The Song of Thermopolae (part1) by WrriorBard
sing, o sweet one calliope, fairest of muses nine,
with your heavenly voice and that ethereal smile
which warms me to the depths of my soul.
your name itself is a prayer to the ear,
your laughter brings delight to the heart,
such tales of heroics
and courage of mortals:
come from you sound they surly divine!
and i plead of you now, my goddess, my source
to invoke this tale, breath over my shoulder
the breath that gives us all dreams
let down your hair to flow free with mine,
our thoughts merging in whole
we thinketh one thought and we heareth one voice;
the days of the new once again become old.
smiled upon by ares, favored by the huntress
in his tent he now sat, the noble warrior king
having been at the pass for seeming so long now,
successor of cleomenes paid homage to the goddess.
Ògreat pallas, o bright-eyed child of the thunderer himself!
be there no hope for your lowly servants
mortals unworthy of your holy presence?
for with the downfall of athens
your own city o pure one
home to your temple and of your tree,
none shall be left of our great prosperous lands!
and if i may, o wise one,
whoÕs shield
turns men into stone
remind you of this:
if the three let be to the loom
those warring dogs of xerxes do indeed
take your city, enslave your people,
feed to vultures
the mangled, rotting carcasses of your falling kings--
Éwho will be left to pay homage to you and your kin?
surly these barbarians of the east
have their own heathen ways,
will show you less respect than did sisyphus of corinth
live boastful and proud as did niobe
and if they do dare shackle one of your own,
revive cruel the anguish of war!
they will burn your temples, spit on your altars,
gleefully ravage your shrines.
they will rape the women
tarnish hestiaÕs virgins, defile the cynthiaÕs nymphs
like the suitors of penelope they shall plunder the grain,
like a pack of crazed amazons theyÕll kill all male infants,
ripping them to shreds as would the bacchae!Ó
after hearing these words from the lips of a mortal
great pallas athena replied:
Òleonidas you fool!
hear what you say!
have i, pallas athena, ever let you down?
have i not always protected you
guarded my city and tree
bestowed skill to men and women alike
brought forth peace, war, proficiency!
and now do you dare doubt my virtue
question my prowess prestige;
on the river of styx did i thrice not so swear
to lay equal or favor the siege?Ó
with storm and thunder sublime on her shield
an olive branch fastened in hair,
to olympus she sped, the gleaming-eyed one
fired with ardor and glory of war.
-----------end of part1; to be continued------------
