or is
it mingled with silver-eddied Peneus, but flows on the surface of it
like oil. For it is a streamlet of the Stygian wave, the dreadful
[pledge of] oath.

Prothoues, son of Tenthredon, commanded the Magnetes, who dwell about the
Peneus, and leaf-quivering Pelion: these swift Prothoues led; and with
him forty dark ships followed.

These then were the leaders and chieftains of the Greeks. Do thou, then,
O muse, tell me who was the most excellent of these, of the kings and
their steeds, who followed the son of Atreus to Troy. The steeds of the
descendant of Pheres were indeed by far the most excellent, which
Eumelus drove, swift as birds, like in hair, like in age, and level in
[height of] back by the plumb-line.[134] These, bearing with them the
terror of Mars, both mares, silver-bowed Apollo fed in Pieria.[135] Of
the heroes Telamonian Ajax was by far the best, whilst Achilles
continued wrathful, for he was by far the bravest; and the steeds which
bore the irreproachable son of Peleus surpassed those of Eumelus. But he
on his part lay in his dark sea-traversing ships, breathing wrath
against the son of Atreus, Agamemnon, the shepherd of the people. But
his forces meantime amused themselves with quoits and javelins, hurling
[them,] and with their bows; and their steeds stood, each near his
chariot, feeding on lotus and lake-fed parsley. And the well-fastened
chariots lay in the tents of their lords. But they, longing for their
warlike chief, wandered hither and thither through the camp, and did not
fight.

But they went along, as if the whole earth was being fed upon by
fire,[136] and the earth groaned beneath, as in honour of
thunder-rejoicing Jove when angry,[137] when he strikes the earth around
Typhoeus in Arimae,[138] where they say is the tomb of Typhoeus; thus
indeed beneath their feet the earth groaned mightily, as they went, and
very swift they passed over the plain.

[Footnote 134: I. e. exactly equal in height, as if they had been
measured.]

[Footnote 135: This degradation of Apollo used to be commemorated
in the theoria in honour of the god. See Mueller Dor. vol. i. p.
233.]

[Footnote 136: Such was the glitter of their arms.]

[Footnote 137: See Arnold.]

[Footnote 138: A volcanic district of Mysia.]

But swift-footed Iris came from aegis-bearing Jove, a messenger to the
Trojans, with a woeful announcement. They all, collected together, both
young and old, were holdi