(36) As to the two sons of Asclepius, Machaon and Podaleirius, the
leaders of the Achaeans, see "Il." ii. 728; Schol. ad Pind.
"Pyth." iii. 14; Paus. iii. 26; iv. 3; Strab. vi. 4 (284); Diod.
iv. 71. 4; Grote, "H. G." i. 248.
(37) Or, "in crafts, in reasonings, and in deeds of war."
Antilochus, (38) in that he died for his father, obtained so great a glory that, in the judgment of Hellas, to him alone belongs the title "philopator," "who loved his father." (39)
(38) Antilochus, son of Nestor, slain by Memnon. "Od." iv. 186 foll.;
Pind. "Pyth." vi. 28; Philostr. "Her." iv.; "Icon." ii. 281.
(39) Lit. "to be alone proclaimed Philopator among the Hellenes." Cf.
Plat. "Laws," 730 D, "He shall be proclaimed the great and perfect
citizen, and bear away the palm of virtue"; and for the epithet
see Eur. "Or." 1605; "I. A." 68.
Aeneas (40) saved the ancestral gods—his father's and his mother's; (41) yea, and his own father also, whereby he bore off a reputation for piety so great that to him alone among all on whom they laid their conquering hand in Troy even the enemy granted not to be despoiled.
(40) As to Aeneas see Poseidon's speech, "Il." xx. 293 foll.; Grote,
"H. G." i. 413, 427 foll.
(41) Cf. "Hell." II. iv. 21.
Achilles, (42) lastly, being nursed in this same training, bequeathed to after-days memorials so fair, so ample, that to speak or hear concerning him no man wearies.
(42) "The highest form that floated before Greek imagination was
Achilles," Hegel, "Lectures on the Philosophy of History" (Eng.
tr. p. 233); and for a beautiful elaboration of that idea, J. A.
Symonds, "Greek Poets," 2nd series, ch. ii.
Such, by dint of that painstaking care derived from Cheiron, these all proved themselves; of whom all good men yet still to-day are lovers and all base men envious. So much so that if throughout the length and breadth of Hellas misfortunes at any time befell city or king, it was they who loosed the knot of them; (43) or if all Hellas found herself confronted with the hosts of the Barbarians in strife and battle, once again it was these who nerved the arms of Hellenes to victory and rendered Hellas unconquered and unconquerable.
(43) Reading {eluonto autous}, or if as L. D., {di autous}, transl.
"thanks to them, they were loosed."
For my part, then, my advice to the young is, do not despise hunting or the other training of your boyhood, if you desire to grow up to be good men, good not only in war but in all else of which the issue is perfection in thought, word, and deed.