Ill] AND HISTORIC TIMES 111 



and that in that region the mares became impregnated by the 

 west wind, an aetiological myth to explain the swiftness of 

 steeds, who rivalled in speed the strong west wind from the 

 Atlantic. As balios is regularly applied to deer and to the lynx 1 , 

 there can be no doubt that when it is used of horses it means 

 dappled, and accordingly Achilles' steed was a dappled-dun. 

 These famous steeds had very heavy manes. After the slaying 

 of Patroclus they kept " apart from the battle weeping, since 

 first they were aware that their charioteer was fallen in the 

 dust beneath the hands of man-slaying Hector. They stood 

 unmoved abasing their heads unto the earth. Hot tears flowed 

 from their eyes to the ground as they mourned in sorrow for 

 their charioteer, and their rich manes were soiled as they 

 drooped from beneath the yoke-cushion on both sides beneath 

 the yoke 2 ." 



Again, when at the funeral games of Patroclus Achilles lays 

 down prizes for the chariot-race, he says that if in some other's 

 honour the Acheans were holding games he himself would 

 compete : " but verily I will abide, I and my whole-hoofed 

 horses, so glorious a charioteer have they lost, and one so kind, 

 who on their manes full often poured smooth oil, when he had 

 washed them in clear water. For him they stand and mourn, 

 and their manes are trailing on the ground, and there stand 

 they with sorrow at their hearts 3 ." 



In the horses of Achilles, with their long, heavy manes, one 

 dun-coloured, the other dappled-dun, we can recognize the same 

 breed of horses as those used by the Sigynnae of central Europe 

 in the fifth century B.C., and this identification will gain further 

 confirmation from colour and other arguments as our investi- 

 gation proceeds. As the poet seems carefully to note any 

 peculiarity of colouring in horses, such as those of Rhesus 

 already described, and those of Aeneas to be discussed later on, 



1 Eur. Hec. 90, Ale. 579. 



2 II. xvn. 437 sqq. : 



VK.lii'fya.vTf Kaprjara' ddupva 5 <r<f>iv 

 La Kara (SXetyapuv xa/^Sis pte 



irapa 

 II. xxin. 283 sq., o#5ti' 5e a<$x.v x a ' LTaL 



