The Memnid
By TR Greenwood
()
About this ebook
AND SO IT BEGINS.... Memnon, son of the mythological goddess of the Dawn, is allotted a choice by the Fates – an abundant life of lavishness, peace, adoration, and tranquility- accompanied by the ignominy of obscurity. Or alternatively, embark on an otherworldly voyage beset with strife, glory, forbidden liaisons, grief, and fatal sacrifice – along with eternal honor amongst the timeless heroes of the Trojan War. Such is the dilemma of the dutiful hero as he undoubtedly chooses the latter option, setting in motion a journey of epic proportions. THE MEMNID details the adventures of the famed Aethiopian king as he and his comrades traverse the perilous seas to assist the Trojans against fierce Achilles and the invading Grecian armies. During his voyage, Memnon encounters vengeful immortals, monstrous fiends, mischievous deities, and ravishing goddesses – all intent upon preventing his anticipated arrival to Troy. Memnon triumphs over the forces opposed to his endeavor, and ultimately reach his destination. However, his past and subsequent successes come at a steep price, as the lives of his loyal companions are lost one by one- including that of his beloved cousin Aithops. This tragic event is deeply impactful to Memnon, evoking rage, inconsolable sadness, guilt, and forgiveness– culminating in a fateful clash between the two greatest champions of the Trojan War.
TR Greenwood
AND SO IT BEGINS...... Memnon, son of the mythological goddess of the Dawn, is allotted a choice by the Fates – an abundant life of lavishness, peace, adoration, and tranquility- accompanied by the ignominy of obscurity. Or alternatively, embark on an otherworldly voyage beset with strife, glory, forbidden liaisons, grief, and fatal sacrifice – along with eternal honor amongst the timeless heroes of the Trojan War. Such is the dilemma of the dutiful hero as he undoubtedly chooses the latter option, setting in motion a journey of epic proportions. THE MEMNID details the adventures of the famed Aethiopian king as he and his comrades traverse the perilous seas to assist the Trojans against fierce Achilles and the invading Grecian armies. During his voyage, Memnon encounters vengeful immortals, monstrous fiends, mischievous deities, and ravishing goddesses – all intent upon preventing his anticipated arrival to Troy. Memnon triumphs over the forces opposed to his endeavor, and ultimately reach his destination. However, his past and subsequent successes come at a steep price, as the lives of his loyal companions are lost one by one- including that of his beloved cousin Aithops. This tragic event is deeply impactful to Memnon, evoking rage, inconsolable sadness, guilt, and forgiveness– culminating in a fateful clash between the two greatest champions of the Trojan War.
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The Memnid - TR Greenwood
THE MEMNID
By TR GREENWOOD
Copyright© 2013 TR Greenwood
Smashwords Edition
For contact information, please go to:
www.memnid.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author and/or publisher.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EMBARKING FOR TROY
II. ECHIDNA AT THEBES
III. THE NEREIDS
IV. CHRYSAOR
V. THE ABDUCTION OF TRITON
VI. THE ISLES OF BOLBE
VII. ELYSIAN HECTOR
VIII. THE REUNION OF MEMNON AND PRIAM
IX. BATTLE UPON THE TROJAN PLAINS
X. THE FUNERAL GAMES
XI. THE ASCENSION
I. Embarking for Troy
Oh fie the day the Fates¹ ordained!
That Great Memnon, son of the bright goddess dawn²
Should depart his exalted lands where his reign is just
And subject loyal comrades to the mercy of the abysmal seas
Into the hostile embrace of trident bearing Poseidon³
The Earth shaking son of the long deposed Cronus⁴
For purpose of arriving upon the shores of holy Ilium⁵
Metropolis despised by both Hera and gray eyed Athena⁶
For it was destined prior to your wondrous birth
That Myrmidon Achilles’ imminent demise⁷
Never to transpire without receipt of grievous wound
Inflicted by your famed lance and glorious sword
And without hesitation or unnecessary delay
Determination is hastily made by great Memnon
To depart for the Trojan shores, come what may!
Nary a doubt by the goddess born king of lovely Aethiopia⁸
A magnanimous decision to intervene in the Great War⁹
By the son of the goddess,¹⁰handsomest of men!
Immeasurable beauty equaled only by prowess in war
And the name of mighty Memnon forever recited!
Amongst the timeless heroes who sailed to Troy
Some vowing to protect the city, others sworn to destroy
The high walls constructed by Earth shaker himself
At the command of father Zeus and King Laomedon¹¹
Sturdy aegis against both mortal and divine foe
Averting the sack of the Trojan citadel by Agamemnon¹²
A prize unclaimed after many years of strife and despair
Suffered alike by both the Achaeans and Trojan battalions
And great Memnon aligns his armies with those of Ilium
A formidable accord with mighty Hector Priamides¹³
The bulwark of the besieged Trojan kingdom
And famed defender of the Scaean Gates¹⁴
Son of the goddess, is there any man alive not aware of your
Famed lineage? Descended from divine beginnings
For the exalted Olympians¹⁵are your forebears
Manifested by your awesome beauty and piety
Zeus’ beloved son Dardanus, ruler of the Idaean plains¹⁶
Had a son named Erichthonius, richest monarch on Earth
Whom begat Tros,¹⁷owner of the swiftest horses ever born
As they were descended from Boreas the north wind¹⁸
King Tros had three magnificent sons
Ilus, Assaracus, and beautiful Ganymedes¹⁹
The latter taken as cupbearer to serve lord Zeus himself
And Ilus was father to Tithonus²⁰ and Priam²¹
Prince Tithonus carried off by the goddess Eos herself
To be her eternal consort at her palatial abode
And granted immortality by father Zeus
At the request of the lovely daughter of Hyperion²²
Thus Prince Tithonus lives forever
Amongst the ranks of the great Olympian deities
In his mortal life a fierce and handsome warrior
Accordingly he begets an incomparable man amongst men
Such is your lineage, great Memnon Tithonides!
Descended from Dardanus, and great Hector is your cousin
Accordingly obligating the incomparable son of the goddess
To stand in defense of his ancestral homelands
And who could foresee the adventures to be encountered?
On the treacherous voyage to King Priam’s metropolis
From the wondrous shores of lovely Aethiopia, as he and his
Subjects cross the Aegean to assist his besieged kinsmen
Memnon’s fame enumerated by his awesome exploits
As he overcomes immeasurable odds
Overmuch for a much lesser man to endure
But capably borne by the son of the goddess
And his concerned mother iridescent lovely Eos²³
Cognizant of the impending sufferings and strife
That her heroic son would undoubtedly encounter
And his trusty comrades would too endure
Swiftly sets off for the blessed Aethiopian kingdom
To forewarn her redoubtable and exuberant son
Of his destiny if he intervenes in the Great War
And abandon his homelands for the sake of Troy
Her aim to prevent departure from his palatial estates
And though she knows the resolve of great Memnon
To partake of the conflict raging in far away Ilium
And cast himself and his men to the mercy of the seas
Radiant Eos is determined to convince him otherwise
And so intense is her enduring maternal love
That the goddess could not endure any adversity
Enveloping the most revered of her divine offspring
For awaiting at the high walls of lofty Pergamus²⁴
Difficulties would beset the Memnon and his comrades
As they arrive in defense of his famed kinsmen
And his ancestral nexus to Hector and pious Aeneas²⁵
And as great Memnon commands that preparations be made
For departure from his peoples and enchanting realms
And board the vessels bound for far away Troy
His divine mother suddenly appears before him
As she is witnessed in the halls of Olympus²⁶
In all of her iridescent splendor and glory
Her appearance befitting as goddess of the dawn
As beloved Eos tenderly guides her golden chariot
Across the vast and splendidly blue skies
Bringing welcomed light to all below
And respite from the dreaded darkness
As the hopes of the lugubrious are renewed
The goddess gingerly approaches her famed son
As great Memnon stands near the Aethiopian a shore
Gazing upon the scenic view from a high promontory
As radiant Eos takes his strong hands into her own
And begins to express to her godlike son
Her concern for his impending sufferings
At the hands of the divine forces of Olympus
And those of both monstrous and mortal origins
As prophesied by the revered Oracle at Delphi²⁷
If he should set for sail for holy Ilium
Becoming a pawn in the battle between the Olympians
Though afforded latitude in determining his fate
And so the goddess begins, "My son, deliverer of joy to my
Heart! Since that day I bore you near the Aethiopian
Foothills to your beloved father, Trojan born Tithonus
Although a mortal, that mighty man won my eternal love
For he was best amongst the men of his generation
Both in physical beauty and prowess at arms
And as I made my trek across the lofty heavens
His presence was most pleasing to my eyes
As he was flushed with youth and vitality
With ease he outlasted his envious peers
As the men of Troy competed in varied sport
Tithonus was the pride of his father King Laomedon
And as he lay sleeping near Scamander’s flowing waters²⁸
I bequeathed my love to the Dardanian prince
And eternally pledged devotion to lord Tithonus
And bore him two magnificent sons
Both to reign over vast Aethiopia without reproach
To partake of the riches accorded by these lands
Lush fruits, berries, fish, and pheasant
And all manner of venison as deemed fit for nobility
And the aboriginal peoples most splendid
In appearance and physical attributes
Renowned for wondrous beauty and comeliness
Without equal in all realms of the earth
And no foreign armies dare to invade these holy lands
For the devotion of Olympus safeguards Aethiopia
By far the most beloved by Cronus’ son
Of any kingdom presently in existence
And your famed lance none dare to enrage
For your prowess is known throughout the world
And none can withstand your fury once provoked
For you dexterously overcome any opponent
And since your realms are far from Troy
And the son of Atreus has no designs to come to these shores
For the queen of Sparta is not in an Aethiopian bed
Nor has she eloped to these lovely lands
I implore you in earnest, a mother’s anxious request
My darling! Please consider the utter anguish!
I must endure if you were to leave for Troy
To oppose the haughty Argive²⁹ battalions
For included in their ranks are ferocious men
All with purpose of destroying delightful Ilium
And enslave Priam’s demoralized peoples
Seizing the riches of the city for far away Argos
Huge Ajax, sly Odysseus, and arrogant Antilochus³⁰
All determined to destroy Ilium for the sake of Menelaus³¹
A luckless mortal whose beloved wife is
Overcome by the Dardanian beauty of Paris
And worst by far is Myrmidon Achilles
Whom you shall surely engage, more a plague than a mortal
For he has thoroughly ravaged holy Ilium
Because powerful gods and goddesses support him
Even now I can see spiteful Hera,³²queen of us all
With Poseidon, Athena,³³ and even amenable Hermes³⁴
Determined to destroy the most splendid of earthly realms
Due to an ill fated decision of Priam’s son
And leave no doubt that Achilles has been forewarned
By his own mother, Nerenian Thetis of the sea³⁵
Betrothed to Peleus³⁶ as his immortal wife
That his fate coincides with your own
That awful man, a terror for many Dardanians!³⁷
And will surely relish the chance for further glory
Satisfying both his and wretched Ares’ lust
For carnage and death, appeasing his bloodthirsty appetite!
And these men are not deterred from assaulting Olympians!
As haughty Diomedes dare to aim his lance³⁸
At the divine body of lovely Aphrodite³⁹
Without remorse he engages in this forbidden act!
As she ventured to save her beloved son Aeneas
Nourished by her breasts from a tender age
An act any concerned mother would readily perform
Ensuring the safety of her beloved child
And as Ares⁴⁰set out to avenge the wounded Aphrodite
Against the reckless mortal that injured her
Diomedes, exhorted by gray eyed Athena
Defiantly attacks the war god himself!
Would you too have me harmed by the Achaean⁴¹steel?
Or have some bold Argive lacerate my own divine flesh?
Such pain and anguish I would gladly endure on your behalf
For I love my renowned son more than myself!
And after the impending demise of mighty Hector
You alone shall thwart the fall of the Trojan citadel
Until Poseidon the Trident Bearer intervenes
A powerful Olympian matched against a mortal!
No, my brave and honorable son!
I must not allowed your beauty to be destroyed
You, the handsomest man in the entire world
My darling favorite, I could not bear your brutal demise!
And it is spoken in all realms subject to the will of Zeus
Of the beauty and intellect of the ravishing Cyrene⁴²
And her immense love and yearning that is solely for you
The Libyan queen is just in her undisputed reign
And her unadulterated desires for you are plain
As she forsook the love of her devastated family
Offering comfort to your vast conquering armies
As you established dominion over these lands
Such is the devotion shown to you by your benefactor
As the Queen of Libya⁴³ bequeaths herself only to you
Angering her multitude of powerful suitors
And simultaneously endangering her own beloved citadel
And so I beseech you to remain in blessed Aethiopia
And forsake this horrible blood stained conflict!
Take the loveliest lady of these lands as wife
And begat beautiful progeny to eternally rule
And live a long and prosperous life
Blissful and happy all your remaining days will be
And your people will love and honor your just reign
And reminisce of the days of great King Memnon"
And godlike Memnon dutifully replies,
"Dear mother whose divine womb nourished me
Since the day you chose mighty Tithonus
And begat myself and that incomparable Emathion⁴⁴
Great champion of the Aethiopian kingdom
Feared throughout the world for his prowess at arms
Beloved by his people for his generosity and kindness
I would count myself blessed if to possess
A fraction of that mighty man’s courage and honor
For he stood strong and unflinching against
The might of Zeus born Heracles⁴⁵
As he endlessly suffered in his Labors⁴⁶
As ordained by Zeus’s bitter wife Hera
No less than this great hero did Emathion succumb
For none other could overcome this great king
Such a man was my own renowned brethren
By not departing for King Priam’s holy city
I would undoubtedly dishonor my enviable lineage
Zeus sprung on my revered paternal side
And maternally linked to the great god Oceanus⁴⁷
For how could I stand idle and witness from afar?
As the very lands of my kinsmen is besieged by Argos
Attributed to delightful Helen’s departure from Sparta⁴⁸
Following Paris for the beaches of Troy
And though I have alternative to live a happier life
With an incomparable wife and children to rear
And wondrous lands with abundant riches
Any man on earth would envy such an existence
Though I am handsome and none can compare
And no man on Earth could stake such a claim
For my beauty is spoken all across the Aegean⁴⁹
And my prowess at arms equals my delightful countenance
But such divine gifts are but futile in comparison
To the pursuit of eternal glory and fame
For struggle and sacrifices I choose to endure
Rather than embracing the ignominies of shame
That abstaining from this conflict would assuredly bring
To the dishonor of my heralded lineage
At the abandonment of my distressed kinsmen
Woeful be that sad day if this were to transpire!"
And the great goddess of the Dawn
Falls to her knees beating her breast
In agony over her beloved son’s unwelcomed words
As he was determined to depart for Troy
And even these entreaties of the goddess
Could not dissuade lionhearted Memnon
From sailing for perpetual honor and glory
For this is his due at the Trojan citadel
And the stout son of the goddess, in all his bravery
And in deep reverence to his heroic lineage
Resolutely makes his selfless determination
To lead his men to the walls of Ilium
And after mother and son share candid moment
Golden Eos departs for the sacred halls of Olympus
Her heart burdened by the fate of her son
And the sufferings that he would undoubtedly endure
And great Memnon continues his preparations
To sail the expanse of Poseidon’s domain
En route to his ancestral Trojan homelands
Determined to do what he may for the Dardanian resistance
Shortly after all Aethiopian battalions are assembled
As the sea faring vessels are swiftly prepared
And provisions dutifully allocated amongst the massive fleet
In anticipation for the treacherous journey to Troy
And who are the great conquerors of vast Aethiopia
To accompany great Memnon, king amongst kings?
Allegiance owed to you no less from Agathon Aknatides
Prince of the famed Nubian nation
These ancient peoples favored by Artemis⁵⁰
Renowned for their hunting and archery skills
Also included in your company is great Tanutamen⁵¹
The stout hearted King of the Axumites
Excellent horsemen whose homelands stretched
South of Thebes into the holy city of Matara
One would be remiss to not mention famed Ergamenes⁵²
The great Kushian general and commander
Whose fame came about as a young boy
When he dared to slay a great Aethiopian lion
As it leapt to devour his infant brother
The great beast’s mane a testament to his prowess
The Meroitian prince Aithops too joins the expedition⁵³
Richest amongst monarchs of the Aethiopian lands
And dear cousin to great Memnon Tithonides
His awesome might in battle unmatched
Accordingly such a tremendous mortal was paired
With the magnificent princess Eridia
Her mother was glorious Pandia,⁵⁴ daughter of Zeus
Thus an incomparable man was betroth to a magnificent wife
Such are the men included in the Aethiopian contingent
Eager to attain great honor for their tremendous exploits
And encounter the fearsome armies of Atreus’ sons
Their pedigree unparalleled as they stand assembled
And before mighty Memnon addresses his vast armies
He turns to the array of famous commanders and generals
And peers directly into the eyes of each of these men
Offering to each a steely and unflinching glare
And the son of the goddess is pleased by what he sees
His most trusted comrades respond resolutely
As Memnon witnesses sheer will and determination
That all bravely would accompany him, even to death
And great Memnon then turns to the massive gathering
And he begins to address his devoted subjects
"Brave Aethiopians! Honored by the Olympians themselves!
Your prowess at arms is known throughout the world!
A peaceful existence we enjoy from foreign invaders
For none dare to besiege our lands for fear of annihilation!
And no mortal is brave enough to venture to our realms
Since great Perseus,⁵⁵ the brave hearted son of Lord Zeus
As he departed Argos for our lovely shores
In search of adventure in our wondrous abode
The son of great Zeus sets forth in heroic fashion
Risking life and limb to save the lovely Andromeda⁵⁶
Actions unlike those of our contingent of men
As we leisurely dawdle as timid spectators from afar
And cavort in our supple and blessed lands
As others actively seek honor and fame in abundance
We must cease inaction, my beloved and brave comrades!
For no longer shall we stand idle in worldly conflicts
As it is improper for a great nation such as ours
To abstain from matters deemed considerable by Zeus
Our absence from the Great War is even more pronounced
For the besieged Trojans are our own kinsmen!
Shame on us if we refrain from fighting in this war!
For our two cities are ancestrally connected to Dardanus
And thus by honor we are obligated to intervene
And though the Achaean forces may be great in sheer size
And their captains may be the hardiest of warriors
We too are men whom can wield the dreaded lance
And our reputation as swordsmen is unmatched!
For we pursue the enemy relentlessly as he flees in chaos!
And many times have we performed the awful dance of war
Much to the chagrin of our unfortunate and vanquished foes
And long though the voyage to holy Ilium may be
And the varied perils of the sea be fearsome
And our departure may anger many Olympians
We shall ultimately triumph in our heroic endeavors"
And the men all cheered the high spirited words
That came forth from the son of the goddess
For they are inspired to do battle with the Argives
And offer succor to the war weary Trojan armies
And proper sacrifices are swiftly made to the Olympians
As venison is duly slaughtered and libations are dedicated
And prayers to father Zeus, Apollo, and Artemis the huntress
Gray eyed Athena and Queen Hera too included
As fervent sacrifices are made to appease Ares the war god
For his gluttonous thirst is satiated only by spillage of blood
And to Aphrodite, Hephaestus,⁵⁷ and wily Hermes
With much allocated to trident bearing Poseidon
Ravisher of ships and men alike that dare to traverse the seas
For only the strong endure Earthshaker’s treacherous domain
This most feared Olympian, himself a son of strong Cronus
That ghastly lord of Queen Rhea⁵⁸ whom deemed it fit
To devour all of his helpless progeny one by one
And subsequently the Titan is compelled to disgorge each
Through a stratagem designed by Gaia⁵⁹
For her will is to overthrow her haughty son
So that great Zeus could proceed as ruler of the universe
And though the thunder lord was strongest by far of all
Poseidon is offered the choicest Aethiopian mutton
And libations flow freely for the Trident Bearer⁶⁰
Such honors were given to the lord of the Sea
As the son of the goddess sought safe passage
Through the treacherous waters of the sea
With purpose to arrive safely to the beaches of Troy
And although great Memnon was keenly aware
That gray bearded Poseidon supported the Achaeans
He could not be cognizant of the magnitude
That this reason alone would stand as a great impediment
To a timely arrival to Priam’s glorious citadel
Though the Olympians loved Memnon immensely
As evident in his physical appearance and prowess at arms
The son of the goddess blessed in all earthly attributes
And in spite of his love for the venerable Aethiopian king
Conflicted Poseidon makes the arduous choice
To leave great Memnon and his comrades
To the awful mercy of the treacherous seas
In hopes of dissuading Eos’ peerless son
To abandon his indomitable campaign
And thereby allow Achilles to sack stubborn Troy
Honoring the entreaties of Nerenian⁶¹Thetis
Memnon’s supposition is that Poseidon’s affections
Accorded to him and his magnificent lineage
As well as his bountiful offerings to the great