Page 74 - the-iliad

said, ‘why stand you cowering here upon the brink of bat-
tle? Tydeus did not shrink thus, but was ever ahead of his
men when leading them on against the foe— so, at least, say
they that saw him in battle, for I never set eyes upon him
myself. They say that there was no man like him. He came
once to Mycenae, not as an enemy but as a guest, in compa-
ny with Polynices to recruit his forces, for they were levying
war against the strong city of Thebes, and prayed our people
for a body of picked men to help them. The men of Myce-
nae were willing to let them have one, but Jove dissuaded
them by showing them unfavourable omens. Tydeus, there-
fore, and Polynices went their way. When they had got as far
the deep-meadowed and rush-grown banks of the Aesopus,
the Achaeans sent Tydeus as their envoy, and he found the
Cadmeans gathered in great numbers to a banquet in the
house of Eteocles. Stranger though he was, he knew no fear
on finding himself single-handed among so many, but chal-
lenged them to contests of all kinds, and in each one of them
was at once victorious, so mightily did Minerva help him.
The Cadmeans were incensed at his success, and set a force
of fifty youths with two captains—the godlike hero Maeon,
son of Haemon, and Polyphontes, son of Autophonus—at
their head, to lie in wait for him on his return journey; but
Tydeus slew every man of them, save only Maeon, whom he
let go in obedience to heaven’s omens. Such was Tydeus of
Aetolia. His son can talk more glibly, but he cannot fight as
his father did.’
Diomed made no answer, for he was shamed by the re-
buke of Agamemnon; but the son of Capaneus took up his