tales of troy-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


find　what　they　had　lost；　or　might　escape　from　their　distresses。

Ulysses　slept　in　more　than　one　temple；　and　once　in　that　of　Pallas
Athene；　and　the　priests　and　priestesses　were　kind　to　him；　and　gave
him　food　in　the　morning　when　the　gates　of　the　temple　were　opened。

In　the　temple　of　Pallas　Athene；　where　the　Luck　of　Troy　lay　always
on　her　altar；　the　custom　was　that　priestesses　kept　watch；　each　for
two　hours；　all　through　the　night；　and　soldiers　kept　guard　within
call。　　So　one　night　Ulysses　slept　there；　on　the　floor；　with　other
distressed　people；　seeking　for　dreams　from　the　Gods。　　He　lay　still
all　through　the　night　till　the　turn　of　the　last　priestess　came　to
watch。　　The　priestess　used　to　walk　up　and　down　with　bare　feet　among
the　dreaming　people；　having　a　torch　in　her　hand；　and　muttering
hymns　to　the　Goddess。　　Then　Ulysses；　when　her　back　was　turned；
slipped　the　gold　phial　out　of　his　rags；　and　let　it　lie　on　the
polished　floor　beside　him。　　When　the　priestess　came　back　again；　the
light　from　her　torch　fell　on　the　glittering　phial；　and　she　stooped
and　picked　it　up；　and　looked　at　it　curiously。　　There　came　from　it　a
sweet　fragrance；　and　she　opened　it；　and　tasted　the　drug。　　It　seemed
to　her　the　sweetest　thing　that　ever　she　had　tasted；　and　she　took
more　and　more；　and　then　closed　the　phial　and　laid　it　down；　and　went
along　murmuring　her　hymn。

But　soon　a　great　drowsiness　came　over　her；　and　she　sat　down　on　the
step　of　the　altar；　and　fell　sound　asleep；　and　the　torch　sunk　in　her
hand；　and　went　out；　and　all　was　dark。　　Then　Ulysses　put　the　phial
in　his　wallet；　and　crept　very　cautiously　to　the　altar；　in　the　dark；
and　stole　the　Luck　of　Troy。　　It　was　only　a　small　black　mass　of　what
is　now　called　meteoric　iron；　which　sometimes　comes　down　with
meteorites　from　the　sky；　but　it　was　shaped　like　a　shield；　and　the
people　thought　it　an　image　of　the　warlike　shielded　Goddess；　fallen
from　Heaven。　　Such　sacred　shields；　made　of　glass　and　ivory；　are
found　deep　in　the　earth　in　the　ruined　cities　of　Ulysses'　time。
Swiftly　Ulysses　hid　the　Luck　in　his　rags　and　left　in　its　place　on
the　altar　a　copy　of　the　Luck；　which　he　had　made　of　blackened　clay。
Then　he　stole　back　to　the　place　where　he　had　lain；　and　remained
there　till　dawn　appeared；　and　the　sleepers　who　sought　for　dreams
awoke；　and　the　temple　gates　were　opened；　and　Ulysses　walked　out
with　the　rest　of　them。

He　stole　down　a　lane；　where　as　yet　no　people　were　stirring；　and
crept　along；　leaning　on　his　staff；　till　he　came　to　the　eastern
gate；　at　the　back　of　the　city；　which　the　Greeks　never　attacked；　for
they　had　never　drawn　their　army　in　a　circle　round　the　town。　　There
Ulysses　explained　to　the　sentinels　that　he　had　gathered　food　enough
to　last　for　a　long　journey　to　some　other　town；　and　opened　his　bag；
which　seemed　full　of　bread　and　broken　meat。　　The　soldiers　said　he
was　a　lucky　beggar；　and　let　him　out。　　He　walked　slowly　along　the
waggon　road　by　which　wood　was　brought　into　Troy　from　the　forests　on
Mount　Ida；　and　when　he　found　that　nobody　was　within　sight　he
slipped　into　the　forest；　and　stole　into　a　dark　thicket；　hiding
beneath　the　tangled　boughs。　　Here　he　lay　and　slept　till　evening；
and　then　took　the　new　clothes　which　Helen　had　given　him　out　of　his
wallet；　and　put　them　on；　and　threw　the　belt　of　the　sword　over　his
shoulder；　and　hid　the　Luck　of　Troy　in　his　bosom。　　He　washed　himself
clean　in　a　mountain　brook；　and　now　all　who　saw　him　must　have　known
that　he　was　no　beggar；　but　Ulysses　of　Ithaca；　Laertes'　son。

So　he　walked　cautiously　down　the　side　of　the　brook　which　ran
between　high　banks　deep　in　trees；　and　followed　it　till　it　reached
the　river　Xanthus；　on　the　left　of　the　Greek　lines。　　Here　he　found
Greek　sentinels　set　to　guard　the　camp；　who　cried　aloud　in　joy　and
surprise；　for　his　ship　had　not　yet　returned　from　Delos；　and　they
could　not　guess　how　Ulysses　had　come　back　alone　across　the　sea。　　So
two　of　the　sentinels　guarded　Ulysses　to　the　hut　of　Agamemnon；　where
he　and　Achilles　and　all　the　chiefs　were　sitting　at　a　feast。　　They
all　leaped　up；　but　when　Ulysses　took　the　Luck　of　Troy　from　within
his　mantle；　they　cried　that　this　was　the　bravest　deed　that　had　been
done　in　the　war；　and　they　sacrificed　ten　oxen　to　Zeus。

〃So　you　were　the　old　beggar；〃　said　young　Thrasymedes。

〃Yes；〃　said　Ulysses；　〃and　when　next　you　beat　a　beggar；　Thrasymedes；
do　not　strike　so　hard　and　so　long。〃

That　night　all　the　Greeks　were　full　of　hope；　for　now　they　had　the
Luck　of　Troy；　but　the　Trojans　were　in　despair；　and　guessed　that　the
beggar　was　the　thief；　and　that　Ulysses　had　been　the　beggar。　　The
priestess；　Theano；　could　tell　them　nothing；　they　found　her；　with
the　extinguished　torch　drooping　in　her　hand；　asleep；　as　she　sat　on
the　step　of　the　altar；　and　she　never　woke　again。



THE　BATTLES　WITH　THE　AMAZONS　AND　MEMNONTHE　DEATH　OF　ACHILLES



Ulysses　thought　much　and　often　of　Helen；　without　whose　kindness　he
could　not　have　saved　the　Greeks　by　stealing　the　Luck　of　Troy。　　He
saw　that；　though　she　remained　as　beautiful　as　when　the　princes　all
sought　her　hand；　she　was　most　unhappy；　knowing　herself　to　be　the
cause　of　so　much　misery；　and　fearing　what　the　future　might　bring。
Ulysses　told　nobody　about　the　secret　which　she　had　let　fall；　the
coming　of　the　Amazons。

The　Amazons　were　a　race　of　warlike　maids；　who　lived　far　away　on　the
banks　of　the　river　Thermodon。　　They　had　fought　against　Troy　in
former　times；　and　one　of　the　great　hill…graves　on　the　plain　of　Troy
covered　the　ashes　of　an　Amazon；　swift…footed　Myrine。　　People
believed　that　they　were　the　daughters　of　the　God　of　War；　and　they
were　reckoned　equal　in　battle　to　the　bravest　men。　　Their　young
Queen；　Penthesilea；　had　two　reasons　for　coming　to　fight　at　Troy：
one　was　her　ambition　to　win　renown；　and　the　other　her　sleepless
sorrow　for　having　accidentally　killed　her　sister；　Hippolyte；　when
hunting。　　The　spear　which　she　threw　at　a　stag　struck　Hippolyte　and
slew　her；　and　Penthesilea　cared　no　longer　for　her　own　life；　and
desired　to　fall　gloriously　in　battle。　　So　Penthesilea　and　her
bodyguard　of　twelve　Amazons　set　forth　from　the　wide　streams　of
Thermodon；　and　rode　into　Troy。　　The　story　says　that　they　did　not
drive　in　chariots；　like　all　the　Greek　and　Trojan　chiefs；　but　rode
horses；　which　must　have　been　the　manner　of　their　country。

Penthesilea　was　the　tallest　and　most　beautiful　of　the　Amazons；　and
shone　among　her　twelve　maidens　like　the　moon　among　the　stars；　or
the　bright　Dawn　among　the　Hours　which　follow　her　chariot　wheels。
The　Trojans　rejoiced　when　they　beheld　her；　for　she　looked　both
terrible　and　beautiful；　with　a　frown　on　her　brow；　and　fair　shining
eyes；　and　a　blush　on　her　cheeks。　　To　the　Trojans　she　came　like
Iris；　the　Rainbow；　after　a　storm；　and　they　gathered　round　her
cheering；　and　throwing　flowers　and　kissing　her　stirrup；　as　the
people　of　Orleans　welcomed　Joan　of　Arc　when　she　came　to　deliver
them。　　Even　Priam　was　glad；　as　is　a　man　long　blind；　when　he　has
been　healed；　and　again　looks　upon　the　light　of　the　sun。　　Priam　held
a　great　feast；　and　gave　to　Penthesilea　many　beautiful　gifts：　　cups
of　gold；　and　embroideries；　and　a　sword　with　a　hilt　of　silver；　and
she　vowed　that　she　would　slay　Achilles。　　But　when　Andromache；　the
wife　of　Hector；　heard　her　she　said　within　herself；　〃Ah；　unhappy
girl；　what　is　this　boast　of　thine！　　Thou　hast　not　the　strength　to
fight　the　unconquerable　son　of　Peleus；　for　if　Hector　could　not　slay
him；　what　chance　hast　thou？　　But　the　piled…up　earth　covers　Hector！〃

In　the　morning　Penthesilea　sprang　up　from　sleep　and　put　on　her
glorious　armour；　with　spear　in　hand；　and　sword　at　side；　and　bow　and
quiver　hung　behind　her　back；　and　her　great　shield　covering　her　side
from　neck　to　stirrup；　and　mounted　her　horse；　and　galloped　to　the
plain。　　Beside　her　charged　the　twelve　maidens　of　her　bodyguard；　and
all　the　company　of　Hector's　brothers　and　kinsfolk。　　These　headed
the　Trojan　lines；　and　they　rushed　towards　the　ships　of　the　Greeks。

Then　the　Greeks　asked　each　other；　〃Who　is　this　that　leads　the
Trojans　as　Hector　led　them；　surely　some　God　rides　in　the　van　of　the
charioteers！〃　　Ulysses　could　have　told　them　who　the　new　leader　of
the　Trojans　was；　but　it　seems　that　he　had　not　the　heart　to　fight
against　women；　for　his　name　is　not　mentioned　in　this　day's　battle。
So　the　two　lines　clashed；　and　the　plain　of　Troy　ran　red　with　blood；
for　Penthesilea　slew　Molios；　and　Persinoos；　and　Eilissos；　and
Antiphates；　and　Lernos　high　of　heart；　and　Hippalmos　of　the　loud
warcry；　and　Haemonides；　and　strong　Elasippus；　while　her　maidens
Derinoe　and　Clonie　slew　each　a　chief　of　the　Greeks。　　But　Clonie
fell　beneath　the　spear　of　Podarkes；　whose　hand　Penthesilea　cut　off
with　the　sword；　while　Idomeneus　speared　the　Amazon　Bremousa；　and
Meriones　of　Crete　slew　Evadre；　and　Diomede　killed　Alcibie　and
Derimacheia　in　close　fight　with　the　sword；　so　the　company　of　the
Twelve　were　thinned；　the　bodyguard　of　Penthesilea。

The　Trojans　and　Greeks　kept　slaying　each　other；　but　Penthesilea
avenged　her　maidens；　driving　the　ranks　of　Greece　as　a　lioness
drives　the　cattle　on　the　hills；　for　they　could　not　stand　before
her。　　Then　she　shouted；　〃Dogs！　to…day　shall　you　pay　for　the　sorrows
of　Priam！　　Where　is　Diomede；　where　is　Achilles；　wh