tales of troy-第15章

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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；　where　is　Aias；
that；　men　say；　are　your　bravest？　　Will　none　of　them　stand　before　my
spear？〃　　Then　she　charged　again；　at　the　head　of　the　Household　of
Priam；　brothers　and　kinsmen　of　Hector；　and　where　they　came　the
Greeks　fell　like　yellow　leaves　before　the　wind　of　autumn。　　The
white　horse　that　Penthesilea　rode；　a　gift　from　the　wife　of　the
North　Wind；　flashed　like　lightning　through　a　dark　cloud　among　the
companies　of　the　Greeks；　and　the　chariots　that　followed　the　charge
of　the　Amazon　rocked　as　they　swept　over　the　bodies　of　the　slain。
Then　the　old　Trojans；　watching　from　the　walls；　cried：　　〃This　is　no
mortal　maiden　but　a　Goddess；　and　to…day　she　will　burn　the　ships　of
the　Greeks；　and　they　will　all　perish　in　Troyland；　and　see　Greece
never　more　again。〃

Now　it　so　was　that　Aias　and　Achilles　had　not　heard　the　din　and　the
cry　of　war；　for　both　had　gone　to　weep　over　the　great　new　grave　of
Patroclus。　　Penthesilea　and　the　Trojans　had　driven　back　the　Greeks
within　their　ditch；　and　they　were　hiding　here　and　there　among　the
ships；　and　torches　were　blazing　in　men's　hands　to　burn　the　ships；
as　in　the　day　of　the　valour　of　Hector：　　when　Aias　heard　the　din　of
battle；　and　called　to　Achilles　to　make　speed　towards　the　ships。

So　they　ran　swiftly　to　their　huts；　and　armed　themselves；　and　Aias
fell　smiting　and　slaying　upon　the　Trojans；　but　Achilles　slew　five
of　the　bodyguard　of　Penthesilea。　　She；　beholding　her　maidens
fallen；　rode　straight　against　Aias　and　Achilles；　like　a　dove
defying　two　falcons；　and　cast　her　spear；　but　it　fell　back　blunted
from　the　glorious　shield　that　the　God　had　made　for　the　son　of
Peleus。　　Then　she　threw　another　spear　at　Aias；　crying；　〃I　am　the
daughter　of　the　God　of　War；〃　but　his　armour　kept　out　the　spear；　and
he　and　Achilles　laughed　aloud。　　Aias　paid　no　more　heed　to　the
Amazon；　but　rushed　against　the　Trojan　men；　while　Achilles　raised
the　heavy　spear　that　none　but　he　could　throw；　and　drove　it　down
through　breastplate　and　breast　of　Penthesilea；　yet　still　her　hand
grasped　her　sword…hilt。　　But；　ere　she　could　draw　her　sword；
Achilles　speared　her　horse；　and　horse　and　rider　fell；　and　died　in
their　fall。

There　lay　fair　Penthesilea　in　the　dust；　like　a　tall　poplar　tree
that　the　wind　has　overthrown；　and　her　helmet　fell；　and　the　Greeks
who　gathered　round　marvelled　to　see　her　lie　so　beautiful　in　death；
like　Artemis；　the　Goddess　of　the　Woods；　when　she　sleeps　alone；
weary　with　hunting　on　the　hills。　　Then　the　heart　of　Achilles　was
pierced　with　pity　and　sorrow；　thinking　how　she　might　have　been　his
wife　in　his　own　country；　had　he　spared　her；　but　he　was　never　to　see
pleasant　Phthia；　his　native　land；　again。　　So　Achilles　stood　and
wept　over　Penthesilea　dead。

Now　the　Greeks；　in　pity　and　sorrow；　held　their　hands；　and　did　not
pursue　the　Trojans　who　had　fled；　nor　did　they　strip　the　armour　from
Penthesilea　and　her　twelve　maidens；　but　laid　the　bodies　on　biers；
and　sent　them　back　in　peace　to　Priam。　　Then　the　Trojans　burned
Penthesilea　in　the　midst　of　her　dead　maidens；　on　a　great　pile　of
dry　wood；　and　placed　their　ashes　in　a　golden　c