THE GREAT WOODEN HORSE 217 



returning voyage. And one of them, Eurypylus, 

 declared that nothing short of a human sacrifice 

 would turn aside the vengeful ire of Apollo; the 

 other, Calchas, explained that since the Greeks 

 had stolen the statue of Athena which stood in 

 your great temple of Troy, that goddess would 

 never suffer them to return to their native land 

 until they had reared on these shores the massive 

 figure of a horse to be a witness to their repen- 

 tance. Then the chiefs asked who should be the 

 victim to be offered up to Apollo. And Calchas, 

 urged on by Ulysses, answered ' Sinon.' Forth- 

 with, I was bound with cords, fillets were tied 

 about my temples, and the knife was sharpened 

 ready to pierce my heart. But on the night be- 

 fore the rueful day, I burst my bonds, and escaped 

 to the slimy marshes, where I lay hidden until I 

 saw my countrymen embark and sail away in their 

 thousand ships across the sea to distant Greece. 

 Then, almost dead from hunger and privation, 

 I ventured out, only to be seized by these rude 

 peasants and dragged to this place as you see me 

 now." 



"But the horse— the horse!" cried the Tro- 

 jans. " What about the horse ? " 



" I have already told you," answered Sinon, 

 " that the image was built to appease the wrath 



