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

THE THEBAIDhands and arms over the other, so that like a mast of a greatprincipal ship, or a very lofty oak over very small saplings of awood was Agylleus above Tydeus then, while pulling down andoverthrowing him. Yet though Tydeus was smaller, he waskeener and more resolute at that time, so that he pressed inAgylleus and controlled him, and threw him to ground andteeming earth. After that he tied and bound him in presenceof all the Greeks ; and thereupon gifts to mark his victory weregiven him. He was talking big and in self-complacency on thescore of them, and he gave them to his people. And on Agylleus'arising quickly and weakly from his fetter, Adrastus gave him avery heavy corslet of iron as a reward to emphasise his game.And after that two of them arose to play with very sharpquite naked weapons, to wit, Agreus of Epidaurus, and Polynicesson of Oedipus. But the high-king Adrastus 1j£S £?>tl'am5jl^e/and said :" Do no fighting, O men," said he, " untirfh ptrny&iifc&e^cmno 3 , for ye shall get your fill of fighting and conflicttherein." And thus they, were resti'ained.Then the chiefs of the Greeks told the high-king Adrastus todo his part of the games, so that the honour to the sepulturemight be the greater. " It shall be done!" said he, and he arose.This is what he did, he shot an arrow of his bow of yew stronglyand very bravely, so that it went from him for a space, and as itwas going at its strongest, it turned actively and quickly backto the king who shot it. And that was with them a figure ofprophecy, for from that it was understood that Adrastus aloneshould return from the war of Thebes, and arrive back at theconfines of Greece.So that it is the mourning for Archemorus and his funeralgames thus far.BOOK VIINow when those funeral games were ended, Adrastus pouredwine upon the grave, and he was praising the lad as a noble godto be worshipped, and this is what he said :" Son," said he," offerings like these will be made to thee by all Greeks every165