A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

84 The Epic or Homeric Age
Vintage. Also he set therein a vineyard teeming plenteously
with clusters, wrought fair in gold; black were the grapes,
but the vines hung throughout on silver poles. And
around it he ran a ditch of cyanus, and round that a fence
of tin; and one single pathway led to it, whereby the
vintagers might go when they should gather the vintage.
And maidens and striplings in childish glee bare the sweet
fruit in plaited baskets. And in the midst of them a boy
made pleasant music on a clear-toned viol, and sang thereto
a sweet Linos-song with delicate voice; while the rest with
feet falling together kept time with the music and song.
Grazing. c. Also he wrought therein a herd of kine with upright
Dancing.
horns, and the kine were fashioned of gold and tin, and
with lowing they hurried from the yard to pasture beside
a murmuring river, beside the waving reed. And herdsmen
of gold were following with the kine, four of them,
and nine dogs fleet of foot came after them. But two
terrible lions among the foremost kine had seized a loudroaring
bull that bellowed mightily as they haled him, and
the dogs and the young men sped after him. The lions
rending the great bull's hide were devouring his vitals
and his black blood; while the herdsmen in vain tarred
on their fleet dogs to set them on, for they shrank from
biting the lions but stood hard by and barked and swerved
away.
Also the glorious lame god wrought therein a pasture
in a fair glen, a great pasture of white sheep, and a steading,
and roofed huts, and folds.
Also did the glorious lame god devise a dancing-place
like unto that which once in wide Cnossus Daidalus
wrought for Ariadne of the lovely tresses. There were
youths dancing and maidens of costly wooing, their hands
upon one another's wrists. Fine hnen the maidens had