Οὐ Λῆμνος σύμπασ’, οὐχ Ἁρπυιῶν τὰ περισσὰ,
Οὐδ’ ὁ Φιλοκτήτου ποὺς ἀποσηπόμενος,
Ὥστε σε παμψηφεὶ νικᾶν, Τελέσιλλα, Χιμαίρας,
Σηπεδόνας, ταύρους, ὄρνεα, Λημνιάδας.
(Neither the Chimaera of Homer had so ill a smell, nor yet the herd (as the story goes) of fire-breathing bulls, not all Lemnos, not the foulest of the Harpies, nor even Philoctetes’ putrefying foot. So you see, Telesilla, you outdo—the vote is unanimous,—Chimaeras, putrefactions, bulls, birds, Lemnian women!) The stench of Telesilla outdid, we see, all known evil smells, even that of the Lemnian women, etc. Also in Valerius Flaccus, bk. II. 99-241., is found this myth of the Lemnian women.
[311] Hence Iphis, in Ovid, Metam., IX. 723 sqq., says:
Iphis amat, qua posse frui desperat, et auget
Hoc ipsum flammas: ardetque in virgine virgo.
Vix tenens lacrimas: Quis me manet exitus, inquit,
Cognita quam nulli, quam prodigiosa novaeque