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The Iliad 2.741–755

The Iliad 2.741–755
Not alone was he, but with him was Leonteus, scion of Ares, the son of Caenus' son, Coronus, high of heart. And with them there followed forty black ships. And Gouneus led from Cyphus two and twenty ships, and with him followed the Enienes and the Peraebi, staunch in fight, that had set their dwellings about wintry Dodona, and dwelt in the ploughland about lovely Titaressus, that poureth his fair-flowing streams into Peneius; yet doth he not mingle with the silver eddies of Peneius, but floweth on over his waters like unto olive oil; for that he is a branch of the water of Styx, the dread river of oath. And the Magnetes had as captain Prothous, son of Tenthredon. These were they that dwelt about Peneius and Pelion, covered with waving forests. Of these was swift Prothous captain; and with him there followed forty black ships.
υἱὸς Πειριθόοιο τὸν ἀθάνατος τέκετο Ζεύς· τόν ῥʼ ὑπὸ Πειριθόῳ τέκετο κλυτὸς Ἱπποδάμεια ἤματι τῷ ὅτε Φῆρας ἐτίσατο λαχνήεντας, τοὺς δʼ ἐκ Πηλίου ὦσε καὶ Αἰθίκεσσι πέλασσεν· οὐκ οἶος, ἅμα τῷ γε Λεοντεὺς ὄζος Ἄρηος υἱὸς ὑπερθύμοιο Κορώνου Καινεΐδαο· τοῖς δʼ ἅμα τεσσαράκοντα μέλαιναι νῆες ἕποντο. Γουνεὺς δʼ ἐκ Κύφου ἦγε δύω καὶ εἴκοσι νῆας· τῷ δʼ Ἐνιῆνες ἕποντο μενεπτόλεμοί τε Περαιβοὶ οἳ περὶ Δωδώνην δυσχείμερον οἰκίʼ ἔθεντο, οἵ τʼ ἀμφʼ ἱμερτὸν Τιταρησσὸν ἔργα νέμοντο ὅς ῥʼ ἐς Πηνειὸν προΐει καλλίρροον ὕδωρ, οὐδʼ γε Πηνειῷ συμμίσγεται ἀργυροδίνῃ, ἀλλά τέ μιν καθύπερθεν ἐπιρρέει ἠΰτʼ ἔλαιον· ὅρκου γὰρ δεινοῦ Στυγὸς ὕδατός ἐστιν ἀπορρώξ.
Lattimore commentary
The “hairy beast men” are Centaurs, humans with the lower bodies of horses, who dwelled in the woods of Mount Pelion. Cheiron, the wisest of them, was tutor to many heroes, including Achilleus, but his brethren were lawless and uncontrolled, especially when exposed to wine. The battle of the Lapiths with the Centaurs is alluded to at 1.262–68. Titaressos contains waters of the Styx, the underworld river by which oaths are taken. Two other rivers associated with the underworld are also connected, above ground, with the Pindos mountain region of northwestern Greece (Akheron and Kokutos).
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