The early poems of Walter Savage Landor: a study of his development and debt to Milton online

145)-

Verses 143-171. — Prodicus, whose death and funeral
are here narrated, does not appear elsewhere in the story,
nor in the History. In choosing this name, Landor may
have had in mind Aristodicus, the patriot of Cumae, whose
defiance of the oracle is mentioned by Herodotus (1. 157 ff).

153. When from his sphere the mighty falls.

Men, proud of shewing interest in his fate.
Run to each other and with oaths protest
How wretched and how desolate they are.
The good departs, and silent are the good.
Here none with labour'd anguish howl'd the dirge.
None from irriguous Ida, cypress-crown'd.
Blew mournfully the Mariandyne pipe ;

There are inequalities and occasional lapses into the
commonplace, as for instance in the lines immediately
preceding those just quoted, where we read :

The honest crew was gloomy, thro' such gloom
We best discern, and weigh, and value tears.

The word ' crew ' thus employed is unusual. Milton uses

(•) Biography, I., p. 180.



54 POEMS OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR

it twenty-two times, and always, except once, with
derogatory force ; generally his crew consists of devils.

Verses 172-192. — Four men of Chios arrive bearing the
demand of the Persian king that the Phocaeans shall
either flee the island or submit. In Herodotus, the Chians
are said to have refused the Phocseans' request, because
they feared commercial rivalry (I. 165).

Verses 193-247. — The Phocaean orator Pythermus
replies with scorn. His speech is full of intense feeling,
and the language is dramatic in its combined force and
liveliness of expression. It is unfortunate that the
remarkable poetry of the speech of Pythermus should
be practically lost to English readers. As in the whole
of this poem, the source for many of the thoughts is
Herodotus. His mention of Pythermus and of his eloquence
has been given {ante, p. 52). The view taken of the sordid
policy of the Chians is based on Herod., I. 165, where
they refuse refuge to the Phocaeans, fearing their com-
mercial rivalry, and on their gross betrayal of Pactyas
(I. 157 ff). Of Thales the historian informs us, that he
predicted the echpse of the sun (I. 74) ; diverted, so the
Greeks believed, the course of the river Halys, that
Croesus might more easily invade Persian territory (I. 75) ;
and exhorted the lonians to make common cause against
Persia in one centre, Wo Se elvai eV Tew* Tecju yap fxeaov
eTuai 'lo}ULrj