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

THE THEBAIDA haughty fierce Theban king, to wit, Hypseus, son of Asopus,saw that deed, and he was sad and in deep grief because of thebitter and huge slaughters Amphiaraus inflicted on the hosts,and he could not endure not to avenge it upon him, though itdid not diminish his honour, as if he himself were smiting theGreek soldiery. And when those two brave heroes fought, eachof them began to insult and threaten the other. Now whenApollo, god of prophecy, saw that, he made a cast of his spearat the chariot-fighter that was in Amphiaraus' chariot, to wit,Haliagmon, so that he fell forth lifeless out of his chariot, andhe himself came in his place, and assumed the form of thechariot-fighter, and brought with him the horses and the chariotso as to avoid Hypseus. And Apollo was there driving Amphiaraus'chariot, directing his shootings, and guiding his horses, sothat that man might deliver no vain blow or missing shot.Also he and his horses were protected against the dangerousshots of his foes. Then round Amphiaraus closed these fourTheban heroes, to wit, the reckless haughty foot-soldier Melaneus,the lofty famous horseman Antiphus, the veteran of prowess,Aetion, and the wildly reckless Lampus. Against those heroesApollo urged Amphiaraus' horses keenly and madly, and hepractised a chariot feat on them so that they fell under thehorses' feet, and he caused an utter breaking and bruising oftheir bones under the chariot beaks, and they died. Nay, itwas a hindrance to the course and progress of those horses ofAmphiaraus that their -feet could not gain a hold on the earthfor the multitude of white-skinned bodies of mangled heroesand of the upright spears thrust far into the hides of the noblescions, so that his horses and his chariot were all red with thestains of copious crimson blood in the sides of chosen soldiers.Then, moreover, Apollo doffed his wizard shape, and wentinto his own form ; and he spoke to Amphiaraus, and this iswhat he said : " This," said he, " is the bourne and limit of thylife, and I am unable to protect thee any longer, and tales ofthee and thy renown will remain till life's close and time's end.But arise, and go into the awful plains of hell, as has been187