hercules had threatened. And he indeed came wandering to Rhodes,
suffering woes. And they, divided into three parts, dwelt in tribes, and
were beloved of Jove, who rules over gods and men: and on them the son
of Saturn poured down immense wealth.

[Footnote 131: As in the Odyssey, I prefer preserving the quaint
simplicity of these antiquated periphrases.]

[Footnote 132: Grote, History of Greece, vol. i. p. 33, has
collected the Homeric instances of exile "for private or
involuntary homicide," observing, however, from the