To grace those nuptials from the bright abode Yourselves were present; when this minstrel god (Well pleased to share the feast) amid the quire Stood proud to hymn, and tune his youthful lyre ("Homer's Il." xxiv.)
Prof. Robinson Ellis ("Comment on Catull." lxiv.) cites numerous
passages: Eur. "I. in T." 701 foll., 1036 foll.; Pind. "Isthm." v.
24; "Pyth." iii. 87-96; Isocr. "Evag." 192. 6; Apoll. Rh. iv. 791;
"Il." xxiv. 61; Hes. "Theog." 1006, and "Epithal." (ap. Tsetz,
"Prol. ad Lycophr."):
{tris makar Aiakide kai tetrakis olbie Peleu os toisd' en megarois ieron lekhos eisanabaineis}.
The mighty Telamon (16) won from the greatest of all states and wedded her whom he desired, Periboea the daughter of Alcathus; (17) and when the first of Hellenes, (18) Heracles (19) the son of Zeus, distributed rewards of valour after taking Troy, to Telamon he gave Hesione. (20)
(16) See "Il." viii. 283l Paus. i. 42. 1-4.
(17) Or Alcathous, who rebuilt the walls of Megara by Apollo's aid.
Ov. "Met." viii. 15 foll.
(18) Reading {o protos}; or if with L. D. {tois protois}, "what time
Heracles was distributing to the heroes of Hellas (lit. the first
of the Hellenes) prizes of valour, to Telamon he gave."
(19) See Hom. "Il." v. 640; Strab. xiii. 595.
(20) See Diod. iv. 32; i. 42.
Of Meleager (21) be it said, whereas the honours which he won are manifest, the misfortunes on which he fell, when his father (22) in old age forgot the goddess, were not of his own causing. (23)
(21) For the legend of Meleager see "Il." ix. 524-599, dramatised by
both Sophocles and Euripides, and in our day by Swinburne,
"Atalanta in Calydon." Cf. Paus. iii. 8. 9; viii. 54. 4; Ov.
"Met." viii. 300; Grote, "H. G." i. 195.
(22) i.e. Oeneus. "Il." ix. 535.
(23) Or, "may not be laid to his charge."
Theseus (24) single-handed destroyed the enemies of collective Hellas; and in that he greatly enlarged the boundaries of his fatherland, is still to-day the wonder of mankind. (25)
(24) See "Mem." II. i. 14; III. v. 10; cf. Isocr. "Phil." 111; Plut.
"Thes." x. foll.; Diod. iv. 59; Ov. "Met." vii. 433.
(25) Or, "is held in admiration still to-day." See Thuc. ii. 15;
Strab. ix. 397.
Hippolytus (26) was honoured by our lady Artemis and with her conversed, (27) and in his latter end, by reason of his sobriety and holiness, was reckoned among the blest.