Page 406 - the-iliad

to many.
‘In the beginning Dardanus was the son of Jove, and
founded Dardania, for Ilius was not yet stablished on the
plain for men to dwell in, and her people still abode on the
spurs of many-fountained Ida. Dardanus had a son, king
Erichthonius, who was wealthiest of all men living; he had
three thousand mares that fed by the water-meadows, they
and their foals with them. Boreas was enamoured of them
as they were feeding, and covered them in the semblance of
a dark-maned stallion. Twelve filly foals did they conceive
and bear him, and these, as they sped over the rich plain,
would go bounding on over the ripe ears of corn and not
break them; or again when they would disport themselves
on the broad back of Ocean they could gallop on the crest of
a breaker. Erichthonius begat Tros, king of the Trojans, and
Tros had three noble sons, Ilus, Assaracus, and Ganymede
who was comeliest of mortal men; wherefore the gods car-
ried him off to be Jove’s cupbearer, for his beauty’s sake, that
he might dwell among the immortals. Ilus begat Laomedon,
and Laomedon begat Tithonus, Priam, Lampus, Clytius,
and Hiketaon of the stock of Mars. But Assaracus was fa-
ther to Capys, and Capys to Anchises, who was my father,
while Hector is son to Priam.
‘Such do I declare my blood and lineage, but as for valour,
Jove gives it or takes it as he will, for he is lord of all. And
now let there be no more of this prating in mid-battle as
though we were children. We could fling taunts without
end at one another; a hundred-oared galley would not hold
them. The tongue can run all whithers and talk all wise;

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