T02 TABLEAU de la PLAINE de TROTE. 



Next day the Trojans alTault the Grecian camp. And here 

 it becomes necelTary to have fome idea of the newly conflru(fted 

 fortification of the camp. 



The fituation has been generally defer ibed already. The 

 camp, according to my fuppofition, did not occupy the whole in- 

 termediate fpace, but only a part of the ground, between the two 

 promontories Sigeum on the fouth, and Rhoeteum to the north. 

 Perhaps on this fide it went no farther than to the Simois. By 

 all appearances the camp muft have had an oblique front, the 

 right wing receding towards Sigeum, the left bending forwards, 

 and hence more expofed to the enemy's attacks *. 



As the Greeks in the firfl battle had not been fuccefsful, Ne- 

 stor propofes, during the truce agreed upon for burying the 

 dead, to fortify the open camp. Such a precaution was before 

 unnecefTary ; the Trojans having till now kept themfelves fliut up 

 within their walls. Nestor muft now have been terrified at the fu- 

 periority of the Trojans, and the valour of Hector particularly, 

 when there was no Achilles to oppofe himf. The idea of for- 

 tifying 



* This reprefentation feems to be cortoborated by M. Chevalier's map. 



■j- To give a hiflorical probability to the circumflance of the Greeks having now, 

 iEbr the firft time, thought of fortifying the camp, we muft fuppofe, with Thucydi- 

 BEs, (I. n.), that immediately upon their firft landing they had beat back the 

 Trojans, or, at leaft, that the latter fought their fafety by remaining within their 

 Walls, while the Greeks were unacquainted with any means for carrying on a fiege. 

 In the above quoted palTage of Thucydides, I may obferve, in pafling, there is 

 fomething which feems to contradid this explanation, eTrsiJ?) ^e afiKOf^ivoy lAccxy iy.faTtiaxt, 

 (2)j^oii e\ TO ya^ e,)t/*« to! oT^KTOTrcSu 'ey, ar iTsi;(;iVaiiTo), &c. One fliould think the 'ok muit 

 be erafed. Should it be faid, Thucydides may have underftood the matter in a 

 different light ; the Greeks would not have been able to fortify their camp, had they 

 not remained maflers of the field. This is contradidled, firft, by the time of theif 

 fortifying the camp, which took place in the tenth year ; and, next, by the occafion 

 of its being done : for it was when they were defeated that they firft thought of 

 fortification. The Scholiaft fays : This is to be underftood of a former flight forti- 

 fication. But that is a creature of his own fancy, which only ferves to prove, that^ 

 even then, when he wrote, the ax was to be found in the MS. 



