2% 4 ALCAEUS ty ove led home to the house of Cheiron, where the love that was betwixt the noble Peleus and the best of all the Nereids? loosed the girdle of a pure virgin, and bore them a year afterwards a son that was mightiest of demigods, a victorious driver of bay steeds?; but the Trojans and their city were destroyed because of Helen. Boox VII LOVE POEMS 121 To Metanippusé Herodotus Hisfordés: During the war between Mytilene and Athens... when a battle took place which left the Athenians victorious, the poet Aleaeus made good his eseape, but his arms fell into the hands of the Athenians, who hung them up as an offering in the temple of Athena at Sigeum. This is told hy Alcaeus in a poem which he sent to his friend Melanippus at Mytilene saving what had happened to him. Strabo Geogruphy: Pittacus of Mytilene sailed against the Athenian general Phrynon and carried on war against him for some time with ill success. It was during this campaign that the poet Aleaeus tells us how, being hard pressed, he threw away his arms and took to flight; and he addresses the following words to a herald whom he bids take tidings to his friends at home: 395