ἔνθ᾽ ὅ γε δώματ᾽ ἔναιε σὺν αἰδοίῃ παρακοίτι
15νόσφιν ἄτερ φιλότητος ἐφιμέρου, οὐδέ οἱ ἦεν
πρὶν λεχέων ἐπιβῆναι ἐυσφύρου Ἠλεκτρυώνης,
πρίν γε φόνον τίσαιτο κασιγνήτων μεγαθύμων
ἧς ἀλόχου, μαλερῷ δὲ καταφλέξαι πυρὶ κώμας
ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων Ταφίων ἰδὲ Τηλεβοάων.
τὼς γάρ οἱ διέκειτο, θεοὶ δ᾽ ἐπὶ μάρτυροι ἦσαν:
τῶν ὅ γ᾽ ὀπίζετο μῆνιν, ἐπείγετο δ᾽ ὅττι τάχιστα
ἐκτελέσαι μέγα ἔργον, ὅ οἱ Διόθεν θέμις ἦεν.
τῷ δ᾽ ἅμα ἱέμενοι πολέμοιό τε φυλόπιδός τε
Βοιωτοὶ πλήξιπποι, ὑπὲρ σακέων πνείοντες,
Λοκροί τ᾽ ἀγχέμαχοι καὶ Φωκῆες μεγάθυμοι
ἕσποντ᾽: ἦρχε δὲ τοῖσιν ἐὺς πάις Ἀλκαίοιο
κυδιόων λαοῖσι.
14-27 There he dwelt with his modest wife without the joys of love, nor might he go in unto the neat-ankled daughter of Electyron until he had avenged the death of his wife’s great-hearted brothers and utterly burned with blazing fire the villages of the heroes, the Taphians and Teleboans; for this thing was laid upon him, and the gods were witnesses to it. And he feared their anger, and hastened to perform the great task to which Zeus had bound him. With him went the horse-driving Boeotians, breathing above their shields, and the Locrians who fight hand to hand, and the gallant Phocians eager for war and battle. And the noble son of Alcaeus led them, rejoicing in his host.
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