Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and Homerica

THE AETHIOPIS (fragments)

Online Medieval and Classical Library Release #8

Fragment #1 --
Proclus, Chrestomathia, ii:
The "Cypria", described in the preceding book, has its sequel in
the "Iliad" of Homer, which is followed in turn by the five books
of the "Aethiopis", the work of Arctinus of Miletus.  Their
contents are as follows.  The Amazon Penthesileia, the daughter
of Ares and of Thracian race, comes to aid the Trojans, and after
showing great prowess, is killed by Achilles and buried by the
Trojans.  Achilles then slays Thersites for abusing and reviling
him for his supposed love for Penthesileia.  As a result a
dispute arises amongst the Achaeans over the killing of
Thersites, and Achilles sails to Lesbos and after sacrificing to
Apollo, Artemis, and Leto, is purified by Odysseus from
bloodshed.

Then Memnon, the son of Eos, wearing armour made by Hephaestus,
comes to help the Trojans, and Thetis tells her son about Memnon.

A battle takes place in which Antilochus is slain by Memnon and
Memnon by Achilles.  Eos then obtains of Zeus and bestows upon
her son immortality; but Achilles routs the Trojans, and, rushing
into the city with them, is killed by Paris and Apollo.  A great
struggle for the body then follows, Aias taking up the body and
carrying it to the ships, while Odysseus drives off the Trojans
behind.  The Achaeans then bury Antilochus and lay out the body
of Achilles, while Thetis, arriving with the Muses and her
sisters, bewails her son, whom she afterwards catches away from
the pyre and transports to the White Island.  After this, the
Achaeans pile him a cairn and hold games in his honour.  Lastly a
dispute arises between Odysseus and Aias over the arms of
Achilles.


Fragment #2 --
Scholiast on Homer, Il. xxiv. 804:
Some read: `Thus they performed the burial of Hector.  Then came
the Amazon, the daughter of great-souled Ares the slayer of men.'


Fragment #3 --
Scholiast on Pindar, Isth. iii. 53:
The author of the "Aethiopis" says that Aias killed himself about
dawn.