Aethiopis

The Aethiopis was often attributed by ancient writers to Arctinus of Miletus who lived in the 8th century BC (see Cyclic poets).

Very few fragments of the Aethiopis survive today; Proclus's summary of the poems' contents establishes the narrative framework of the epic.

According to Davies, Memnon as the helping warrior in the Aethiopis corresponds to Amazon Queen Penthesileia displaying a kind of symmetry in its plot: "two major allies come to help Priam and are killed by Achilles; these are Penthesileia, from the north, and Memnon, from the south, both (in strong contrast to the Trojan allies of the Iliad) dwelling in remote fantasy lands.

Next another Trojan ally arrives, Memnon, son of Eos and Tithonus, leading an Ethiopian contingent and wearing armour made by the god Hephaestus.

In battle, Memnon kills Antilochus, a Greek warrior who was the son of Nestor and a great favourite of Achilles.

Funeral games are held in honour of Achilles, at which his armor and weapons are offered as a prize for the greatest hero.