Know thou thyself—the saw is no great thing;
To do it, Zeus alone of gods is able.
The town of Sparta is not walled with words;
But when young Ares falls upon her men,
Then reason rules and the hand does the deed.
[79] It is clear that γὰρ ὤθουν is wrong. The best suggestion seems to be γ' ἄνωθεν, adopting which we may render the lines thus:
Naked above, their radiant arms displaying,
In lustihood of ruffling youth, and bloom
Of beauty bright on stalwart breasts, they fare;
Their shoulders and their feet in floods of oil
Are bathed, like men whose homes abound in plenty.
Ambassadors or athletes do you mean?
Great feeders are they, like most men in training.
Of what race are the strangers, then? Bœotians.