tales of troy-第2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！


Gods；　killing　cattle　and　swine　and　sheep；　on　which　they　afterwards
dined。

They　dressed　in　a　simple　way；　in　a　long　smock　of　linen　or　silk；
which　fell　almost　to　the　feet；　but　was　tucked　up　into　a　belt　round
the　waist；　and　worn　longer　or　shorter；　as　they　happened　to　choose。
Where　it　needed　fastening　at　the　throat；　golden　brooches　were　used；
beautifully　made；　with　safety　pins。　　This　garment　was　much　like　the
plaid　that　the　Highlanders　used　to　wear；　with　its　belt　and
brooches。　　Over　it　the　Greeks　wore　great　cloaks　of　woollen　cloth
when　the　weather　was　cold；　but　these　they　did　not　use　in　battle。
They　fastened　their　breastplates；　in　war；　over　their　smocks；　and
had　other　armour　covering　the　lower　parts　of　the　body；　and　leg
armour　called　〃greaves〃；　while　the　great　shield　which　guarded　the
whole　body　from　throat　to　ankles　was　carried　by　a　broad　belt　slung
round　the　neck。　　The　sword　was　worn　in　another　belt；　crossing　the
shield　belt。　　They　had　light　shoes　in　peace；　and　higher　and　heavier
boots　in　war；　or　for　walking　across　country。

The　women　wore　the　smock；　with　more　brooches　and　jewels　than　the
men；　and　had　head　coverings；　with　veils；　and　mantles　over　all；　and
necklaces　of　gold　and　amber；　earrings；　and　bracelets　of　gold　or　of
bronze。　　The　colours　of　their　dresses　were　various；　chiefly　white
and　purple；　and；　when　in　mourning；　they　wore　very　dark　blue；　not
black。　　All　the　armour；　and　the　sword　blades　and　spearheads　were
made；　not　of　steel　or　iron；　but　of　bronze；　a　mixture　of　copper　and
tin。　　The　shields　were　made　of　several　thicknesses　of　leather；　with
a　plating　of　bronze　above；　tools；　such　as　axes　and　ploughshares；
were　either　of　iron　or　bronze；　and　so　were　the　blades　of　knives　and
daggers。

To　us　the　houses　and　way　of　living　would　have　seemed　very　splendid；
and　also；　in　some　ways；　rather　rough。　　The　palace　floors；　at　least
in　the　house　of　Ulysses；　were　littered　with　bones　and　feet　of　the
oxen　slain　for　food；　but　this　happened　when　Ulysses　had　been　long
from　home。　　The　floor　of　the　hall　in　the　house　of　Ulysses　was　not
boarded　with　planks；　or　paved　with　stone：　　it　was　made　of　clay；　for
he　was　a　poor　king　of　small　islands。　　The　cooking　was　coarse：　　a
pig　or　sheep　was　killed；　roasted　and　eaten　immediately。　　We　never
hear　of　boiling　meat；　and　though　people　probably　ate　fish；　we　do
not　hear　of　their　doing　so；　except　when　no　meat　could　be　procured。
Still　some　people　must　have　liked　them；　for　in　the　pictures　that
were　painted　or　cut　in　precious　stones　in　these　times　we　see　the
half…naked　fisherman　walking　home；　carrying　large　fish。

The　people　were　wonderful　workers　of　gold　and　bronze。　　Hundreds　of
their　golden　jewels　have　been　found　in　their　graves；　but　probably
these　were　made　and　buried　two　or　three　centuries　before　the　time
of　Ulysses。　　The　dagger　blades　had　pictures　of　fights　with　lions；
and　of　flowers；　inlaid　on　them；　in　gold　of　various　colours；　and　in
silver；　nothing　so　beautiful　is　made　now。　　There　are　figures　of　men
hunting　bulls　on　some　of　the　gold　cups；　and　these　are　wonderfully
life…like。　　The　vases　and　pots　of　earthenware　were　painted　in
charming　patterns：　　in　short；　it　was　a　splendid　world　to　live　in。

The　people　believed　in　many　Gods；　male　and　female；　under　the　chief
God；　Zeus。　　The　Gods　were　thought　to　be　taller　than　men；　and
immortal；　and　to　live　in　much　the　same　way　as　men　did；　eating；
drinking；　and　sleeping　in　glorious　palaces。　　Though　they　were
supposed　to　reward　good　men；　and　to　punish　people　who　broke　their
oaths　and　were　unkind　to　strangers；　there　were　many　stories　told　in
which　the　Gods　were　fickle；　cruel；　selfish；　and　set　very　bad
examples　to　men。　　How　far　these　stories　were　believed　is　not　sure；
it　is　certain　that　〃all　men　felt　a　need　of　the　Gods；〃　and　thought
that　they　were　pleased　by　good　actions　and　displeased　by　evil。
Yet；　when　a　man　felt　that　his　behaviour　had　been　bad；　he　often
threw　the　blame　on　the　Gods；　and　said　that　they　had　misled　him；
which　really　meant　no　more　than　that　〃he　could　not　help　it。〃

There　was　a　curious　custom　by　which　the　princes　bought　wives　from
the　fathers　of　the　princesses；　giving　cattle　and　gold；　and　bronze
and　iron；　but　sometimes　a　prince　got　a　wife　as　the　reward　for　some
very　brave　action。　　A　man　would　not　give　his　daughter　to　a　wooer
whom　she　did　not　love；　even　if　he　offered　the　highest　price；　at
least　this　must　have　been　the　general　rule；　for　husbands　and　wives
were　very　fond　of　each　other；　and　of　their　children；　and　husbands
always　allowed　their　wives　to　rule　the　house；　and　give　their　advice
on　everything。　　It　was　thought　a　very　wicked　thing　for　a　woman　to
like　another　man　better　than　her　husband；　and　there　were　few　such
wives；　but　among　them　was　the　most　beautiful　woman　who　ever　lived。



THE　WOOING　OF　HELEN　OF　THE　FAIR　HANDS



This　was　the　way　in　which　people　lived　when　Ulysses　was　young；　and
wished　to　be　married。　　The　worst　thing　in　the　way　of　life　was　that
the　greatest　and　most　beautiful　princesses　might　be　taken
prisoners；　and　carried　off　as　slaves　to　the　towns　of　the　men　who
had　killed　their　fathers　and　husbands。　　Now　at　that　time　one　lady
was　far　the　fairest　in　the　world：　　namely；　Helen；　daughter　of　King
Tyndarus。　　Every　young　prince　heard　of　her　and　desired　to　marry
her；　so　her　father　invited　them　all　to　his　palace；　and　entertained
them；　and　found　out　what　they　would　give。　　Among　the　rest　Ulysses
went；　but　his　father　had　a　little　kingdom；　a　rough　island；　with
others　near　it；　and　Ulysses　had　not　a　good　chance。　　He　was　not
tall；　though　very　strong　and　active；　he　was　a　short　man　with　broad
shoulders；　but　his　face　was　handsome；　and；　like　all　the　princes；　he
wore　long　yellow　hair；　clustering　like　a　hyacinth　flower。　　His
manner　was　rather　hesitating；　and　he　seemed　to　speak　very　slowly　at
first；　though　afterwards　his　words　came　freely。　　He　was　good　at
everything　a　man　can　do；　he　could　plough；　and　build　houses；　and
make　ships；　and　he　was　the　best　archer　in　Greece；　except　one；　and
could　bend　the　great　bow　of　a　dead　king；　Eurytus；　which　no　other
man　could　string。　　But　he　had　no　horses；　and　had　no　great　train　of
followers；　and；　in　short；　neither　Helen　nor　her　father　thought　of
choosing　Ulysses　for　her　husband　out　of　so　many　tall；　handsome
young　princes；　glittering　with　gold　ornaments。　　Still；　Helen　was
very　kind　to　Ulysses；　and　there　was　great　friendship　between　them；
which　was　fortunate　for　her　in　the　end。

Tyndarus　first　made　all　the　princes　take　an　oath　that　they　would
stand　by　the　prince　whom　he　chose；　and　would　fight　for　him　in　all
his　quarrels。　　Then　he　named　for　her　husband　Menelaus；　King　of
Lacedaemon。　　He　was　a　very　brave　man；　but　not　one　of　the　strongest；
he　was　not　such　a　fighter　as　the　gigantic　Aias；　the　tallest　and
strongest　of　men；　or　as　Diomede；　the　friend　of　Ulysses；　or　as　his
own　brother；　Agamemnon；　the　King　of　the　rich　city　of　Mycenae；　who
was　chief　over　all　other　princes；　and　general　of　the　whole　army　in
war。　　The　great　lions　carved　in　stone　that　seemed　to　guard　his　city
are　still　standing　above　the　gate　through　which　Agamemnon　used　to
drive　his　chariot。

The　man　who　proved　to　be　the　best　fighter　of　all；　Achilles；　was　not
among　the　lovers　of　Helen；　for　he　was　still　a　boy；　and　his　mother；
Thetis　of　the　silver　feet；　a　goddess　of　the　sea；　had　sent　him　to　be
brought　up　as　a　girl；　among　the　daughters　of　Lycomedes　of　Scyros；
in　an　island　far　away。　　Thetis　did　this　because　Achilles　was　her
only　child；　and　there　was　a　prophecy　that；　if　he　went　to　the　wars；
he　would　win　the　greatest　glory；　but　die　very　young；　and　never　see
his　mother　again。　　She　thought　that　if　war　broke　out　he　would　not
be　found　hiding　in　girl's　dress；　among　girls；　far　away。

So　at　last；　after　thinking　over　the　matter　for　long；　Tyndarus　gave
fair　Helen　to　Menelaus；　the　rich　King　of　Lacedaemon；　and　her　twin
sister　Clytaemnestra；　who　was　also　very　beautiful；　was　given　to
King　Agamemnon；　the　chief　over　all　the　princes。　　They　all　lived
very　happily　together　at　first；　but　not　for　long。

In　the　meantime　King　Tyndarus　spoke　to　his　brother　Icarius；　who　had
a　daughter　named　Penelope。　　She　also　was　very　pretty；　but　not
nearly　so　beautiful　as　her　cousin；　fair　Helen；　and　we　know　that
Penelope　was　not　very　fond　of　her　cousin。　　Icarius；　admiring　the
strength　and　wisdom　of　Ulysses；　gave　him　his　daughter　Penelope　to
be　his　wife；　and　Ulysses　loved　her　very　dearly；　no　man　and　wife
were　ever　dearer　to　each　other。　　They　went　away　together　to　rocky
Ithaca；　and　perhaps　Penelope　was　not　sorry　that　a　wide　sea　lay
between　her　home　and　that　of　Helen；　for　Helen　was　not　only　the
fairest　woman　that　ever　lived　in　the　world；　but　she　was　so　kind　and
gracious　and　charming　that　no　man　could　see　her　without　loving　her。
When　she　was　only　a　child；　the　famous　prince　Theseus；　who　was
famous　in　Greek　Story；　carried　her　away　to　his　own　city　of　Athens；
meaning　to　marry　her　when　she　grew　up；　and　even　at　that　time；　there
was　a　war　for　her　sake；　for　her　brothers　followed　Theseus　with　an
army；　and　fought　him；　and　brought　her　home。

She　had　fairy　gifts；　for　instance；　she　had　a　great　red　jewel；
called　〃the　Star；〃　and　when　she　wore　it　red　drops　seemed　to　fall
from　it　and　vanished　before　they　touched　and　staine