CYNEGETICA, II. 12^155 



mighty hands to apportion their water unto each, 

 and to give separate course from the plain for the 

 waters of the fair-tressed lake and the fair-flowing 

 river. And he A^Tought his mighty labour, when he 

 cut the girdle of the encircling hills and undid their 

 stony bonds, and sent the river belching to its 

 mouth, surging incontinent and wildly murmuring, 

 and guided it toward the shores. And loudly roared 

 the deep sea, and the mighty body of the Syrian 

 shore echoed to the din. Not with such Aiolent flood 

 descend those contrary-travelhng rivers on either 

 side the echoing sea : here Ister," clea\ing the white 

 barriers of the North through Scythia, roars loudly 

 everywhere, trailing amid precipices and water- 

 smitten heights ; while on the other hand the sound- 

 ing sea trembles at the holy stream of Egypt * when 

 from Libya it breaks about it. So the mighty river 

 Orontes made a noise of dread bellowing about the 

 shores ; and mightily roared the headlands when 

 they received within their bosom the swell of the 

 new-come sea ; and the black and fertile earth took 

 heart again, arisen from the waves, a new plain of 

 Heracles. And to this day the fields flourish every- 

 where with corn and ever}"\vhere the works of oxen 

 are heaAy on the prosperous threshing-floors around 

 the Memnonian shrine, where the Ass}Tian dwellers 

 mourn for Memnon,'' the glorious son of the Morning, 

 whom, when he came to help the sons of Priam, the 

 doughty husband of Deidameia"* SA\iftly slew. How- 



where he was slain by Achilles (Pind. O. ii. 91 ; ^\ vi. 56). 

 His tomb was shown in various places, among others at 

 Paltos in Syria (Strab. 728). Assyrian = Syrian, cf. C. i. 7 n. 

 ■* D. of Lycomedes of Scjtos, m. by Achilles of Neo- 

 ptolemus. 



67 



