J4 TROT riot taken 



fent from Greece, as the demand was not only founded in ju- 

 ftice, but enforced by the threat of an invafion. It is ftill 

 more furprifing, that they fliould perfift in their refufal, when 

 they faw themfelves attacked with 1200 mips and 100,000 men. 

 What is mod aftonifhing of all is, that they did not reftore her 

 upon the death of PARIS, but married her to his brother DEI- 

 PHOBUS. Here CHRYSOSTOM argues, and with great plaufibi- 

 lity, that this is perfectly incredible, upon the fuppofition that 

 PARIS had poffefled himfelf of her by a crime ; but by no 

 means fo if he obtained her in marriage with her father's con- 

 fent ; for then the grofTeft injuftice was on the fide of the 

 Greeks ; and it is not at all furprifing, that the Trojans mould 

 have been willing to fuffer the laft extremities rather than fub- 

 init. This laft fuppofition is further confirmed by this circum- 

 ftance, that CASTOR and POLLUX, the brothers of HELEN, did 

 not go upon this expedition. They both were alive at the time 

 of her pretended elopement *. 



TEN years elapfed, after the elopement of HELEN, before the 

 Greeks laid fiege to Troy. This we learn from her lamentation 

 over the dead body of HECTOR ; for there me is made to fay 

 exprefsly, that me was now in the twentieth year of her ab- 

 fence from her native country f ; and as it is agreed, that the 

 fiege of Troy lafted ten years, it follows, that the fame period 

 had elapfed from her being carried off to the landing of the 

 Greeks in Afia. This circumftance CHRYSOSTOM has overlook- 

 ed ; but it feems to delerve attention. So long a delay cannot 

 well be accounted for. 



THE fcholiaft upon the above paflage, who feems to have fore- 

 feen the obfervation, fays, that this time was fpent in affembling 

 the Grecian army ; but as the Grecian princes lived at no great 

 diftance from one another, and all their men were accuftomed 

 to the ufe of arms y it could not be difficult to bring them foon 

 together ; and if it be fuppofed, that they came to the place of 



rendezvous 



* IL iii. 236. f IL xxiv. 765. 



