ὄφρα μὲν οὖν Μελέαγρος ἄρηϊφίλος πολέμιζε.
τόφρα δὲ Κουρήτεσσι κακῶς, ἦν. οὐδ' ἐδύναντο
τείχεος ἔκτοσθεν μίμνειν πολέες περ ἐόντες:
ἀλλ`' ὅτε δὴ Μελέαγρον ἔδυ χόλος. ὅς τε καὶ ἄλλων
οἰδάνει ἐν στήθεσσι, νόον πύκα περ φρονεόντων:
ἤτοι ὃ μητρὶ φίλῃ Ἀλθαίῃ χωόμενος κῆρ.
κεῖτο παρα μνηστῇ ἀλόχῳ καλῇ Κλεοπάτρῃ.
κούρῃ Μαρπήσσης καλλισφύρου Εὐηνί̄νης
Ἴ̈̈̈δεώ θ'. ὃς κάρτιστος ἐπιχθονίων γένετ' ἀνδρῶν
τῶν τότε. καί ῥα ἄνακτος ἐναντίον εἵλετο τόξον
Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος: καλλισφύρου εἵνεκα νύμφης:
τὴν δὲ τότ' ἐν μεγάροισι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ
Ἀλκυόνην καλέεσκον ἐπώνυμον: οὕνεκ' άρ' αὐτῆς
μήτηρ: ἁλκυόνος πολυπενθέος οῖτον ἔχουσα
κλαῖ': ὅ τε μιν ἑκάεργος ἀνήρπασε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων:
τῇ ὅ γε παρκατέλεκτο: χόλον θυμαλγέα πέσσων.
ἐξ ἀρέων μητρὸς κεχολωμένος. ἥ ῥα θεοῖσι
πόλλ`' ἀχέουσ' ἠρᾶτο κασιγνήτοιο φόνοιο:
πολλὰ δὲ καὶ γαῖαν πολυφόρβην χερσὶν ἀλοίᾱ
κικλήσκουσ' Ἀΐδην καὶ ἐπαινὴν. ΠερσεφόνειανΦερσεφόνειαν:
πρόχνυ καθεζομένη: δεύοντο δὲ δάκρυσι κόλποι.
παιδὶ δόμεν θάνατον: τῆς δ' ἠεροφοῖτις Ἐρῑνὺς
ἔκλυεν ἐξ Ερέβεσφιν. ἀμείλιχον ῆτορ ἔχουσα:
τῶν δὲ τάχ' ἀμφι πύλας ὅμαδος καὶ δοῦπος ὀρώρει:
πύ´ργων βαλλομένων: τὸν δὲ λίσσοντο γέροντες:
Αἰτωλῶν: πέμπον δὲ θεῶν ἱ̈ερῆας ἀρίστους
ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἀμῦναι: ὑποσχόμενοι μέγα δῶρον:
ὁππόθι πιότατον πεδίον Καλυδῶνος ἐραννῆς.
ἔνθά μιν ἤνωγον. τέμενος περικαλλὲς ἑλέσθαι
πεντηκοντόγυον: τὸ μὲν ἥμισυ οἰνοπέδοιο.
ἥμισυ δὲ ψιλὴν άροσιν πεδίοιο ταμέσθαι:
"Now so long as Meleager, dear to Ares, warred, so long went it ill with the Curetes, nor might they abide without their wall, for all they were very many. But when wrath entered into Meleager, wrath that maketh the heart to swell in the breasts also of others, even though they be wise, he then, wroth at heart against his dear mother Althaea, abode beside his wedded wife, the fair Cleopatra, daughter of Marpessa of the fair ankles, child of Evenus, and of Idas that was mightiest of men that were then upon the face of earth; who also took his bow to face the king Phoebus Apollo for the sake of the fair-ankled maid. Her of old in their halls had her father and honoured mother called Halcyone by name, for that the mother herself in a plight even as that of the halcyon-bird of many sorrows, wept because Apollo that worketh afar had snatched her child away. By her side lay Meleager nursing his bitter anger, wroth because of his mother's curses; for she prayed instantly to the gods, being grieved for her brother's slaying; and furthermore instantly beat with her hands upon the all-nurturing earth, calling upon Hades and dread Persephone, the while she knelt and made the folds of her bosom wet with tears, that they should bring death upon her son; and the Erinys that walketh in darkness heard her from Erebus, even she of the ungentle heart. Now anon was the din of the foemen risen about their gates, and the noise of the battering of walls, and to Meleager the elders of the Aetolians made prayer, sending to him the best of the priests of the gods, that he should come forth and succour them, and they promised him a mighty gift; they bade him, where the plain of lovely Calydon was fattest, there choose a fair tract of fifty acres, the half of it vineland, and the half clear plough-land, to be cut from out the plain.
