πεντήκοντ’ ῆσαν νῆες θοαὶ. ᾗσιν Ἀχιλλεὺς
ἐς Τροίην ἡγεῖτο Διῒ φίλος. ἒν δ'ὰρ ἑκάστῃ
πεντήκοντ’ έσαν ἄνδρες ἐπι κληῗσιν ἑταῖροι.
πέντε δ’ ὰρ ἡγεμόνας ποιήσατο, τοῖς ἐπεποίθει.
σημαίνειν: αὐτὸς δὲ μέγα κρατέων ἤνασσε:
τῆς μὲν ἰ¨ῆς στιχὸς ἦρχε Μενέσθιος αἰολοθώρηξ.
υἱὸς Σπερχειοῖο διϊπετέος ποταμοῖο:
ὃν τέκε Πηλῆος θυγάτηρ καλὴ Πολυδώρη.
Σπερχειῷ ἀκάμαντι: γυνὴ θεῷ εὐνηθεῖσα.
αὐτὰρ ἐπίκλησιν Βώρῳ Περιήρεος υἷϊ,
ὅς ῥ’ ἀναφανδὸν όπυιε πορὼν ἀπερείσια ἕδνα:
τῆς δ’ ἑτέρης Ἔυδωρος ἀρήϊος ἡγεμόνευε.
παρθένιος. τὸν. ἔτικτε, χορῷ καλὴ Πολυμήλη.
Φύλαντος θυγάτηρ. τῆς δὲ κρατὺς Ἀργειφόντης
ἠράσατ’, ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰ̈ δὼν μετὰ μελπομένῃσιν
ἐν χορῷ Ἀρτέμιδος, χρυσηλακάτου, κελαδεινῆς.
αὐτίκα δ’ εἰς ὑπερῷ’ ἀναβὰς, παρελέξατο λάθρῃ
Ἑρμείας ἀκάκητα, πόρεν δέ οἱ, ἀγλαὸν υἱὸν
Ἔυδωρον. περὶ μὲν θείειν ταχὺν. ἠδὲ μαχητήν:
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τόν γε μογοστόκος Εἰλείθυια
ἐξάγαγεν φώως δὲ καὶ ἠελίου ΐδεν αὐγὰς.
τὴν μὲν Ἐχεκλῆος κρατερὸν μένος Ἀκτορίδαο
ἠγάγετο πρὸς δώματ’ ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα.
τὸν δ’ ὁ γέρων Φύλας, εὖ, ἔτρεφεν. ἠδ’ ἀτίταλλεν.
ἀμφαγαπαζόμενος ὡς εἴ θ’ ἑὸν υἱὸν ἐόντα:
τῆς δὲ τρίτης, Πείσανδρος ἀρήϊος ἡγεμόνευε
Μαιμαλίδης, ὃς πᾶσι μετέπρεπε Μυρμιδόνεσσιν
ἔγχεϊ μάρνασθαι μετὰ Πηλείωνος ἑταῖρον:
τῆς δὲ τετάρτης ἦρχε γέρων ἱ¨ππηλάτα Φοῖνιξ
πέμπτης δ’ Ἀλκιμέδων. Λαέρκεος υἱὸς ἀμύμων.
Fifty were the swift ships which Achilles, dear to Zeus, led to Troy, and in each ship at the thole-pins were fifty men, his comrades; and five leaders had he appointed in whom he trusted to give command, and himself in his great might was king over all. The one rank was led by Menesthius of the flashing corselet, son of Spercheius, the heaven-fed river. Him did fair Polydora, daughter of Peleus, bear to tireless Spercheius, a woman couched with a god, but in name she bare him to Borus, son of Perieres, who openly wedded her, when he had given gifts of wooing past counting. And of the next company warlike Eudorus was captain, the son of a girl unwed, and him did Polymele, fair in the dance, daughter of Phylas, bear. Of her the strong Argeiphontes became enamoured, when his eyes had sight of her amid the singing maidens, in the dancing-floor of Artemis, huntress of the golden arrows and the echoing chase. Forthwith then he went up into her upper chamber, and lay with her secretly, even Hermes the helper, and she gave him a goodly son, Eudorus, pre-eminent in speed of foot and as a warrior. But when at length Eileithyia, goddess of child-birth, had brought him to the light, and he saw the rays of the sun, then her did the stalwart and mighty Echecles, son of Actor, lead to his home, when he had given countless gifts of wooing, and Eudorus did old Phylas nurse and cherish tenderly, loving him dearly, as he had been his own son. And of the third company warlike Peisander was captain, son of Maemalus, a man pre-eminent among all the Myrmidons in fighting with the spear, after the comrade of the son of Peleus. And the fourth company did the old knight Phoenix lead, and the fifth Alcimedon, the peerless son of Laerces.
