Presently Patroklos came forth. The glistening helmet of Achilleus was on his head, and his armour was girt around his body. Only he bare not his mighty spear, for no mortal man might wield that spear in battle but Achilleus. Before the tent stood the chariot, and har- nessed to it were the horses Xanthos and Balios, who grow not old nor die. So Patroklos departed for the fight, and Achilleus went into his tent, and as he poured out the dark wine from a golden goblet, he prayed to Zeus, and said, " O thou that dwellest far away in Dodona, where the Selloi do thy bidding and proclaim thy will, give strength and victory to Patroklos my friend. Let him drive the men of Ilion from the ships and come back safe to me after the battle." But Zeus heard the prayer in part only, for the doom was that Achilleus should see Patroklos alive no more. Then the hosts of the Trojans trembled as Patroklos drew nigh on the chariot of Achilleus, and none dared to go forth against him. Onwards sped the undying horses, and wherever they went the ground was red with the blood of the Trojans who were smitten down by his spear. Then Sarpedon, the great chief of the Lykians, spake to Glaukos, and said, " O friend, I must go forth and do battle with Patroklos. The people fall beneath his sword, and it is not fit that the chieftains should be backward in the strife." But the doom of Sarpedon was I 204 Talcs of Ancient Greece sealed and presently his body lay lifeless on the ground, while the men of Argos and of Ilion fought for his glittenng arms. Then the doom came on Patroklos also, for Phoebus Apollo fought against him in the battle, and in the dust was rolled the helmet which no enemy had touched when It rested on the head of Achilleus. Before him flashed the spear of Hektor. as he said. " The hour of thy deatii IS come. Patroklos, and the aid of Achilleus cannot reach thee now. But Patroklos said only, " It is thy time ^^^^f,*'"^ "'^^' ^^^* y^t a kittle while, and the sword of Achilleus shall drirk t.'iy hfe-blood." So Patroklos died, and there was a fierce fight over his body, and many fell on both sides, until there was a great heap of dead around it. But away from the fight the horses Xanthos and Balios wept for their charioteer' and they would not stir with the chariot, but stood fixed firm as pillars on the ground, till Zeus looked down in pity on them and said, " Was it for this that I gave you to Peleus, the chieftain of Phthia— horses who cannot grow old or die, to a mortal man, the most wretched thing that crawls upon the earth? But fear nof no enemy shall lay hands on the chariot of AchiUeus. or on the immortal horses which bear it. Your limbs shall be mied with new strength, and ye shall fly like birds across the battle-field till ye come to the tent of your master." Then the horses wept no more, but swift as eagles they bare Automedon through the fight, while Hektor and his people strove fiercely to seize them. At last the battle was over, and, while the Achaians bore the body of Patroklos to the ships, Antilochos, the son of Nestor, went to the tent of AchiUeus, and said, " Thv fnend is slain, and Hektor has his armour." Then the dark cloud of woe fell on the soul of Achilleus In a fierce grief he threw earth with both hands into the air, and rent his clothes, and lay down weeping in the dust. Far away in her coral caves beneath the sea Ihetis heard the deep groans of her child, and, like a white mist, she rose from the waters and wen\ ^ com- fort him; and she said, " Why weepest thou, n*^ son? LW^VJL'.^ VEVT J'* ': ^SV :w 1 I Achillcus 205 When Agamemnon did thee wrong, thou didst pray that the Achaians might sorely need thy aid in the battle, and thy wish has been accomplished. So may it be again." But Achilleus answered, " Of what profit is it to me, my mother, that my prayer has been beard, since Patroklos my friend is slain, and Hektor has my armour? One thing only remains to me now. I will slay Hektor and avenge the slaughter of Patroklos." Then the tears ran down the cheeks of Thetis as she said, " Then is thine own doom accompUshed, for when thou slayest Hektor, thou hast not many days to live." " So then let it be," said Achilleus; " the mighty Herakles tasted of death ; therefore let me die also, so only Hektor dies before me." Then Thetis sought no more to turn him from his purpose, but she went to the house of Hephaistos to get armour for her child in place of that which Hektor had taken from Patroklos. And Achilleus vowed a vow that twelve sons of the Trojans should be slain at the grave of his friend, and that Hektor should die before the funeral rites were done. Then Agamemnon sent him gifts, and spake kindly words, so that the strife between them was ended, and Achilleus might now go forth to fight for the Achaians. So, in the armour which Hephaistos had wrought at the prayer of Thetis, he mounted his chariot, and bade hi;> horses bring him back safe from the battle-field. onTcouW sav '^^H '* '"ril^' «" "»"» who^looked on It couia say. This was the brave and noble Hektnr " pt"bS"tt ca:Se'dotn? "a'r.^a^n'd'r/s ^"j Att'ttfC/l^^" *° keep-aryLi'uns^enS; 4^3' At last the king Priam mounted his chariot for he ^aid guide the old man to thetent of Achr fJw "^ '° others of the Achaians n,igSt t^t.. ^hW h:'Sd Achillcus 207 before t'ae man who had slain his son, and he kissed his hands and said, " Hear my prayer, Achillous. Thy father is ar, old man hke me, but he hopes one day to see thee come back with great glory from Dion. My sons are dead, and none had braver sons in Troy than I ; and Hektor, the fower and pride of all, has been smitten by thy spear. Fear the gods, Achilleus, and pity mc for the remembrance of thy father, for none has ever dared like me to kiss the hand of the man who has slain his son." So Priam wept for his dear child Hektor, and the tears flowed down the checks of Achilleus as he thought of his father Pdeus and his friend Patroklos, and the cry of their mourning went up together. So the body of Hektor was borne back to Ilion. and a great sacrifice was done to the gods beneath the earth, that Hektor might be welcomed in the kingdom of Hades and Perscphonfi. But the time drew nigh that the doom of Achilleus must be accomphshed, and the spear of Phoebus Apollo pierced his heart as they fought near the Skaiaa gates of Ilion. In the dust lay the body of Achilleus, while the Achaians fought the whole day long around it, till a mighty storm burst forth from the heaven. Then they carried it away to the ships, and placed it on a couch, and washed it in pure water. And once more from her coral caves beneath the sea rose the silver- footed Thetis, and the cry of the n3miphs who followed her filled the air, so that the Achaians who heard it trembled and would have fled to the ships ; but Nestor, the wise chief of the Pyhans, said, " Flee not, ye Argives, for those who come to mourn for the dead Achilleus." So Thetis stood weeping by the body of her child, and the nymphs wrapped it in shining robes. Many days and nights they wept and watched around it, until at last they raised a great pile of wood on the sea-shore, and the flame went up to heaven. Then they gathered up the ashes, and placed them, with the ashes of Patroklos, in a golden nm which Hephaistos wrought and gave to Dionysos ; and over it thev raised a greal " -n on the shore of the sea of Helle, .^at men might sec u afar off as they sailed on the broad wp.ters. bit IfF' 208 Talcs of Ancient Greece SARPEDON ^^fiT f f/'^^^P*^?" departed for the land of the setting sun. he left n- Lykia a beautiful child nanied Laodameia who became the mother of Sarpedon. And wheTihe Achaians came against the city of Priam to avenge t le wrongs and woes of Helen. Sarpedon took down h"s%ear and shield from the wall, and^rded his sword upon^his aga1nst'"theTl^°''J' 1" ^" ^^"^^ ^^' '^' ^'^^' « "ktor agamst the hosts of Agamemnon. Sadly he left the children and there was mourning and sorrow in the o„" w;°L'rXt"t ttr^ '"""''' ''^' "-^y '«" '""-^'^ Then among the Trojan warriors fought Sarpedon- and of aU none was braver or more stout of hearf than he. When others were faint of spirit, his voice still cheered them on ; and the bright smile on his face roused them to hght more boldly for their country. If the ho' ts K*^ /i°J,^"' ^'" ^^^'^ »" the strife, then Sarpedon rebuked Hektor with friendly words, and told hKow he had come from the far Lykian land to fight for Priam fnlH w^ ^f his children and his wife beWnd hTm He told him of all his wealth, and how he had left rich ban- SanlSLr^^' " '^ ^^"^^ ''^'^ ''^ -^^^■ Many fell beneath his hand; and of these none was braver or fairer than Tlepolemos. the son of Herakles who had to,ed for the mean Eurystheus and no w S with Hebe in the halls of Olympus. Boldly he came towards him. exulting in the strength of his youth, and from Ih fbS"' ^"' ^^'^"^^^ ^^"^ ^-^^^ shrin^ing'back " Do they call thee a child of Zeus ? " he said. " WImt knowest thou of war and battles ? My father Herakles came hither with six ships only, and destroyedihe Sy «s:?s j^ismHP:'£. i c ^S^ ..J,'. ,v •■i.;v.-i Sarpedon 209 of Ilion when Laomedon was king; and dost thou think to escape my arm? " But Sarpedon said only, " Thy father Herakles destroyed IHon because the heart of Laomedon was not pure and he dta't treacherously with him by keeping back the reward ol his toil; but I have no need to fear thee, an.! the day of thy death is come." So Tlepolemos fell, and long time the Achaians were sore pressed, for the Trojans strove mightily to seize their ships. High above the din of battle was heard the voice of Hcktor; and Sarpedon cheered on his men to the fight. Then said he to his kinsman Glaukos, " Let none be matched with us for brave deeds. Are we not honoured more than all other men in Lykia ; and look they not on us as on the bright heroes ? the lands which they have given to us are rich with trees and com ; there- fore must we do battle the more valiantly, that in after time men may say, ' Our chieftains are rich and wealthy and their garners are full and plenteous; but they fight for their people, and their name is great throughout the wide earth.' " Fierce and terrible was the fighting day by Hay; and at night the blaze of many fires reddened the sky, ' But Patroklos came forth from the tent of Achilleus, and the face of the battle was changed. Smitten by his spear, many of the bravest among the Trojan warriors were slam, and all were filled with fear as Patroklos drew near them in the fight. Then Sarpedon said once more ' vVhy shrink ye thus, men of Ilion ? I v/ill go forth against him." And he shouted his war-cry. and ran to meet Patroklos. Then from his throne in the dark cloud Zeus looked down on his child Sarpedon, and he spake to Here the queen and said, " Ah me, must Sarpedon die, who is the dearest to me of all the sons of men; or shall I rescue Iiim from the fight and bear him to his Lykian home' " Then answered Here. " The doom of Sarpedon must be accomplished; and if thou drawest him away from the strife, then remember that other gods also have children among the hosts who fight round Ilion, whom they will seek to save from death. But if thine heart is grieved I^OEi'/. *4.ir ^^♦TlMCi^: 2IO Tales of Ancient Greece r for Sarpedon, still let him die by the hands of Patroklos, and, when his body lies dead, send Hypnos and Ihanatos to bear him away to his far-off Lykian land, where his people shall mourn for him many days and lay him in the earth and raise a cairn over his sepulchre." So Zeus hearkened to the words of Here ; but the big drops fell from the sky, because he was grieved for his child Sarpedon. Then Patroklos fought with Sarpedon on the Ilian plain and thrust his spear into his side, so that the life-blood gushed out. The darkness of death fell on his eyes, but his heart failed not for fear, as he cried, " Glaukos, brave friend and warrior, take thou my place, and cheer on the Lykians to the battle ; and let not the Achaians have my body, for that were a shame to thee and to my people." So died Sarpedon, the son of Zeus; and Glaukos was grieved at the heart, for he could not go to his aid, be- cause his arm was torn with a grievous wound. Then he prayed to Phoebus Apollo the Lykian-born, and Phoebus drew the black blood from the wound, and cheered the soul of Glaukos. Fierce was the strife over the body of the Lykian king, until at length even the brave Hektor was driven back and the Achaians took the bright armour of Sarpe- don. Then from the dark cloud Zeus spake to Phoebus Apollo and said, " Hasten now, 0 Phoebus, and bear the body of my child Sarpedon to the stream of Simoeis. There bathe it in the pure waters and anoint it with ambrosia, and wrap it in shining robes, and then bid Hypnos and Thanatos carry it to the land of his people." So Phoebus Apollo bathed the body of Sarpedon in the stream; and the round moon rose up from behind the dark eastern hills. No breeze whispered in the heaven above, no sound was heard upon the earth be- neath, as the powers of sleep and death drew near on their noiseless wings. Gently they looked on the face of Sarpedon, still and cold, but fair beyond the beauty which is given to the sons of men before the toil of life is ended. Then they raised him softly in their arms, and the still air sounded not with the waving of their wings, Sarpedon 2 1 1 as they bore him homewards through the silent hours of night. The first rays of Eos quivered in tl , pale .sk-/. s they laid the body of Sarpedon in his ov .1 I/all. thui was there sorrow and mourning for the sTcn chief of the Lyldans; but their tears were stilled as tiie> looked on lus face, so passing fair in the happy sleep of death. So they laid him gently in the eai ch. and raised a great heap of stones above his grave, that in time to come men might tell of the great deeds of the good and brave Sarpedon. M«*'«IW1W»^-W»X «»'> 212 Tales of Ancient Greece II .'; MEMNON From the burning land of the .Ethiopians came Memnon the fair son of Eos to aid the men of Troy against the Achaian chieftains. Like the brave and beautiful Sarpedon, he was foremost in the strife of battle, and few might withstand the strength of his arm. Smitten by his sword fell Antilochos, the son of the old chieftain of Pylos. Bitter and deep was the grief of Nestor, the sweet-voiced speaker of the Achaians; and deep was the vow by which Achilleus sware that he would avenge the death of Antilochos on th'^ bright Son of the Morning. Then in the thickest fight Achilleus sought out Mem- non, and he knew him by the height of his glorious form, and his beauty which was beyond the beauty of the sons of men. Long time they strove, but nothing might stand against the might of Achilleus; so the son of E6s was smitten down, and the heavy sleep of death fell on his eyes. But Eos saw her child die, and she came down to the earth and took away his body from the battle-field. In the pure waters of a river she washed away the dark blood, and wrapped it in a glittering robe. Long time she mourned, and her tear-drops fell on the earth when- ever the sun rose up in the sky or sank beneath the waters of the sea. Then at last in bitter sorrow she hastened to the home of the undying gods, and fell before the throne of Zeus and said, " O Zeus, look upon my grief, and give me comfort in my misery, for Achilleus has slain my child, and the bright Memn6n lies pale and cold in death. If ever it hath been a joy to thee to look upon -'^^^^SlL^i^u.^ '^^ miLi{^:^^ > m,* Merinon 213 Sv^lJVvil'^H^^'if''?,^^^^^ ^^ "^°"^°g q"i^«^ i" the Sky —It ever thou hast loved to see my fflorv SDread its soft and tender flush before the path of^tL brigS sun- The iItTh of"S S^'^^ "^/i^"' ^"^^"^ th« d^^k shade, word ind h^ ? n"^"' ^"^ Persephone. Speak thou the r/v.' !l A?^" "'""^ "P ^" ^"s brightness to gladden the heart of the undying gods." Then Zeus bowed h's head and spake the word; and Eos wept no more but to?hThit;^ '' '^^ T'?"' ^"^ ^^"^^'^ -^« ^th her the'h'aUstf &"' '' '^"' '''''' *^^ ""^y-S S°d^ - 'si..'"^ 214 Tales of Ancient Greece HEKTOR AND ANDROMACHE 1 Far away from the strife of battle, brooding over the wrongs which he had suffered, lay Achilleus, the son of Peleus ; for Agamemnon had taken away the prize which the Achaians had set apart for him from the spoils of war. No more was his war-cr^' heard in the battle-field; and his spear smote not down the warriors who came for+h to fight for Ilion. Then the other chieftains of the Achaians put forth ail their strength in the battle against the Trojans ; but the strongest and the bravest of all was Diomedes, the son of Tydeus. Wherever he came, liis enemies fell back before him, till all trembled at the sound of his voice and the sight of his ghttering spear. One after another fell the bravest of the Trojan warriors, until at last Helenos spake to Hektor and said, " Brother, the Achaians are pressing us hard, and the gods favour not the Trojans; what then shall we do, if they come not to our aid in the hour of need ? Hasten, then, into the city, and gather the women together, and bid them go to the temple cf Athene and there beseech her with gifts and prayers that she may help the Trojans against the fierce Diomedes and the other chieftains who fight in the hosts of Agamemnon." Then Hektor answered and said, " I will do thy bidding, my brother; but, men of Troy, let not your hearts be cast down while I go to the sacred Ilion, and bid our matrons pray to the virgin daughter of Zeus to aid us in our need. It may be that she will hear our prayer; but if she hearken not, be not dismayed, for one good omen not even the gods can take away from men, when they fight for their home and the land in which they were bom." So Hektor hastened to the house of Priam. Very fair it was to look at in the bright sunshine which streamed ^cii4T«sBerr. ww?r f^'^SWSSlk-XB^ai '????'"5'^?!f? Hektor and Andromache 215 into the golden chambers. Then forth from the rich hall where the king held banquet with his chieftains, came forth the lady Hekabe, leading her child Laodike to meet her brother. And when Hektor came near to her, she took him by the hand, and called him bv his name, and spake in a soft and loving voice, " Wherefore comest thou hither, my son, from the battle-field? Are the men of Ilion so sore pressed in the fight that thou seekest the aid of the bright gods ? Tarry yet a little while, and I will bring thee wine to gladden thy fainting heart." But Hektor said. " Stay me not, my mother, for I have a great work to do ; and if I tarry now by thy side, my heart may lose its strength, and my arm may fail me in the strife. But gather together the matrons of Ilion, and bid them hasten to the shrine of Athene and seek her favour by gifts and prayers. I go to the house of Paris, if so be I may rouse him to go forth against the enemy. Weak of heart, and mean of soul, he lies on his golden couch, and heeds not the evils which for his sake we are suffering. Of a truth, less bitter would be our sorrow if he were gone from the land of Uving men to the dark kingdom of Hades." So Hekabe parted from her child; and with the IHan matrons she hastened to the temple of Ath^nfi. With rich gifts and prayers they besought her aid. and Theano, the priestess, placed on her knees a beautiful robe which Hekabe had brought ; and the smoke of the sacrifice went up to the high heaven, but Ath€n6 hearkened not to their prayer. Then came Hektor to the house of Paris and found him in his golden chamber burnishing his weapons and his armour. Near to him sat the Argive Helen, and her handmaidens plied their tasks around her. Then Hektor spake in grief and anger, and said, " 0 Paris, idle and heedless thou sittest here, while the Trojan warriors are smitten down in the strife. Wouldst thou deal lightly by others who brought upon their country the evils which we bear for th.- sake of thee? Rise up and go forth to the battle, thai our ancient city be not burnt with fire." 'Si 2 1 6 Tales of Ancient Greece But Paris answered gently. " I chide thee not. Hektor that thou hast rebuked me. for well have I deserved thy reproof. Yet not in anger or in wrath did I forsake the people of my land ; but my grief lay heavy upon me, and 1 sought to give myself up to my tears. But Helen hath prayed me to go forth to the fight; wherefore wait till I have put on my armour, or go thou first, and I will follow thee to the battle." But Hektor stood silent and spake no word, until He en spake to him softly and tenderly, and said. " O Hektor, brave of heart and kind of soul, never hast thou spokjn a hard word to me who deserved all thy wrath Ah would that the dark wave had swallowed me as I came to Ihon in the ship of Paris from the city of Menelaos! Ihen had I been at rest, and thou hadst not suffered all the evils which have come for my sake upon the men of Ilion. But tarry here a little while, and rest by my side; for great and sore is the toil which thou hast borne for me in the fight against the hosts of Agamemnon. But Hektor answered hastily. " Ask me not, Helen to tarry with thee now. Thy words are kind and loving, but I may not heed them. My people yearn for my coming, wherefore do thou urge on Paris that he hasten to put on his armour and meet me before I leave the city. And now I go to my own home, that I may greet my wife and my child before I depart to the battle for I know not if I shall return again in peace from the stnfe of arms." Quickly he sped to his house; but the bridal-chamber was desolate, and he heard not the voice of AndromachS among the maidens, as they pUed their tasks in the great hall. Then he said. " TeU me. maidens, is Andromachd gone to the homes of her kinsfolk or to the shrine of the pure Athene where the Trojan matrons are seeking by gifts and prayers to win her favour? " Then one of them answered, " If indeed I must tell thee the truth she hath not gone to her kinsfolk nor to the temple of Athang; but she bade the nurse bring with her thy child and she sped, like one on whom the hand of the gods lies' mm Hektor and Andromache 217 ^u^^' *° *^^ ^^^ *°^^^ °^ ^^^°"' t>ecause she heard that the Trojans were hard pressed by the fierce Diomedes and all the chieftains of the Achaians." Then Hektor tarried not to listen to more words. By the way that he had come he hastened again to the Skaian gates; and there as she ran to meet him he saw his wife and the child whom Hektor called Skamandrios but the men of Troy called Astyanax, because of the great deeds of his father. There he stood still and looked gently on his child, but he spake no word; and Andromache took him by the hand, and, looking gently and fondly into his face, she said, " Hektor, wilt thou hearken to my words ? Sure I am that thine own brave heart will bnng thee to thy ruin ; and well thou knowest that thy death brings shame and sorrow to me and to our child. Ah, would that with thee I could go down to the dark land of Hades! for what hope have I when thou art gone ? The fierce Achilleus in one day slew my father and my seven brethren, when he took the sacred city of the Kilikians. Yet did he no wrong to the body of Eetion; but he laid him gently in the earth and raised a great mound above his grave, and the nymphs who dwell upon the mountains planted round it the cluster- ing elm-trees. There, too, was mv mother slain by Artemis m the halls of her father. 'All are gone; but in thee, Hektor, I have father and mother, and husband and brethren. Hearken then to my words, and abide with me on the tower, and let thy hosts stand beside the ancient fig-tree, where they say that the wall is weakest. And partly do I believe it. for why should there the Achaians make their fiercest onsets, if some one of the undying gods had not shown them that there they may scale the wall, and that thou heedest not its weakness? " Then Hektor strove to soothe Andromache and said gently to her, " I have cared for all these things already but ask me not to tarry here upon the wall, for never must the people say that Hektor shrank from the battle-field 1 must go forth to the fight, not as in the heedless days of youth, when^men seek to win praise and glory, for my '4 I , I 2 1 8 Tales of Ancient Greece name is great already, and they call me the first amone the warriors of Ilion. But well I know that we fight in vain; for the doom is fixed that the sacred Ilion shall faU, and Pnam and his people shall be slain. But more than all I gneve for thee, and for the sorrows that shall come upon thee when thou art carried awav captive to some far-off land. There, at the bidding of some Argive woman, thou shalt toil and spin and weave; and all who see thee weeping shall say, ' Look at the wife of Hektor who was the bravest of aU the warriors of Ilion.' and thy tears wilJ be more bitter when thou hearest them speak niy name, for the dark earth will lie heavy above me in the land of Troy, and I shall be far away from thee in the dark kingdom of Hades." So he turned to the babe who lay like a fair star in the arms of the nurse, and he stretched forth his arms to take him; but the child gazed fearfully at the long spear and the brazen heimet and the horsehair plume which waved proudly above it, and he shrank back with a cry and nestled in the folds of his nurse's robe. Then Hektor laughed, and took the helmet from his head, and placed It on the ground, and the child feared no more to go to his father. Gently he took him in his arms, and he prayed aloud to Zeus and the undying gods that they would bless his child and make him glorious among his people, that so, in time to come, men might say " This man is stronger and braver than Hektor." So he gave the child to Andromache, who received him smUing through her tears. The brave heart of Hektor was moved with the sorrow of his wife, and he laid his hand gt tly on her and called her by her name, and said Gneve not overmuch. O my wife, for none shall lay Hektor low before the day of his doom is come. That day no man can avoid, be he good or be he evil. So let me go forth to the battle, and I will take heed for the guarding of the city; and do thou hasten to thy home and there ply thine own task with thy handmaidens around thee." Then from the ground he took up his burnished hehnet ; and m gnef and sorrow Andromache tore herself from ^^id!m!BriimM Hcktor and Andromache 2 1 9 his arm-, and went slowly towards her home. Yet, in the midst of a'l is toil and all his great exploits in the land of Ilion, the heart of Odysseus was far away in rocky Ithaka, where his wife Penelope dwelt with his young son Telemachos. Many a time, as the weary years of the war rolled on, he said within himself, " Ah, when V ill the strife be ended, and when shall we spread our sails to the breeze, and speed on our way homewards over the wine-faced sea? " At last the doom of Paris was accomplished, and the hosts of Agamemnon gave the city of Ilion to fire and sword. Then Odysseus hastened to gather his men together, that they might go to their home in Ithika ; and they dragged the ships down to the sea from the trenches where they had so long lain idle. But before they sat down to row the ship out to the deep water, Odysseus spake to them and said, " O friends, think now, each one of you, of his home, of his wife, and of his children. Ten times have summer and winter passed over us since we left them with cheer- ful hearts, thinking that in but a little time we should come back to them laden with glory and booty. Ten years have they mourned for us at home ; and we, who set out for Ihon in the vigour of our manhood, go back now with grey hairs, or bowed down w».a our weary ';f*?j'*\it:.i'',»iw<''t: :\tu'*^,' '■t-»j-A**if:~:- The Lotos-Eaters 221 labour. Yet faint not. O friends, neither be dismayed. Think how they wait and long for you still at home, and as we go from land to land in our voyage to rocky Ithaka, let not weariness weigh down yor.r hearts, or things fair and beautiful lead you to seek for rest, till our ships are moored in the haven which we left ten years ago." With shouts of joy they sat down to their long oars ; and when they had rowed the ships out into the open sea, they spread the white sails to the breeze, and watched the Ilian land as it faded away from their sight in the far distance. For many a day they went towards the land of the setting sun, until a mighty wind from the north tirove them to a strange country far out of their course to Ithaka. Fair it v/as and peaceful beyond all lands which they had seen. The sun looked down out of the cloudless heaven on fruits and flowers which covered the laughing earth. Far away beyond the lotos plains the blue hills glimmered in a dreamy haze. The trees bowed their heads in a peaceful slumber ; and the lagging waves sank lazily to sleep upon the sea-shore. The summer breeze breathed its gentle whisper through the air, and the birds sang listlessly of their loves from the waving groves. Then saiu .ne men of Odysseus to one anothei, "Would that our wives and our children were here! Truly Ithaka is but a rough and barren land, and a sore grief it is to leave this happy shore to go home, and there find, it may be, that our children remember us no mc-e." And Odysseus said within himself, " Surely some strange spell is on this fair land ; almost might I long to sit down and sleep on the shore for ever, but Penelope waits for me in my home, and I cannot rest till I see her face once more." Then he bade three of his men go forth and ask the name of the land and of the men who lived in it. So they went slowly from the beach where the waves sang their lulling song to the sleepy flowers; and they wan- dered along the winding stream which came from the glimmering hills far away, till, deep down in a glen where the sun shed but half its light, they saw men with fair maidens lying on the soft grass under the shade of the 2 22 Talcs of Ancient Greece pleasant palm-trees. Before them was spread a banquet of nch and rosy fruit, and some were eating, and other-? lay asleep. Then the men of Odysseus went up to them, and sat down by their side, for they feared them not as men are wont to fear the people of a strange land. They asked not their name, for they remembered not the bidding of Odysseus; but they drank the dark wine and ate of the rosy fruit which the fair maidens held out to them. " Eat." they said, " O strangers, of the fruit which kills all pain: surely ye are wear>' and your hearts are faint with sorrow, and your eyes are dim as with many tears. Eat of our fruit and forget your labours; for all who eat of it remember no more weary toil and strife and war." So they ate of the fruit, andthen over their senses stole softly a strange and wondrous sleep, so that they saw and heard and spake even while they slumbered. On th»-ir ears fell the echo of a dreamy music, and forms of maidens, fair as Aphrodite when she rose from the sea foam, passed before their eyes; and they said one to another, " Here let us sit, and feast, and dream for ever." Long time Odysseus waited on the sea-shore, and less and less he marvelled that they came not back, for he felt that over his own heart the strange spell was falling: and he said. " Ah, Penelope, dearer to me than aught else on the wide earth, the gods envy me thy love; else would they not seek to beguile me thus in this strange land of dreams and slumber." So he rose up, as one rises to go forth to battle, and he went quickly on the path by which his men had gone before him. Presently he saw them in the deep dell, and the rich fruit of the lotos was in their hand. Then they called to Odysseus and said, " We have come to the land of the Lotos- eaters; sit thou down with us and eat of their fruit, and forget all thy cares for ever." But Odysseus answered not; and hastening back, he bade the others come with him and bind the three men, and carry them to the ship " Heed not the people of the land," he said, " nor touch their rosy fruit. 224 Tales of Ancient Greece ODYSSEUS AND POLYPHEMOS When the blue hills of the Lotos-land had faded away in the far distance, the ships of Odysseus went o;i merrily with a fresh breeze: and the men thought that they would soon come to rocky Ithaka, where their homes were. But Athen6 was angry with Odysseus, and she asked Poseidon, the lord of the sea, to send a great storm and scatter his ships. So the wind arose, and the waters of the sea began to heave and swell, and the sky was black with clouds and rain. Many days and many nights the storm raged fiercely; and when it was over, Odysseus could only see four or five of all the ships which had sailed with him from Troy. The ships were drenched with the waves which had broken over them, and the men were wet and cold and tired; and they were glad indeed when they saw an island far away. So they sat down on the benches, and took the great oars and rowed the ships towards the shore; and as they came near, they saw that the island was very beautiful with cliffs and rocks, and bays for ships to take shelter from the sea. Then they rowed into one of these quiet bays, where the water was always calm, and where there was no need to let down an anchor, or to tie the ship by ropes to the sea-shore, for the ship lay there quite still of itself. At the head of the bay a stream of fresh water trickled down from the cliffs, and ran close to the opening of a large cave, and near the cave some willow trees drooped their branches over the stream which ran down towards the sea. So they made haste to go on shore; and when they had landed, they saw fine large plains on which the com might grow, but no one had taken the trouble to sow the seed; and sloping hills for the grapes to ripen on the vines, but none were planted on them. And Odysseus marvelled at the people who lived there, because they had no com and no vines, and he could see no houses. ^y:^:£. Odysseus and Polyphemos 225 but only sheep and goats feeding on the hill-sides. So he took his bow and arrows, and shot many of the goats and he and his men lay down on the ground and had a meny meal, and drank the rich red wine which thev had brought with them from the ship. And when they had finished eating and drinking they fell asleep, and did not wake up till the morning showed its rosy light m the eastern sky. ^ Then Odysseus said that he would take some of his men and go to see who hved on the island, while the others remained in the ship close to the sea-shore So they set out. and at last they came to the mouth of a great cave, where many sheep and goats were penned up m large folds; but they could see no one in the cave or anywhere near it; and they waited a long while but no one came. So they ht a fire, and made themselves merry, as they ate the cheese and drank the milk which was stored up round the sides of the cave. Presently they heard a great noise of heavy feet stamp- ing on the ground, and they were so frightened that the^• ran inside the cave, and crouched down at the end of it .Nearer and nearer came the Cyclops, and his tread almost made the earth shake. At last in he came, with niany dry logs of wood on his back; and in came aU the Sheep, which he milked every evening; but the rams and the goats stayed outside. But if Odysseus and his men were afraid when they saw Polyphemos the Cyclops come m, they were much more afraid when he took up a great stone, which was almost as big as the mouth of the cave T. Tl '^r^? ^^^'"^* '^ ^"'' ^ ^^'^^^ Then the men whis- pered to Odysseus, and said. " Did we not beg and prav you not to come into the cave ? but you would not hsten to us; and now how are we to get out again? Whv two-and-twenty waggons would not be able to take awav tnat huge stone from the mouth of the cave." But thev were shut m now. and there was no use in thinking of their folly for coming in. ^ So ihere they lay. crouching in the corner of the cave rhL u]''!^. T?*^ ^^^' ^^'^ Polyphemos should see tnem. But the Cyclops went on milking all the sheep It 226 Tales of Ancient Greece and then he put the milk into the bowls round the sides of the cave, and Ht the fire to cook his meal. As the flames shot up from the burning wood to the roof of the cave, it showed him the forms of Odj'sseus and his com- panions, where they lay huddled together in the corner; and he cried out to them with a loud voice, " Who are you that dare to come into the cave of Polyphemos? Are you come to rob me of my sheep, or my cheese and milk that I keep here? " Then Odysseus said, "No; we are not come to do you harm: we are Achaians who have been fighting at Troy to bring back Helen, whom Paris stole away from Sparta, and we went there with the great king Agamem- non, whom everybody knows. So the hours of the night went wearily on, but neither Odysseus nor his friends could sleep, for they thought of the men whrm Polyphemos had eaten, and how they would very likely h*^ eaten up themselves. At last they could tell, from the dim light which came in between the top of the stone and the roof of the cave, that the morning was come; anv^ soon Polj^jhemos awoke and milked all the sheep again ; and when he had done this, rw i Odysseus and Polyphemos great stone from thetSof Ihe^cavlTnd d°ro™ '^^ the cattle out to graze on the soft grass on thehiUs and Odysseus began to hope that they might be abfto^^t 5|t^^4'oroft::r:nffie^;^^^^^^^^ and his fnends shut up again as fast as eveT ^ stick It tic If Tf.'^^',^^'"^ to use as a walkinR- siicic. It was the whole trunk of an olive-tree frp«h 1!?.! said, Dnnk this wme, Polyphemos- if will rnou me more of this honey-sweet wine." he said; "surely 228 Tales of Ancient Greece no grapes on this earth could ever give such wine as this: tell me your name, for I should like to do you a kindness for giving me such wine as this." Then Odysseus said, " O Cyclops, I hope you will not forget to give me what you have promised: my name is Nobody." And Poly- phemos said, " Very well, I shall eat up Nobody last of all, when I have eaten up all his companions ; and this is the kindness which I mean to do for him." But by this time he was so stupid with all that he had been eating and drinking, that he could say no more, but fell on his back fast asleep ; and his heavy snoring sounded through the whole of the cave. Then Odysseus cried to his friends, " Now is the time; come and 1- Ip me, and we will punish this Cyclops for all that he 1 .^s done." So he took the piece of the olive- tree, which iiad been made sharp, and put it into the fire, till it almost burst into a flame ; and then he and two of his men went and stood over Polyphemos, and pushed the burning wood into his great eye as hard and as far down as they could. It was a terrible sight to see ; but the Cyclops was so stupid and heavy in sleep that at first he could scarcely stir; but presently he gave a great groan, so that Odysseus and his people started back in a fright, and crouched down at the end of the cave : and then the Cyclops put out his hand and drew the burning wood from his eye, and threw it from him in a rage, and roared out for help to his friends, who lived on the hills round about. His roar was as deep and loud as the roar of twenty lions ; and the other Cyclopes wondered when they heard him shouting out so loud, and they said, " What can be the matter with Polj^hemos? we never heard him make such a noise before : let us go and see if he wants any help." So they went to the cave, and stood outside the great stone which shut it in, listening to his terrible bellowings ; and when they did not stop, they shouted to him, and asked him what was the matter. " Why have you waked us up in the middle of the night with all this noise, when we were sleeping comfortably? Is any one taking away your sheep and goats, or kill- ing you by craft and force? " And Polyphemos said, Odysseus and Polyphemos 229 and ask our father Poseidon to make you wd/a.ain"' and then they walked off to their bed^s aiTd Lffpolv phemos to make as much noise as he pleased ^' r.iVT''V^ "° "'^ *^^* ^^ ^^"t on shouting- no one one cTntet out^tVoufpa'L^Tme 'i^^'^" "■^"'' '" "° i3ut Odysseus was too clever for him vpf • fr.r- u^ quietly, and fastened the ^earrams^of ' Pnl t '"* together with long bands Twil ow LtlSZ^ together by threes. Pnd under the stomach of IheJ^Z one he led one of his men. until he had fastened th^S uXrie^aVhfstSrl^^^^^^^^^^ t&if ^'f^V^l! ^^^ ^-t1^gh\'St h ani Slftfr At last the pale light of the morning came into t£ LsTpn.' :S'oT?h:7ar":fl;L^^|T r'^^ ^oT^Znfo^o ovTr the backs oialHhpi^^P^^T' P^'^^ ^^^ ^ands i>orrible Nobod^ is at the^bl^tforn'ofSirs^irofd Hi I ! : 230 Tales of Ancient Greece ram, perhaps it is that you are sorry for your master whose eye Nobody has put out. I wish you could speak hke a man. and tell me where he is. If I could but catch him. I would take care that he never got away agam. and then I should have some comfort for all the evil which Nobody has done to me." So he sent the ram on ; and when he had gone a little way from the cave Odysseus Rot up from under the ram. and went and untied all his friends, and very glad they were to be free once more ; but they could not help grieving, when they thought of the men whom Polyphemos had killed. But Odysseus told them to make haste and dnve as many of the sheep and goats as they could to the ships. So they drove them down to the shore and hurried them mto the ships, and began to row away ; and soon they would have been out of the reach of the Cyclops if Odysseus could only have held his tongue. But he was so angry himself that he thought he would like to make Polyphemos also stil more angry; so he shouted to him and said. Then Polyphemos was more funous than ever and he broke off a great rock from the mountain, and hurled it at Odysseus. On it came whizzing through the air. and feU iust in front of his ship, and the water was dashed up all over it; and there was a great heaving o^ t^^ se^ which almost carried them back to the land. Tlien the> began to row again with all their might ; but still when thev had got about twice as far as they were before. Odysseus could not help shouting out a few more words to Polyphemos. So he said. " If any one asks you how you lost your eye. remember. O Cyclops, to say that you were made blind by Odysseus, the plunderer of cities, the son of Laertes, who Uves in Ithaka/' u « i,. 