upon the heights. Yet confident In their own strength, and rashly giving way To greed, my comrades ravaged the fair fields Of the Egyptians, slew them, and bore off Their wives and little ones. The rumor reached The city soon; the people heard the alarm And came together. With the dawn of day All the great plain was thronged with horse and foot, And gleamed with brass, while Jove, the Thunderer, sent A deadly fear into our ranks, where none Dared face the foe. On every side was death. The Egyptians hewed down many with the sword, And some they led away alive to toil For them in slavery. Me my captors gave Into a stranger’s hands, upon his way To Cyprus, where he reigned, a mighty king, Demetor, son of Jasus. Thence at last I came through many hardships to this isle.”
Antinoüs lifted up his voice, and said: “What god hath sent this nuisance to disturb The banquet? Take thyself to the mid-hall, Far from thy table, else expect to see An Egypt and a Cyprus of a sort That thou wilt little like. Thou art a bold And shameless beggar. Thou dost take thy round And ask from each, and foolishly they give, And spare not nor consider; well supplied Is each, and freely gives what is not his.”