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.