THE TAKING OF ILIOS 



of immortal fire, breathed thereon and stirred up 

 all manner of gusts. And now in the shadowy 

 dawn there came to Trojans and to the women of llios 

 a jnimour spoken by many tongues, announcing the 

 flight of the foe by signal of smoke. Straightway 

 thev flung open the bars of the gates and rushed 

 forth, foot and horse, and poured into the plain, 

 seeking whether this Avere some fresh guUe of the 

 Danaans. And yoking swift mules to wagons there 

 came down from the city A\-ith King Priam the other 

 elders of the people ; and most light of heart were 

 thev, being comforted for their children whom bloody 

 Ares had spared, and boding of an old age of freedom : 

 but not long were they to rejoice, since the counsel 

 of Zeus willed it so. And when they saw the 

 flashing form of the skilfully fashioned horse, they 

 thronged about it marvelling, even as chattering 

 jackdaws scream about when they see the vahant 

 eagle. And confused " and uncertain counsel fell 

 among them. Some wearied with dolorous war 

 and hating the horse, because it was the work of 

 the Achaeans, wished either to dash it on the long 

 precipices or to break it up with two-edged hatchets. 

 But others, trusting in the new polished work of art, 

 bade dedicate the warlike horse to the inunortals, to 

 be in after days a memorial of the Argive war. And as 

 they debated, there appeared unto them, dragging his 

 motley limbs over the plain, a naked man in sorrj- case.^ 



the wooden horse. So Tzetz. schol. Lycophr. p. ISt. 12 



aiKiffd/Jitvos iavTov ir\r](rioi> tov Sovpeiov lirirov e/cd^ro. In Verg. 

 A. ii. 57 ff. he has allowed himself to be captured by the 

 Trojans and is brought before Priam as a prisoner in fetters. 

 In Qu. Smyrn. xii. 360 ff. he is found by the Trojans beside 

 the wooden horse and only speaks after torture, when his 

 nose and ears have been cut oS. 



59a 



