race
Of Cadmus was incensed, and fifty youths
In ambush close expected his return. 
Them, Lycophontes obstinate in fight,
Son of Autophonus, and Maeon, son 470
Of Haemon, Chief of godlike stature, led. 
Those also Tydeus slew; Maeon except,
(Whom, warned from heaven, he spared, and sent him home
With tidings of the rest) he slew them all. 
Such was AEtolian Tydeus; who begat 475
A son in speech his better, not in arms. 
He ended, and his sovereign’s awful voice
Tydides reverencing, nought replied;
But thus the son of glorious Capaneus. 
Atrides, conscious of the truth, speak truth. 480
We with our sires compared, superior praise
Claim justly.[15] We, confiding in the aid
Of Jove, and in propitious signs from heaven,
Led to the city consecrate to Mars
Our little host, inferior far to theirs, 485
And took seven-gated Thebes, under whose walls
Our fathers by their own imprudence fell. 
Their glory, then, match never more with ours. 
He spake, whom with a frowning brow the brave
Tydides answer’d.  Sthenelus, my friend! 490
I give thee counsel.  Mark it.  Hold thy peace. 
If Agamemnon, who hath charge of all,
Excite his well-appointed host to war,
He hath no blame from me.  For should the Greeks
(Her people vanquished) win imperial Troy, 495
The glory shall be his; or, if his host
O’erpower’d in battle perish, his the shame. 
Come, therefore; be it ours to rouse at once
To action all the fury of our might. 
He said, and from his chariot to the plain 500
Leap’d ardent; rang the armor on the breast
Of the advancing Chief; the boldest heart
Had felt emotion, startled at the sound. 
As when the waves by Zephyrus up-heaved
Crowd fast toward some sounding shore, at first, 505
On the broad bosom of the deep their heads
They curl on high, then breaking on the land
Thunder, and o’er the rocks that breast the flood
Borne turgid, scatter far the showery spray;
So moved the Greeks successive, rank by rank, 510
And phalanx after phalanx, every Chief
His loud command proclaiming, while the rest,
As voice in all those thousands none had been
Heard mute; and, in resplendent armor clad,
With martial order terrible advanced. 515
Not so the Trojans came.  As sheep, the flock
Of some rich man, by thousands in his court
Penn’d close at milking time, incessant bleat,
Loud answering all their bleating lambs without,
Such din from Ilium’s wide-spread host arose. 520
Nor was their shout, nor was their accent one,
But mingled languages were heard of men
From various climes.  These Mars to battle roused,
Those Pallas azure-eyed; nor Terror thence