Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica 4.180-214: in a race organized by Thetis, Teucer and Ajax wear loin-cloths so as not to appear naked before the sea-goddesses

Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica 4.180-214: in a race organized by Thetis, Teucer and Ajax wear loin-cloths so as not to appear naked before the sea-goddesses

3rd/4th century CE

Epic

Literary source

(…) Then Thetis set
Amidst the athlete-ring ten kine, to be
Her prizes for the footrace, and by each
Ran a fair suckling calf. These the bold might
Of Peleus’ tireless son had driven down
From slopes of Ida, prizes of his spear.
To strive for these rose up two victory-fain,
Teucer the first, the son of Telamon,
And Aias, of the Locrian archers chief.
These twain with swift hands girded them about
With loin-cloths, reverencing the Goddess-bride
Of Peleus, and the Sea-maids, who with her
Came to behold the Argives’ athlete-sport.
And Atreus’ son, lord of all Argive men,
Showed them the turning-goal of that swift course.
Then these the Queen of Rivalry spurred on,
As from the starting-line like falcons swift
They sped away. Long doubtful was the race :
Now, as the Argives gazed, would Aias’ friends
Shout, now rang out the answering cheer from friends
Of Teucer. But when in their eager speed
Close on the end they were, then Teucer’s feet
Were trammelled. by unearthly powers : some god
Or demon dashed his foot against the stock
Of a deep-rooted tamarisk. Sorely wrenched
Was his left ankle: round the joint upswelled
The veins high-ridged. A great shout rang from all
That watched the contest. Aias darted past
Exultant: ran his Locrian folk to hail
Their lord, with sudden joy in all their souls.
Then to his ships they drave the kine, and cast
Fodder before them. Eager-helpful friends
Led Teucer halting thence. The leeches drew
Blood from his foot: then over it they laid
Soft-shredded linen ointment-smeared, and swathed
With smooth bands round, and charmed away the pain.

Arthur S. Way, Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (= Loeb Classical Library; 19), London/New York 1913.

Θέτις δ᾽ ἐς μέσσον ἀγῶνα
θῆκεν ἄρ᾽ ἀμφὶ δρόμοιο βόας δέκα: τῇσι δὲ πάσῃς
καλαὶ πόρτιες ᾖσαν ὑπὸ μαζοῖσιν ἰοῦσαι:
τάς ποτε Πηλείδαο θρασὺ σθένος ἀκαμάτοιο
ἤλασεν ἐξ Ἴδης μεγάλῳ ἐπὶ δουρὶ πεποιθώς.
τῶν πέρι δοιοὶ ἀνέσταν ἐελδόμενοι μέγα νίκης:
Τεῦκρος μὲν πρῶτος Τελαμώνιος, ἄν δὲ καὶ Αἴας,
Αἴας, ὅς τε Λοκροῖσι μετέπρεπεν ἰοβόλοισιν.
ἀμφὶ δ᾽ ἄρα ζώσαντο θοῶς περὶ μήδεα χερσὶ
φάρεα, πάντα δ᾽ ἔνερθεν, ἅπερ θέμις, ἐκρύψαντο
αἰδόμενοι Πηλῆος ἐϋσθενέος παράκοιτιν
ἄλλας τ᾽ εἰναλίας Νηρηίδας, ὅσσαι ἅμ᾽ αὐτῇ
ἤλυθον Ἀργείων κρατεροὺς ἐσιδέσθαι ἀέθλους.
τοῖσι δὲ σημαίνεσκε δρόμου τέλος ὠκυτάτοιο
Ἀτρείδης, ὅς πᾶσι μετ᾽ Ἀργείοισιν ἄνασσε.
τοὺς δ᾽ Ἔρις ὀτρύνεσκεν ἐπήρατος: οἱ δ᾽ ἀπὸ νύσσης
καρπαλίμως οἴμησαν ἐοικότες ἰρήκεσσι:
τῶν δὲ καὶ ἀμφήριστος ἔην δρόμος: οἱ δ᾽ ἑκάτερθεν
Ἀργεῖοι λεύσσοντες ἐπίαχον ἄλλυδις ἄλλος.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε τέρματ᾽ ἔμελλον ἱκανέμεναι μεμαῶτες,
δὴ τότε που Τεύκροιο μένος καὶ γυῖα πέδησαν
ἀθάνατοι: τὸν γάρ ῥα θεὸς βάλεν ἠέ τις ἄτη
ὄζον ἐς ἀλγινόεντα βαθυρρίζοιο μυρίκης:
τῷ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐνιχριμφθεὶς χαμάδις πέσε: τοῦ δ᾽ ἀλεγεινῶς
ἄκρον ἀνεγνάμφθη λαιοῦ ποδός, αἱ δ᾽ ὑπανέσταν
οἰδαλέαι ἑκάτερθε περὶ φλέβες. οἱ δ᾽ ἰάχησαν
Ἀργεῖοι κατ᾽ ἀγῶνα: παρήιξεν δέ μιν Αἴας
γηθόσυνος: λαοὶ δὲ συνέδραμον, οἵ οἱ ἕποντο,
Λοκροί: αἶψα δὲ χάρμα περὶ φρένας ἤλυθε πάντων:
ἐκ δ᾽ ἔλασαν κατὰ νῆας ἀγοῦ βόας, ὄφρα νέμωνται.
Τεῦκρον δ᾽ ἐσσυμένως ἕταρο; περιποιπνύοντες
ἦγου ἐπισκάζοντα: θοῶς δέ οἱ ἰητῆρες
ἐκ ποδὸς αἷμ᾽ ἀφέλοντο, θέσαν δ᾽ ἐφύπερθε μοτάων
εἴρἰ ἄδην δεύσαντες ἀλείφασιν: ἀμφὶ δὲ μίτρην
δήσαντ᾽ ἐνδυκέως: ὀλοὰς δ᾽ ἐκέδασσαν ἀνίας.

Arthur S. Way (ed.), Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (= Loeb Classical Library; 19), London/New York 1913.