The Story of Troy Part 12

[Ill.u.s.tration: HECTOR PARTING FROM ANDROMACHE.

_Painting by Maignan._]

Then Hector stretched out his hands to embrace his son, but the little fellow shrank back and screamed in fright at the nodding crest on his father's helmet. Both parents gently smiled, and Hector, taking off his helmet, and placing it on the ground, kissed his boy, and fondled him in his arms, praying to the G.o.ds that he might become a brave warrior, and the defender of his country.

"O Jupiter and all ye deities, Vouchsafe that this my son may yet become Among the Trojans eminent like me, And n.o.bly rule in Ilium. May they say, 'This man is greater than his father was.'"

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VI.

The parting between the hero and his sorrowing wife was very affecting.

Andromache received the infant from his father's arms, mingling tears with her smiles as she looked into the face of her child.

The chief Beheld, and, moved with tender pity, smoothed Her forehead gently with his hand and said:-- "Sorrow not thus, beloved one, for me.

No living man can send me to the shades Before my time; no man of woman born, Coward or brave, can shun his destiny.

But go thou home, and tend thy labors there,-- The web, the distaff,--and command thy maids To speed the work. The cares of war pertain To all men born in Troy, and most to me."

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VI.

Then Hector took his helmet from the ground, and Andromache departed for her home, "oft looking back, and shedding many tears."

As the hero went out at the Scaean Gate, after taking leave of his wife, he met Paris, arrayed in his shining armor, and eager to join the battle. Together they rushed into the plain, and slew many of the enemy.

The G.o.ddess Minerva, observing that the battle was going against the Greeks, quickly descended from the top of Olympus. Apollo, seeing her from the Trojan citadel, hastened to meet her, and he proposed that they should now bring the conflict to an end for the day. With this object, Minerva having consented, they both agreed to cause Hector to challenge one of the Greek warriors to engage with him in single combat. Helenus, being a soothsayer, knew the purpose of the G.o.ds, and he told his brother. "But," said he, "you shall not fall in the fight, for it is not thy fate yet to perish. Thus have the immortal G.o.ds spoken, and I have heard their voice."

Hector rejoiced at his brother's words, and immediately advancing to the front of the army he commanded the Trojans to cease fighting.

He bore his spear, Holding it in the middle, and pressed back The ranks of Trojans, and they all sat down.

And Agamemnon caused the well-armed Greeks To sit down also.

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VII.

Then the Trojan chief, standing between the two hosts, spoke in a loud voice, and challenged the bravest of the Greeks to engage with him in mortal combat. For a few moments there was silence in the ranks of the Argives. Even the boldest of them hesitated at the thought of fighting such a warrior as Hector. At length Menelaus, rising from his seat, declared that he was ready to accept the challenge, and so he put on his armor. But Agamemnon held him back, warning him against rashly venturing into a conflict with a man who was much stronger and braver than he, and whom every other chief, even Achilles himself, regarded with fear.

Nestor then arose, and in severe words upbraided his countrymen for their want of courage. "Would that my frame were unworn with years," he exclaimed, "then Hector should soon find a foe to meet him; but now among the bravest of the Achaians there is no one to meet the Trojan leader in arms."

The venerable Nestor had no sooner ceased speaking than nine warriors started to their feet, every one eager for the honor of being permitted to accept the challenge of Hector. Among them were Agamemnon, the two Ajaxes, Diomede, and Ulysses. Nestor then proposed that one should be chosen by lot. This was agreed to, and lots being cast, the honor fell to Ajax Telamon, the mightiest and most valiant of the Greeks except Achilles. The hero greatly rejoiced, believing that he would conquer Hector, and so he quickly put on his armor, and went forward to the ground marked out for the combat.

His ma.s.sy javelin quivering in his hand, He stood, the bulwark of the Grecian band.

POPE, _Iliad_, Book VII.

Hector having also taken his place on the ground, the combat began.

First the Trojan chief, brandishing his long spear, hurled it at his foe. Ajax received it on his shield, which was made of seven folds of oxhides and an eighth fold of solid bra.s.s. Through six of the hides the weapon of Hector pierced, but it stuck fast in the seventh.

Then the Grecian champion sent forth his javelin. It pa.s.sed right through Hector's shield and corselet, and might have proved fatal, had the hero not quickly bent aside his body. Again both champions launched spears, one after the other. This time Hector was slightly wounded in the neck. Nothing daunted, however, he seized a huge stone which lay at his feet, and hurled it at Ajax. It struck the hero's shield and the bra.s.s resounded with the blow. Quickly the Argive warrior took up a much larger stone, and flung it at his antagonist with tremendous force. The stone crashed through Hector's shield, and, striking him on the knee, stretched him flat on the ground. But Apollo instantly raised him up, renewing his strength, and then with their swords the two heroes fell upon each other, fighting hand to hand. At this point, night having come on, two heralds, one from the Trojan army, the other from the Greek, approached the champions, and ordered them to cease fighting, I-dae'us, the Trojan herald, giving the command in a loud voice:

"Cease to contend, dear sons, in deadly fray; Ye both are loved by cloud-compelling Jove, And both are great in war, as all men know.

The night is come; be then the night obeyed."

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VII.

Ajax answered that as it was Hector who gave the challenge, it was for him first to speak of truce. Hector replied, speaking words of praise and admiration for his antagonist, and saying that they should now cease from battle for the day.

"Since, then, the night extends her gloomy shade, And heaven enjoins it, be the night obey'd.

Return, brave Ajax, to thy Grecian friends, And joy the nations whom thy arm defends; But let us, on this memorable day, Exchange some gift: that Greece and Troy may say 'Not hate, but glory, made these chiefs contend; And each brave foe was in his soul a friend.'"

POPE, _Iliad_, Book VII.

Then Hector gave Ajax a silver-studded sword with scabbard, and Ajax presented to Hector a belt of rich purple. Thus ended the terrible conflict which had raged throughout the day, and the two heroes retired, each joyfully welcomed by his comrades and friends.

Then they both departed,--one To join the Grecian host, and one to meet The Trojan people, who rejoiced to see Hector alive, unwounded, and now safe From the great might and irresistible arm Of Ajax. Straightway to the town they led Him for whose life they scarce had dared to hope.

And Ajax also by the well-armed Greeks, Exulting in his feats of arms, was brought To n.o.ble Agamemnon.

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VII.

IX. THE SECOND BATTLE--EXPLOIT OF DIOMEDE AND ULYSSES.

Before the Greek leaders retired to rest for the night, they held a council in the tent of Agamemnon, at which they resolved to perform funeral rites, early in the morning, in honor of their comrades who had been slain in the battle. They also resolved, on the advice of Nestor, to build a strong wall and dig a deep trench in front of their camp, that their ships might be secure against the attacks of the enemy.

The Trojan chiefs, too, held a council. They were discouraged by their losses in the battle, and many of them thought that they could not now succeed in the war, because of the treacherous act of Pandarus in breaking the league. The wise Antenor was of this opinion, and in his speech at the council he advised that Helen and her treasures should be given up to the Greeks.

"Send we the Argive Helen back with all Her treasures; let the sons of Atreus lead The dame away; for now we wage the war After our faith is broken, and I deem We cannot prosper till we make amends."

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VII.

But Paris would not agree to this. He was willing to give up Helen's treasures, and to give treasure of his own as compensation to the Greeks, but he would not consent to restore Helen herself. King Priam weakly gave way to his son, and ordered that a herald should be sent to the Greek leaders to tell them of the offer of Paris, and to request that fighting should not be resumed until the dead should be taken from the battlefield, and funeral services performed.

Accordingly the Trojan herald Idaeus went next morning to the tent of Agamemnon. There he found the Argive chiefs a.s.sembled. Upon hearing his message, they scornfully rejected the terms proposed by Paris, but they agreed to a truce for the funeral ceremonies. Idaeus returned to the city, and told the Trojan leaders of the answer he had received. Both Greeks and Trojans then began collecting their dead from the field and building great piles of wood, or pyres, to burn the bodies upon.

All wailing, silently they bore away Their slaughtered friends, and heaped them on the pyre With aching hearts, and, when they had consumed The dead with fire, returned to hallowed Troy.

The n.o.bly-armed Achaians also heaped Their slaughtered warriors on the funeral pile With aching hearts; and when they had consumed Their dead with fire they sought their hollow ships.

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VII.

Before dawn next morning the Greeks set about building a wall and digging a trench on the side of their camp facing Troy, as Nestor had advised. They finished the work in one day, and a mighty work it was.

The wall was strengthened with lofty towers, and the gates were so large that chariots could pa.s.s through. The trench was broad and deep, and on the outer edge it was defended by strong, sharp stakes. The G.o.ds, looking down from Olympus, admired these labors, but Neptune, much displeased, made bitter complaint to Jupiter:

"Now will the fame Of this their work go forth wherever shines The light of day, and men will quite forget The wall which once we built with toiling hands-- Phbus Apollo and myself--around The city of renowned Laomedon."

BRYANT, _Iliad_, Book VII.

But Jupiter relieved the anxiety of the ocean G.o.d by telling him that when the war was over, and the Greeks had departed from Troy, he might overthrow the great wall with his waves, and cover the sh.o.r.e with sand.

Thus the Grecian bulwark would vanish from the plain.

After their great labors on the wall and trench the Greeks feasted in their tents, and next day, the truce being now ended, both armies prepared for battle. Meanwhile Jupiter, held a council on high Olympus, at which he gave strict command that none of the G.o.ds should take part on either side in the fight before Troy; and he declared that if any of them should disobey this order, he would hurl the offender down into the dark pit of Tar'ta-rus, in the gloomy kingdom of Pluto.