EURIPIDES
As if they were the Furies, ripped their sides
With all his might till blood was running down,
Staining the edge. We were just untrained herdsmen 500
Facing expert young swordsmen; but we saw
The cattle wounded and dying and we hunted
For sticks and stones and blew our shells for help
And pretty soon farmers enough had joined us
To fight. Then, as we slowly started forward, 305
His madness left him. I can see him now—
Standing a moment. While I watch he drops
In a heap and foaming at the lips. Once more
We started toward him with our sticks and stones,
But still, his comrade, unafraid of us, 310
Leaned down to wipe the frothy mouth and laid
A piece of linen over the face to shield it—
Till suddenly the fallen man stood up,
Calm and himself again, and faced the rush
Of rocks we heaved at him like breaking waves. 315
We crowded in on him from every side.
He gave one groan as we surrounded him,
Ready to capture him or finish him.
And then we heard his voice ring out and say, 320
"If this is death, let's meet it, Pylades,
Like men! Come on! Together! With our swords!"
The metal flashed at us. We backed and tricked them
Into the hollow. There, while some of us
Would run for cover, others could throw rocks 325
To draw the swordsmen off and then give way
And let the first lot rally with new armfuls.
And yet we couldn't seem to hit those fellows.
I don't see how it was, with all the stones
We threw at them, that hardly one went straight.
All we could manage was to wear them down 330
By working round each man, aiming our volleys
Just at his sword, which, once he lost his grip,
He was too winded to pick up again.
And when we took our prisoners to the king,
He told us we should bring them here, and you
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