tales of troy-第5章

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wanted　most　of　all　was　to　have　Achilles　with　them；　for　he　was　the
leader　of　fifty　ships　and　2；500　men；　and　he　had　magical　armour
made；　men　said；　for　his　father；　by　Hephaestus；　the　God　of　armour…
making　and　smithy　work。

At　last　the　fleet　came　to　the　Isle　of　Scyros；　where　they　suspected
that　Achilles　was　concealed。　　King　Lycomedes　received　the　chiefs
kindly；　and　they　saw　all　his　beautiful　daughters　dancing　and
playing　at　ball；　but　Achilles　was　still　so　young　and　slim　and　so
beautiful　that　they　did　not　know　him　among　the　others。　　There　was　a
prophecy　that　they　could　not　take　Troy　without　him；　and　yet　they
could　not　find　him　out。　　Then　Ulysses　had　a　plan。　　He　blackened　his
eyebrows　and　beard　and　put　on　the　dress　of　a　Phoenician　merchant。
The　Phoenicians　were　a　people　who　lived　near　the　Jews；　and　were　of
the　same　race；　and　spoke　much　the　same　language；　but；　unlike　the
Jews；　who；　at　that　time　were　farmers　in　Palestine；　tilling　the
ground；　and　keeping　flocks　and　herds；　the　Phoenicians　were　the
greatest　of　traders　and　sailors；　and　stealers　of　slaves。　　They
carried　cargoes　of　beautiful　cloths；　and　embroideries；　and　jewels
of　gold；　and　necklaces　of　amber；　and　sold　these　everywhere　about
the　shores　of　Greece　and　the　islands。

Ulysses　then　dressed　himself　like　a　Phoenician　pedlar；　with　his
pack　on　his　back：　　he　only　took　a　stick　in　his　hand；　his　long　hair
was　turned　up；　and　hidden　under　a　red　sailor's　cap；　and　in　this
figure　he　came；　stooping　beneath　his　pack；　into　the　courtyard　of
King　Lycomedes。　　The　girls　heard　that　a　pedlar　had　come；　and　out
they　all　ran；　Achilles　with　the　rest　to　watch　the　pedlar　undo　his
pack。　　Each　chose　what　she　liked　best：　　one　took　a　wreath　of　gold；
another　a　necklace　of　gold　and　amber；　another　earrings；　a　fourth　a
set　of　brooches；　another　a　dress　of　embroidered　scarlet　cloth；
another　a　veil；　another　a　pair　of　bracelets；　but　at　the　bottom　of
the　pack　lay　a　great　sword　of　bronze；　the　hilt　studded　with　golden
nails。　　Achilles　seized　the　sword。　　〃This　is　for　me！〃　he　said；　and
drew　the　sword　from　the　gilded　sheath；　and　made　it　whistle　round
his　head。

〃You　are　Achilles；　Peleus'　son！〃　said　Ulysses；　〃and　you　are　to　be
the　chief　warrior　of　the　Achaeans；〃　for　the　Greeks　then　called
themselves　Achaeans。　　Achilles　was　only　too　glad　to　hear　these
words；　for　he　was　quite　tired　of　living　among　maidens。　　Ulysses　led
him　into　the　hall　where　the　chiefs　were　sitting　at　their　wine；　and
Achilles　was　blushing　like　any　girl。

〃Here　is　the　Queen　of　the　Amazons；〃　said　Ulyssesfor　the　Amazons
were　a　race　of　warlike　maidens〃or　rather　here　is　Achilles；
Peleus'　son；　with　sword　in　hand。〃　　Then　they　all　took　his　hand；　and
welcomed　him；　and　he　was　clothed　in　man's　dress；　with　the　sword　by
his　side；　and　presently　they　sent　him　back　with　ten　ships　to　his
home。　　There　his　mother；　Thetis；　of　the　silver　feet；　the　goddess　of
the　sea；　wept　over　him；　saying；　〃My　child；　thou　hast　the　choice　of
a　long　and　happy　and　peaceful　life　here　with　me；　or　of　a　brief　time
of　war　and　undying　renown。　　Never　shall　I　see　thee　again　in　Argos
if　thy　choice　is　for　war。〃　　But　Achilles　chose　to　die　young；　and　to
be　famous　as　long　as　the　world　stands。　　So　his　father　gave　him
fifty　ships；　with　Patroclus；　who　was　older　than　he；　to　be　his
friend；　and　with　an　old　man；　Phoenix；　to　advise　him；　and　his　mother
gave　him　the　glorious　armour　that　the　God　had　made　for　his　father；
and　the　heavy　ashen　spear　that　none　but　he　could　wield；　and　he
sailed　to　join　the　host　of　the　Achaeans；　who　all　praised　and
thanked　Ulysses　that　had　found　for　them　such　a　prince。　　For
Achilles　was　the　fiercest　fighter　of　them　all；　and　the　swiftest…
footed　man；　and　the　most　courteous　prince；　and　the　gentlest　with
women　and　children；　but　he　was　proud　and　high　of　heart；　and　when　he
was　angered　his　anger　was　terrible。

The　Trojans　would　have　had　no　chance　against　the　Greeks　if　only　the
men　of　the　city　of　Troy　had　fought　to　keep　Helen　of　the　fair　hands。
But　they　had　allies；　who　spoke　different　languages；　and　came　to
fight　for　them　both　from　Europe　and　from　Asia。　　On　the　Trojan　as
well　as　on　the　Greek　side　were　people　called　Pelasgians；　who　seem
to　have　lived　on　both　shores　of　the　sea。　　There　were　Thracians；
too；　who　dwelt　much　further　north　than　Achilles；　in　Europe　and
beside　the　strait　of　Hellespont；　where　the　narrow　sea　runs　like　a
river。　　There　were　warriors　of　Lycia；　led　by　Sarpedon　and　Glaucus；
there　were　Carians；　who　spoke　in　a　strange　tongue；　there　were
Mysians　and　men　from　Alybe；　which　was　called　〃the　birthplace　of
silver；〃　and　many　other　peoples　sent　their　armies；　so　that　the　war
was　between　Eastern　Europe；　on　one　side；　and　Western　Asia　Minor　on
the　other。　　The　people　of　Egypt　took　no　part　in　the　war：　　the
Greeks　and　Islesmen　used　to　come　down　in　their　ships　and　attack　the
Egyptians　as　the　Danes　used　to　invade　England。　　You　may　see　the
warriors　from　the　islands；　with　their　horned　helmets；　in　old
Egyptian　pictures。

The　commander…in…chief；　as　we　say　now；　of　the　Trojans　was　Hector；
the　son　of　Priam。　　He　was　thought　a　match　for　any　one　of　the
Greeks；　and　was　brave　and　good。　　His　brothers　also　were　leaders；
but　Paris　preferred　to　fight　from　a　distance　with　bow　and　arrows。
He　and　Pandarus；　who　dwelt　on　the　slopes　of　Mount　Ida；　were　the
best　archers　in　the　Trojan　army。　　The　princes　usually　fought　with
heavy　spears；　which　they　threw　at　each　other；　and　with　swords；
leaving　archery　to　the　common　soldiers　who　had　no　armour　of　bronze。
But　Teucer；　Meriones；　and　Ulysses　were　the　best　archers　of　the
Achaeans。　　People　called　Dardanians　were　led　by　Aeneas；　who　was
said　to　be　the　son　of　the　most　beautiful　of　the　goddesses。　　These；
with　Sarpedon　and　Glaucus；　were　the　most　famous　of　the　men　who
fought　for　Troy。

Troy　was　a　strong　town　on　a　hill。　　Mount　Ida　lay　behind　it；　and　in
front　was　a　plain　sloping　to　the　sea　shore。　　Through　this　plain　ran
two　beautiful　clear　rivers；　and　there　were　scattered　here　and　there
what　you　would　have　taken　for　steep　knolls；　but　they　were　really
mounds　piled　up　over　the　ashes　of　warriors　who　had　died　long　ago。
On　these　mounds　sentinels　used　to　stand　and　look　across　the　water
to　give　warning　if　the　Greek　fleet　drew　near；　for　the　Trojans　had
heard　that　it　was　on　its　way。　　At　last　the　fleet　came　in　view；　and
the　sea　was　black　with　ships；　the　oarsmen　pulling　with　all　their
might　for　the　honour　of　being　the　first　to　land。　　The　race　was　won
by　the　ship　of　the　prince　Protesilaus；　who　was　first　of　all　to　leap
on　shore；　but　as　he　leaped　he　was　struck　to　the　heart　by　an　arrow
from　the　bow　of　Paris。　　This　must　have　seemed　a　good　omen　to　the
Trojans；　and　to　the　Greeks　evil；　but　we　do　not　hear　that　the
landing　was　resisted　in　great　force；　any　more　than　that　of　Norman
William　was；　when　he　invaded　England。

The　Greeks　drew　up　all　their　ships　on　shore；　and　the　men　camped　in
huts　built　in　front　of　the　ships。　　There　was　thus　a　long　row　of
huts　with　the　ships　behind　them；　and　in　these　huts　the　Greeks　lived
all　through　the　ten　years　that　the　siege　of　Troy　lasted。　　In　these
days　they　do　not　seem　to　have　understood　how　to　conduct　a　siege。
You　would　have　expected　the　Greeks　to　build　towers　and　dig　trenches
all　round　Troy；　and　from　the　towers　watch　the　roads；　so　that
provisions　might　not　be　brought　in　from　the　country。　　This　is
called　〃investing〃　a　town；　but　the　Greeks　never　invested　Troy。
Perhaps　they　had　not　men　enough；　at　all　events　the　place　remained
open；　and　cattle　could　always　be　driven　in　to　feed　the　warriors　and
the　women　and　children。

Moreover；　the　Greeks　for　long　never　seem　to　have　tried　to　break
down　one　of　the　gates；　nor　to　scale　the　walls；　which　were　very
high；　with　ladders。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Trojans　and　allies
never　ventured　to　drive　the　Greeks　into　the　sea；　they　commonly
remained　within　the　walls　or　skirmished　just　beneath　them。　　The
older　men　insisted　on　this　way　of　fighting；　in　spite　of　Hector；　who
always　wished　to　attack　and　storm　the　camp　of　the　Greeks。　　Neither
side　had　machines　for　throwing　heavy　stones；　such　as　the　Romans
used　later；　and　the　most　that　the　Greeks　did　was　to　follow　Achilles
and　capture　small　neighbouring　cities；　and　take　the　women　for
slaves；　a