THE TAKING OF ILIOS 



abide here a long tune labouring and growing old 

 without accomplishment or profit. Rather should 

 we, while yet we live, do some deed worthy to be 

 sung, or by bloody death escape the shameful 

 reproach of cowardice. We have better comfort 

 than they — if ye have not forgotten the sparrow" 

 and the ancient serpent and the fair plane-tree and 

 the motlier devoured with her swiftly perishing 

 young, and her tender nestlings. 



" And if old Calchas in his soothsa}-ing deferred 

 the day of fulfilment, yet even so the prophecies of 

 Helenus,^ the alien seer, call us to a right speedy 

 victory. Therefore hearken ye to me and let us 

 hasten with good courage into the belly of the 

 horse, that the Trojans may lead up into Ilios the 

 guileful craft of the dauntless goddess, a self-taken 

 woe, embracing their own doom.'' 



'•And do ye others loose the stern cables of the 

 ships and yourselves cast fire ujwn the plaited tents, 

 and lea\-ing desolate the shore of the land of Ihos, 

 sail ye all together on your pretended homeward 

 way, until the hour that to you, gathered on the 

 neighbouring beach, a beacon at eventide, stretched 

 from a fair-anchoring place of outlook, shall give the 

 signal to sail back again. And then let there be no 

 hesitation of hurrying oarsmen nor other cloud of fear, 

 such as the nights bring to men to terrify the mobile 

 soul. But let each clan respect its former valour, and 



* Helenus, son of Priam and Hecuba, twin-brother of 

 Cassandra. He was taken prisoner by the Greeks on the 

 advice of Cak-has, and he advised the building of the 

 Wooden Horse and the stealing of the Palladium. 



' A reminiscence of Hesiod, W. 58 (of the creation of 

 Woman). 



591 



