Togail na Tebe = The Thebiad of Statius : the Irish text

THE THEBAIDin that ship, and Oenides reckless and high-spirited, and Idasgallant and renowned, and Talaus resolute and steadfast, andtwo keen and chosen sons of Tyndareus, to wit, Castor andPollux, and two lively furious sons of Boreas, Zetes and Calais,and those were some of the goodly men of that ship." Now they continued in that manner in a spray rowing ofthe sea, and in dashing the drift from them. And also thecomposed and very skilful pilot was on board, to wit, Tiphys,steering that ship, so as not to let her be wrecked on the roughheadedrocks of the tempestuous sea. And they remained inthat extremity, till uprose Jason, son of Aeson, with a beautifulolive-branch in his hand as a sign of peace—and it used to bein the hand of Mopsus, leader of his people—and he was askingpeace from us." Howbeit, what Jason said had no weight with the crew ofthe ship. And we heard nothing save the strident sound of hisvoice coming to us against the wind. And then uprose fifty ofthe keenest and strongest champions in the ship, and graspedthe huge red oars in their hands, and they rowed that shipboldly manly to the haven of a shore harbour. Very lovely to lookupon at that particular time were the bright-cheeked countenancesof those hardy heroes owing to the violence of the rowingand owing to the boiling of the very great rage that arose inthem. That host seemed to us as if they were noble worshipfulgods that should go to the very bright citadels of heaven fromthe earth." And there we saw Theseus, son of Aegeus, son of Neptune,rising out of the ship, and proud was that good hero after thesacking of the city, to wit, Marathon (sic) ; and we also sawthere the noble king Admetus, and the melodious harper ofThrace, to wit, Orpheus ; and there also was the soldier Meleager,son of the king of Calydon, and Peleus son of Aeacus, andHyllus son of Hercules with arms in his hand." Well," said she, " the doors of our houses were opened by usto those bands. And no sacrifices had been offered, no sleep orrest enjoyed by us since we slew our men until that hour. Andeach man of them began choosing whom to woo from amongc 1 29 9