niET^ 



TAKING OF ILIOS 



unto wolves of jagged teeth, which in a stormy night, 

 lusting for blood, go to attack unshepherded flocks 

 and waste the labour of the herdsmen. There, though 

 they were but two, they engaged foemen beyond 

 numbering. And a new battle arose, as these attacked 

 and those from a chamber overhead hurled stones 

 and arrows which bring speedy death. Yet even so, 

 fencing their giant heads with helmets unbreakable 

 and encircling themselves with shields, they leapt 

 into the great house. And Odysseus drave and 

 slaughtered the crowd that opposed him, even as wild 

 beasts affrighted. And the son of Atreus on the other 

 hand pursued Deiphobus who skulked away, and 

 overtook and smote him in the midst of the belly and 

 poured forth his hver and slippery guts. So he lay 

 there and forgot his chivalry. And with Menelaus 

 followed, trembling, his spear-won spouse, now 

 rejoicing in the end of dire woes, and now ashamed, 

 and then again, though late, as in a dream, secretly 

 groaning, she remembered her dear fatherland. But 

 Neoptolemus, scion of Aeacus, slew beside the altar 

 of Zeus of the Court-yard the aged king out-worn 

 with woe. He put from him such pity as his father 

 had shown, and hearkened not to his prayers, nor 

 had compassion when he looked on his hair grey even 

 as the hair of Peleus : the hair at which of old 

 Achilles softened his heart and, despite his grievous 

 anger, spared the old man." Hard of heart ! verily 

 a like fate was destined afterward to come to him by 

 the altar of truthful Apollo, when, as he sought to 



• Horn. II. xxiv. 515 ff. 



2 s 2 627 



