The second flotilla consisted of twelve ships with vermilion-painted bows, under the command of Odysseus the Crafty. His troops came from the islands of Cephallene, Ithaca, wooded Neriton, Crocyleia, rugged Aegilips, Zacynthos, Samos, and the mainland opposite.
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The Aetolians sent forty ships, under Thoas, son of Andraemon. His troops came from Pleuron, Olenus, Pylene, the coastal town of Chalcis, and rocky Calydon. Thoas was successor to King Meleager the Fair-Haired, who had ruled after the death of bold Oineus and his sons.
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The Cretans sent eighty ships, under the joint-command of King Idomeneus the Warrior and Meriones, who rivalled the God Ares himself in battle. Their troops came from all the hundred cities of Crete, including the fortress of Cnossus, Gortys with its huge walls, Lyctus, Miletus, chalky Lycastus, Phaestus and Rhytion.
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The Rhodians sent nine ships, under the command of Heracles’ son Tlepolemus. His troops came from the island’s three cities: Lindus, Ialysus, and chalky Cameirus.
Tlepolemus was the son of Astyocheia, whom Heracles had captured at Ephyra beside the River Selleeis, after sacking several cities held by Zeus’ royal foster-sons. When Tlepolemus grew to manhood in the fortress of Tiryns, he murdered his father’s uncle, old Licymnius, a descendant of Ares. Threatened with death by Heracles’ other offspring, he hastily built a fleet, collected a large number of colonists, and sailed away to Rhodes. These immigrants were adopted into the three Rhodian tribes and greatly favoured by Zeus, who made them exceedingly rich.
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The Symians sent three ships, under the command of Nireus, son of Aglaia and King Charopus. Though the handsomest of all these Greeks, with the sole exception of Achilles, he was a weakling; nor did his contingent amount to much.
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The Asian Islanders sent thirty ships, commanded by Pheidippus and Antiphus, the sons of Thessalus and grandsons of Heracles. Their troops came from Nisyros, Carpathos, Casos and Cos, where Eurypylus reigned; and from the Calydnian group.
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The Myrmidons, with their Hellenic and Achaean neighbours, sent fifty ships, under the command of Achilles. His troops came from Pelasgian Argos, Alus, Alope, Trachis, Phthia and Hellas (famed for its beautiful women).
This contingent, however, did not join the present parade because their commander, Prince Achilles, was sulking down at the camp—angered by his loss of beautiful Briseis. He had been given her as a reward for sacking Lyrnessus, where she lived, and the walled city of Thebe; also for killing Mynes and Epistrophus, the spearman sons of King Evenus the Selepiad, in a hotly-contested battle. Nevertheless, Achilles was soon to fight once more.
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The Thessalians sent seven contingents, led by one of forty ships originally under the command of gallant Protesilaus, who was the son of Iphiclus, the grandson of Phylacus, and a descendant of Ares. His troops came from Phylace, fertile Pyrasus (where Demeter has a sanctuary), Itone (famous for its flocks), the coastal town of Antron, and the pastures of Pteleus.
Protesilaus, however, the first Greek to land at Troy, was also the first casualty; a Trojan killed him as he leaped ashore, leaving his widow to disfigure her cheeks in token of grief. Protesilaus had quitted Phylace with their bridal chamber only half-built. The troops missed him greatly because, though a younger brother named Podarces took charge of them, Protesilaus had been by far the braver of the two.
The second contingent, of eleven ships, was commanded by Eumelus, the son of Alcestis (loveliest of Pelias’ daughters), and Admetus of Pherae. These troops came from Pherae beside Lake Boebe, the town of Boebe, Glaphyre, and the fortress of Iolcus.
The third contingent, of seven ships, was commanded by Philoctetes, the famous archer, and each contained fifty oarsmen expert with the bow. These troops came from Methone, Thaumacia, Meliboea, and rugged Olizon. But Philoctetes himself lay pining away and suffering torments in the pleasant Isle of Lemnos, where the Greeks had marooned him because of his noisome wound caused by the bite of a venomous water-snake. Philoctetes’ men, though they missed him, did not stay leaderless; Medon, a bastard son of Rene and Oïleus the City-Sacker, took his place. The Greeks were destined, however, to recall Philoctetes before capturing Troy.
The fourth contingent, of thirty ships, was commanded by Asclepius’ two sons Podaleirius and Machaon, both skilled physicians. Their troops came from Tricca, Ithone (with its terraces), and Eurytus’ city of Oechalia.
The fifth contingent, of forty ships, was commanded by Eurypylus, Euaemon’s famous son. His troops came from Ormenius, the spring of Hypereia, Asterion, and the snow-clad peaks of Mount Titanus.
The sixth contingent, of the same size, was jointly commanded by the resolute Polypoetes, son of Peirithous and thus grandson of Zeus himself, and his comrade Leonteus, son of Coronus and grandson of Caeneus, a descendant of Ares. (Polypoetes’ mother conceived him on the day that her husband Peirithous drove the shaggy Centaurs out of their homes on Mount Pelion and forced them to seek refuge with the Aethicans.) These troops came from Argissa, Orthe, Elone, and the white town of Oloosson.
The seventh contingent, of twenty-two ships, was commanded by Guneus, King of Cyphus. Among his troops were the Enienians and the tough Peraebians from settlements near wintry Dodona and farms in the delightful valley of the Titaresius. This river, though a tributary of the Peneius, does not mix with its waters, but flows above them like a coat of oil: being itself fed by the dreadful River Styx—on which the Immortals swear oaths that they never break.
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The Magnesians, lastly, sent forty ships, commanded by Prothous, son of Teuthredon. His troops came from the banks of the Peneius, and the wooded slopes of Mount Pelion.
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Such were the captains, such the crews.
Now help me, knowledgeable MUSE,
To pick the best men and best horses
From all King Agamemnon’s forces!
By far the finest team on parade were two mares bred for Admetus, son of Pheres, by Apollo of the Silver Bow: swift as birds, perfectly matched in colour, age and size—one could lay a rod anywhere across their backs when they stood side by side, and it would always remain level. Harnessed to the chariot of Admetus’ son Eumelus, who had brough