And from the grassy meads of Pteleus, came
A people, whom while yet he lived, the brave 855
Protesilaues led; but him the earth
Now cover’d dark and drear.  A wife he left,
To rend in Phylace her bleeding cheeks,
And an unfinish’d mansion.  First he died
Of all the Greeks; for as he leap’d to land 860
Foremost by far, a Dardan struck him dead. 
Nor had his troops, though filled with deep regret,
No leader; them Podarces led, a Chief
Like Mars in battle, brother of the slain,
But younger born, and from Iphiclus sprung 865
Who sprang from Phylacus the rich in flocks. 
But him Protesilaues, as in years,
So also in desert of arms excell’d
Heroic, whom his host, although they saw
Podarces at their head, still justly mourn’d; 870
For he was fierce in battle, and at Troy
With forty sable-sided ships arrived. 
Eleven galleys, Pherae on the lake,
And Boebe, and Ioelchus, and the vale
Of Glaphyrae supplied with crews robust 875
Under Eumelus; him Alcestis, praised
For beauty above all her sisters fair,
In Thessaly to King Admetus bore. 
Methone, and Olizon’s craggy coast,
With Meliboea and Thaumasia sent 880
Seven ships; their rowers were good archers all,
And every vessel dipped into the wave
Her fifty oars.  Them Philoctetes, skill’d
To draw with sinewy arm the stubborn bow,
Commanded; but he suffering anguish keen 885
Inflicted by a serpent’s venom’d tooth,
Lay sick in Lemnos; him the Grecians there
Had left sore-wounded, but were destined soon
To call to dear remembrance whom they left. 
Meantime, though sorrowing for his sake, his troops 890
Yet wanted not a chief; them Medon ruled,
Whom Rhena to the far-famed conqueror bore
Oileus, fruit of their unsanction’d loves. 
From Tricca, from Ithome rough and rude
With rocks and glens, and from Oechalia, town 895
Of Eurytus Oechalian-born, came forth
Their warlike youth by Podalirius led
And by Machaon, healers both expert
Of all disease, and thirty ships were theirs. 
The men of Ormenus, and from beside 900
The fountain Hypereia, from the tops
Of chalky Titan, and Asteria’s band;
Them ruled Eurypylus, Evaemon’s son
Illustrious, whom twice twenty ships obeyed. 
Orthe, Gyrtone, Olooesson white, 905
Argissa and Helone; they their youth
Gave to control of Polypoetes, son
Undaunted of Pirithoues, son of Jove. 
Him, to Pirithoues, (on the self-same day
When he the Centaurs punish’d and pursued 910
Sheer to AEthicae driven from Pelion’s heights
The shaggy race) Hippodamia bore. 
Nor he alone them led.  With him was join’d
Leonteus dauntless warrior, from the bold